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Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: cephissus on October 03, 2011, 11:36:06 PM
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i lose the arch in my back near the bottom of the squat. i think this is why i've always sucked at squats and maybe even why i keep getting injured? does anyone REALLY know how to fix this? any time i see people talking about this on various boards they say "oh you just need to stretch hamstrings / calves / glutes / etc." but never anything specific. can this really be fixed by stretching? if so, how, exactly? i've also heard people say that the squat is supposed to stretch you out, so it will correct itself in time. well, this hasn't been the case for me. i don't feel a stretch.
if anyone really has SPECIFIC advice about how to fix this, i would be incredibly grateful!
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The real question is.
Is this you? ;D
Just kidding.. I have the same issue too..
Maybe not going too deep on the squat would help.
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Great video..
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it means you have weak hamstrings/glutes and/or tight hip flexors.
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The real question is.
Is this you? ;D
Just kidding.. I have the same issue too..
Maybe not going too deep on the squat would help.
hell yeah its me... im tiny as shit. probably lost over 70 lbs since i started posting.
the weird thing is, it seems like no matter how shallow i squat, it still happens! normally it will happen just above parallel (like in the video) but if i decide to half squat, it will just happen sooner!
also thanks for the video, but the reason i made this thread is because i've found advice like this unhelpful. he doesn't say how long, how often, etc. to do the stretches. but that's sort of beside the point: whenever i stretch, it doesn't really seem to do much besides hurt my joints. once i read up on PNF (through pavel's relax into stretch) i thought i had just been stretching too aggressively, but it seems like any stretch at all requires me to put significant strain on my joints. i don't really feel particularly tight or anything either. you'd think that, if tight muscles were the cause, then i would feel a stretch at the bottom of the squat, but i don't.
i'm just skeptical that this problem can be solved through stretching.
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hell yeah its me... im tiny as shit. probably lost over 70 lbs since i started posting.
the weird thing is, it seems like no matter how shallow i squat, it still happens! normally it will happen just above parallel (like in the video) but if i decide to half squat, it will just happen sooner!
also thanks for the video, but the reason i made this thread is because i've found advice like this unhelpful. he doesn't say how long, how often, etc. to do the stretches. but that's sort of beside the point: whenever i stretch, it doesn't really seem to do much besides hurt my joints. once i read up on PNF (through pavel's relax into stretch) i thought i had just been stretching too aggressively, but it seems like any stretch at all requires me to put significant strain on my joints. i don't really feel particularly tight or anything either. you'd think that, if tight muscles were the cause, then i would feel a stretch at the bottom of the squat, but i don't.
i'm just skeptical that this problem can be solved through stretching.
it means you have weak hamstrings/glutes and/or tight hip flexors. Very common.
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widen stance if your tall it vitrually impossbile to do a narrow stance bodybuilding squat good you need to use more of a powerlifting type set up. Not saying this is your problem but some people just flat arent built for squats. Most hard gainers that tend to be lengthy bascialy the exact people who need squats should not do them
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i lose the arch in my back near the bottom of the squat. i think this is why i've always sucked at squats and maybe even why i keep getting injured? does anyone REALLY know how to fix this? any time i see people talking about this on various boards they say "oh you just need to stretch hamstrings / calves / glutes / etc." but never anything specific. can this really be fixed by stretching? if so, how, exactly? i've also heard people say that the squat is supposed to stretch you out, so it will correct itself in time. well, this hasn't been the case for me. i don't feel a stretch.
if anyone really has SPECIFIC advice about how to fix this, i would be incredibly grateful!
HAHAHA, 140 pound bottom twink posting vids in gossips in opinions of him squatting on his dildo in the squalor he calls a bedroom, priceless ;D
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Maybe you should ask "Dr. Squat" (oh brother).
To contribute, focus on sticking your chest out throughout the lift, especially at the bottom. This helped me with the same problem. Good warm-up might also help with flexibility. My personal feelings on static stretching are that it's useless and a waste of time, but that's a contentious topic.
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widen stance if your tall it vitrually impossbile to do a narrow stance bodybuilding squat good you need to use more of a powerlifting type set up. Not saying this is your problem but some people just flat arent built for squats. Most hard gainers that tend to be lengthy bascialy the exact people who need squats should not do them
QFT. I'm only 5'10 but use a wider stance, duckfooted, knees point wide (no expert). Forget the back arch nonsense imo. Just get off your toes, Ceph.
