Am I squatting right?

[Cokeboyz]

I couldnt upload a video, but here is a picture at my deepest point. Can you tell if my form looks god or bad? Am I deep enough?

 

[TheSwanks]

Not deep enough. Need to get those femurs parallel with the floor. In this pic your butt should block our view of the back of your knees

 

[supermanjow]

Lighten the weight and go deeper. Also, lock in your upper back by forcing your elbows to be perpendicular to the floor. That's part of the reason why you're leaning so far forward. Your foot spacing is good. Just go DEEPER!

 

[uvawahoowa]

I couldnt upload a video, but here is a picture at my deepest point. Can you tell if my form looks god or bad? Am I deep enough?<img src="http://anabolicminds.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=67416"/>

Is this serious?

 

[Rodja]

1/2 squat and ditch the neck pad. It also looks like your weight is slightly shifted to your right side as well.

 

[uvawahoowa]

I couldnt upload a video, but here is a picture at my deepest point. Can you tell if my form looks god or bad? Am I deep enough?View attachment 67416

Have your friend vid you from the side so you can accurately see how close your hip joint gets to the level of your knee joint

 

[cavemanmoore]

Side video you say?

/watch?v=3vnZjq0Zi_A

I took this video awhile back so a friend could critique my form. He said I wasn't going deep enough

**Edit** Looks like my post count isn't high enough to post the actual video here. Guess I need to post more. lol

 

[asooneyeonig]

i got your vid to come up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vnZjq0Zi_A


ok i see good back tightness. but it is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay high. you do start to lose your lower back tightness at even that height at what i assume is a light load so you definitely have some hip mobility issues. i would highly recommend going to mobilitywod.com and finding some squat and hip mobility stuff to do as well as rolling your groin and hip flexors.

you can also start box squatting. mainly to teach depth. you can drop your squat several more inches, like 6-8 inches. you are stopping when your knees are at 90 degrees and i would not recommend that at all. learning to sit back would help with the knees floating so far forward.

now if you are doing an olympic squat then that forward movement of the knees would be ok but then go as far down as you can even to the point of resting the back of your thighs on the calfs.

and definitely ditch the pad. it shifts the weight upwards and back which alters the leverages. if it hurts your neck then you are sitting it way to high. it should sit in the meaty part of your traps not any bones.

also watch this:
http://youtu.be/2ME8gEN54Ao
and the other 6 or 7 in the series. it will do you wonders.

 

[cavemanmoore]

i got your vid to come up

Thanks! You are correct, I was going light (315 pounds) for the sake of the video. I never use a pad. I've always just placed the bar where my neck meets my shoulders. I'm not even sure if I could hold it any lower?

I was always taught to squat until my thighs were at a 90 degree angle to the floor. It wasn't until this summer that someone pointed out that I was doing it wrong. Based on the video you sent, I need to go down as far as I can instead of stopping when I think my thighs are parelel to the floor.

Thanks again!
-Chris

also watch this:

and the other 6 or 7 in the series. it will do you wonders.

Just finished all the videos and it was well worth the time. Thanks again! But after watching, I am still confused about how deep I need to go with my squats? The box they use puts the lifters thighs at a 90 to the floor. I'm going to grab some video tonight to see if I am currently going deep enough.

 

[TheSwanks]

I also found that my ability to sit into my heels and maintain proper torso position improved dramatically when I started squatting without any footwear on at all, just socks. Maybe that will help you too.

 

[supermanjow]

I also found that my ability to sit into my heels and maintain proper torso position improved dramatically when I started squatting without any footwear on at all, just socks. Maybe that will help you too.

This!!! I've either squatted barefoot, in wrestling shoes, or currently my Merril Barefoots. It's amazing how much easier it is to get deeper when squatting like this.

 

[cavemanmoore]

I also found that my ability to sit into my heels and maintain proper torso position improved dramatically when I started squatting without any footwear on at all, just socks. Maybe that will help you too.

Thanks. I wear shoes that have zero support (a flat piece of hard rubber is all that is between my foot and the floor). I don't think I have a problem driving through my heels?

 

[asooneyeonig]

I was always taught to squat until my thighs were at a 90 degree angle to the floor. It wasn't until this summer that someone pointed out that I was doing it wrong. Based on the video you sent, I need to go down as far as I can instead of stopping when I think my thighs are parelel to the floor.
.

if by thighs 90 degrees you mean a 90 degree bend in the knees, then nope. that is waaay to high. if by 90 degrees you mean the thighs parallel to the floor then you still have 6+ inches to go.

at 5'10" i squat parallel to a 14in box. i will throw in some 12" box squats for some speed work once a month. i have become so familiar with box squats that i know just when i hit proper depth, as required by AAU, that when i dont hit it my body seems to get pissed and i nearly dump the weight. in other words i have become strong at deeper squats then higher squats. and sure, it is mental and i am ok with that.

 

[Rodja]

Side video you say?

