Hey Coaches
Been working on my squat, forms really been feeling off something fierce after a pretty significant weight loss. I noticed that I was really losing tension at the bottom, cut my depth about 3-4 inches today. Squats feeling a lot better, but still need some work. Bar path definitely moving forward during the lift, not sure how to remedy this.
If you watch the bar path, you’ll see that it moves forward towards the bottom of the movement. This also leads to your hips rising faster than your shoulders.
Ideally, your foot position will be such that the bar moves straight up and down. I can’t tell you how specifically to tweak your squat, but I imagine the bar path and hip/shoulder rising could be corrected if you started messing with your squat stance.
If you have a narrow stance, try a wide one and vice-versa if currently wide. Try keeping your toes pointed straight forward as much as possible without your heels coming off the ground. Also try low bar vs high bar, you might find one of these two works better for you.
Tagging in @wiseman83 as he usually has some good ideas. My first though was whether or not a little extra depth might actually help. It looks like you are rushing to come out of the hole and the hips are starting up before the bar has reached the bottom. Sitting back a little more and getting a little lower would be where I would start. May be worth a few slower tempo paused reps to really lock in the bar path and depth.
I find if I suddenly pitch forward at the bottom of the squat, it’s because my bar position is off and is too high.
Pitching forward can be a number of things. Quite Common though is a lack of proper tightness or position up top.
When you retract your scraps, think squeezing them together, then think about trying to hold them down with your triceps.
Hard to explain. But that’s where the mind needs to be at. This would hold you more upright (forcibly).
I can do a quick demo/explanation video later if need be.
(Havnt looked at your squat - just some mind vomitting).
Just took a quick look. And my comments stand. Ha.
Thanks for all the responses.
Gave it a go today. Squat day, heavier weight, worked up to 290x4. Tried a lower bar position on my back, and also focused on squeezing my shoulder blades together. Easier said then done, I have some difficulty getting my hands around the bar with my shoulder blades squeezed; think there’s a little mobility holding me back there.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChDnUKiJ2XN/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
(I don’t know how to make the video appear like it does in the first post. Used to do it automatically when I pasted an IG link)
Use this to download them:
Thanks!
Loading your videos on YouTube and pasting the video links works best.
Definitely looked less severe to me than the initial video
I didn’t see the “J hook” movement in the bar on this video, but the bar path is still angling forward the lower you get. For me, wide feet means low-bar and narrow feet means high bar. Idk if that’ll help you any, but i believe this is typical for most people during squats.
Getting better, just gotta keep fine-tuning it (you and me both!).
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChNYqKfOGLW/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
That was happening to me until I prioritized “Keep the bar over the middle of the feet.” Also, slow down the descent; if you need to reduce the load, so be it.
Yes, I’d recommend working on thoracic spine extension/contraction and holding that from when you unrack the bar and throughout the movement. Keep the sternum (solar plexus) up and pull the bar into your upper back as though wrapping it around the shoulders and down to your navel (but don’t pull too hard initially until your shoulders grow accustom to the line of pull). Might also look at slightly lower bar position if it doesn’t overly aggregate shoulders. Finally, if pitching forward, consider removing the Oly shoes and squatting in something like Converse, Vans, or sock- or barefooted. Concentrate on sitting back and sitting up tall (keeping the entire spine extended) throughout the movement. Open the hips as you descend and sit between your femurs.
For warmups and a kind of post activation of target muscles, consider working up to 4 sets of 25 reps of bodyweight glute bridges with a wider foot placement, supermans (the equipment-less reverse hyper - or use a bosu ball while gripping the power rack), and band pull aparts with a supinated grip. This will activate glutes, hamstrings and upper back to dial in new motor pathways and get you comfortable sitting back while sitting up tall. This is a Wenning Warmup concept.
For thoracic spine activation, build into your warmup a couple light sets of overhead squats with just the bar before loading and switching to back squats.
You should notice immediate improvement in form in the warmup sets and will start to revert to old motor patterns as you approach the work sets. In about a month (depending on exercise frequency), even the work sets should exhibit improved motor patterns.
You have good thoracic activation in overhead pressing. It’s just a matter of propriception and training for the back squat.