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Tapeworm is more or less right,
Feet about shoulder width apart, toes pointed toward 11 and 1. start with keeping the bar a little lower on your traps and when you come up keep your chin higher and look at the ceiling. If you still round your back squat lighter and do deads till you puke. problem fixed
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hip and hamstring and glute flexability.
why don't you go all the way down?
when you go all the way down with weight on your shoulders you will get a good stretch at the bottom. start with 135 and just practice on your form. all the way down, stay at the bottom for a stretch and mess around with it. also learn to push with glutes/hips from the bottom, will improve your form.
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hip and hamstring and glute flexability.
why don't you go all the way down?
when you go all the way down with weight on your shoulders you will get a good stretch at the bottom. start with 135 and just practice on your form. all the way down, stay at the bottom for a stretch and mess around with it. also learn to push with glutes/hips from the bottom, will improve your form.
this.
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i lose the arch in my back near the bottom of the squat. i think this is why i've always sucked at squats and maybe even why i keep getting injured? does anyone REALLY know how to fix this? any time i see people talking about this on various boards they say "oh you just need to stretch hamstrings / calves / glutes / etc." but never anything specific. can this really be fixed by stretching? if so, how, exactly? i've also heard people say that the squat is supposed to stretch you out, so it will correct itself in time. well, this hasn't been the case for me. i don't feel a stretch.
if anyone really has SPECIFIC advice about how to fix this, i would be incredibly grateful!
yes squat on a Smith machine
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i lose the arch in my back near the bottom of the squat. i think this is why i've always sucked at squats and maybe even why i keep getting injured? does anyone REALLY know how to fix this? any time i see people talking about this on various boards they say "oh you just need to stretch hamstrings / calves / glutes / etc." but never anything specific. can this really be fixed by stretching? if so, how, exactly? i've also heard people say that the squat is supposed to stretch you out, so it will correct itself in time. well, this hasn't been the case for me. i don't feel a stretch.
if anyone really has SPECIFIC advice about how to fix this, i would be incredibly grateful!
I thought we went over this sometime ago? Video should also show your feet as well. Shot's should be taken from the front and rear as well as the side. Remember I think we also talked about having enough dorsi-flexion in your ankles?
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Maybe you should ask "Dr. Squat" (oh brother).
To contribute, focus on sticking your chest out throughout the lift, especially at the bottom. This helped me with the same problem. Good warm-up might also help with flexibility. My personal feelings on static stretching are that it's useless and a waste of time, but that's a contentious topic.
or a professional strength and conditioning coach that knows bio-mechanics.
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use a barbell with a lot of weight, it's easier to keep the back tight that way
also, increase ankle mobility, erector spinae flexibility, abdominal and hamstring strength
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yes squat on a Smith machine
never squat on smith to correct anything......never squat on a smith anyway.
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i lose the arch in my back near the bottom of the squat. i think this is why i've always sucked at squats and maybe even why i keep getting injured? does anyone REALLY know how to fix this? any time i see people talking about this on various boards they say "oh you just need to stretch hamstrings / calves / glutes / etc." but never anything specific. can this really be fixed by stretching? if so, how, exactly? i've also heard people say that the squat is supposed to stretch you out, so it will correct itself in time. well, this hasn't been the case for me. i don't feel a stretch.
if anyone really has SPECIFIC advice about how to fix this, i would be incredibly grateful!
We also talked about testing in the overhead squat. If I recall you were going to make a video of that.
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never squat on smith to correct anything......never squat on a smith anyway.
why?
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Just don't squat. It sucks..
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We also talked about testing in the overhead squat. If I recall you were going to make a video of that.
hmm i don't remember saying i would or talking about dorsiflexion, but ill try to make videos this weekend. actually ankle flexibility is one thing that definitely doesn't seem right to me. i can barely get my knees over my toes, even standing on a 1/2 or 1 in. block.
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Just don't squat. It sucks..
well the same thing seems to happen on any leg exercise. leg press, hack squat, smith squat -- they all bring my back out of extension at the bottom.
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I've been using the smith for squats after years of free weight squating and lower back problems.
I find the smith is just about as good. AND it keeps you aligned.
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it means you have weak hamstrings/glutes and/or tight hip flexors.
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okay, how can i fix it?
i don't lift weights anymore, but when i did my stiff leg deadlifts / regular deadlifts some of my strongest lifts. never strong in quad dominant movements. so maybe tight hip flexors? how do i loosen them up? i know hip flexor stretches... but how long, how often, how many sets, when (any time, or do i have to be warmed up)?