/watch?v=3vnZjq0Zi_A

I took this video awhile back so a friend could critique my form. He said I wasn't going deep enough

**Edit** Looks like my post count isn't high enough to post the actual video here. Guess I need to post more. lol

Bar on the rack and placement is too high and the squat is too high. Can't comment on your knees since you're in jeans.

 

[kdeome]

Ass in the grass. 'Nuff said.

That doesnt even resemble a squat to me. You gotta dig deep!

 

[Est1969]

Definitely watch the link that Ozzie posted. That series is a gem. Also refer to Rippetoes "Starting Strength" which explains in detail WHY you need to squat correctly. When you internalize why you are doing what you're doing, you will no sooner half squat as you would stick a finger in your own eye.

Half squatting leads to injury. Full squatting leads to functional strength. Everybody at my gym half squats. The reason is they don't want to take 1/3 of the weight off the bar and do a proper squat.

Ego has never been good to the knees.

 

[cavemanmoore]

The link Ozzie posted was awesome. I watched the entire series yesterday. Just for the record, you guys to realize I am not the original poster, right? Anyway, I took what I learned in the video series yesterday and applied it to my squat yesterday. Maybe someone could help by linking to my new vid?

watch?v=pD2oYcbSgj8&feature=plcp

Thanks again for all the feedback. And to the OP, sorry for hi-jacking your thread

 

[Rodja]

Definitely watch the link that Ozzie posted. That series is a gem. Also refer to Rippetoes "Starting Strength" which explains in detail WHY you need to squat correctly. When you internalize why you are doing what you're doing, you will no sooner half squat as you would stick a finger in your own eye.

Half squatting leads to injury. Full squatting leads to functional strength. Everybody at my gym half squats. The reason is they don't want to take 1/3 of the weight off the bar and do a proper squat.

Ego has never been good to the knees.

A lot of Rippetoe's technique will contradict Wenning's technique.

 

[asooneyeonig]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD2oYcbSgj8&feature=plcp

i would go even lower. if you did that at a powerlifting meet i would have redlighted you. still, you are only about 2 inches from depth. overall much better and a great start.

 

[cavemanmoore]

Thanks, Ozzie. I'll try it again next time I do legs and see if I can get any deeper. I'm 6'4" and going all the way to the box. Sounds like I need to get rid of the box all together.

 

[JoeySon]

Just jumping in to ask what might be a dumb question...whenever I go ass to grass or even close I struggle to not fall ass backwards. How do you guys keep your balance?

 

[TheSwanks]

Just jumping in to ask what might be a dumb question...whenever I go ass to grass or even close I struggle to not fall ass backwards. How do you guys keep your balance?

That means you're leaning your torso too far back. You need to make the bar stay directly above the middle of your foot or so to keep good balance

 

[JoeySon]

That means you're leaning your torso too far back. You need to make the bar stay directly above the middle of your foot or so to keep good balance

Hmm maybe I am trying too hard to sit back and keep my toes out in front of my knees

 

[Rodja]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD2oYcbSgj8&feature=plcp

i would go even lower. if you did that at a powerlifting meet i would have redlighted you. still, you are only about 2 inches from depth. overall much better and a great start.

You broke at the hip first, which is good, but it's hard to see the path of the knee in pants. Depth is debatable.

That means you're leaning your torso too far back. You need to make the bar stay directly above the middle of your foot or so to keep good balance

This depends on bar positioning. If the bar is over my foot, I'm essentially doing a good morning and lowering strength potential.

 

[JoeySon]

You broke at the hip first, which is good, but it's hard to see the path of the knee in pants. Depth is debatable.



This depends on bar positioning. If the bar is over my foot, I'm essentially doing a good morning and lowering strength potential.

So it should be behind? How would u suggest not falling backwards during a squat?

 

[cavemanmoore]

I struggling to place the bar any lower on my shoulders. My arms simply don't go back that far. I'll show what I mean when I make my next squat video.

 

[Rodja]

I struggling to place the bar any lower on my shoulders. My arms simply don't go back that far. I'll show what I mean when I make my next squat video.

I call BS. I've seen much larger men pull off a low bar squat. Move your hands towards the collar.

 

[uvawahoowa]

I struggling to place the bar any lower on my shoulders. My arms simply don't go back that far. I'll show what I mean when I make my next squat video.

If that is true you desperately need to work on flexibility

 

[cavemanmoore]

I call BS. I've seen much larger men pull off a low bar squat. Move your hands towards the collar.

I'm not making it up, lol. Believe me, I would much rather have the bar lower. I'll grab video tonight and you guys can critique what I am doing wrong.

If that is true you desperately need to work on flexibility

There is a good chance my flexibility is an issue. I've put on 60 pounds since July 2011 and I am amazed how much flexibility I have lost.

 

[wrathchild281]

Have your friend vid you from the side so you can accurately see how close your hip joint gets to the level of your knee joint

what he said but for what its worth i believe your in a good range there.