back squat form

[GoJu]

just wondering what some of the o-lifters think of my olympic back squat form, do I go low enough you think?

245 x 1 (no belt) http://youtube.com/watch?v=1rRfh0cg3Dg
265 x 1 (belt) http://youtube.com/watch?v=VFS6rk3hacU
275 x 1 (belt) http://youtube.com/watch?v=mvjOx3jThy8

any thoughts and suggestions are really appreciated, I talk to an O-lifter who posts on fortified-iron, raffiki knows him to, today and he suggested I use a narrow thumbless grip and I feel it made a great difference in my arch and allowed me to sit back more.

[gobbles]

looks good, controlled, good depth, altough whats with youre knees pointing out like that? not dissin you're form, just wondering.

[GoJu]

looks good, controlled, good depth, altough whats with youre knees pointing out like that? not dissin you're form, just wondering.

don't know, just kind of happens, maybe I need wider foot spacing.

[J.L.C.]

Hey goju,

Squats look pretty good!

A couple things that I noticed (I'm no expert):

Try to get your elbows pointed at the floor. I started doing this a couple months ago and it helped a lot. I use a high bar placement, and the same grip width I use for cleans, I set up by trying to 'bend the bar over my back' which gets the elbows pointing down. If I hit a sticking point, I pull down on the bar and it seems to help me maintain my arch and power up.

You might wanna try a slightly wider stance. Your depth is pretty good, but it looks like your knees continue to move out even though your hips don't go any lower. A slightly wider stance, and 'tighter' bottom position might help you feel a bit more stable.

But, like I said - I'm no expert and squats are something I still need a lot of work on.

Thanks for the vids

[Arlecchino]

Agree with everything J.L.C. said above, plus have a few questions:

What do you do to really strengthen your hips / hip flexors?

I ask this because comparing this video and your box squat video I think you might possibly be weak in this area. Do you do a lot of sumo work, not limited to squats, but ultra-wide sumo deadlifts? Hanging leg raises, that sort of thing?

What angle are your feet at when you are squatting in those videos? Could not really tell, and your knees should pretty much travel in line with your feet. It looks like your feet are pointing out a little bit more than they should for OL purposes, but fine if you were squatting wider.

And, given that you were far more solid on the 265 than the 245, with the addition of a belt, guess what I am going to say: Work on your core. Especially the obliques, but heavy medicine ball throws/sit-ups on an extreme decline are a wonderful exercise that can not only provide fabulous results but days of glorious agony if you are not used to them. And in this case, at the bottom of each rep, you should have lowered the ball behind your head, stretching the abs as much as possible.

Saxon side bends and Russian twists should be at the top of your Christmas card list.

[PrivateBaldrick]

Core strength is everything, obviously, like Arlecchino said. Your form looks quite good to me, although the angle isn't really good for observing it (next time take a rear 3/4 camera shot). If I were you, I would move my feet 3-4 inches farther apart, and maybe point my toes out a bit more. Also, I believe you lack flexibility in the groin, which is necessary to "sit between" your legs, like a proper Olympic lifter does.

[GoJu]

thanks for the comments guys!

JLC - I actually used to use the same grip width I used for cleans and I found it bent me over alot more than this, now I use the same grip width I'd use for a close-grip bench press (about 12") and a thumbless grip and I find it really keeps me upright, I agree about the wider stance, will try that next time.

Arlecchino - I don't really do much wide stance work, other than perhaps wide stance pullthroughs, but other than that not much, I do hanging leg raises on occasion, but will really hammer the core work from now on.

Baldrick - will work on that groin flexibility as well as just hammer the core.

[rawPL]

vids are looking strong!

[PrivateBaldrick]

Goju: slow descent, full ROM RDL's with straps are great for your core. Keep your shoulder blades pinched together, too. Just a tip I recently picked up from a coach. I've been doing them and noticing improvement, which I definitely need, too.

[Arlecchino]

Goju: slow descent, full ROM RDL's with straps are great for your core. Keep your shoulder blades pinched together, too. Just a tip I recently picked up from a coach. I've been doing them and noticing improvement, which I definitely need, too.

Ever done them with a sumo stance? I was never quite sure why someone suggested I try this, but after the first time, I was pretty sure I had pissed somebody off.

[GoJu]

thanks for the tip baldrick! where would you think I could add them in the Russian Squat routine? this one:

http://www.timinvermont.com/fitness/russian.htm

[PrivateBaldrick]

Ever done them with a sumo stance? I was never quite sure why someone suggested I try this, but after the first time, I was pretty sure I had pissed somebody off.

No, I haven't, but it sounds interesting. I'm sure it's painful. You want to test them out so I don't have to?

[PrivateBaldrick]

thanks for the tip baldrick! where would you think I could add them in the Russian Squat routine? this one:

http://www.timinvermont.com/fitness/russian.htm

I've actually done them on the same day as heavy squatting. Once a week at the end of a workout should be about right.

[Arlecchino]

No, I haven't, but it sounds interesting. I'm sure it's painful. You want to test them out so I don't have to?

I did. And did them off of a platform. I was, uh, young. Yeah, that's it.

Adductors were so sore the next day I was afraid to pee. Thought something might implode.

:)

[rogan181]

your toes are pointed too far outwards, which is why your knees bend liek that, they should be much closer to parallel with one another or itll put to much stress on your knees

[PrivateBaldrick]

your toes are pointed too far outwards, which is why your knees bend liek that, they should be much closer to parallel with one another or itll put to much stress on your knees

I have to say I disagree. His toes aren't pointed very far out at all.

[anewlevel79]

yeah Im gonna say that your toes should be pointed out, cause Tommy Kono told me to point my toes out and put my feet wider apart when I started squating

[tophenator]

Your knees are my biggest concern only because you tend to flare them out as your go down. You may injure one of your knees as you become stronger and lift heavier weight. The heavier you go the more likely the possibility for injury. I squat with my feet outside of my shoulders by about 3 inches and my toes are pointed slightly out. I would also guess that your abductors are weak and this may be a reason that you legs flare as you go down. Your grip on the bar in my opinion is way too close. I would put them even with the width of your feet. For a young buck your form is pretty good though! I used to see a lot of guys flare their knees out too and this was typically because their leg development was weak. Keep at it!!

[GoJu]

thanks for the tips guys but I feel the only thing I really need to change about my stance is a wider foot placement to keep more upright, but the narrow grip is also really helping keep a tight arch in my upper back so I'm keeping it that way, thanks again though guys.