Form issues

[confuzzl3don3]

Hey guys, so the lower back thing set me back a week or so, and just getting back into it this past week. Could i just get some experienced eyes on whether my forms ok and what still needs work.

Bench - 61.5kg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj2O1qBRTTk

Is this too much elbow flare? and are my elbows under the bar?

Press - 40kg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK-4QC8na2M

Still too much back lean? And damn i look like i'm constipated when lifting.

Hangclean - 40kg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnirofP2bqY

I want to fully get the hang clean down before going back to powercleans. Things i need to work on?

Squat - 98kg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swCIysxASS8

Thanks guys, yet again

[TempestTenor]

Some quick comments about the bench:
1) Are you arching your back enough? It seems that your upper back is pretty flat against the bench.
2) Is the bench too high for you? Can you touch the floor with flat feet and your legs at 90 degrees?

[confuzzl3don3]

1) Yeah i set up my arch at the start but i think it flattens out as i take the bar out of the rack (no spotters for me).

2) Think it's a tad high if i need to keep my legs at 90 degrees only and arch my back. I usually end up with my feet more towards me.

[TomC]

Squat - your first squat was textbook. Thereafter, everything looked good except for your head. You need to keep your neck and head and in line with your spine as you come up. Try this: let your knees come a little farther forward (maybe a half an inch or an inch) in the first half of the squat. This will get you slightly more upgright, move the bar back a touch, and perhaps keep you off your toes as you come up. Play with this cue and see if it helps.

I want to make something clear - your squats look pretty damn good. This is just a subtle tweak to help with your neck. I know why you have that piece of wood underneath you, but I don't know if that is really helping mitigate the squish from the carpet. It may be making things more difficult at this point.

Also, eat more. That's going to help you move more weight. Trust me.

Hang cleans - pretty damn good, too. Get your shoulders slightly forward of the bar when you start the pull. Scapulae should be over the bar for best power transfer. Other than that, they look solid.

[nisora33]

Press - 40kg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK-4QC8na2M

Still too much back lean? And damn i look like i'm constipated when lifting.

Squat - 98kg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swCIysxASS8


Press: yes IMO this is too much lay back. Try this: as you approach your sticking point and the tendency to lay back kicks in, try driving your hips backwards as hard as you can at the same time trying with all your might to brace the abs.

Squat: Tom is right, the first rep is a textbook SS squat. Subsequent reps find you driving your hips up + backwards, which is accompanied by a pretty dramatic change in back angle IMO.

I've been having some success with some of my trainees using the following cue, which I picked up from one of the Power-and-Bulk guys: at that point right as your hips are trying to drive up and backwards like you see here, think doing the opposite--squeeze your butt and try to do, basically, a pelvic thrust, driving the hips forward under the bar.

-Stacey

[Raskolnikov]

Hangclean - 40kg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnirofP2bqY

I want to fully get the hang clean down before going back to powercleans. Things i need to work on?


You are trying to "squat" down. You need to get your shoulders over the bar, which will put you in the "power position." Push your hips back like you would when doing an RDL: slight knee break, hips back, lats keep the bar against your legs.

Pretty good demonstration, IMO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSm8XMlo198

[SamGriffin]

Squat--keep your chin down for the whole set. Maybe try tucking a tennis ball or a balled up sock in there to keep you honest.

[nisora33]

Squat--keep your chin down for the whole set. Maybe try tucking a tennis ball or a balled up sock in there to keep you honest.

Tom already pointed this problem out. It might help reading the whole fucking thread before posting repetitive nonsense. Also, Confuzzled owns the book and has read it multiple times, isn't a newb, and we've all been down this path with him before. Might help to know the person whom you're spouting rudimentary shit to, his training history, etc. so you keep from looking like a condescending prick next time.

Learn to internet.

-Stacey

[confuzzl3don3]

I knew that head position would always come back to haunt me. I guess i'll have to keep working on that. I'll try that pelvic thrust cue you talk of stacey, but i was wondering how you got that to work with hip drive. If i think of that pelvic thurst thing, my hips seem to move forward but not up.

And Rask, i'll try and work on the hang clean position, but from reading SS, i know that the scapulas should be over the bar. Would that mean the shoulders should be slightly in front of the bar like the vid teaches, and not just over the bar?

Edit: Haha forgot that's exactly what tom said "Get your shoulders slightly forward of the bar when you start the pull. Scapulae should be over the bar for best power transfer"

And i'll try that trick with the press to prevent too much layback. Thanks all you guys for that. Anyone got anything to say about my bench? Am i flaring too much?

[TempestTenor]

Your arms do look a bit flared on the bench, but I would fix the lack of back arch first. I think some plates beneath your feet are in order so that you can properly push against the floor with your legs.

[nisora33]

I'll try that pelvic thrust cue you talk of stacey, but i was wondering how you got that to work with hip drive. If i think of that pelvic thurst thing, my hips seem to move forward but not up.



You'd only use that cue when the problem I described earlier starts to arise. DO NOT use it all the time, never on lighter sets and certainly ONLY when you get the sense that your hips are starting to drive up and BACK like you see during the last 3-4 reps of that vid you posted.

-S.

[Raskolnikov]

And Rask, i'll try and work on the hang clean position, but from reading SS, i know that the scapulas should be over the bar. Would that mean the shoulders should be slightly in front of the bar like the vid teaches, and not just over the bar?


Just to help you see what I'm talking about:

Here's your hang power clean:
http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l398/jasonbess/2010-01-24_1329.png

Here's your deadlift:
http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l398/jasonbess/2010-01-24_1328.png

The deadlift pic is a good demonstration of the position you want to be in for the clean.

[confuzzl3don3]

So ass back more, with shoulders in front of the bar. Cool, thanks.

