Critique My Form (Videos)

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
1

Hey guys. I guess I’ll use this thread for all the videos I’ll make.

Quick bio. I’m 22, still in college. I had a big weight loss (60 pounds) a couple years ago and got into bodybuilding and weightliftinh in general. In the past half year, I’ve really gotten into the powerlifting workouts, and it has inspired me to venture into powerlifting.

Anyway, I started doing Box squats when I really felt my regular squat form was bad.

So this is 245x3 (2nd set)

This is 225x5 (3rd set)

I don’t mind criticism either. Speak freely.

2

You got some dirty ass pit stains.

3

You need to push your knees out. They are really going forward. You should probably squat 1-2" deeper. My guess would be you need more hamstring work. You’re squatting that way to use your quads more.

4

You should wear your belt higher, like up around your chest.

5

[quote]Wild_Iron_Gym wrote:
You need to push your knees out. They are really going forward. You should probably squat 1-2" deeper. My guess would be you need more hamstring work. You’re squatting that way to use your quads more.[/quote]

Okay, that makes some sense. So if I angled my knees outward, I should engage more hamstrings, and less quads (which is the goal here I’m assuming).

Going deeper would be harder since I’m already using that weird cushion bench, and that’s probably the lowest thing I can sit on.

[quote]VealChop wrote:
You should wear your belt higher, like up around your chest. [/quote]

I originally thought it was kind of high to begin with. Any reason it should be higher?

6

[quote]

[quote]VealChop wrote:
You should wear your belt higher, like up around your chest. [/quote]

I originally thought it was kind of high to begin with. Any reason it should be higher?[/quote]

i think thats sarcasm. i personally like my belt low when squatting but whatever you feel gives you more support

7

you should correct your squat form first! replacing a squat with a box squat is not really good solution in the long run

8

[quote]hatesmiles wrote:
you should correct your squat form first! replacing a squat with a box squat is not really good solution in the long run[/quote]

Tate says in his article:

[quote]

  1. The last reason to box squat is to reinforce good squat technique. Many times for the intermediate or beginning squatter, the hamstrings aren’t yet developed and “sitting back” into a squat is impossible without falling over backward. To teach these athletes how to free squat properly would take months. The squat wouldn’t look right until the hamstrings and glute strength increases. Why wait two or three months? Put them on the box and you’ll have them squatting properly within five minutes. Within one month the hamstrings will begin to kick in because of the added stress of sitting back on the box.]

This is why I feel I should learn the box squat before free squatting any more weight.

9

[quote]hatesmiles wrote:
you should correct your squat form first! replacing a squat with a box squat is not really good solution in the long run[/quote]

Tate says in his article:

[quote]

  1. The last reason to box squat is to reinforce good squat technique. Many times for the intermediate or beginning squatter, the hamstrings aren’t yet developed and “sitting back” into a squat is impossible without falling over backward. To teach these athletes how to free squat properly would take months. The squat wouldn’t look right until the hamstrings and glute strength increases. Why wait two or three months? Put them on the box and you’ll have them squatting properly within five minutes. Within one month the hamstrings will begin to kick in because of the added stress of sitting back on the box. [/quote]

This is why I feel I should learn the box squat before free squatting any more weight.

10

I personally think OP is correct in using the box to help his form. OP really concentrate on the sentence you quoted from Tate’s article about “sitting back” in the squat. Your first move is to break at the knees; they go forward, then you sit back onto the box as sort of a second move. Watch the path of the bar in your videos-it is a curved path down, then back. Make your first move a break at the hips and really sit back. Strive to keep your shins relatively perpindicular to the floor, and to keep the bar path relatively straight.

11

Focus on driving through the outside of your heels this will keep you from shooting forwards, once you start sitting back properly. (Watch the bar path on he way up)
Also focus on your breathing. don’t exhale at the bottom, take a huge breath at the top fill your stomach then hold it til you lockout again.

