Hello, I am a fairly new lifter (4 or so months of lifting) and I have a question on my squat form. Any help would be greatly appreciated. The program I have been using is StrongLifts 5x5. In my squat, I constantly over arch my back (even without trying), I fall forward, and my knees cave. It looks pretty ugly and even with light weights (like 135) the overarching of the back is still there (not much of the knee caving though.) Attached is a video with about 90% of my 1 RM (185). My 1 RM is 205. Any form tips or exercises I could do (like front squats or pause squats) would be great. Thanks a lot.
From what I can see in your video your squat looks okay.
Your knees caving in can be from the glutes not firing correctly, weak adductors, and/or a tight groin. I would focus on all three.
Things you can do for that:
- Squat more frequently.
- Squat with a band around your knees to give you cues to push the knees out while squatting
- Perform assistance work for the adductors, do a Google search.
- Perform something like hip thrusts for your glutes.
- Do your stretching and foam rolling.
Falling forward can be a myriad of reasons. I can’ tell in the video, but some reasons could be…
- Your abs are weak. Work your abs.
- Your lower back is weak. Work your low back.
- Your upper back is weak. Get it stronger too.
- Squatting in running shoes… get some better shoes to lift in.
- Your elbows are not under the bar. Remember to keep the chest up and elbows under the bar (as much as possible at least).
In general, I just recently wrote this in my training log actually, the things most people should hammer I think when it comes to assistance work is pretty much the entire posterior (with emphasis on the upper back) and the abdominals. I train my upper back 3 times a week, my hams/glutes 2 times a week, and abs 3 times a week to some capacity excluding the “big lifts.”
I hope this helps some.
I have heard a lot of people talk about firing the glutes and using the hip flexors on the squat. I understand that I need to drive the hips forward but could you reiterate on what it means to fire/flex the glutes and use the hip flexors. Also, some say to flex the glutes at the bottom position of the squat. Is that even possible? Finally, I do StrongLifts 5x5 with 3 big lifts (Squat, BP, and Row OR Squat, OHP, and Deadlift), one assistance exercise (dips/chinups), and one ab exercise per workout.
How could I fit in any other assistance work? Thanks for your help.
For some reason I can’t see the video. But I can tell you 3 essential form points.
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keep your chest up. Focus your eyes in a point in front of you. Looking down can make you pitch forward. Focusing on keeping your elbows under the bar can help you keep your chest up. Also get your grip as close as you can. Stay tight.
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dont sit down. Sit back and go down below parallel.
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as you go down spread you out as far as you can
Keep your chest up the entire time and your eyes still on that point you were looking at when you started. Now fire out of the hole like your ass was on fire. Drive with your legs don’t lead with your ass
And keep dead lifting. Squats and dead lifts will make your core strong like bull. KB swings are smart too
[quote]JesusFreak123 wrote:
I have heard a lot of people talk about firing the glutes and using the hip flexors on the squat. I understand that I need to drive the hips forward but could you reiterate on what it means to fire/flex the glutes and use the hip flexors. Also, some say to flex the glutes at the bottom position of the squat. Is that even possible? Finally, I do StrongLifts 5x5 with 3 big lifts (Squat, BP, and Row OR Squat, OHP, and Deadlift), one assistance exercise (dips/chinups), and one ab exercise per workout.
How could I fit in any other assistance work? Thanks for your help.[/quote]
I have never consciously flexed my glutes when squatting. Remember, it might not even be your problem too. Rather than thinking about all of this stuff in your head while squatting, just think about the basics like keeping a tight back (upper/lower), chest up, sitting between the heels (depending on your bar placement) and so on.
My best recommendation with form would be to watch as many videos of other people (who know what they’re doing) as possible. I saw a good one from a young fella named Johnny Candito on YouTube awhile back. Just keep squatting, take video of yourself, and watch as much as education on the squat as you can.
KEEP IN MIND, very important here, don’t necessarily compare everything about you to others on YouTube or the gym. I personally don’t have one answer for you, but I can tell you over the years that you simply might not be able to do an ass-to-grass high bar squat right now, or possibly ever. Chances are you can, but you might have limiting factors. It might be something else, maybe not an ATG squat.
Point is, if you can perform a pretty good squat right now based on your strengths/weaknesses, and blah blah blah, then just keep squatting and along the way fix small stuff. Eventually, you’ll be a really good squatter. Might take a year, might take 2 years, maybe longer. Without a good coach sitting right next to you every day, you have to be your own coach and there is a learning process there.
As far as your assistance exercises, it is really easy to add it in. I go by a rule of 20-24 sets per session. Now this depends on a lot of things like intensity/volume and whatnot, but for Stronglifts 5x5, you can effectively add the important stuff in.
So if you have a total of 15 sets for your main work (Squats/Bench/Row) on Monday, add in about 6 sets of assistance after your 5x5, I don’t count ab work. This is kind of what I do:
DAY 1
SQUAT 5x5
BENCH 5x5
ROW 5x5
FACE PULL 3x8-12
GHR 3x8-12
ABS 3x12-20
DAY 2
SQUAT 3x5
DL 3x5
OHP 3x5
Pull-Up 3x12-20
RDL 3x8-12
ABS 3x12-20
DAY 3
SQUAT 5x5
BENCH 5x5
ROW 5x5
FACEPULL 3x8-12
HIP THRUSTS 3x8-12
ABS 3x12-20
That is just an example, but it is pretty close to what I do. I’m currently doing an “advanced” version of 5x5. You can check it out in my log here if you’re interested. You don’t have to do the same exercises as above, but the goal is to find movements that are going to improve your weaknesses or help build your lifts up. For me personally, I really don’t care about my bench as much as my squat, so I just bench, nothing else.
If you have a lagging bodypart or area then put in some work once or twice a week to improve it. You just have to find a balance and find what you can tolerate when it comes to focus and recovery. Start very small, and don’t get crazy with it.
There is too much assistance work or manageable assistance work. Find a way to make it manageable. For now, I would say try just adding one thing in on each of your training days along with ab work. Sorry for the long post, too many thoughts!
[quote]JesusFreak123 wrote:
Hello, I am a fairly new lifter (4 or so months of lifting) and I have a question on my squat form. Any help would be greatly appreciated. The program I have been using is StrongLifts 5x5. In my squat, I constantly over arch my back (even without trying), I fall forward, and my knees cave. It looks pretty ugly and even with light weights (like 135) the overarching of the back is still there (not much of the knee caving though.) Attached is a video with about 90% of my 1 RM (185). My 1 RM is 205. Any form tips or exercises I could do (like front squats or pause squats) would be great. Thanks a lot. [/quote]
If you want any real help, take it a bit more seriously and post a better video. Some ideas; if you don’t have a singlet, use some shorts that will at a minimum show your knees. Take the video more from the side and make sure it posts right side up.
Today I had a solid day with pause squats, sumo deadlifts, and good mornings. The form is feeling better now. I focused on driving out the knees and driving my hips forward. I did my pause squats at 135 lbs and then did 3 1 rep sets up to 205 lbs. It felt pretty good. Here is a side view. Please tell me your input. Thanks for your answers I truly appreciate them.
Hopefully, the video works this time. It didn’t show up for me last time.
Your squat looks fine from that view man. You just need to keep squatting and keep getting stronger.