[SamGriffin]

Squat--keep your chin down for the whole set. Maybe try tucking a tennis ball or a balled up sock in there to keep you honest.





Tom already pointed this problem out. It might help reading the whole fucking thread before posting repetitive nonsense. Also, Confuzzled owns the book and has read it multiple times, isn't a newb, and we've all been down this path with him before. Might help to know the person whom you're spouting rudimentary shit to, his training history, etc. so you keep from looking like a condescending prick next time.

Learn to internet.

-Stacey

I did read the thread. I felt Tom's point was significant enough that it should be reiterated. I also made a suggestion that had not been made previously in the thread.



Learn to internet.

Learn to STFU.

[nisora33]

I did read the thread. I felt Tom's point was significant enough that it should be reiterated. I also made a suggestion that had not been made previously in the thread.


Learn to STFU.

Let's see how you like it:

Sam Griffin: reads one book and thinks he's an expert; comes here to show us lowly trainees the light and the error of our ways, assumes everyone's an idiot and hasn't read the book; probably doesn't get a lot of respect in life "out there," doesn't feel like his voice gets heard so comes to the internet; doesn't bother to know the histories/backgrounds of the people he's dealing with and so instead of appearing helpful looks like a condescending prick, which he probably is.

See what happens when people make ASSumptions, Sam?

By the way, there's an ignore function in your User CP if you get tired of this.

-S.

[SamGriffin]

Sam Griffin: reads one book and thinks he's an expert; comes here to show us lowly trainees the light and the error of our ways, assumes everyone's an idiot and hasn't read the book


I never professed to being an expert. I never suggested anyone here was an idiot, and I never assumed they hadn't read the book.

I'm a guy who lifts for recreation. You, Nisora, are a child.

[nisora33]

I'm a guy who lifts for recreation. You, Nisora, are a child.

http://23.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kvhkvwh5GB1qzf94so1_400.gif

[kidcolin]

Learn to internet.


seriously? You trainwrecked a good thread because of someone's good, albeit repeated, advice. It was completely inappropriate.

[nisora33]

seriously? You trainwrecked a good thread because of someone's good, albeit repeated, advice. It was completely inappropriate.

Kidcolin, I don't know you, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt here...

SamGriffin one day just shows up, after months of Confuzzled being on this board posting questions, and after the board members being generous and more or less patient and helpful. He suddenly appears, offers advice already given and from a book that Confuzzled's already read, and has read numerous times.

It's like walking into a room where a conversation has already been going on for hours and, without getting to know the people involved, or knowing (or else disregarding) what's come before, suddenly and inappropriately inserting yourself.

I understand that he wants to put his two cents in, but next time he should make it useful and worth everyone's time by offering something interesting, unusual, or novel when he does it. So I say right back to SamGriffin, "SamGriffin STFU."

-Stacey

[Mr.City]

I agree with the head position advice since it's often a problem I have. I find it hard to keep a tight torso/back when my head is that forward.

[LCN]

Kidcolin, I don't know you, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt here...

SamGriffin one day just shows up, after months of Confuzzled being on this board posting questions, and after the board members being generous and more or less patient and helpful. He suddenly appears, offers advice already given and from a book that Confuzzled's already read, and has read numerous times.

It's like walking into a room where a conversation has already been going on for hours and, without getting to know the people involved, or knowing (or else disregarding) what's come before, suddenly and inappropriately inserting yourself.

I understand that he wants to put his two cents in, but next time he should make it useful and worth everyone's time by offering something interesting, unusual, or novel when he does it. So I say right back to SamGriffin, "SamGriffin STFU."

-Stacey


You sound EXACTLY like Walter from the Big Lebowski. He says virtually the same thing you said in your 2nd to last paragraph.

Sadly you are a real person rather than a character intended to be laughed at.

[nisora33]

You sound EXACTLY like Walter from the Big Lebowski. He says virtually the same thing you said in your 2nd to last paragraph.

Sadly you are a real person rather than a character intended to be laughed at.

Fuck, this shit again?

Do you homos all know one another outside this board or something? If so, can't you all go suck one another's dicks somewhere else?

Here, have an E-hug. Feel better? Now we can all go hold hands and sing songs together.

-S.

[kidcolin]

Walter Sobchak: Were you listening to The Dude's story, Donny?
The Dude: Walter...
Donny: What?
Walter Sobchak: Were you listening to The Dude's story?
Donny: I was bowling.
Walter Sobchak: So you have no frame of reference here, Donny. You're like a child who wanders into the middle of a movie and wants to know...
The Dude: (interrupting) Walter, Walter, what's the point, man?
Walter Sobchak: There's no reason - here's my point, dude, there's no fucking reason why these two...
Donny: Yeah, Walter, what's your point?

[nisora33]

Walter Sobchak: Were you listening to The Dude's story, Donny?
The Dude: Walter...
Donny: What?
Walter Sobchak: Were you listening to The Dude's story?
Donny: I was bowling.
Walter Sobchak: So you have no frame of reference here, Donny. You're like a child who wanders into the middle of a movie and wants to know...
The Dude: (interrupting) Walter, Walter, what's the point, man?
Walter Sobchak: There's no reason - here's my point, dude, there's no fucking reason why these two...
Donny: Yeah, Walter, what's your point?


Hehe. :D

[Gottatri2lift]

Totally not related to the arguement, but to the squat form.

OP do you exhale competely between sets? Do you find that harder or easier for you? I find it easier to only exhale a small amount and gulp more air in like a fish. Otherwise I become 'winded'. Just wondering if maybe I may need to rethink my breathing or different strokes for different folks.

[confuzzl3don3]

I pretty much breathe a fair amount of it out but i don't think its the best thing to do. Might compromise tightness.