Squat and bench form check

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

I posted this in the Mark Rippetoe Q&A forum (I hope that's OK), but I wanted to get input from others as well.

I was using the Texas Method but I had hernia surgery 2 weeks ago and this is my first workout since then. I've reduced all of my weights and I'm going back to linear progression to work back up to where I was before the hernia.

I figured this is a good time to make sure my form is acceptable before I start going heavy again.

Squat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPLddc3cu3Y

Bench: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DFGC5rVohk

[blowdpanis]

Squat looks pretty good. A touch wide in stance but eh, seems to work for you.

Bench also looks mostly good, but from this angle it almost seems like your forearm/elbow aren't under the bar (bar looks a bit towards your face relative to your forearm/elbow). It's a point Dave Tate and Rip both have made, basically the idea of keeping the power under the bar properly. Would need a side view to confirm, though.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

I've never seen myself squat because I've never recorded myself, but I noticed that my stance is wider than I thought, and Coach Rippetoe also said my stance was too wide. Before I read SSBBT I used a much narrower stance, and I never felt anything in my hamstrings or adductors when I squatted, just my quads and glutes. I widened my stance and started pushing my knees out, and now I can actually feel them and they get sore. I will try bringing the stance in a little next time I train.

As for the bench, I've never recorded myself so I've never noticed that before, but you're right. I'm doing something weird with my arms, I think maybe tucking my elbows too much? I noticed the bar seems to be hitting a little higher on my chest than it should, but if I'm tucking the elbows too much I would think the bar would touch lower on my chest. Also I think I need to bring my grip in a little so my forearms are more vertical at the bottom.

This was my first time training in 2 months (I didn't want to make the hernia worse and I had to wait for the surgery) so I'm also "re-learning" the lifts, especially the bench. On a few reps I noticed the bar was a bit wobbly.

[Phil Stevens]

Bench=

The tuck in the elbows is fine and looks to be a very strong position for you. Either bring the bar Lower, or bring you to the bar better by concentrating on getting scaps depressed and retracted and flexing the lats (spreading the bar) and your problem will be fixed You will take the leak out in the bench.

Film yourself or get a partner to wacth you from the feet and make sure the arms are perpendicular to the bar and from the side for the same. Play with hand placement and touching point until you get the right one and you'll be golden

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

I brought in my stance a bit, here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVi_naAY1QU

Filmed at a different gym and I stayed outside the rack this time for better view.

I also filmed myself benching, and my arms are definitely not perpendicular to the bar at the bottom. I accidentally deleted the video before I could upload, but from a side view with my head on the right side, my arms are more like this: / than this: l. I'm not sure why I'm doing this or the best way to fix it, any ideas?

I also filmed my deadlift today and figured I may as well post that too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4bClBvjb7E

[Mirage]

Deadlift starting position looks ok. But just after you start to pull, you first raise your hips. Pause the video there and check your lower back. It rounds a bit. Then you continue the lift with a rounded lower back.

I'm not sure how to fix it. You could try changing your starting position a bit so that your hips are higher before you start to pull.

[nisora33]

Deadlift starting position looks ok. But just after you start to pull, you first raise your hips. Pause the video there and check your lower back. It rounds a bit. Then you continue the lift with a rounded lower back.

I'm not sure how to fix it. You could try changing your starting position a bit so that your hips are higher before you start to pull.

No. His hips are set fine. Raising his hips any higher at his "set" position would have him executing a stiff-legged deadlift. He is doing what is commonly called "shooting the hips"--straightening the knees damn near all the way out at the bottom-most portion of the lift, leaving his hams, glutes and back to do all the work by themselves.

-S.

[blowdpanis]

I brought in my stance a bit, here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVi_naAY1QU

Filmed at a different gym and I stayed outside the rack this time for better view.

I also filmed myself benching, and my arms are definitely not perpendicular to the bar at the bottom. I accidentally deleted the video before I could upload, but from a side view with my head on the right side, my arms are more like this: / than this: l. I'm not sure why I'm doing this or the best way to fix it, any ideas?

I also filmed my deadlift today and figured I may as well post that too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4bClBvjb7E

A link to somebody with a similar issue in pulls to what you have:

http://startingstrength.com/resources/forum/showthread.php?p=55095

Basically, get the hamstrings tight before the bar leaves the floor. When you "squeeze" yourself into the start position, you should feel the tension in the back of your legs. If you don't feel that tension, what you're doing in the video above is the common result (shooting the hips).

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

No. His hips are set fine. Raising his hips any higher at his "set" position would have him executing a stiff-legged deadlift. He is doing what is commonly called "shooting the hips"--straightening the knees damn near all the way out at the bottom-most portion of the lift, leaving his hams, glutes and back to do all the work by themselves.

-S.

So you're saying that I'm straightening my legs out too soon and not using the quads enough throughout the lift?

[nisora33]

So you're saying that I'm straightening my legs out too soon and not using the quads enough throughout the lift?

Yeppers.

[TomC]

I brought in my stance a bit, here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVi_naAY1QU

Your squats are still a little wide when compared to Rip's model. There's nothing particularly wrong with that, either. Based on your ability to maintain your back angle at the depths to which you squat, it looks like you have good hamstring flexibility. Because of that you may require the extra adductor stretch that a wide stance imposes.


I also filmed my deadlift today and figured I may as well post that too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4bClBvjb7E

Another cue that may be of assistance with your hips-first deadlift is to focus on lifting the chest at the beginning of the movement. Your hips will probably follow along and keep you in balance.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Your squats are still a little wide when compared to Rip's model. There's nothing particularly wrong with that, either. Based on your ability to maintain your back angle at the depths to which you squat, it looks like you have good hamstring flexibility. Because of that you may require the extra adductor stretch that a wide stance imposes.

I don't feel my hamstrings working much if I use a narrower stance... Even going from the stance I used in the first squat video I posted to the second reduced the amount of hamstring I felt working. I am pushing my knees out, looking down, keeping my back arched, etc so I'm not sure why this is...



Another cue that may be of assistance with your hips-first deadlift is to focus on lifting the chest at the beginning of the movement. Your hips will probably follow along and keep you in balance.

I'll try this next time.

Will post a video next time I deadlift and try all the suggestions everyone has posted.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

I deadlifted today... here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKRCCEC_xJM

I think my form looks a bit better here, seems like my legs and hips are straightening out at the same time.

As for bench, today I practiced touching lower on my chest and acted as if I was pushing the bar almost toward my legs. My arms were more vertical at the bottom.

[nisora33]

A little bit of improvement there. I'm going to be honest with you, although some might advocate against doing this, that when I start to feel my hips rise too fast, I actually try to look UP a little. Gets me to use more quad off the floor. Also helps to think about making myself as "compact" as possible, activating my lats while pulling the bar into me and my shins--sort of squishing myself and the bar together really compactly into a little neat wad. Just think, "COMPACT!"

-Stacey