Here's my squat vid

[Jim Ouini]

Well since I lifted at home yesterday I figured it was a good chance to get a look at my squat.

This is my 3rd set at 275 x 5. A couple things I noticed and I kind of felt as I was was doing my set:

My knees are a bit far forward; as I lower the bar, I can sometimes feel my weight shifting forward. I did a bit of reading last night and Rippetoe says it because one loses tightness in the hamstrings. So I'll try that next time. I'm thinking I need to start doing some ab strengthening things too.

I've been going down pretty slow and gingerly because of my lower back. In the past I was a bit more 'natural' with my speed, but I can't afford any missteps nowadays.

As far as depth, I might be pulling up a bit short, again because I think my back will round at the bottom. For now it's good enough, I think. Hey you should've seen me before

http://media.putfile.com/DSCN0139-58

Anyway, critique away. I'm open to any improvement suggestions.

 

[H_T_]

i couldn't open it. but add good mornings if you haven't started already. you can do GM's 2 times a week and squat once a month. you're squat will still go up.

 

[Jim Ouini]

I'd been doing them lately with my front squats. But the lower back tweak kept me from doing them the past coupla workouts.

I know they're good for the posterior chain so I definitley want to get them back into my routine.

 

[H_T_]

I'd been doing them lately with my front squats. But the lower back tweak kept me from doing them the past coupla workouts.

I know they're good for the posterior chain so I definitley want to get them back into my routine.

i might be rehashing old info, but: lean onto your abs. and, don't just bend at the waist, it's like sticking your ass out as far as it can go then bending forward because of it. but take care of that lower back first.

 

[super_rice]

for an oly squat, keep your back and abs and everything extremely tight, SIT between your legs to get the depth. practice this with some lighter weights in 40-60kg range during your warmups... sit in the hole and feel it.

NICE eleiko set. if you are going to use your eleiko bar on the squat rack, tape the rack clips so that it doesn't damage the bar! i'm so jealous

 

[redguru]

Try to concentrate on your knees not moving forward of your toes.

 

[H_T_]

Try to concentrate on your knees not moving forward of your toes.

i practiced that for like a month at home with no weight before i took it to the gym.

 

[BiggT]

I can't see the vids, I may have to wait til I get to work on Mon.....Jim, are they olympic squats? If so, the knees are supposed to come past the toes. And like Super Rice said, sit between your legs...or as some say 'on your nuts'.

IF they are a powerlifting squat, Human Target gave you decent advice, but again, the only thing a Pl squat and an Oly squat have in common is that they both are called 'squats' and that is where the similarities end.

 

[super_rice]

this is not the best of advice for a full squat like the one you are performing. your knees can go ahead of your toes, just keep everything tight and don't drift around. if you are loose the forces go straight to your knee, rather than through it, as a full suqat should transfer forces around your legs and hips very efficiently.

like i said, keep everything tight, keep you head up in a neutral position, UPPER BACK TIGHT, elbows NOT flared out (try to pull hte bar into your traps), and SIT IN BETWEEN YOUR LEGS.

Try to concentrate on your knees not moving forward of your toes.

 

[gjohnson5]

Why can you not squat more weight?

 

[BiggT]

this is not the best of advice for a full squat like the one you are performing. your knees can go ahead of your toes, just keep everything tight and don't drift around. if you are loose the forces go straight to your knee, rather than through it, as a full suqat should transfer forces around your legs and hips very efficiently.

like i said, keep everything tight, keep you head up in a neutral position, UPPER BACK TIGHT, elbows NOT flared out (try to pull hte bar into your traps), and SIT IN BETWEEN YOUR LEGS.

This is absolutely correct.....what I think is that a lot of people are going through the checklist for a PL squat, which again isn't bad advice, just not appropriate for someone doing oly squats.

 

[Guinness5.0]

Yeah the first thing I thought was that your butt's too far back and you're leaning too far forward with your torso. You'd wanna stay more upright and, as has been said, sit b/t your legs more.

I wouldn't worry one bit about your knees - mine come forward more than yours. I'd bet that once you get more upright your knees will come forward even more.

