T Nation

Form check

Beginners
#1

Hi, I’ve been lifting since April, or 5 and a half months. Started at 235 Lbs. My weight about a year before lifting was 300 lbs and I just walked to lose weight. My current weight is 215 lbs and my height is 5’8". I was following starting strength until today. Today I was trying to find my 5RM for the texas method which I will be starting on Tuesday.

I would appreciate any tips to help me improve my lifts, thank you. I didn’t put Military press because I didn’t do it today.

ATG Squat: 325x5

Bench Press: 235x5

Deadlift: 455x4 (Should have tried for a fifth, but I felt exhausted)

Chin up 215 BWx5 (Sister recorded this one with her phone)

Dips: 215 BW+45x5

Appreciate taking the time to view my videos and help me out, I’m trying to get as strong as possible. If I’m missing some sort of information, just ask, thanks.

#2

Your in trouble with those squats(if you can call them squats, more like a squatmorning). 325 looks to heavy bro, period. I would say your 5rm is well below 325.

Maybe post up a video with some lighter reps.

Your deadlifts look as awful as your squats.The fifth rep may have been the one to do you in. Find a new gym, someone should have stopped you on the first rep.!

Drop the weight and learn the movements properly.

You may have been calling your program starting strength, but you certainly didn’t read the book. Read the book, before you hurt yourself.

#3

Your squat form is essentially going to destroy your knees and lower back. You’re using momentum and stored elastic energy from the descent to get out of the hole. Your deadlift form was also awful - if your back is buckling from 4 reps, you need to lower the weight. Even with a max 1RM deadlift, your form shouldn’t be that bad. I couldn’t view your other two videos but I’m guessing momentum fuels those lifts too.

My advice would be to drop your poundages and relearn the lifts. I would also advise pausing the barbell on your chest in the bench press so you can really feel a difference. With regards to your squat, try box squats where you squat to a box and sit on it. You then explode of the hole using pure strength, not momentum. Make sure you’re not using the box as a touch and go, which is bouncing again. Good luck and don’t be afraid to drop those poundages.

#4

Squat: It’s kind of ugly, but hopefully we can help with that. Right at the beginning you take a deep breath and it looks like your chest blows up. You need to breath into and expand your gut. Push your stomach and back into your belt. It’s hard to tell on a video, but your belt may be a little too tight, restricting your ability to push out against it. As soon as you start to descend, arch your lower back and keep your chest up. Keep that arch through out the squat.

When you get to the bottom and start to ascend, your hips go back and up. Don’t do that. Keep your hips in otherwise you end up leaning over, which gets especially obvious in your last reps. Also, keep your elbows pointing down. The further back your elbows point, the further forward your shoulders are going to go. It’s hard to tell from the angle, but it looks like your knees are going in on the ascent. Push those knees out. You’re going to need to drop the weight a little and try those things out to get the feel for it.

Bench: I couldn’t view the video for some reason.

Deadlift: You need to get an arch in your lower back. You simply don’t have one and your going to cause a lot of strain on your back. The breathing and belt are going to be the same for the squat, although it might feel more comfortable to pull the belt down a little lower for the deadlift. I’m not really sure what else to say. Your back is rounding out so much I think you really need to fix that and then take another look at it later.

Derek Poundstone has a video on his PoundstonePTC channel called “Deadlift Set-up Instruction”. I recommend taking a look at that.