I think the limiting factor is the technique. Thing is, once your hips shoot up, it’s all lower back from there (hence a good morning), and the glutes and the quads no longer contribute. I think you’ll break that barrier instantly when you optimize your technique.
I’m no coach nor do I have the credentials to tell you how to fix your squat, but I think a good cue for your would be (1) to focus on driving the bar up with your upper back so that you put more force directly upwards to the bar, and (2) focus on keeping the knees forward a little longer at the bottom and as you ascend. If you check out form check videos from Bryce Krawczyk from Calgary Barbell, he always comments that the knees should stay in place as you initially ascend. The nice thing about watching his form check videos is that he marks the video, so you know exactly what cue he is talking about such as this one.
There are better examples of him pointing out the knees staying in place in his channel, but I’m a bit lazy to look for them
Also, just wanted to point out that you don’t have to change program if you’re enjoying it. I had to reset my squat once when I switched to low bar, and I just lowered the weights and hopped back into it when I was happy with form. Might be a good idea to lower the weight and use 5s pro just specifically for the squat while you’re changing technique
Whether you should high bar or low bar is an entirely different topic, but maybe, just maybe, you just haven’t found your sweet spot for low bar yet. I definitely found the high bar uncomfortable compared to low bar. You can do more pull ups than I do, so I’d imagine you have more meat on your upper back, which should help with low bar. You can try packing your shoulder blades closer to make a better shelf
Think I might give 5/3/1 for Beginners from Jim’s blog a go so that I can practice submax squat reps twice per week while still getting in decent volume on the other lifts. Will also hammer the single leg work if that makes a difference while I try to fix the squat technique. I actually tried this template earlier this year to get back into lifting after COVID temporarily hindered me.
As you given the all clear to takes shot at your squat technique (was going to mention on insta but didnt want to give unsolicited advice!) . . . alot has already been mentioned.
Do you do much single leg work? i ask because everyone seems to be mentioning quads, but your may have underactive glutes, and overactive lowerback/hammies? i find single leg work and hip thrusts help bring the glutes back into action
also +1 for front squatting, belt less . . . with maybe even a slow tempo lower . . .this gives you no option but to really brace the core and open up the hips when going down. A few months of this and im sure you will break some high bar back squat plato’s
and no offence , but i deffo wouldnt adjust to lowbar back squat positioning. You may see a quick increase in weight but it will just accentuate your ‘squatmorning’ technique IMO
but keep at it! you can only get better and you’ve got loads of years left of squatting so dont worry about dropping weight and coming a step back for one of them!
@dagill2 That’s a good idea. The weights will be light enough anyway
@tj55 I usually would do single leg work (Bulgarian split squats loaded via barbell or holding plates) for 30-50 reps once per week. I enjoy front squats more than back squats, but unfortunately my back will still take over the movement as Chad mentions in the JTS video. That’s what I think about low bar squatting too, but my technique can’t get that much worse, so maybe it’s worth a solid try. Thanks!
I got a friend who is posterior chain dominant but his technique is pretty clean. No squat variation adequately targets his quads so he always incorporates movements like leg press and hack squat into his program.
If u are like him and machines aren’t an option I think light (to minimise compensating) high rep goblet squats getting the knees super far forward and keeping them there as long as possible (decent cue for regular squat too) is ur best
We are talking about muscle/strength and technique as though they are seperate but really building up your legs will automatically improve ur tekkers because your body won’t be compensating as hard. One can only cue so much in the end the body will go where it is strong/ compensate where it is weak when things get hard
Thanks again everybody for the advice. Since I don’t have access to dumbbells or a leg machine, I wonder if maybe a landmine squat might be an appropriate substitute for goblet squats on assistance work. I have an attachment I already use for rows, and maybe I would be less likely to compensate with my back even when compared to a front squat.
Hi there. Welcome to the forums. I just came across your log and will follow along.
With respect to the tendency to good morning your squat, that’s an issue I fight as well. There are a number of possible causes. Mine is exacerbated by long femurs that necessitate more of a forward lean to centre the weight over my feet. I ended up moving the bar higher and find that more comfortable. The lower the bar, the further back the weight is. That means that you require more forward lean to keep it over mid-foot which can lead to more of a squat morning if that’s your tendency. Overall, I wouldn’t stress to much about it. Be cognizant and try different things to work on it.
Thanks for the words. Just checked out your log and you’re super strong. I hope to be at that level in the not too distant future. Yeah, I see that we have similar habits on the squat. I’ve always used a higher bar position yet have this issue. I don’t know how much a lower position will help or hinder me, but I have lots to learn, so it can’t hurt.
It must be an old log. I haven’t kept it up to date. I’ve been lifting for so long it gets boring and repetitive.
Part of learning to lift is learning what works best for you. There’s a lot of trial and error and, more frustratingly, stuff that works now may suddenly not work well a year from now. I guess that’s also what keeps it interesting.
A cue that’s worked well for me to help with the good morning issue is to push your elbows forward hard when you’re coming out of the hole. It forces your chest up.
This is a link to a video that I have watched many times over the years and still find it helpful to watch from time to time. It’s an instructional video on set up by Souix-Z Hartwig-Gary. I didn’t see your set up on your video but it’s an area that’s easy to rush and over look leading to poor performance.
50 pushups
2x20 lateral raises
50 ab wheel rollouts
Still fatigued from Sunday, so I performed poorly today. Also didn’t have much time, so I just did FSL widowmaker on press. But I might stick to an AMRAP on the last set because I think I get more out of it. I filmed my top set and last FSL set on squat. Clearly this slight change is awkward to me. I still see the same problems, especially on the top set. I think it just looks a bit better because the weight isn’t heavy. It also looks like there’s a lot of buttwink, which I never noticed in the past.
I’m thinking I maybe shouldn’t stuff my face anymore since this program isn’t as intense as BtM or BBB, and I need to work on my squat technique more than pushing it.
