So I have been experiencing several issues in doing bench press and squat.
Firstly, I managed to improve in my bench quite a bit but this revealed problems.
One of them is shoulder pain. I use arched back form, I try to dig my shoulder into
bench and keep elbows tucked in, not 90o flaired out like in the past. When weight is
heavier, I tend to lose the arch and can feel that my chest barely works and triceps takes over.
For squats, I only perform high bar as low as I can. No issues in getting ass to grass. However, on my way out of the hole I find that my weight shifts towards toes and I do not really push with my heels. Also, I feel my quads working hard but can barely feel glutes activation. Before squats, I do glute activation warmup with resistance band. This happens when I work with around 90% of my max for 3-4 reps in each set. I am supposed to stay more upright when performing high bar squat but can feel core leaning forward with heavier weights.
For bench I will get some advice from a friend on Wednesday, I also will start doing Diesel Strength shoulder workout after main lifts. It should also aid in bench progress. For squats, I heard to focus on showing my crotch as I get out of the hole, i.e. keep knees out but I find that I can’t lift the weight this way and have to move knees inward to get out the hole.