Hey guys, ive been working out for a while (roughly six months) then came across a shoulder injury that put me off lifting, now im back into it but my squat is really shocking please feel free to critique.
I always feel like im being pulled forward, i have to admit i strongly favored the back squat over my time training.
its normal to have difficulties squatting to depth with no bar, because you don’t have that weight on your shoulders pushing your feet down into the ground. If you can, retry your squats with an empty olympic barbell and your form would most likely improve. You will have a much more solid stance.
[quote]easysaid wrote:
Hey guys, ive been working out for a while (roughly six months) then came across a shoulder injury that put me off lifting, now im back into it but my squat is really shocking please feel free to critique.
I always feel like im being pulled forward, i have to admit i strongly favored the back squat over my time training.[/quote]
Looks like tight hip flexors and low ankle mobility. I would switch to front squats for a while. BUT do the following:
Stretch the hip flexors prior to every set (lunge stretch) for 30 sec per side
Do not focus on depth at all cost: focus on maintaining an upright torso and gradually work on getting lower with an upright torso
Pause for 2 seconds at the bottom position of every repetition
[quote]Massthetics wrote:
[/quote]
You’ve recently managed to squat your bodyweight with questionable form. Please refrain from sounding like an expert.
OP, practice goblet squats and stretch your ankles, hip flexors, and groin muscles.
Agile 8 or Limber 11.
I do it before every leg exercise now.
Goblet squats are your friend. They let you maintain the upright position with low load and essentially allow you to just stretch the muscles out if you go into the hole and sit there for a while. Probably should alternate between sessions of sitting with your body tense and holding the load and just relaxing and going into the stretch.
Well, that and just plain getting stronger at the squat. I couldn’t do body squats until I squatted 225lb.
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
Do not focus on depth at all cost: focus on maintaining an upright torso and gradually work on getting lower with an upright torso [/quote]
Definitely worth repeating. Depth is good, but going deep just for the sake of going deep isn’t worth it. (That’s what she said.) Improving it is a gradual process that’ll be tweaked step-by-step. You’ve already got some of what they’re calling “buttwink” going on, so simply trying to “squat lower” isn’t the #1 answer.
[quote]easysaid wrote:
I always feel like im being pulled forward[/quote]
It looks like you’re reaching forward, not so much being pulled forward. As was suggested, along with mobility work for the hips, hams, and ankles, consider the front squat and/or the goblet squat. The tight upper back and shifted center of gravity should help encourage you to stay more upright.
Also, play around with your stance. It’s tricky to tell from the viewing angle, but it looks like your pretty well-outside shoulder-width. The wider out you go, the less depth you’ll be able to hit. Find a comfortable, stable, powerful stance, but also preferably one that’s not “too wide”. Of course, “too wide” varies from person to person.
[quote]nighthawkz wrote:
Please refrain from sounding like an expert.[/quote]
Not to harp on this, but, yes x2. “You can’t do it without weight, so add weight and you’ll be better” is kinda nutty when we’re talking about something as fundamental as a squat.
That looks a lot like my movement issues when squatting, although I had other issues going on too - very limited flexion in right hip which prevented me from getting a tight angle between thigh and torso. So I can’t compensate by leaning forwards the way you do.
What’s similar to me is the pelvis going into posterior tilt at the bottom (butt wink). In myself i’d put that down (through trial and error) to the psoas muscle being too tight. I still can’t really get my head around how tight/weak psoas interferes with squat depth though. But fixing that has made a huge difference to my squat. So it’s interesting that Christian Thibaudeau says your problem looks like tight hip flexors. With me though, stretching made things worse. Eventually I figured out that my right psoas was inactive and weak so in order to stretch it I had to activate and strengthen it first.
Interestingly, the restricted hip flexion is clearing up fast as I get the psoas activated. Restriction in my hip was diagnosed as OA 8 years ago - bone on bone restriction they said! But it’s turning out to just be a muscle imbalance. Some muscles lazy and others trying to pick up the slack. This results in incorrect movement of the hip joint.
I DO front squat with a 20kg bar as that helps to keep my COG forwards without me reaching with my arms - so my chest stays up better. Would this help you to stay more upright? Anything lighter than 20kg doesn’t work for me. Also overhead squats to a box (so only to parallel) helps with thoracic mobility - so coordinating the hip hinge with correct thoracic movement. It might be worth a try?
I also find Romanian Deadlifts are a good way to practice that hip hinge and help you to get a tight angle at the hip without going into posterior tilt (so the bottom position of the squat).
All just based on personal experiences though and my squat is still a long way from good. Take it all with a pinch of salt and if any of it helps you that’s great! 
The other thing that helped me a lot was squatting in oly lifting shoes. Not to avoid the need for good flexibility, but simply to help me practice better form while I’m acquiring it.