12

[quote]ssiegler wrote:

[quote]Wild_Iron_Gym wrote:
You need to push your knees out. They are really going forward. You should probably squat 1-2" deeper. My guess would be you need more hamstring work. You’re squatting that way to use your quads more.[/quote]

Okay, that makes some sense. So if I angled my knees outward, I should engage more hamstrings, and less quads (which is the goal here I’m assuming).

Going deeper would be harder since I’m already using that weird cushion bench, and that’s probably the lowest thing I can sit on.

[quote]VealChop wrote:
You should wear your belt higher, like up around your chest. [/quote]

I originally thought it was kind of high to begin with. Any reason it should be higher?[/quote]

Yeah sorry, was feeling a bit sarcastic, thought it would be recognized. Your belt does look high to me, but if it’s helping you there, and you feel comfortable with it, then so be it. Do you tend to lose rigidity higher up along the spine?

I dropped the belt altogether for low / mid range weighs in the squat. But since this is a box squat, continued use of a belt is a good idea. Many people don’t get their form perfect until they get the muscles around the midline in shape, and start feeling their “natural belt” supporting the spine.

Having said all that, your form looks pretty decent. You could try slowly adjusting to sit back more from the start of the descent, It seems you start “looking for the box” half way down.

13

[quote]VealChop wrote:

[quote]ssiegler wrote:

[quote]Wild_Iron_Gym wrote:
You need to push your knees out. They are really going forward. You should probably squat 1-2" deeper. My guess would be you need more hamstring work. You’re squatting that way to use your quads more.[/quote]

Okay, that makes some sense. So if I angled my knees outward, I should engage more hamstrings, and less quads (which is the goal here I’m assuming).

Going deeper would be harder since I’m already using that weird cushion bench, and that’s probably the lowest thing I can sit on.

[quote]VealChop wrote:
You should wear your belt higher, like up around your chest. [/quote]

I originally thought it was kind of high to begin with. Any reason it should be higher?[/quote]

Yeah sorry, was feeling a bit sarcastic, thought it would be recognized. Your belt does look high to me, but if it’s helping you there, and you feel comfortable with it, then so be it. Do you tend to lose rigidity higher up along the spine?

I dropped the belt altogether for low / mid range weighs in the squat. But since this is a box squat, continued use of a belt is a good idea. Many people don’t get their form perfect until they get the muscles around the midline in shape, and start feeling their “natural belt” supporting the spine.

Having said all that, your form looks pretty decent. You could try slowly adjusting to sit back more from the start of the descent, It seems you start “looking for the box” half way down. [/quote]

Okay, I see. Well to be honest, I wear my belt that high or it doesn’t fit me lol. I might try to drop it lower. When you’re squatting, is it supposed to be as tight as you can make it?

14

[quote]ssiegler wrote:

[quote]VealChop wrote:

[quote]ssiegler wrote:

[quote]Wild_Iron_Gym wrote:
You need to push your knees out. They are really going forward. You should probably squat 1-2" deeper. My guess would be you need more hamstring work. You’re squatting that way to use your quads more.[/quote]

Okay, that makes some sense. So if I angled my knees outward, I should engage more hamstrings, and less quads (which is the goal here I’m assuming).

Going deeper would be harder since I’m already using that weird cushion bench, and that’s probably the lowest thing I can sit on.

[quote]VealChop wrote:
You should wear your belt higher, like up around your chest. [/quote]

I originally thought it was kind of high to begin with. Any reason it should be higher?[/quote]

Yeah sorry, was feeling a bit sarcastic, thought it would be recognized. Your belt does look high to me, but if it’s helping you there, and you feel comfortable with it, then so be it. Do you tend to lose rigidity higher up along the spine?

I dropped the belt altogether for low / mid range weighs in the squat. But since this is a box squat, continued use of a belt is a good idea. Many people don’t get their form perfect until they get the muscles around the midline in shape, and start feeling their “natural belt” supporting the spine.