Take a look at what your elbows are doing - notice how they get forward on you. I'm wondering if you're keeping your upper back nice and tight. The 'chest up' cue comes to mind.

 

[Cynical Simian]

Yeah the first thing I thought was that your butt's too far back and you're leaning too far forward with your torso. You'd wanna stay more upright and, as has been said, sit b/t your legs more.

I wouldn't worry one bit about your knees - mine come forward more than yours. I'd bet that once you get more upright your knees will come forward even more.

+1

Jim, you mentioned that you do hip flexor stretches in GSP's journal. How frequently are you doing them? (Or, to be more direct, if you're not doing them thrice daily, try that and see if it helps you keep your torso up more.)

 

[redguru]

Thanks for correcting me If I'm wrong, I'd rather people voice it than not.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Thank you for the advice guys. It's much appreciated, and for all the histrionics flying around here lately, it's what makes this board invaluable to me.

For those that can't view it - and maybe those that can - yes I'm trying to do full squats

like i said, keep everything tight, keep you head up in a neutral position, UPPER BACK TIGHT, elbows NOT flared out (try to pull hte bar into your traps), and SIT IN BETWEEN YOUR LEGS

I know the sit on your nuts feelilng from my front squats, so I'll keep trying both to try and get the groove.

NICE eleiko set. if you are going to use your eleiko bar on the squat rack, tape the rack clips so that it doesn't damage the bar! i'm so jealous

Thanks, I just got it. The rack has little rubber padding on it to protect the bar. Considering I'm about thrice your age I figure I'm entitled

Yeah the first thing I thought was that your butt's too far back and you're leaning too far forward with your torso. You'd wanna stay more upright and, as has been said, sit b/t your legs more.

]I wouldn't worry one bit about your knees - mine come forward more than yours. I'd bet that once you get more upright your knees will come forward even more.

Take a look at what your elbows are doing - notice how they get forward on you. I'm wondering if you're keeping your upper back nice and tight. The 'chest up' cue comes to mind.

I didn't pay much attention to my 'bows. Good observation, to be honest I haven't concentrated much lately on what my upper body's doing lately. I think this might be due to some ab weakness as well, which is why I'll have to start doing the dreaded weighted situps.

This is absolutely correct.....what I think is that a lot of people are going through the checklist for a PL squat, which again isn't bad advice, just not appropriate for someone doing oly squats.

True 'dat. I think I might have some bad habits from reading about PL squats when I first started. Have to break out of the mind set, it's tough though.

Jim, you mentioned that you do hip flexor stretches in GSP's journal. How frequently are you doing them? (Or, to be more direct, if you're not doing them thrice daily, try that and see if it helps you keep your torso up more.)

Only before I squat, which is currently 3 x week, much less per day. Plus I do sit a significant portion of the time at work so they do have tendency to get tight. I'll try to step this up as well.

Why can you not squat more weight?

That's why I'm here. To learn and try and get better.

 

[fortunatesun]

More commentary, which mostly echoes what others have said now that I've re-read their posts:

I think once your back is 100% you're going to be glad you got that GHR machine. Your quads seemed to take the weight much easier than your hams.

Core exercises like you and others have said. Needsize crunches are good here. The static weight gives you practice feeling what keeping everything tight actually feels like.

The problems of chest up and arms flaring may be at least partly solved by bringing in your grip on the bar. I used to be guilty of this as well. Wider grip makes you feel like you've got an easy handle on things but bringing your hands in closer helps stabilize the bar, draws your shoulders together, which helps keep things tight, and keeps your head up.

All in all good vid though. Hope my nitpicking doesn't detract...

 

[Jim Ouini]

Not at all FS, your points are well taken. I too have thought about why my glutes/hams are my weakpoint, especially since my RDL/deadlift outpaces my squat, although that's just hip extension, right.

I think I may try some pause squats too.

