Squat, Power Clean, and Deadlift Form Check

[Philip]

Thank you for any feedback you might have.

Squat 195x5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atQpTah-8_8
Squat 200x5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbqpwauYzZM


Deadlift 255x5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_mxYNRcNHc
Deadlift 300x5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F63LdTGivrI


Power Clean 145x3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQZRlivQjAo
Power Clean 150x3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mzrp0dNnVc

Squats: Sorry second video is sideways
Deadlifts: need to lower the hips? a little and get better back extension

[zepled37]

Squats looks like you're rounding over a bit coming out of the bottom. Try to keep the chest up more. Of course if this is a near 5RM then some rounding will probably happen some but try to keep low back arched.

Deadlifts also look like you're rounding, but more in the low back. It's kind of strange because just before you pull it looks like you have a good set up and then you must lift the hips too soon because as soon as you pull you're low back rounds some.

Power cleans look the best to me of the three, but I'm far from an expert in them. Maybe a slight swing out front on the second pull but seems decent. Just try to keep the bar close to you on the second pull.

[Nauticus]

Power cleans and deadlifts look great. Your squat reps are happening so fast that you dont give yourself a chance to breath deeply/perform the valsalva maneuver which may be negatively affecting your ability to maintain lumbar extension.

[isis]

In your squats you're letting your knees slide forward toward the bottom. Time to reread the section of Starting Strength about the Terribly Useful Block of Wood. Core tightness and thoracic extension, as mentioned by zepled and Nauticus will help with this.

You also need the Terribly Useful Piece of Paper. Write "Knees Out" on it, put it on the floor about six feet in front of you, and look at it as you squat.

Your power cleans look great. Your deadlift is probably fine--deadlifts that are truly heavy don't look perfect. But how not perfect is acceptable for a 5RM seems to me to be a question for Mark. Which he has probably answered in his forum somewhere.

[Philip]

Thank you all for your feedback. Really! Seems unanimous that I need better thoracic extension and this might be helped with a better valsalva and some discipline. Maybe a block? Will re-check the book and consider that section.
Isis, are you recommending to get the knees out even more than they are?

[isis]

Your knees go out fine on the way down but it looks from the video like they move in on the way up, meaning your adductors are trying to get out of doing their fair share of the work. And you need to look down to get the most out of your hip drive. It would even be OK to look straight down at your knees, if that's what it takes to get them doing what they're supposed to do.

[Philip]

Thanks again.

I've done two workouts since posting vids/feedback. If you have time to take another look, here's a short vid of my squats today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eWEeLzTr64

I can see that there is still a little remnant of letting the chest come forward but much less than last time--I'm fighting hard I promise. Fighting the knees too. It looks like I keep them out fairly well but they are still not in line with my toes. Do you think I need to bring my feet in a bit and force my knees out more, or just pust push the knees out even more to match the feet?

On a positive note, this IS 10 pounds heavier than my last video

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

Hi Philip,

one thing I note is that when you start to push up for your first rep, the heel of the right foot (nearer the camera) lifts up from the floor. Actually, having seen the video once more, I think both heels come off the floor, for a brief moment.
It might be that you are carrying the weight just a bit too much towards the toes. Or maybe your knees are moving just a bit towards the inside, trying to get nearer to each other, just as you start to come up.

I can see that another contributor has made a similar remarks, so it might be worth keeping an eye on your knees, and really trying to shove them out.

Hope this helps,

IPB