As mentioned in my bench form check, here is my squat. This is set 1 of my modified TM 5x5 with 90% of my 5RM. This is 125kg (276lbs) and felt fairly easy. Bit of background, I used to squat low bar with a max of about 155kg up until I herniated a disc. This was mainly due to some buttwink and loosing tightness in the hole. I have since gotten a higher heeled shoe and do highbar only. I only try to squat as deep as possible w/out lumbar flexion, but I think I have some work to do to go below parallel. Generally, I feel that my leverages work against me (long relative femurs), which makes my hip angle similar to your average low bar squat. This despite okayish ankle dorsi flexion and +1inch heeled shoes. My stance is slighly outside shoulder width. On my 5RM day the last 2 reps exhibit some breakdown of form >> hips go up a tick to fast, but I feel it is mostly core stability which causes some back rounding above the belt (thoracic area). I do ample banded stretches to open the hips and hip flexors prior and the usual assistance back exercises (bb rows, pullups) during my weekly routine.
Again, apologies for the camera angle, the rack is a bit in the way. I appreciate any comments you may have.
the issues i see is that your low bar squat habits tends to kick in once you reach the bottom. so what’s going on is every time you get down to the bottom, the habit from low bar squats kicks in making you lean too forward, causing the bar to be past your toes and thus, every time you try to get up, the bar stalls in place for a moment or only moving up a little bit, then your hips shoot up and then the bar moves. the cues of slightly rounding your upper back, your elbows pointing at the same angle of your torso, and trying to wrap the bar around you with your hands is not for high bar squats. when high bar squatting you need to learn a new set of cues to use, there is less surface area on your back to lay on, what you need to do is do your best to get your elbows to point straight down to the floor as best as your body allows you to, pulling the bar down into your body to engage your lats and bringing your chest up in order to help stabilize your body to be remain more upright. with that it should eliminate the issues i see in your video.
Thanks, that is useful feedback. I have never seen it in a way that low bar habits kick in and cause the squat to feel and look very much like my old form. As you say, there seems to be much more to change merely than just moving the bar up from the rear delts onto the traps. I still believe that my leverages will never allow me to have an olympic style high bar squat (not that I’ve ever actually wanted to squat oly style), but it seems there are still quite a few more things I can try. Elbow and chest queues seem quite sensible and I will definitely give that a go on my next squat day. Found below thumbnail from one of Alan Thrall’s videos and the elbow positioning makes sense.
