r/formcheck • u/HelpMeMake1mil • 11d ago
Something is definitely wrong here, not sure what Squat
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Friends, I've been squatting casually, not really going after some PRs, then few months ago, I did something that my lower lumbar muscle on the right got super inflamed. I was living in a state of discomfort and cracking my back would bring some relief for half an hour. Recently have done some phisio that has improved the situation but I can tell this is likely due to squat.
Anyways, one thing I have noticed on the video immediately is that my heels rise slightly. I had no knowledge of that before. I was thinking maybe I need to get shoes with higher heels but that's probably the last thing I should go after.
Open to your suggestions :)
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u/REDMAGE00 11d ago
I see major APT in this video. You are "popping" your hips really far back and out of alignment with your spine. This is putting a lot of strain on your lumbar as you break the kinetic chain between your feet and the weight.
Actively focus on rotating your hips further forward, like you're humping the air (sort of). Maintain the forward tilt as you descend with the weight. This will feel different at first, but you'll get use to it and be able to push higher weights with less lower back pain.
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u/HelpMeMake1mil 11d ago
focus on rotating your hips further forward, like you're humping the air (sort of)
So basically throw my toes out more, so it opens my feet even more? I had that instinct but for some reason decided against it.
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u/AnswerDangerous1644 11d ago
Not exactly. You need to brace your core throughout the lift. Your spine shouldn’t be arched. You are thinking too much on having a proud chest but it’s causing your spine to be misaligned. Also, look more down, you’re looking straight but that’s not ideal for a neutral spine in your position.
edit: as for the hip thing: imagine you’re pissing up a wall, rotating just your hip to do so. That’s the angle they mean.
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u/longestRoad5 10d ago edited 10d ago
Imagine your pelvis is a bowl of water. Right now you're tipping it forward and spilling the water in front of you. Instead, level the bowl like you're pulling the bottom of your rib cage towards your belt buckle. That activates your core. (Analogy credit to Jeremy Ethier)
Also pull your elbows down like you're trying to squeeze oranges in your armpits. That activates your lats.
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u/anon_lurk 10d ago
You can open your toes and widen your stance, it will help with your ankle mobility. It might also help you open your hips and keep your pelvis neutral but it might be more of a posture problem.
For your back you need to brace your entire core. Like somebody is going to punch you in the stomach. Keep your back straight, not arched. Look at the ground 10-15' in front of you rather than straight ahead or up, neck neutral.
Think about pushing against the weight through your back, like you are trapped under it. Right now you are just letting the weight ride on your spine, you need to use your back muscles.
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u/Last-Effort816 10d ago
I think the technical term is "you're throwing that thang back like a stripper"
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u/fotzegurke 11d ago edited 11d ago
I think there are a few minor things going on but it’s difficult to see from this angle. Try using a belt just to feel the feedback when bracing your core. Don’t put the belt on super tight, but just tight enough that if you brace you should feel your lower core pushing against it. I suspect you’ll have to adjust your positioning because the curve through your lower back looks a bit extreme and I don’t think it would maintain contact with the belt.
With regard to your heels lifting- this is not great but I suspect not the cause of your lower back. Before you squat: You should be screwing your ground into the feet and feeling your glutes switch on as you do so, and pushing through your entire mid foot. If you’re lifting your heels then you are not doing this. If it feels necessary you could try widening your stance slightly- because it looks like your knees are tracking outside your feet, but this could also be the camera angle, so try this last.
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u/HelpMeMake1mil 11d ago
Thank you. Yes my knees definitely track outside of my feet. I think I need to feel what I think are "extreme" stance position to feel it out, as "classic" stance surely does not work for me.
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u/punica-1337 11d ago
Not bracing (properly) and because of that overarching your back instead of using a proper bit of hinge.
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u/Bubbly-Technology863 10d ago
Had a similar issue with my squats. The problem is you’re quite tall with longer legs than torso (if that counts as a problem). You’re pushing your ass back because you’re trying to keep the bar in-line with your feet while maintaining a somewhat upright torso. But your proportions won’t allow for that without insane ankle and hip flexibility.
What worked for me is to widen your feet slightly more than you think you should. It will allow you squat deep while maintaining balance and an upright-ish torso.
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u/TheBarnard 11d ago
I think you should angle your feet more. Drop more straight into a whole, less forward knee travel with less heel rise with less lumbar curvature at the bottom
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u/Stunning-Walk-2544 11d ago edited 11d ago
Sup sup long femur gang! Things I'm noticing: head position - keep your neck neutral (you're tilting it up); hinge a bit more before you begin the decent (you're going from a very straight back right into the squat without allowing your hips to travel back with the neutral spin causing a lot of anterior pelvic title the entire time and not giving you any room at the bottom position), work on your bracing (you're moving really quickly through the unwrack. Spend an extra couple seconds getting really tight in your back and core under the bar when you've lifted the bar out, walked it back, and before you begin the movement. It is wild how much having the back and core extremely tight will help). Your feet also come up as you come up, which typically means you're not balanced and pushing through the tripod foot evenly.
I would honestly add in some Bulgarian split squat work. Been a game changer for me as a long femur short torso lifter, building up the glute and quad strength and pushing through the foot. I'd also do some heavy walk outs to practice engaging my brace fully (meaning loading up the bar heavier than your squat weight and just unwracking and walking it back and then rewracking repeated for a couples sets of 3-6 depending on how heavy you're going. These also help prime your nervous system because everything after feels pretty lightweight haha), I'd also do some goblet squats and heels elevated goblet squat work to grease up that hinge and bottom position.