Having said all that, your form looks pretty decent. You could try slowly adjusting to sit back more from the start of the descent, It seems you start “looking for the box” half way down. [/quote]

Okay, I see. Well to be honest, I wear my belt that high or it doesn’t fit me lol. I might try to drop it lower. When you’re squatting, is it supposed to be as tight as you can make it?[/quote]

I wear mine pretty tight, but I can still breath and am not being bent forward by it. I also wear mine fairly high. If I don’t, it’ll hit my legs on the bottom and makes it harder to get depth.

No one has commented (that I saw when skimming) that you are rocking to get off of the box. When praticing for a raw free squat, I found that remaining still as soon as you touch the box works better. That is, if you removed the box the grove would look the same. The only difference is that I relax the front of my hips before starting back up.

15

[quote]ssiegler wrote:

[quote]VealChop wrote:

[quote]ssiegler wrote:

[quote]Wild_Iron_Gym wrote:
You need to push your knees out. They are really going forward. You should probably squat 1-2" deeper. My guess would be you need more hamstring work. You’re squatting that way to use your quads more.[/quote]

Okay, that makes some sense. So if I angled my knees outward, I should engage more hamstrings, and less quads (which is the goal here I’m assuming).

Going deeper would be harder since I’m already using that weird cushion bench, and that’s probably the lowest thing I can sit on.

[quote]VealChop wrote:
You should wear your belt higher, like up around your chest. [/quote]

I originally thought it was kind of high to begin with. Any reason it should be higher?[/quote]

Yeah sorry, was feeling a bit sarcastic, thought it would be recognized. Your belt does look high to me, but if it’s helping you there, and you feel comfortable with it, then so be it. Do you tend to lose rigidity higher up along the spine?

I dropped the belt altogether for low / mid range weighs in the squat. But since this is a box squat, continued use of a belt is a good idea. Many people don’t get their form perfect until they get the muscles around the midline in shape, and start feeling their “natural belt” supporting the spine.

Having said all that, your form looks pretty decent. You could try slowly adjusting to sit back more from the start of the descent, It seems you start “looking for the box” half way down. [/quote]

Okay, I see. Well to be honest, I wear my belt that high or it doesn’t fit me lol. I might try to drop it lower. When you’re squatting, is it supposed to be as tight as you can make it?[/quote]
Oh ok. Well if that’s the only reason for wearing your belt so high, I’d get one that fits better, and see how it feels at different positions. It is generally meant to protect the lower back as much as possible, BUT as I said, everybody’s body / spine is different, and you have to figure out what works for you.

Most people tend to round at the lower spine in flexion, in which case you’d want that belt down there helping to keep things in check. Some people have very mobile middle backs, and who knows, maybe the belt does them some good up there. I have done away with the belt for mid-range weights, feels much better. I only put it on over 85% of my one rep max.

As far as how tight to make it. It’s not going to do you much good being loose, in fact, it might work against you. Most people tend to learn to “rely” on the belt to keep them in check (another reason it is good to go without it for lower intensity sets) so if its loose, it can backfire. You want it comfortably tight… You’re not moving the kind of weights yet where you need it so tight its cutting you in half.

16

Here is me benching 185x5 today. This was a new PR for me actually. Benching has always been low for me, and recently since I’ve corrected my form a bit, my numbers have been going up.

If you can’t tell, my ass is planted on the bench throughout the whole set. How does the form look?

Thanks.

17

Are you shooting for having a good geared squat or more of an oly type squat?

18

Well my goal is to get ready to do some power lifting competitions in a year or so.

19

And what kind of meet is this? Raw? Gear? Depth reqired by the fed?

20

Your box squat form sucks. It can be fixed

ditch the foam fag chair. get a real box if you can, or use a movable bench.

Break witht the hips instead of the quads.

I think you would be better off to just do free squatting instead of box squatting for now. Upload a vid of that.

Your bench aint much better

your not tight enough, get your back and legs very tight, it should be uncomfortable.

Drive with the legs more.