T Nation

Squat Mechanics Question

Powerlifting
#1

This is about “good morning”-ing up out of the Squat – where the knee extends, and the hips move up, while the bar doesn’t move much, and finally, after the knees are fairly extended, the hips extend.

I have talked to a number of people, and it is generally agreed that GMing up out of the squat is a sign of glute/hamstring weakness.

However, this doesn’t make sense.

1)A 315 lbs GM is much more demanding of the glutes/hamstrings than a 315 lbs squat. When you GM out of the squat, you essentially perform the concentric portion of a GM with the same weight that you are squatting. If this is a glute/hamstring weakness, you shouldn’t be able to do that.

2)Your quads don’t seem to do much work here. Your knees extend, but the bar doesn’t really move much while this happens, thus they aren’t really contracting against much torque.

Can anyone please enlighten me?

#2

This might help…

#3

It’s generally caused by people pushing with the feet before they move their head up. You’re right, it’s not a posterior chain weakness, just bad form.

#4

I’ve seen that video, and in it, he claims it’s caused by posterior chain weakness. Most people I’ve talked to agree with this guy, but it doesn’t seem to add up. I currently have this problem, and even at warmup weights, It is easier for me to GM slightly. I can choose not to, so I think it’s caused by an actually weakness/imbalance, rather than just poor technique.

#5

I would in fact argue that this is caused by a quad weakness.

#6

[quote]Gael wrote:
I would in fact argue that this is caused by a quad weakness.[/quote]

I’m not sure, but this might be one source of the problem. If this is true, your quads fight for a position they are strong enough to move the bar. So since they are not strong enough at the bottom the bar doesn’t move but your legs extend to a strong position and your hips finish.

#7

[quote]rmccart1 wrote:
It’s generally caused by people pushing with the feet before they move their head up. You’re right, it’s not a posterior chain weakness, just bad form.[/quote]

bingo.

#8

[quote]CurtMcDonald wrote:
Gael wrote:
I would in fact argue that this is caused by a quad weakness.

I’m not sure, but this might be one source of the problem. If this is true, your quads fight for a position they are strong enough to move the bar. So since they are not strong enough at the bottom the bar doesn’t move but your legs extend to a strong position and your hips finish.[/quote]

Post of the thread so far.

#9

“1)A 315 lbs GM is much more demanding of the glutes/hamstrings than a 315 lbs squat. When you GM out of the squat, you essentially perform the concentric portion of a GM with the same weight that you are squatting. If this is a glute/hamstring weakness, you shouldn’t be able to do that.”

One way to think of this is to focus on movement at the hip and ignore other joints. Hip movement ranges from about 135 degrees of flexion (approximate position at bottom of full squat) to about zero degrees of extension (standing). Your glutes are your primary hip extensors and your hamstrings are your secondary hip extensors.

They are generally “stronger” as full extension is approached and “weaker” as 135 degrees of flexion is approached. So someone with weak glutes and hamstrings is not strong enough to handle the greater angle of flexion. That is why they keep their hip angle (between femur and pelvis) not as deep but compensate by bending their back instead.

A goodmorning involves a lot more of your spinal erectors. You can still have glute/hamstring weakness and strong spinal erectors.