Back squat form check

DerickVonD

DerickVonD

Well-known member
Well This is the first time I've attempted back squatting in a year. It has been awhile since I successfully back squated, partly because of injury and partly because of rounded shoulders. How does my form look?
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at 6'0ft 240lbs i would focus on gettin your strength up. what kind of injuries? focus on compound moves that improve strength
 
schroedes said:
at 6'0ft 240lbs i would focus on gettin your strength up. what kind of injuries? focus on compound moves that improve strength
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That's why I'm doign squats 0_0. I hit my right knee multiple tiems and than I had rounded shoulders and wasn't able to do back squats and just stuck to front squats awhile.
 
DerickVonD said:
That's why I'm doign squats 0_0. I hit my right knee multiple tiems and than I had rounded shoulders and wasn't able to do back squats and just stuck to front squats awhile.
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rounded shoulders?? i would do hi rep low weight squats for awhile
 
schroedes said:
rounded shoulders?? i would do hi rep low weight squats for awhile
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Front delts stronger than lateral and rear delt, causing the shoulders to be rounded forward, making back squats very difficult. I keep my rep range 8-12, granted today I did a lot of warm up, because I had no idea how much I could back squat, so I'll probably be back squating starting out somewhere in the 165-185 range. For the record I'm only dead lifting 255 right now. Once I moved in with my step dad a year ago I well just started eatting a crap load of food.
 
DerickVonD said:
Front delts stronger than lateral and rear delt, causing the shoulders to be rounded forward, making back squats very difficult. I keep my rep range 8-12, granted today I did a lot of warm up, because I had no idea how much I could back squat, so I'll probably be back squating starting out somewhere in the 165-185 range. For the record I'm only dead lifting 255 right now. Once I moved in with my step dad a year ago I well just started eatting a crap load of food.
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focus on gettin your back stronger, at least twice a wk bro, alot of people neglect it ,yet its vital
 
DerickVonD said:
Do deads twice a week, are you crazy 0_0?
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I do deads 3 times a week and pull from the floor (cleans) 1-2. It's possible you just can't be going to failure on the lifts.
 
mattrag said:
I do deads 3 times a week and pull from the floor (cleans) 1-2. It's possible you just can't be going to failure on the lifts.
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I do 8-12 reps but I have to break the sets up in 3 reps at a time and a half minute rest or else I get very bad headaches.
 
DerickVonD said:
I do 8-12 reps but I have to break the sets up in 3 reps at a time and a half minute rest or else I get very bad headaches.
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Focus on what works for you at the moment. Just work on improving from the last time. Make sure form is good, up the weight next session, get another rep or two in....
U want to make progress...
 
you are not hitting parallel and you are rounding your back. it appears this is happening as you are squatting on top of your legs instead of between them. you will need to improve hip mobility to fix that.

we can see the upper back at all so we cant say what is going on above the lumber spine. if you do you have rouded forward shoulders you will need to stretch the pecs and lats and facepulls help nearly everyone on squats.

also go to youtube and find the so you think you can squat series.

here are some more helpful links:
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schroedes said:
rounded shoulders?? i would do hi rep low weight squats for awhile
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He needs to master the technique before he can focus on increasing strength via the exercise. This is going to require practice, mobility, and strengthening weak areas.

Derek: Your hipflexors and hamstrings are tight, and this is causing the rounding of the lower back. In addition, your glutes, local, and lower back muscles need to be strengthened. A good 6-8 weeks of core focus will help to improve this. Bird dogs, super dogs, dead bugs, etc. All those "rehab" movements should be part of your corrective exercise arsenal.

And like mentioned previously, keep working your hip mobility. Open up your hips and adductors so that you can squat down between your legs vs ontop of them

Br
 
ZiR RED said:
He needs to master the technique before he can focus on increasing strength via the exercise. This is going to require practice, mobility, and strengthening weak areas.

Derek: Your hipflexors and hamstrings are tight, and this is causing the rounding of the lower back. In addition, your glutes, local, and lower back muscles need to be strengthened. A good 6-8 weeks of core focus will help to improve this. Bird dogs, super dogs, dead bugs, etc. All those "rehab" movements should be part of your corrective exercise arsenal.

