Round 2. I repeated 165 and tried to focus on head down and getting extra tight, though the latter definitely got forgotten sometimes and I feel like I'm probably still not tight enough(?)

Set 1:


Set 2:


Set 3:

These are a little better. Now let's make them a lot better:

1) Your thoracic and lumbar spine need to be in extension, not overextension, which is what you are doing. You are over-arching your low back when it just needs to be tight and you are lifting your chest when it needs to be pointed DOWN.

2) From the side view it seems like you are mostly looking down, but your chin and head remain up(probably due to the chest lifting). Chin down, eyes down, chest down and mainly...

3) Lean over more. Think about pushing your ass back towards the wall behind you.

4) Having the wall right in front of you is not ideal. I would set up the hooks on the outside instead

Might not be able to get another workout in until Monday with sports/Easter all weekend but will post more videos then. Really appreciate the advice!

I *think I'm improving. Not avoiding the forward lean is big for staying over mid foot, no longer feel like its a mobility issue, and depth is solid. I was trying to work on the hip lockout here but don't really understand how that is done.

Set 3 was with attempted hip lockout (didn't do a great job of it) while set 4 was just to knee lockout. With the hip lockout and chest forward it feels like the bar is slipping down my back. See how on the rerack I almost miss low.

100% improved. Good bar path.

What is your process for placing and holding the bar on the back? Some basics that might apply. You need to be pulling your scapula back as tight as possible, and at the same time grip the **** out of the bar and pull it into your scapula. This should feel very uncomfortable, but it will also make the bar feel very secure.

Note that if you lose this tightness, the bar will go back to moving and slipping.

That is basically my process, although I'm sure theres room for improvement. Might also just need bigger delts to have a real shelf

True!

Are you using thumbs over or thumbs wrapped around? I've found that I get a much more solid position from wrapped around and gripping the **** out of the bar. YMMV.

Hey man,

I will try to record my next squat session when I get a chance. I'm by no means elite or an expert, also trying to get better but I can show you what I do. Also if you like I can give you a few of my squat specialization programs that will get your squat up a lot. Just pm me if interested.

Hey guys, sorry for the noob question but can someone talk me through posting a video from my phone. I have never posted a video on here so I don't really know how. Can I just upload it directly to youtube from phone or do I need to go phone > pc > yt? And also do I just press the youtube symbol to embed it and post the link in there? Am I missing anything?

Oh and what do you guys use to edit your videos on the phone?

Generally a phone that isn't ******ed or 10 years old will have an option to 'Share' when you go into the gallery and select a photo or video and that should include YouTube.

Editing also is usually built right into the video player app. There usually aren't many options on the basic phone app except trimming.

Then when here on 2p2 you embed the video with the YOUTUBE /YOUTUBE tags and include just the videos codes (the 2gyXz23c nonsense after the ? mark)

Here is the video as promised. Yesterday's work out was supposed to be 3x7 (think I did 8 in the vid) @70% for squats and 3x7 for bench press. I felt like my right knee was caving in a little bit on the first set. 2nd and 3rd set felt much better.

Does anyone know if it's possible to record a video and have music playing at the same time? I have a galaxy s8+ and I was using spotify but I wonder if soundcloud would still work.

I can also record my heavier sets if you guys want to see more or different angles just let me know.

I'm here just genuinely trying to help others if I can but I'm also open to any critique. I have had one of the bigger/more advanced powerlifter guys watch me and he basically told me I need to lock the bar into my delts more so it doesn't move during the rep.

Thanks, appreciate the help man. I kind of liked seeing the lines ibavly had in his video showing the bar path. I think that would be helpful for me to see my own bar path so I'm not sure which app he used for that. Maybe coach's eye? I pretty much never record myself, but the guy that helped me out with some form stuff told me I should record myself more and from different angles. I just really hate not being able to listen to music while recording myself and everything seems off. Any recommendations for that? I was thinking maybe even getting like a cheap camera.

The app I use is called Iron Path. Only started using it recently but really happy with it so far.

Recording yourself is very useful. Bring bluetooth headphones or a backup phone/ipod if the music is very important to you. I remember reading somewhere that if you need to psych yourself up for a lift on an average training day then you are lifting too heavy.

FS - I think I'm getting the hang of this. Second set includes setup, I still have improvement to make in the rack position - although similar to back squat, more muscle can only help with that. Sorry about the lighting, haven't figured out how to get rid of that.