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I would also do "pressups" or the Cobra pose as often as you can.
Loosens the hip flexors up quite a bit. Did for me, anyway.
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attention: coach
i now have the videos you requested -- sorry it took so long!
i'm sure anyone can see the degeneration in my arch as i near the bottom of the squat. also, i can't go any lower than this without extreme rounding. i don't feel a stretch anywhere at the bottom of the rep either. i just sort of stop. i should also note that i felt less flexible today (when i made these videos) than usual due to some squatting experiments i did earlier in the week. after doing several sets just trying different things my joints feel very "stiff" and "congested" for a while, even though i only do these sets with at 65 lb barbell.
here's an extra one video demonstrating my back squats:
i should also note that i think i have some form of kyphosis. my back definitely bends sharply near the middle when i slouch (not evenly or near the bottom like most people). i wonder if this could be related to a deadlifting injury i had many years ago (pushed too hard, probably with bad form... eventually heard a loud pop in lower back + lots of pain... laid off deadlifts for months and pain went away). i'm trying to maintain as much of an arch as possible in these videos, as well as trying to consciously correct my anterior pelvic tilt.
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I've looked through rippetoe's forum before; I might post these there too.
I've read his advice in starting strength. He says the cause is tight hamstrings, and that the best stretch for them is the squat. Well, as I said, I don't feel a stretch at the bottom of the squat. I also find it hard to stretch my hamstrings. Whenever I try, I usually end up stretching my adductors instead -- the hamstring is very unresponsive. That said, I've been stretching for half an hour every 4 nights a week for the past two weeks. I've determined to give it a more serious shot.
Thanks for the advice though. I'll probably end up posting this elsewhere as well.
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Do leg press.
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It doesn't help. The same thing still happens and all the stress goes to my knees or lower back. Same with hack squat, box squat, v squat, front squat, etc. etc. etc.
I've tried it all for years and years. Same result.
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From my recollection, didn't you use to write that you'd suffered some sort of burnout and that you couldn't feel/contract your muscles?
Is that gone now?
This is correct, and no it's not gone. One of my theories is that persistently squatting/deadlifting with bad form could be a cause of the problem. I first thought this after noticing that when I had a (rare) good squat workout, everything else seemed to go good for the rest of the week. Invariably, I would have a bad squat workout the next session, and then everything would go to badly again.
For the past three months or so I've almost completely eliminated weight training. Now I mostly just run / do some light crossfit style stuff and experiment with my 65 lb barbell from time to time.
Also, that you've got massively reduced cartilage (~5% total) in your knees?
You must have got this from a post where I was asking pellius something. He's the one with the reduced cartilage.
In case you were wondering, the only other theory I have regarding my problem is that it's somehow related to my hypertension / some other organ problem. If it's not one of these two things, I'm really lost.
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The pelvic tilt when crossing a specific height during the downphase has been a plague for me too.
I don't go as far down as I used to because squat depth can be deceiving depending on the proportion of your limbs.
As already mentioned - tightness in your glutes and hams is something you should be aware of.
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The pelvic tilt when crossing a specific height during the downphase has been a plague for me too.
I don't go as far down as I used to because squat depth can be deceiving depending on the proportion of your limbs.
As already mentioned - tightness in your glutes and hams is something you should be aware of.
I noticed this too, specifically right after I took these videos. I thought I was stopping quite high but it turns out I was just above parallel.
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At the time it read to me like your CNS was messed up. As in getting overtrained.
Out of curiousity (and since you mentioned a deadlift injury), how often did you use to deadlift? As in, how often during the week, and how many sets/reps, and how long did you rest between sets? Also, how many were your working sets and how many your warm-up sets and what percentage of your working weight was your warm-up weight?
I used to do very dumb workouts. I would do deadlifts twice a week. When I hurt my back, I was doing them on my back day 2x a week. Either 4 sets of 10 or 6 sets of 6, all work sets, with 1-2 minutes rest in between sets. I don't remember weights too well. I didn't warm up much back in those days.
Probably something like:
135 x 10 (warm up)
185 x 5 (warm up)
225 x 5 (warm up)
315 x 3 (warm up)
330-350ish for 4 x 10 (work sets)
If you think this sounds ridiculous, I used to bench press six days a week, do a hundred+ pullups every day, alternate jackknives / bicycles for ten minutes straight (easily the most grueling ab workout I've ever even heard of) etc. ::) I worked out like this for a couple of years and gradually entered the realm of sanity as I learned more and more from reading training articles / forums.
