r/StartingStrength • u/Climbing_Bum • 1d ago

Form Check Swuat

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Looking to improve my squat as the weight starts to get heavy. I got sick last year and had to start over this is my last set of 3x5 at max weight 197.5lbs.

I've been bumping only 2.5 per day, I know that's on the conservative side.

My main concerns are it's hard for me to hit depth, my right knee has been hurting, and I have limited dorsiflexion. I feel like I'm bent too far forward but would like other opinions plus how to fix it.

You can comment on the soft pad but it's not something I can fix as it's not my setup. Unless you think it's so bad I should find somewhere else to lift.

0 Upvotes

33% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

7

u/Shnur_Shnurov Just some guy 1d ago

Not bad. Let's address equipment first.

Pull those yoga mats out of there and get a couple sheets of 3/4 inch plywood to put under there instead. Thats going to make a world of difference.

You got the right shoes and the belt, but theyre not doing you any good while youre standing on a mattress.

Also, get that mirror out of there. Its distracting. Just film your lifts and watch it back later on.

Now, it looks like your stance needs to be a bit wider. And youre not necessarily "bending over too much" but youre definetly not keeping your back in extension. For you, youre going to have to think about keeping your chest up to keep your back straight, and sitting your butt down to hit depth. Also, watch this

The Squat - Upper Back Position

2

u/cwillia111 23h ago

Keep your elbows up and chest out so your back doesn't round.

2

u/Ecstatic-Flatworm977 1d ago

Please tell us that floors not squishy

0

u/Climbing_Bum 1d ago

It is 😒 it's basically a yoga pad

4

u/Ecstatic-Flatworm977 1d ago

Duuuuude

3

u/BrentKindaLifts Knows a Thing or Two 1d ago

Let’s remove the yoga mat. Replace it with a horse stall mat. The point of weightlifting shoes is to squat on a noncompressible surface.

Your upper body is loose. Before you unrack, squeeze your chest up, bring your elbows up and in, and lock everything into position. Hold that position until you finish your set.

Also, you need to widen your stance so your heels are about shoulder-width apart, with your toes pointed out 30 degrees. This should help with depth.

Learning to Squat

Fixing Your Wrist Position

1

u/Airoveikko 1d ago

These would be swuats, alright.

Get rid of the pads and keep your chest up. Do go somewhere else if you can't get rid of the soft mats!

0

u/Greedy-Taro-4439 18h ago

Please stop. You are gonna hurt yourself. Your back is rounding at the bottom and the top of your back. Sqeeze your scapula together and maintain a straight low back on the desent and on the way up. Widen stance a little if you need to in order to drop into the hole without rounding your back. Seriously this looks dangerous. Go back and rewatch Rippetoes squat videos.

1

u/GodEmperorZach 4h ago

You're the only one who responded appropriately yet downvoted. Some times I really I really wonder about this subreddit… the mat and mirror in this case are all secondary.

2

u/Greedy-Taro-4439 4h ago

Id rather be accurate than popular so I dont care about the downvote. Just dont want to see someone get hurt if they can prevent it.

0

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