Low Bar Squat Form Check

Training Powerlifting
1

Hi friends,

Im squatting again and would like a form check.

This is 220lbs/100kg for 5 reps, which is heavy for me at the moment.

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I think you forgot the vid mate

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3

Fixed.

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Wow that’s low bar? Jealous of your femur to height proportions. Not even my highbar looks that upright… apologies no other useful comments from me…

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So, is that a bad thing?

Why are you jealous of my femurs?

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Eyes up, but head position is ok.

Watch how your knees come forward a bit as you come up. Open your taint instead. Could also be the Do Wins with their heels.

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There is something wrong with the Do-win heels?

So your recommending a wider stance?

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You look really shaky before you start squatting, get in position and stand still first.

It looks like your upper back is a bit rounded, which is common with people who follow Rippetoe’s advice to look down and keep our elbows up. Elbows should be down, head/neck should be neutral or slightly extended (looking up).

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@chris_ottawa:
Watching the video I noticed that as well. I thought my chest could be more prouder/upper back less rounder.
I don’t listen to Rippletoe, but I’m a fan of Alan Thrall, who is a fan of Rippletoe.
What do you think of my torso angle?

Thanks for the advice.

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Your torso angle is fine, the problem is that your upper back looks rounded and loose. There are very few people who squat big weights with their head down and elbows back, in fact I cant even think of a single one. If that was a good way to squat then more people would be doing it.

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11

No, but squatting in a heeled shoe like that can cause you to come forward.

You can try widening your stance if you want but there probably isn’t a need to. Opening your taint is just a cue that can help keep your knees out rather than forward.

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Not sure if he’s still a fan of Rippetoe since he left Starting Strength and joined Barbell Medicine

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Barbell Medicine are fans of Rippetoe

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14

What is a taint?

I need the shoes with the heel lift. My ankles aren’t very flexible after 20 years of soccer.

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The space between your balls and your ass.

I don’t see the heeled shoes as an issue personally, but at the same time it looks like you have more than enough flexibility to squat to depth without them. Maybe your squat would be better in flat shoes, maybe not, it would require some adjustments like maybe more forward lean and less forward knee travel. But I see what @MarkKO is saying about your knees coming forward as you come out of the hole, most times it’s the opposite issue with hips shooting up because the quads are weak. In your case, it’s likely that the quads are stronger and the glutes and lower back are weak so your body shifts the weight even more onto the quads. RDLs, good mornings, and back raises would help with that.

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Ahh I see. Thanks man

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17

You need to get your back super solid:

  1. before I racking the bar, get settled under the bar, flex your back and pull the bar down into your rear delts… never stop pulling the bar into you

  2. when you walk out with the weight let it settle before going down and remember to constantly pull the bar into you

  3. at the bottom create a bounce but pull the bar into even more to stop your back rounding

When you unrack the weight it should not feel heavy if your back is fully engaged and you are pulling the weight into a flexed back

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Pulling the bar in works for some and is bad for others. My back rounded more frequently when I used to do it. I push the bar outwards towards the plates now, and have better back bracing.

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