I didn't really know anything about form back then, so I doubt I was doing it properly. I remember my lower back hurt pretty chronically but I always thought "well i'll make a small adjustment and if it's not getting any worse, i'll just be careful and it will slowly get better." Then one day *POP*. Freaked me out, and I stopped then and there. Didn't come back to them for several years I think. I actually think there might have been another loud pop a couple days / weeks later, when I was doing lunges on a machine. I didn't think much of it at the time, and as the months passed I thought I had made a full recovery. I've read stories from people who said they heard loud pops which turned out to be herniated discs.
Now I worry that maybe this old injury is somehow still affecting me...
I've thought about the CNS theory, but I haven't lifted in 3 months and there's still no real improvement, judging from my experiments. "Adrenal fatigue" is something I've read a bit on as well, but i hesitate to consider such exotic explanations.
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In video nr 4 your chest falls.
5 parts which are worth it - dude knows his stuff.
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Just don't squat. It sucks..
lollllllllllllllllllllll lllllll
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It's good to be mindful of form but allowing yourself to move in your natural groove is more important. It looks as if your back is so tense you're just not allowing yourself the movement. Quit trying to maintain an unnatural arch and just find your own movement to a comfortable depth with a 15-20 rep count weight. Just quit thinking about your back and loosen up. Also, you're still on your toes. Quit trying to look up, it's fucking up your balance.
Other people will give you way better advice than me. I'm pretty much the world's shittiest squatter.
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why?
How long have you been lifting ? 10+ years? ANd you don't know this yet?
The answer should be obvious.
Do a Google search for " "Never squat on smith machine"
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How long have you been lifting ? 10+ years? ANd you don't know this yet?
The answer should be obvious.
Do a Google search for " "Never squat on smith machine"
;D
Myth #5
http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/388/8_Stupid_Myths_about_Squatting.aspx
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either squat on the smith machine which will keep you aligned or do box squats for awile where you actually pause on the box,this will strengthen your hips glutes and hams,also widen your stance a bit.
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Yeah, I suspected that. That is insane volume, at too high an intensity. If you're a nattie, this will burn you out FAST, deadlifts are seriously taxing on the CNS and not to be performed more than once a week, one-two working sets of five reps, heavy of course, but only a few sets.
You're saying two years like this? No wonder man... also, you must have been seriously stuck or even regressing on your strength
If you've got nerve damage, it will take a hell of a lot more than three months (of total rest), nerves grow back extremely slowly, something like 1mm a month.
Have you seen a doctor? An MRI would benefit you, they'd also be able to check on your back.
Yeah I gained rapidly for about 3 months when I first started doing (somewhat) reasonable volume and actually eating... then got stuck for years and years. Slowly it became harder to feel muscles that had always been responsive. Now nothing really responds.
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i lose the arch in my back near the bottom of the squat. i think this is why i've always sucked at squats and maybe even why i keep getting injured? does anyone REALLY know how to fix this? any time i see people talking about this on various boards they say "oh you just need to stretch hamstrings / calves / glutes / etc." but never anything specific. can this really be fixed by stretching? if so, how, exactly? i've also heard people say that the squat is supposed to stretch you out, so it will correct itself in time. well, this hasn't been the case for me. i don't feel a stretch.
if anyone really has SPECIFIC advice about how to fix this, i would be incredibly grateful!
before you begin to squat focus on a spot on the wall in front of you slightly higher than your head and continue to focus on the same spot as you descend, this will keep you straight
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Fuck static stretching that shit's a waste of time.
Pull your shoulders back and stick your chest out, will help a lot I guarantee.
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i lose the arch in my back near the bottom of the squat. i think this is why i've always sucked at squats and maybe even why i keep getting injured? does anyone REALLY know how to fix this? any time i see people talking about this on various boards they say "oh you just need to stretch hamstrings / calves / glutes / etc." but never anything specific. can this really be fixed by stretching? if so, how, exactly? i've also heard people say that the squat is supposed to stretch you out, so it will correct itself in time. well, this hasn't been the case for me. i don't feel a stretch.
if anyone really has SPECIFIC advice about how to fix this, i would be incredibly grateful!
Smith machine, leg press...
I don't see a big problem anyway.