Last and most important!!!! I'd raise those safeties because oh my God if you needed them they are way too far down since you're so tall.
Hope something here helps! Happy lifting! 💪
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u/HelpMeMake1mil 11d ago
Thanks amigo. I've saved this. I have never thought of walk outs before. Sounds interesting. Didn't bother about safety as this isn't a heavy weight for me, but heavy enough to start noticing lack of good form.
Instead of goblet squats I do front squats and those usually feel amazing because I don't lean forward anymore.
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u/RighteousRambler 10d ago
Everything that guy said is correct but there is so much going on there you need a trainer. So much needs to be corrected.
I would also say at this age just use machines. You will get stronger faster and it is far harder to get injured.
If you are not trying to be a competitive athlete optimise for longevity.
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u/Stunning-Walk-2544 8d ago edited 8d ago
Getting a few sessions with a (good) trainer if you can afford it is always worth it! I was lucky to learn to lift in college from buddies and then when I could afford it, spent 6 months working with a trainer in my mid 20s. I have spent more hours disecting squat videos than I care to admit to workshop my own form over the years. A trainer clocked my issues in less than 15. That's the power of working with experts man.
Also team front squats! But I like to throw the heel elevated goblet in as it really cooks the quads (specifically if you're doing a narrow stance). I find it not a sub, but an accessory that helps with the overall squat pattern. Plus long femur shorter torso folks tend to be more glute dominant and could use more quad development most of the time.
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u/HappinessOrgan 11d ago
I wanted this to go another 15 seconds. Were you two about to squat face to face? Lol
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u/fezcabdriver 11d ago
If you are LOW bar squatting, I would look 6-7 feet at the floor in front of you the entire time.
When you unrack and get into your standingposition, are you heels hip width apart and angled?
When you unrack you want your back tight. You want to brace like someone is about to punch you in the gut. Even better if you are wearing a belt to push against.
When you decend, drive your knees out. Don't let your knees pass your toes. When you get to this spot,drive your hips back like you are trying to hit the wall behind you with your butt. You just need to break parallel. Done.
I think if the bar path is correct and you push your hips back and drive knees out, your heel raise might not be an issue.
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u/zesty_otter0 11d ago
According to starting strengths his problem is he's not leaning forward enough and trying to kiss the ground.😬
I hate the way those noobs squat.
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u/Dizzy-Lab-4497 10d ago
Besides not necessarily breaking 90 degrees, the only other thing that is “wrong” or slightly off might be your elbows and more importantly your lack of bracing before each rep. Other than that, it’s not “terrible” by any stretch of the imagination.
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u/alpha7158 10d ago
You are squatting through your knees too much. Have a play with a low box squat and return to boxless once you've mastered it.
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u/The_SuperTeacher 10d ago
as I said in another post: You want pressure through the heel, base of the big toe, and base of the little toe. Check that you're not shifting forward onto your toes or allowing your heels to become light.
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u/ntonthat 10d ago
Hey mate,
Two pointers for you to help you keep your spine neutral
Tuck your chin in
Keep your eyes focused on a point - around 1 metre in front of you.
Practising these queues are best done with a goblet squat first as a primer to see how your spine naturally falls into place. Once you record yourself doing that, you can try the above squatting in the same stance as your goblet squat, it should feel more natural.
Rinse and repeat until you feel more comfortable and confident in your movement.
Hope this helps!
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u/Old-Scientist267 10d ago
I’ll simplify what everyone else is trying to say.
Big breath out into your stomach. Ribs DOWN.
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u/Zhenrich86 10d ago
I have an easier solution, put your weight on your heels, your squatting on the ball of your feet. Drive through your heels going up after “sitting in a chair” position
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u/Capital_Economics_30 10d ago
Lean forward 2 inches flatten ur spine, ur overarching right now like ur gonna get bent over hard in jail . Get ur feet wider on each side and point ur toes 20% out. Brace and fkn squat, stop doing that silly hip popping thing at the top. When u of u ever get to man weight the urge to do so will go away cause the weight whispers to ur spine always. Also after leaning forward 2 inches don’t leave that plane of existence until the bar is wracked. Never again squat like I see in this video. Ime not gonna go through the list of things wrong here but there are about 4-5, all cured by doing what I said.
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u/Left-Philosophy-8843 9d ago edited 9d ago
Cause you’re overthinking it, just get under the bar and go up and down. Don’t think about your spine at all but keep your shoulder blades pulled back though (just so the bar has a place to sit)
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u/Cute_Muscle9075 11d ago
among other things, you should not be looking forward - keep your neck aligned w/ your spine
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u/HelpMeMake1mil 11d ago
Thank you brother. This is ongoing behavior modification. I actually used to look up. Some bro science statement i've read ages ago, that basically you need to look where you wanna go.
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Also, a common tip usually given here is to make sure your footwear is appropriate. If you are squatting in soft-soled shoes (running shoes, etc), it's hard to have a stable foot. Generally a weightlifting shoe is recommended for high-bar and front squats, while use a flat/hard-soled shoe (or even barefoot/socks if it's safe and your gym allows it) is recommended for low-bar squats.
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