 

[fortunatesun]

Pause squats are great! I get a bit nervous sometimes at maximum weight about getting down deep enough in the hole and exploding back up. Doing pause squats demonstrates to myself that I'm going to have things under control.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Any thoughts on what weight to use on pause squats? I do them now when on my warmups actually, up to about 70% 1RM. Then some regular singles up to my working weight.

If I were to incorporate them into my routine, maybe I do regular, front and pause squats M-W-F, or some such thing.

 

[fortunatesun]

lol - I do them after reg. squats. If I'm doing 3's or 5's or whatever, I lower the weight and do the same number of reps. 70% actually sounds about right. Maybe a little higher but it also depends on how much energy is left in the tank.

 

[Maks]

Nice squat video, congrats.
Im afraid im not qualified to do form comments.

Jim, you mentioned that you do hip flexor stretches in GSP's journal. How frequently are you doing them? (Or, to be more direct, if you're not doing them thrice daily, try that and see if it helps you keep your torso up more.)

Just to show my ignorance: why does stretching of the hip flexors help you keep more upright ? Hip flexors as in those muscles that pull your knees to your chest ? - I dont say that it doesnt but i would like to understand it. I would be glad if someone could enlighten me.
Sorry for hijacking.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Here ya go:

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459517

BTW, I don't think congrats are in order for this vid but thanks anyway

 

[anotherbutters]

When you looked at the vid, did it match how you thought you were squatting?

 

[Cynical Simian]

Just to show my ignorance: why does stretching of the hip flexors help you keep more upright ? Hip flexors as in those muscles that pull your knees to your chest ? - I dont say that it doesnt but i would like to understand it. I would be glad if someone could enlighten me.

Jim's T-Nation link should help, and there are a bunch of other articles there and on other sites about flexibility and the squat.

Also, it might make sense if you just reverse how you described the hip flexors. Rather than thinking about pulling your knees to your chest, think of them as pulling your chest (or more generally, your torso), to your knees when you squat.

 

[Jim Ouini]

When you looked at the vid, did it match how you thought you were squatting?

I thought I was deeper

It's about what I thought, my big fear was that I'd be pulling up short although I can feel my hams contacting my calves when I'm lifting (really I can). I remember Glenn P. and Rippetoe saying you don't have to go butt to ankles unless you're really flexible, which I'm not. In my last 5 x 5 I'd get down a little lower but at the expense of my butt tucking under. I think that contributed to the lower back pain that I'm experiencing now.

Also, my stance in the vid is a bit narrower and feet more straight ahead than I have in the past (I think I have some weak adductors); this may affect my depth a bit as I can't seem to open up as well and therefore the sit between the legs thing is harder for me.

 

[Maks]

Thanks for the link and the advice. I will be stretching more, then.

Its strange isnt it ? You always think you go deeper than you actually do.

 

[thelion2005]

I'm sorry .... I see all good. You are coming down below parallel, back straight and chin up. If I heard right, you have the shoes with lift heels? If not ... doesn't matter.

I would get a belt and wrap the knees.
Hope you warmed up prior with some extensions or the bike. Protect the knees now.

Go for 315 and higher reps in the coming months. You are on your way.

Precious K to you.

 

[fortunatesun]

Also, my stance in the vid is a bit narrower and feet more straight ahead than I have in the past

Something else we have in common. For me, it means being able to develop a better rhythm and getting my weight directly on my heels for the trip up. I'm getting more reps this way.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Today I did 4 x 6 (as part of my '5 x 5') @ 225. I really concentrated on keeping my chest up, elbows back, shoulder blades pinched and minimize the hip break. Stance was heels about shoulder width and feet pointed out a bit.

I liked it. I felt a lot tighter and more compact, like a spring

Of course it was only 225.

 

[The Shadow]

i might be rehashing old info, but: lean onto your abs. and, don't just bend at the waist, it's like sticking your ass out as far as it can go then bending forward because of it. but take care of that lower back first.

yep...and if you wear a belt....push the abs against it as you lift

 

[Jim Ouini]

I'm trying to hold off on the belt. It makes a big difference for me but I'm trying to improve on my weakness. So I'm just setting my lower back and bracing my stomach.

It's hard to resist the temptation sometimes, though.