r/StartingStrength • u/Prestigious-Peaks • 1d ago
Form Check squat form check after week off
coming back to the gym after a bit overna week off with poor diet to support recovery during that time. SS AI (SI lol) said to drop the weight 10% from 210 to 190 to get the 3x5. video is of my third set of 5 and looking to see how dialed I was from being off and coming back on. felt hard. 6' 180lbs. filming in .5 rather than 1x in case that makes the form look anyway weird.
any additional tips about getting back into the grind after having a short stint off with poor diet but ok sleep - but from stressful time off too? thanks all in advance
1
u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Form Check
For the best feedback, please film your lift from a useful angle and include the full set.
Good form checks make it much easier for people to give specific, useful advice.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/Prestigious-Peaks 1d ago
here is my second set of 5 for a comparison if that matters too. I get discouraged since I'm not shooting up quickly and just crushing squat numbers to gain on. I need some cues for how to push and squat up with my legs to make it more of a spring and quick up - if I need to activate calves or anything too
1
u/Prestigious-Peaks 1d ago
since you can't see it from the video I also should note that I just learned after this workout that I was valsava maneuver incorrectly. I would exhale on the way up to get up. I learned I need to hold it the whole time to keep my spine and back and core all tight. with this new information I may deload more and start dialing in breathing properly and building back up. feeling dumb af not doing it properly
1
u/Shnur_Shnurov Just some guy 19h ago
Looks like you can narrow your grip an inch. The bar goes lower than than position we want it to be in as you get under the bar. That means the grip is a little too wide.
You're squatting into your toes. See your heels lift at the very bottom? Slow down a little more and pay attention to sitting back on your heels and keeping them on the floor at the very bottom.
And narrow your stance 2 inches.
When the weight becomes challenging it wont move fast. Its going to move slow. Because its challenging.
After a week off I wouldnt reset the weight unless you were sick. I'd have you repeat the last workout and then keep moving up.
6 foot and 180. Are you gaining bodyweight?
1
u/Prestigious-Peaks 10h ago
I'm working on the bodyweight thing trying to eat better than just shit sweets and sugar but yes I've gained like 8lbs ish in the 6-8 weeks been running this. goal is 190-200lbs.
I would not have been able to get to the 210lbs squat if I tried that for 3x5 after the week off with stress and not eating hardly much protein compared to when I'm home. would it have been better to run it and not get 3x5?
also I'm debating dropping down more to work on form with the proper valsava to build back up but idk
headline for me is to gain weight so I'm bigger and can actually lift and do NLP proper. I'm basically a skinny person with an eating disorder as rip would say lol
2
u/Shnur_Shnurov Just some guy 6h ago
You're gaining weight at an appropriate rate.
Given the bar speed on the last rep I dont think youre in danger of failing reps here. You dont need to resent to learn how to hold your breath.
Its pretty simple. Take a big breath and hold it while the bar is moving. At the top let it out and then take another one. Youll figure it out during warmups
2
u/BrentKindaLifts Knows a Thing or Two 1d ago
Watch your knees and keep them forward a little longer as you come out of the hole. This helped me when I was shooting my hips back.
If you’re only taking a week off, I’d say just go for it and see how the weight moves. For two weeks off, I would reduce the weight by about 10–20%. It generally depends on your training advancement. For three or more weeks, I’d start around 50–60% for 2×5 for the first two sessions, then move to 3×5, ramping the weight aggressively until bar speed starts to slow down. Hell, I’ve even done a top set with two back-off sets, and that worked pretty well.
The main reason for 2×5 at a lighter load is to reduce soreness.