Help me find my deadlift/ squat weaknesses!

[AnimalMass1]

Hey guys,

I am really having problems with my deadlift and squat form. I'm hoping to figure out where my weaknesses are and how to work on them.

When I deadlift (conventional), my knees lockout almost before the bar ever moves and I straight-leg the weight up. I have pulled conventional all along, but have been trying to learn to pull sumo. When I pull sumo, I get myself positioned correctly; ass low, shoulders behind the bar, and then as I begin to pull my ass shoots straight up, about 6 inches, before the weight ever moves off the floor. Instead of everything firing at once, it's like...my ass raises...the weight begins to move...my knees lockout...then my back pulls the weight on up...then finally my hips thrust as the lift is 95% finshed. It's pretty sad. My sumo pull is like 7 different moves as opposed to one clean pull where everything fires at the same time.

Where is my weakness?

Likewise, when I squat I have found that I am the least flexible person in the world. I can barely get my feet out to 48" with my knees locked (as if I were trying to do the splits). The sad thing is that I am 6'1" and should be able to get me feet out to monolift width or farther very easy with that much leg length. When I try to sit back with the weight my groin and hips feel like they are going to tear as I get 2-3" from the box. This is causing me to not sit back enough as the strain on my hips are too great at the box when my feet are 48" apart. I sit back until everything gets tight, and then I just have to sit down the rest of the way. I find that it is very hard to explode off the box when my feet are this wide.

I'm really hoping to hear some comments from you guys about my form issues/ weaknesses, and how to correct them. I squatted 625 at my last meet, thinking I was a wide Westside squatter, and after viewing the video, realized my feet were only about 36" apart.

PLease Help!

AnimalMass

 

[spatts]

animalmass...


What is your arched back GM strength compared to your bent over?

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

IMO if your hips are moving that much before the bar moves you are starting with them too low. Try and start them a little higher. Most strong conventionals that I have seen are practically stiff-legged.

On squats, do you turn your toes out or straight ahead?? Also, is this on a low box or your regular speed box?

 

[AnimalMass1]

animalmass...


What is your arched back GM strength compared to your bent over?

Almost identical from the same height.

Animalmass

 

[AnimalMass1]

IMO if your hips are moving that much before the bar moves you are starting with them too low. Try and start them a little higher. Most strong conventionals that I have seen are practically stiff-legged.

On squats, do you turn your toes out or straight ahead?? Also, is this on a low box or your regular speed box?

My hips are DEFINITELY not too low. Imagine starting a sumo stance pull with your legs completely locked out. That is just plain wrong, but that's what it looks like. Basically I'm turning a sumo deadlift into a wide stance, grip-inside-legs conventional deadlft.

I point my toes out when I squat. I'm talking about the reg DE box.

AnimalMass

 

[spatts]

AM, I meant what are those GM numbers compared to your squat and dead numbers.

 

[Liftbig]

animalmass move you stance in some on the squat, not everyone at westside squats out to the rack. it depends on your hip flexiblitly. squat as wide as you can without destroyng your form.

as for you deadlift pound your hamstrings and glutes. when you start the deadlift flex your glutes reall hard before you go get everything tight. and keep pulling the bar back to you. maybe thats how sumo messed with your form. in sumo you pull the bar straight up, with convential you need to pull the bar back to you.

 

[AnimalMass1]

well, how can it compare? I do arched back and rounded back goodmornings around 365 at 2-3 inches below belly button. But if I do them high, I can do much more.

Squat 625, deadlift 550.

i.e. - DG21 does about 585 on a low goodmorning, but he squats well over 800 and pulls well over 700.

AnimalMass

 

[argent]

Are your shins against the bar to start when pulling Sumo bro?

 

[spatts]

Will I be struck by lightening if I disagree with liftbig?

Here's the way I see it (re: your deadlift): I think your hamstrings are the strong point and that's why you're overcompensating with them. Your lower back is exiting the deadlift picture pretty fast, and you pull it, like you said, "straight legged" a.k.a. with your hamstrings. I don't doubt that you need some glute/ham flexibility or a change in squat stance, but I really don't think that's your deadlift problem. If you tell me you deadlift 550 with your hamstrings, I'm not inclined to think they're weak.

As for squat stance, 2 words: Becca Swanson.

I don't know about you, but I sure as hell wouldn't walk up to a 700 pound squatter and tell her she was squatting wrong in her narrow stance.

Whether you're narrow or wide, you have to have a strong lower back, so that doesn't really impact my opinion on your deadlift.

You instinctively do what's best for you in a meet because you are a kick ass lifter. I would listen to that before some tape.