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http://www.70sbig.com/blog/2010/10/the-butt-wink/
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http://www.70sbig.com/blog/2010/10/the-butt-wink/
Thx 8)
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You are welcome.
The guy knows his stuff. Stopping by his blog every day. There is always some useful info.
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See a neurologist. They will also refer you to a physical therapist.
Being concerned about squatting technique seems like a moot point to me when your recovering abilities are worn out.
You're still a young guy, like early-mid twenties? Get help, time off, your body will do the rest.
thanks for the advice. you seem to know where i'm coming from.
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Im 6'1 if your gonna squat and your lengthy you have to squat wide. Or not go all the way down i.e arnold. I have fucked with the squat and gave up fuck it I have squated 305 15 times that sucks, The squat beat me I wish i was dead lol legpress,hack squat, sissy squat best leg movements for tall people. Tall people that cant squat usually can deadlift good. Or trap bar deadlift for thighs and total body strength
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thanks for the advice. you seem to know where i'm coming from.
No problem. Let us know what they tell you, if you do decide to go medical.
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i've been trying to squat with less of an arch in my back... i think i was overarching at the start before. any knowledgeable trainers here think these look any better?
greatly appreciate any thoughts!
and i know... monster 65 lb children's barbell, epic webcam, "apparently he hasn't found the calf raise yet" etc.
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you squat like arnold ,you need a mirror you get the arch in ya back then go straight down keeping eye contact
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Your middle back is not tight - round.
Other than that it looks good.
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First...a squat RACKwouldnt hurt...
a mirror to look at would help keep your head up, as you tend to look down, which brings your back into round
Slightly wider stance...
You need to carry the bar lower on your back...widening your grip will help with this...move your hands out farther
Depth is fine
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http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003V0I39Q/ref=s9_simh_gw_p200_d0_g200_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0C6V2RKN23N96YP08GF0&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846
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You need to carry the bar lower on your back...
This
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No, he doesn't actually.
It's flexibility issue IMO. I'm gonna consult my friend who knows a little bit more about biomechanics.
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Allowing for the poor quality of the video its not clear how your feet are placed
Your movement suggests that you are tilting forward from the foot and that the centerline of gravity on the downward movement is forward of your body when you should be trying to keep it broady head hip foot
perhaps your foot wear heal is too high
it mught be worth while asking someone in an every day situation to tell you how your posture is - Lots of people have a slight forward lean
you may also need to work on the splay angle of your feet or even the width (as you probably know a narrow stance causes a forward tilt)
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Thanks for the replies everyone! I get most of my knowledge from the book starting strength, from watching olympic lifters on youtube, reading various advices here and there, and thinking about the problem A LOT. i believe i have the bar in the correct position for a high-bar or olympic style squat. i've done plenty of low bar squats too, and i don't think they look any different (though I could be wrong, should get some videos). anyway i don't see any reason why i shouldn't be able to do high bar squats, though if someone has one i'd like to hear it.
No, he doesn't actually.
It's flexibility issue IMO. I'm gonna consult my friend who knows a little bit more about biomechanics.
please do!
also @ B_B_C:
usually i have very poor posture, but I've spent a lot of time learning how the spine is supposed to look, and how it reacts to different "mental cues." usually i believe my pelvis is rotated in the anterior direction. i don't know why this is -- could be because of weak abdominal engagement, tight hip flexors, or perhaps a herniated disc? whatever the case, in these videos, i try to correct this by rotating it back (you can even see it at the start of the third video, i think), and then i start the movement by imagining im rotating around my belly button, rather than my hips. this seems to keep my lumbar spine locked in a more neutral "slightly arched" position, and out of the "over arched" position which it's normally in, due to the aforementioned pelvic tilt.
i think i might have slight kyphosis, or exaggeration of the thoracic curve, which is why it appears like my middle / upper back rounds in the squats. people with normal spines can get their backs perfectly flat, and the back generally looks perfectly flat (from a side view) on a properly done high-bar squat, as far as i can tell. well, i can never, even standing straight up, get my back as flat as most people, so it may be that there's nothing i can do?
however, i could be wrong about all this. nonetheless i have a hard time believe it's a flexibility issue, for the simple reason that i am at least as flexibly (in the hips) as some of my friends who can squat just fine. also, it's hard for me to stretch my muscles. it seems like i can never actually get a stretch in the muscle belly, but rather just joint pain.
also @ chick
thanks for the advice. i forgot about controlling my head movement (which does tend to be all over the place) on these videos. however, i've done many experiments in the past looking at different places, and none of it really seems to help. also i was just doing these for the sake of getting video, this isn't a real workout at a gym... hence no rack.
