First ever form check
Moderators: mgil, d0uevenlift
-
- Registered User
- Posts: 402
- Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2018 2:20 pm
First ever form check
This is my first time ever posting a request for a form check.
I'm assuming there's quite a few things wrong. By all means please tell me all that is wrong, but if it is a real long list could you also prioritize what I should work on first.
Thank you in advance.
I'm assuming there's quite a few things wrong. By all means please tell me all that is wrong, but if it is a real long list could you also prioritize what I should work on first.
Thank you in advance.
- BenM
- Registered User
- Posts: 3850
- Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2017 7:18 pm
- Age: 47
Re: First ever form check
I'm nowhere near as experienced as some of the guys here, and the camera angle probably isn't the best, but these don't look half bad to me. And the weight looks kinda light for you.
If I had to nitpick a bit, your stance might be a little wide (but it's hard to tell due to the angle) and on one or two reps you may have let the bar drift a little forward and got on your toes a bit - not bad at all though.
If I had to nitpick a bit, your stance might be a little wide (but it's hard to tell due to the angle) and on one or two reps you may have let the bar drift a little forward and got on your toes a bit - not bad at all though.
-
- Registered User
- Posts: 250
- Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 5:49 am
Re: First ever form check
Reps 1,3,4 looked high with the others borderline, albeit it’s notoriously hard to gauge depth from a high angle. I would suggest shooting from hip height and the rear 3/4 angle next time if you can.
It looks like you are not letting your rear end drop into “the hole” which is quite common. I can’t see stance width, but at a guess make it 2-3” narrower and turn your toes out more. Push knees over the toes on the descent (ie don’t let them collapse inwards) and drop into the space created by that wider hip angle.
If you don’t open the hip up you won’t be able to lower yourself into that space so you may feel you can’t go lower, but it’s likely hip related.
As above you look like you’re leaning forward as well but hopefully the above sorts that out. “Sitting back” is a good cue.
Good job with the workout, everyone has room to improve so keep at it. Filming yourself is super helpful, something I don’t do enough to be honest.
It looks like you are not letting your rear end drop into “the hole” which is quite common. I can’t see stance width, but at a guess make it 2-3” narrower and turn your toes out more. Push knees over the toes on the descent (ie don’t let them collapse inwards) and drop into the space created by that wider hip angle.
If you don’t open the hip up you won’t be able to lower yourself into that space so you may feel you can’t go lower, but it’s likely hip related.
As above you look like you’re leaning forward as well but hopefully the above sorts that out. “Sitting back” is a good cue.
Good job with the workout, everyone has room to improve so keep at it. Filming yourself is super helpful, something I don’t do enough to be honest.
- Murelli
- Registered User
- Posts: 1988
- Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2017 9:00 am
- Location: January River, Emberwoodland
- Age: 35
- Contact:
Re: First ever form check
Yeah, Wayne hit all that can be improved in your squat, but what BenM said is also true - your squat is already plenty decent. I say this as warning because overcorrecting and obsessing over form can in fact worsen the squat (IMO the easiest lift to screw up).
-
- Registered User
- Posts: 402
- Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2018 2:20 pm
Re: First ever form check
I've changed my programming and increased volume, so I dropped the weight a bit till I get used to the changes. And yes I definitely get a little forward as I get fatigued.
I usually film one set each workout to try to spot issues myself, and to stop form creep as the weight goes up. I have already fixed a pretty bad butt wink, and am working on the getting too forward thing. I was also losing upper back tightness and letting the bar push me down and forward as I went into the hole which was causing issues coming back out.
Re camera angle; I found that when filmed from rear 3/4 angle the rear upright was obscuring too much. I can easily film from a lower angle, would more side on be better?
I'm not super worried about the depth, I did also think this set was a fraction high. As I said above I film often and usually the depth is better than this set, and I will continue to monitor and adjust that.
I'm 6'1" and about 5'10" of that is leg, so I know I have been going a little wider than is usually suggested. I will look into coming in a bit and turning out more.Wayne wrote: ↑Fri Oct 26, 2018 2:48 am It looks like you are not letting your rear end drop into “the hole” which is quite common. I can’t see stance width, but at a guess make it 2-3” narrower and turn your toes out more. Push knees over the toes on the descent (ie don’t let them collapse inwards) and drop into the space created by that wider hip angle.
If you don’t open the hip up you won’t be able to lower yourself into that space so you may feel you can’t go lower, but it’s likely hip related.
Thank you. This totally surprises me. I have already fixed issues that I can see, but fully expected to see you guys giving me a long list of things that my untrained eye is not picking up. I was totally expecting to see knee slide mentioned, I actually am not sure I truly understand what that even is or what it would look like.
Noted. I will be mindful of that.
No-one has ever seen my squat but me, so I know that there must at least be a few things I can improve.
-
- Registered User
- Posts: 250
- Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 5:49 am
Re: First ever form check
Side on works well too, try get from a lower height as well and it should be decent. That’s how I film most of mine as similarly the uprights get in the way for me.
In terms of priority personally I would want to be hitting depth very clearly every time if it was a recently reset weight. Rebuilding the technique to go lower will get harder as the weight goes up and habit sets in.
In terms of priority personally I would want to be hitting depth very clearly every time if it was a recently reset weight. Rebuilding the technique to go lower will get harder as the weight goes up and habit sets in.
- Murelli
- Registered User
- Posts: 1988
- Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2017 9:00 am
- Location: January River, Emberwoodland
- Age: 35
- Contact:
Re: First ever form check
Knee slide is usually seen as the knee going forward at the bottom of the squat and either the back rounding or getting more vertical. Hip flexor pain is a common consequence of knee slide.
- Monoides
- Registered User
- Posts: 168
- Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2018 12:57 pm
- Location: The one place that hasn't been corrupted by capitalism.
- Age: 34
Re: First ever form check
Your leg segment lengths look very similar to mine, and I've experienced this specific issue as well. Once you've worked out the optimum width, try putting some fixed reference points on the floor where the outside edges of your feet want to be. Might help you fight the instinct to drift wider as the weight starts to get heavier again, which I think is natural when it's perched atop a looming tower of femur and you just want to feel a bit more stable.
-
- Registered User
- Posts: 402
- Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2018 2:20 pm
Re: First ever form check
That's a good idea.
I used a metallic silver sharpie to mark the holes on my rack where I put my safeties and j-hooks. I also drew 2 marks on the stall mats each side of the rack so I know I'm not too far forward or back, and I marked where the feet of my bench go. I wasn't sure if the marks on the floor would hold up, but they've been there for maybe a year now, a little faded but no need for a touch up yet.
Once I've got it dialed in I'll trace my feet
-
- Registered User
- Posts: 43
- Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2018 5:40 am
- Age: 33
Re: First ever form check
Hey man.
Just a post-novice trainee here with my 2 cents.
Kinda hard to see from this angle but have you tried tucking your elbows even lower i.e. in line with your torso (the pin your elbows to your side cue)?
My issue was elbow pain but once I got my elbows tucked more in line with my torso- no more pain.
Maybe worth a go, hope your LP is going well!
Just a post-novice trainee here with my 2 cents.
Kinda hard to see from this angle but have you tried tucking your elbows even lower i.e. in line with your torso (the pin your elbows to your side cue)?
My issue was elbow pain but once I got my elbows tucked more in line with my torso- no more pain.
Maybe worth a go, hope your LP is going well!