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Barbell Form Check! Low bar squat

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oukeith1

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This is supposed to be a low bar back squat. Any thoughts or recommendations?

 
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I reposted the video without volume, and it should work now. Please take a look. Thank you!!!
 
OK, I can see it now!

Looks pretty good to me! Your set-up is good, you take a big breath and brace before each rep, you stay pretty tight throughout, your depth looks good, you don't wobble around, looks strong and stable. What's the weight, 120 kg?

Some fine tuning;
  • You might be able to reduce some movement in your initial step-back. Doc Hartle teaches get tight under the bar and stand up, then step back with one foot, then the other. Possibly one more step with the first foot to get your stance right. If you can practice that each time, you save a lot of extra movement especially when the weight is heavy.
  • Your safeties are too low. You want them to be just under where you normally stop at the bottom, so if you are unable to come up, you lean forward and set the bar down onto them. Check the height in one of your warm-up reps.
  • Have you ever tried lifting shoes? They're great for low bar squats, especially. But that's a personal preference...
  • Your weight comes forward on your toes at the bottom of the squat, though it's not very much. Try just a bit more sitting back towards your heels, shoving the knees out, and leaning over just a bit more to bring that bottom position into balance.
  • Also you do lose some tightness in the back as the set goes on. Watch your upper back especially, in slow-mo, though the set. The first rep is pretty tight, but the last rep you're losing some of that tight extension in upper back and it effects the overall balance. There's a tiny bit more movement in the lower back also. Keep the abs braced tight throughout.
Let me know if that helps! It's overall quite good, IMO.
 
Anna supplies a great analysis and for the most part, the squat looks solid. I think focusing on overall spinal positioning would be a key to improvement. You seem to be in flexion throughout the spine which will be rough on your low back.

From what it looks like, it could be a shoulder mobility issue. You want a tight arch in both the upper and lower back supported via a braced abdomen. Some empty bar BTNpresses may help. Work on keeping the chest up!!
 
OK, I can see it now!

Looks pretty good to me! Your set-up is good, you take a big breath and brace before each rep, you stay pretty tight throughout, your depth looks good, you don't wobble around, looks strong and stable. What's the weight, 120 kg?

Some fine tuning;
  • You might be able to reduce some movement in your initial step-back. Doc Hartle teaches get tight under the bar and stand up, then step back with one foot, then the other. Possibly one more step with the first foot to get your stance right. If you can practice that each time, you save a lot of extra movement especially when the weight is heavy.
  • Your safeties are too low. You want them to be just under where you normally stop at the bottom, so if you are unable to come up, you lean forward and set the bar down onto them. Check the height in one of your warm-up reps.
  • Have you ever tried lifting shoes? They're great for low bar squats, especially. But that's a personal preference...
  • Your weight comes forward on your toes at the bottom of the squat, though it's not very much. Try just a bit more sitting back towards your heels, shoving the knees out, and leaning over just a bit more to bring that bottom position into balance.
  • Also you do lose some tightness in the back as the set goes on. Watch your upper back especially, in slow-mo, though the set. The first rep is pretty tight, but the last rep you're losing some of that tight extension in upper back and it effects the overall balance. There's a tiny bit more movement in the lower back also. Keep the abs braced tight throughout.
Let me know if that helps! It's overall quite good, IMO.

Thanks, Anna! Great feedback. Sadly, that’s only 185 lbs. I’ll be slowly increasing that, as it’s secondary to S&S. As a side note, I really burned myself out cranking the weight up too fast during last summer and fall. That is part of why Pavel’s stuff has resonated with me since I discovered his work.

I haven’t thought about weightlifting shoes, since I’m still a bit of a newbie at this. Maybe I will give them a try.

And yes, thanks for the feedback on balance and tightness. I will work on that, if I can ever get back to a gym!

In the meantime, I bought kettlebells and a mat so I can workout in my garage. ?️‍♂️
 
Anna supplies a great analysis and for the most part, the squat looks solid. I think focusing on overall spinal positioning would be a key to improvement. You seem to be in flexion throughout the spine which will be rough on your low back.

From what it looks like, it could be a shoulder mobility issue. You want a tight arch in both the upper and lower back supported via a braced abdomen. Some empty bar BTNpresses may help. Work on keeping the chest up!!


Will do. My low back has gotten sore on occasion after squats. That may be why. Thank you!
 
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