Please critique my squat

[view]

I don't see anything wrong with that form. it probably works well for your body structure. Nice squat BTW too. I say just keep listening to your body. If it says its fine keep doing it, if not then revamp your form.

 

[cwc73]

You must spread some Karma around before giving it to Guinness5.0 again.

NICE

 

[JL_204]

I can honestly say I dont see anything wrong with your squat.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

There shouldn't be any sacral rotation at the bottom portion of the squat. This is what I have been told, anyway. It seems like you may be getting a little bit of that. I know you had back pain awhile ago, which is part of the reason you ran HST. Has that pain emerged again? If not, I wouldn't worry too much.

Just to be sure, though, try some 30-60 second iso. RDL holds. CCJ pointed me to them, and they work wonderful for increasing hamstring flexibility. It allows you to keep a better arch the lower you go.

Also, squatting with a slightly wider stance may help you with keeping tight with form. I've always noticed that, when I go really narrow (i.e., feet parallel) it becomes a chore to keep everything real taut.

In the end, let pain be your guide. It's good you're taking the incentive to look into it now though, lest you wind up with a back problem like me.

 

[Guinness5.0]

Has that pain emerged again? If not, I wouldn't worry too much..

It's a lot better since changing my dl/squat technique.

Just to be sure, though, try some 30-60 second iso. RDL holds. CCJ pointed me to them, and they work wonderful for increasing hamstring flexibility. It allows you to keep a better arch the lower you go.

Got a link? Is it as simple as holding a light barbell in the lowish part of the ROM? I'm definitely thinking that hamstring flexibilty is part of the issue.

 

[BiggT]

I think they look perfect.

You need to remember that the only thing an olympic squat and a powerlifting squat have in common is that they are both called squats. A shoulder-width stance is fine as long as you are acheiving depth and are comfortable. With an olympic squat, you are supposed to break at the hips, which you do, you're definitely not not falling forward, which is good. You not supposed to 'sit back' like a PlL Squat, the fact that you burry the depth means you shouldn't have knee issues. Going all the way down means the stress is transferred from the knees to the hips. With a Pl squat where you sit back, you shouldn't go ass to the floor because the wide stance will hurt the hips, cutting these off at paralell doesn't hurt the knees because the knees don't come forward due to the sitting back. With Oly squats you're NOT supposed to sit back, you simply start the movement by breaking at the hips and not falling forward, and you need to burry olympic squats to transfer the load to the hips because you don't sit back and the knees do come forward, cutting these off at parallel puts on the force on the knees. Again, oly squats and pl squats are really night and day, apples to oranges.

I hope that post made sense......basically, that is perfect olympic squat form....your knees should come forward a little due to the nature of the movement, you break at the hips, you don't fall forward, you don't bounce at the bottom, and overall it looks really good. Your back looks good and erect, no folding-in, the hips look fine to me. Don't get hung up on 'sitting back' and having the knees not come forward, that is for a Pl Squat, which has nothing to do with an olympic squat. Again, the depth transfers the stress from the knees to the hips and you will be just fine.

 

[djeclipse]

Sorry to hijack this thread but I have a squat question and don't want to spread the information around by starting a new thread.

BiggT you mention not falling forward. I am very new to squats and proper ATF squats. Yesterday while doing my last rep of my last set I did almost fall forward. When I was all the way down the weight started tomove forward and I seriously had to push off my toes to keep myself from falling forward. This was at the bottom of the squat and I had to steady myself before standing back up, it kind of scaired me a little.

I have been doing squats roughly shoulder width apart with toes facing almost forward. Should I angle my feet outward a little more? Would this help stop the weight from shifting forward?

 

[TheOak84]

i like em

 

[BiggT]

Sorry to hijack this thread but I have a squat question and don't want to spread the information around by starting a new thread.

BiggT you mention not falling forward. I am very new to squats and proper ATF squats. Yesterday while doing my last rep of my last set I did almost fall forward. When I was all the way down the weight started tomove forward and I seriously had to push off my toes to keep myself from falling forward. This was at the bottom of the squat and I had to steady myself before standing back up, it kind of scaired me a little.

I have been doing squats roughly shoulder width apart with toes facing almost forward. Should I angle my feet outward a little more? Would this help stop the weight from shifting forward?

The shifting forward of weight can be a couple different things. Angling the feet out a little more really isn't necessary unless you absolutely cannot acheive depth and your knees won't push outward, again, these are not PL-style squats, so the mental checklist for a Pl squat like 'feet out, sit back, knnes don't come forward' can be thrown out the window.

You shouldn't begin the squat by shooting the knees out and down.....the hips should break first. For your problem, I'd obviously have to see you squat to tell you exactly what's wrong, but it could be a flexibility issue. Do you have a problem getting low? It could be a core issue. Does the weight "fold you in half"?

Here is what I would do.....if your form is in check, you break at the hips, knnes come out instead of in, you're flexible enough to acheive depth, you don't bounce out of the bottom, etc...once you know HOW to do the squat, a common problem is a weak core. What I would do then is use weight that is light enough that your form doesn't break by getting folded in and do assistance work in the form of weighted, full range situps and decline situps, good mornings, back hyper extensions to strengthen your core.

But, mechanics aside, what I mean by mechanics is incorrect form like squatting by breaking at the knees and not the hips...... I'd say your problem is either a weak core, or lack of flexibility, both of which would cause you to fall forward. Remember to stay erect, these aren't the modified GMs that pass a squats in PL meets, I can't stress enough that an Oly Squat and PL Squat only have one thing in common, the fact that both are called 'squats', they really are 2 totally different movements.

:edit:

I see that you say you fell forward on the last rep.....if the rest of the set was good and the problem occured on the last rep only, I'd guess you need to bring up your core strength, and there obviously aren't any technical or flexibility issues if the rest of your reps were fine. Watch the video again, if you squat like Guiness when you use lighter weight and your problem is getting folded in half by heavy weight, causing the bar to come forward, then it is definitely a weak core that is your problem.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

I think they look perfect.

You need to remember that the only thing an olympic squat and a powerlifting squat have in common is that they are both called squats. A shoulder-width stance is fine as long as you are acheiving depth and are comfortable. With an olympic squat, you are supposed to break at the hips, which you do, you're definitely not not falling forward, which is good. You not supposed to 'sit back' like a PlL Squat, the fact that you burry the depth means you shouldn't have knee issues. Going all the way down means the stress is transferred from the knees to the hips. With a Pl squat where you sit back, you shouldn't go ass to the floor because the wide stance will hurt the hips, cutting these off at paralell doesn't hurt the knees because the knees don't come forward due to the sitting back. With Oly squats you're NOT supposed to sit back, you simply start the movement by breaking at the hips and not falling forward, and you need to burry olympic squats to transfer the load to the hips because you don't sit back and the knees do come forward, cutting these off at parallel puts on the force on the knees. Again, oly squats and pl squats are really night and day, apples to oranges.

I hope that post made sense......basically, that is perfect olympic squat form....your knees should come forward a little due to the nature of the movement, you break at the hips, you don't fall forward, you don't bounce at the bottom, and overall it looks really good. Your back looks good and erect, no folding-in, the hips look fine to me. Don't get hung up on 'sitting back' and having the knees not come forward, that is for a Pl Squat, which has nothing to do with an olympic squat. Again, the depth transfers the stress from the knees to the hips and you will be just fine.

So you think the bit of sacral rotation at the bottom is okay?