Luv - Those are nice looking squats, imo. Will let some of the more advanced lifters comment. I don't think there's a lot of direct parallel between our two squats because of body type (torso length) and looks like you are doing high bar squat. If you take a look at my video and try to imagine it with your back angle imagine how far behind midfoot the bar would be.

Thanks for the kind words, I appreciate it. Of course there is always room to improve for all of us. I do use wireless bluetooth ear buds, however as soon as I press record, everything stops but the recording.

It's not even that I need to psych myself up, it's more that I'm a creature of habit. I'm really used to lifting with ear buds and I also just associate certain songs with when I first started lifting. I also remember reading or hearing somewhere that hearing the same song over and over really helps you concentrate.

This is just my personal opinion but I think too many beginners half ass too much and warm up differently than they actually perform working sets. You should perform each rep the same, whether it's just the bar, 135, 225, or 315+. That's really how you master it. I used to do that and sometimes do 3-4 reps with 135 just on one breath because I could, and that's not correct. I also think it's very important to challenge yourself and push yourself, without breaking form of course.

As far as your squats, after really watching it many times I think I may have figured out what you are doing wrong. It was actually the front squats video that helped me see it. I think two things. 1) you are not activating glutes enough. 2) you are not bracing hard enough.

I spend a lot of time warming up before I lift, 20-30 minutes. I usually walk on the stair climber, and then I use different bands to activate the glutes, do some body weight lunges, very light resistance band face pulls, and I'm not sure the exact names but like glute bridge with bands, stuff like that. And also look up how to brace by Chris Duffin or any elite lifter really. You want to be breathing out in your stomach and hold that breath for the duration of the rep and then breathe out at the top.

I think you are going down well into the hole, controlling the bar well. Keep the chest up, show that taint like Ed Coan says. I think you do all of those things well but if you fix the two things I said, you will see your numbers really go up. Hope that helps man.

I'm taking a stab at improving my squat form. Would appreciate any feedback on these:

1x5x275
2x5x285

WS1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce_hqLcyKqA (rear view)
WS2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDcNBFdBYwA (side view)
WS3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BklsqedwfkQ (rear 45)

Thanks in advance

I would highly recommend taking 30 minutes out of your day and watching this. I mean this in the nicest way possible but I dont think you are ready to handle that amount of weight and you are compensating all over the place. Watch that video, record a lighter set and post it. Your goal shouldn't be to get the weight up however you can, your goal should to get the weight up correctly. I really like that you are pushing yourself but there is a fine line between ego lifting and pushing yourself.

I posted in here a few years ago, and the feedback was really helpful, so I will try again! I have recently started the olympic lifts through crossfit, and I realize my form is atrocious, so all criticism is welcome!



This is a set of 2 at 40kg. I recently have dropped the weight back a lot, to try and just focus on technique. From what I can see, my back straights too soon, and the bar is away from my thighs and doesn't touch it. Is that even correct?

Thank you!

Keep your shoulders in front of the bar until it passes your knees, and get rid of the arm pull.

https://youtu.be/wIB_X2N6020?t=7m42s

That video was excellent, thank you. I am going to focus on getting the bar to the contact position on my thigh, then exploding (with no arm bend)

These are my squats from cycle 2, week 3 of 5/3/1. This is the AMRAP set in the 1+ week. How do they look?

They look really good man. Only thing you I would recommend is feet pointed out a tiny bit more. Bracing more, especially the core/last area. It honestly looked like you had one or two more reps in you.

So pursuant to my last form check, I took 10% off the bar and did some more sets. My takeaways from the video luvinurmoney posted was to bring my stance in a little, pull my shoulder blades together more, and drive my chest up/forward on the ascent. Tried to do those on these with I think some success:

WS1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wAHSTe9_8k (rear view)
WS3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbnHV3RVbpQ (rear 45)

That looks way better already. You really want to focus on bracing harder. You want to lock the bar into place and not mess with it during the sets. Also with your knees, really focus on not forcing them too far out. Watch some elite lifters to see what I mean. Keep it up man!

Going to stop back squatting for the next month or so, causing shoulder pain. Feel like I'm improving at FS

arjun,

I kinda hate that cue because its obviously wrong, but pretty much every cue is explicitly wrong and not meant to be a definitive discourse on optimal technique, but just guide you a little bit closer to not having horrible technique.

You also don't engage in any knee rebend or "scoop" in addition to the premature arm pull.

https://www.catalystathletics.com/ar...True-or-False/

ibalvy,

Looks a ton better!