And like mentioned previously, keep working your hip mobility. Open up your hips and adductors so that you can squat down between your legs vs ontop of them

Br
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SO I should just stick to front squats until I get more flexible? Front squats seem so much easier.
 
Well...I suggest you get two leg days in each week.

In one day do front squats on the heavier side, and then work on unilateral stuff (lunges, split squats, single leg squats, etc.)

On the next day, consider it a light/skill day. Do your back squats just focusing on technique and practice. Then do dead lifts and hamstring/lower back, glute orientated work.

So you might do something like this

Monday: Chest, shoulders, arm work
Tuesday: High volume front squats, unilateral work, core

Thursday: Back and arms
Friday: back squat skill, deadlift, hamstrings and glutes

Br
 
ZiR RED said:
Well...I suggest you get two leg days in each week.

In one day do front squats on the heavier side, and then work on unilateral stuff (lunges, split squats, single leg squats, etc.)

On the next day, consider it a light/skill day. Do your back squats just focusing on technique and practice. Then do dead lifts and hamstring/lower back, glute orientated work.

So you might do something like this

Monday: Chest, shoulders, arm work
Tuesday: High volume front squats, unilateral work, core

Thursday: Back and arms
Friday: back squat skill, deadlift, hamstrings and glutes

Br
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I've been considering for awhile dropping reps on deads and maybe going to just two sets. 8-12 seems to be a lot for me, I mean I can do it on deads but I still get light headed. Maybe it's jsut a flexibility issues, because I can do deads, but they do feel taxing, not that my back hurts when I do them, but I do feel...stiff if that makes sense, plus I'd like to do sets of deads where I don't have to stop after each third rep. I was thinking for just deads, doing 2 sets of 6-8. I don't need any size in my legs at all, just strength.
 
I don't really see much point in doing dead lift reps above 4-6. Anything more and technique breaks before fatigue sets in. You're better off doing trap bar deads or RDL's with higher reps at that point.
 
ZiR RED said:
I don't really see much point in doing dead lift reps above 4-6. Anything more and technique breaks before fatigue sets in. You're better off doing trap bar deads or RDL's with higher reps at that point.
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Ah ok, but could I keep it at 2 sets or do 3?
 
Depends what you need. If you are strong in dead lift, then 1 or 2 is plenty to maintain the technique and strength. The rest of the workout can be increasing strength in the muscles previously suggested.
 
ZiR RED said:
Depends what you need. If you are strong in dead lift, then 1 or 2 is plenty to maintain the technique and strength. The rest of the workout can be increasing strength in the muscles previously suggested.
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Well I want to add strength, but I'm less concerned about size. I'm only deadlifting alittle over my own body weight, but that's at 8-12 reps for 3 sets.
 
Given the difficulty with squatting, I think it would be more important for you to focus on skill in the deadlift and squat versus weight. The strength will come via mobility work and increasing strength via unilateral and assistance work (i.e.: rumanian dead lifts, glute bridges, lunges, split squats, etc.). Once everything evens out (i.e.: skill and strength) then you use the squat and deadlift OPTIMALLY to build strength.

Br
 
The stretches should be individualized. I can send you a file with upper and lower examples, but you may need more or less depending on imbalances. Check out the mwods website, and use defranco's dynamic upper and lower body mobility exercises as your warm ups.

Br
 
ZiR RED said:
The stretches should be individualized. I can send you a file with upper and lower examples, but you may need more or less depending on imbalances. Check out the mwods website, and use defranco's dynamic upper and lower body mobility exercises as your warm ups.

Br
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Mobility Wod is a pretty good resource.
 
superbeast668 said:
improving greatly but you can afford to get your ass down farther imo.
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Yeah I noticed. Was focusing more on how my upper body looks. It feels awkward like I want to go forward and my knee started to hurt. I noticed I wasn't putting pressure on my heel. I still feel unstable though even at light weight, like I'm going to fall backwards.
 
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