I used to set my hands really close together to force everything tight when I squatted, and as a result, my elbows were forced behind me.
This wouldn’t be a problem, except that when I got to heavy weight, my elbows would chicken wing and a lot of times I’d fall forward. I moved my grip out just 1.5" each side and focused on pulling down, and I immediately hit a PR and my squat form looked a lot tighter. Now whenever I start to come forward I focus on pulling my elbows forward as I come out of the hole and it forces my chest up and I usually get the rep.
I never thought this was an actual cue. I’ve always pulled the bar down instinctively on a difficult rep. I thought this was simply my muscles straining themselves to force me to get up and not die.
Keep in mind elevating the elbows is more so for a low bar squat since the bar is in a less secure position then the high bar squat on the traps. Pulling down keeps you from leaning forward too much from my experience.
It’s just a coaching cue which can be used to get people’s elbows down under the bar. Elbow position is what’s important, and that’s what this coaching cue is used to accomplish.
I prefer just saying “elbows under!”. Same shit really though.
I have always kind of done that when it gets heavy I feel like I’m trying to bend the bar around my neck/upper back, a lot of time my forearms are very fatigued after a heavy squat set.