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Thanks for the replies everyone! I get most of my knowledge from the book starting strength,
Starting strength is ok but I noticed in the squatting video as it progressed some of the participants seemed to round a bit as they went faster. I think that is specific to them. I find my form goes if I lift low weight fast.
I have noticed that some tall thin fellows have a tendency to twist on the upward movement. If you treat the weight as a centrally single point load (excuse the Structural engineering gargon but it might help?) then any thing that throws the load out of centreline becomes a lever load. Im open to correction but many powerlifters take the bar further down and get their gluts and hibs to work hard - if you do you will feel the slight soreness in your lower back /buttocks (not the backbone) a few days after. You could consider yoga -not very gb i know but great to have a yoga teacher to tell you where your body is in space.
A good book to read is "body in action" Sarah Key of the use it or lose school - nothing to do with weighttraining but very good descriptions of joints and what goes wrong and some good if surprisingly difficult exercises. Its probably out of print but you could try ebay and if no luck get back to me as i pdfed it ages ago
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Thanks for the recommendation, I'll check it out!
Coach has been oddly silent in this thread... after I've supplied him with now TWO sets of videos :'(
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Thanks for the recommendation, I'll check it out!
Coach has been oddly silent in this thread... after I've supplied him with now TWO sets of videos :'(
Sorry man, haven't really kept up much. Anyway looking at your OH squat video I would score it as a 4/5..thats good score. The last videos, to be honest I think is fine. I couldn't see where the bar was but as long as it isn't high on your cervical you're fine. Look, no one has the exact same structure and few have the exact same mechanics. Nothing wrong with your dorsi-flexion, you go deep enough (we keep at parallel or below) so as far as I can see no real issues with your hip structure and no pelvic anterior tilt that I saw. The only thing I can really see might be a slight lordosis. Keep toes straight, keep chest out and eyes up, heels down. As long as your not injured or have been injured with your mechanics I don't see a problem. I kind of disagree with Chicks assessment of using a mirror, I don't think you should simply because it gives a false sense of security and it's not always what it seems. One last thing. Slow your tempo on your decent is too fast, keep it at a 3-0-1 tempo.
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Sorry man, haven't really kept up much. Anyway looking at your OH squat video I would score it as a 4/5..thats good score. The last videos, to be honest I think is fine. I couldn't see where the bar was but as long as it isn't high on your cervical you're fine. Look, no one has the exact same structure and few have the exact same mechanics. Nothing wrong with your dorsi-flexion, you go deep enough (we keep at parallel or below) so as far as I can see no real issues with your hip structure and no pelvic anterior tilt that I saw. The only thing I can really see might be a slight lordosis. Keep toes straight, keep chest out and eyes up, heels down. As long as your not injured or have been injured with your mechanics I don't see a problem. I kind of disagree with Chicks assessment of using a mirror, I don't think you should simply because it gives a false sense of security and it's not always what it seems. One last thing. Slow your tempo on your decent is too fast, keep it at a 3-0-1 tempo.
thank you so much! i know we don't see eye to eye on a lot of things, but i REALLY appreciate your comments, considering your training expertise. i consider this advice invaluable as i continue to deal with my training problems.
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- slower your negative
- your bar positioning is fine. don't change it. learn to squat properly with high bar, it's best.
- front squats, shitloads of frontsquats
- your feet positioning sucks, work on that. experiment. generally speaking, your stance is too wide.
- look up when doing squat. find a point somewhere on the wall and observe it all the time.
- hold your breathe, release it when going up
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Have you tried calling the Muscle Phone?
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i lose the arch in my back near the bottom of the squat. i think this is why i've always sucked at squats and maybe even why i keep getting injured? does anyone REALLY know how to fix this? any time i see people talking about this on various boards they say "oh you just need to stretch hamstrings / calves / glutes / etc." but never anything specific. can this really be fixed by stretching? if so, how, exactly? i've also heard people say that the squat is supposed to stretch you out, so it will correct itself in time. well, this hasn't been the case for me. i don't feel a stretch.
if anyone really has SPECIFIC advice about how to fix this, i would be incredibly grateful!
Have you tried the ole PL trick of placing a live gerbil inbetween the cheeks of your buttocks before heavy squatting sessions?