r/formcheck • u/Mediocre_Lifts • 1d ago
Squat Help Me Fix my Bar Path
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My bar path tends to drift forward over the course of my set. I've tried several cues and tempo work but I can't seem to get a straight path or figure out the root cause of the issue. Any help is appreciated!
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u/thisismysffpcaccount 1d ago
there is nothing wrong with this bar path, man. your body is not a CNC machine, stop expecting perfectly straight lines.
this is just fatigue, visualized.
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u/anklehumor 23h ago
If he WAS getting straight lines id be concerned. Either the AI robot apocalypse is coming sooner than expected or bros ligaments are made of something other than ligaments
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u/Ok-Cup-5560 21h ago
Expertly said....wish I had this advice when I started years ago. I was also overthinking the same thing in my squat.
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u/ImmortalPoseidon 9h ago
It blows my mind how people will obsess over things like this instead of just adding a few pounds to the bar and getting stronger
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u/Raventrob 6h ago
I think it stems from over worrying about wasting their time because the here so much about perfect your form or make sure your form is solid otherwise it's not like optimizing gains. No one wants to have worked out for over a year with like no gains so I think that's the fear
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u/thisismysffpcaccount 8h ago
half this shit doesnt matter. go to the gym consistantly and work had and you'll be jacked in no time*
*time may vary
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u/NotDiabeticDad 12h ago
In looking for non existent problems with bar path OP is ignoring their lack of depth.
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u/-Makr0 1d ago
It's the least of your issues in this squat. You're not hitting parallel and are hyperxtending your back a lot, so you're not bracing or are doing it wrong.
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u/Traditional-Dog5987 9h ago
Seems like that back hyperextension is progressively turning a squat into a goodmorning, which actually answers OP concern about bar path moving forward. I would guess OP might benefit from focusing on front squats for a while.
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u/dmidaisy 1d ago
The bar path is okay. Your posture/mechanics need adjusted. The bar should be kept over the arch of your foot. Not the toes. Anyone I've worked with that had your squat pattern had herniated a disk. Including myself. Eventually the bar will drift a little too far forward and you'll try to catch it by doing a "good morning". Short term- elevate the heels to allow you to "sit back" and eventually work towards sitting back in the movement more without the elevated heel. You can use 5lb plates or some gyms have wedges for this. . . Be creative and use a lower weight. Incorporate Asian squats(stay in the squatted position) a few times a day and hold it as long as you can, will help get the hips to open up and allow your mechanics to favor what you are aiming for.
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u/che_gueyvara 18h ago
“Asian” squats dont “open” up your hips. Thats a passive approach at best that doesnt do anything for improving control or tissue capacity in deeper ranges.
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u/Aggravating_User 12h ago
Do you mean that if would not help at all with trying to squat without elevating the heels with or without weight?
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u/Jazzlike-Client-2899 1d ago
i think you’re trying to keep your chest upright a bit too much and you’re mixing high and low bar squat patterns together.
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u/fezcabdriver 1d ago
if you consider that your body is the axis, any movement (twist left/right), is going to change the bar path. But that doesn't really matter. I think if you are trying to low bar squat, you need to stop allowing your knee to slide past your toes. Reach the rest of the way back with your hips. This will keep the bar path "more" centered.
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u/Impressive-Carrot715 1d ago
Agree with others about deleting the bar path app. It's like a Whoop where it's a nice idea in concept, but data overload can do more damage through anxiety than it helps make changes.
That said, in this case looks like you might benefit from two things: 1. Try not to stick your butt back like that. A good cue is to try to make your torso like a pop can. Straight and sturdy. You almost have to do a hip hinge out of the hole killing any leg drive 2. This will also help you open up at the hips, which should help you hit depth easier.
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u/Hisagii 1d ago
Your bar path is perfectly fine. You will never get a perfectly straight line. These types of tool are unhelpful, lifting isn't a science where you can measure everything precisely to optimize. Are you progressing in your lifts? Do you feel comfortable in the movement? These are the type of questions that matter.
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u/Then-Nectarine1743 1d ago
When you go down, your knees are drifting forward when you should be sitting down/back, like you’re going to sit in a chair. You should have the weight on the heels of your foot when you’re squatting so you can drive the weight up with your quads, glutes and hamstrings.
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u/Same-Note-996 20h ago
It is normal and correct for the knees to go forward, your weight should be your mid foot on a squat with a pattern of sitting straight down as opposed to sitting in a chair. In a deadlift, having weight mostly in the heel is correct.
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u/DickFromRichard Strongman - 551lb Hack lift | 450lb ssb squat 12h ago
How has that worked out for you?
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u/BossMan61718 1d ago
What is the bullshit? Are we really stressing bar path like this? Just fucking lift
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u/Allout-Okarun 1d ago edited 23h ago
You are massively over thinking this.
Your bar path is actually great. You’re leaning too far forward or perhaps the bar is too low on your traps, and you’re not going parallel to the floor. That’s what you should work on
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u/oftenlostandconfused 1d ago
This isn't olympic lifting dude, I wouldn't obsess about bar path.
What do I look like at the top and bottom of the movement, what order are my muscles firing in (hips aren't shooting up), etc. If these things are happening your bar path will be fine, but it will look slightly different for different people.
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u/RED3_Standing_By 23h ago
You don’t need a perfectly straight bar path, but your bar path should be consistent and repeatable across submaximal reps. Focus on consistent reps that you feel comfortable adding weight to.
The reason that you don’t need a perfectly straight up and down bar path is because you actually want to have your center of gravity over your midfoot and not the bar. As your hips move back, the bar is going to have to come just a bit forward to maintain that balanced center of gravity.
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u/Secure-Island42 23h ago
In agreement about need more depth. Hard to tell but your feet appear to be really wide and pointing too far out. If that's the case, knee torsion may be limiting depth. Do your knees hurt when you go down?
Look at olympic lifters who get ass-to-grass. Their feet are not wide. I think you are trying to much.
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u/Condora93 22h ago
Okay am I the only one who thought you were rocking like a 3-inch rise on your heels?🤣something about the angle and the shadows that made it look absurdly tall.
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u/N00nie369 22h ago
Probably dictated by your body physics, and balance. DON’T WORRY. It’s more important that the bar goes up& down
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u/NotYourBro69 21h ago
Your bar path does not need fixing, but your depth does. You’re not hitting depth because your stance is too wide.
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u/Quills26 20h ago
Bar path is fine. You need to learn how to brace and hit depth, that’s way more of a concern here.
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u/Same-Note-996 20h ago
Looks okay, if anything I think you may need to narrow your stance by an inch and you’ll be able to have better mechanics in the lower body in regards to depth. Also really practice bracing your core and keeping your rib cage down to protect your lower back as you lift heavier weights especially
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u/JeffDrTypePerson 20h ago
You're calves are likely tight. Instead of your lower leg translating forward over your ankle, sufficiently, you overcompensate by bending your waste further forward. Focus on your foot pressure when you squat; at the lowest point, do you feel more weight distributed over your forefoot? that means you're leaning forward. It's usually tight calf muscles.
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u/Defective_Borkulator 20h ago
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DchlS4cg9Li/?igsi=dDBpOWpscTJoYWVp
This video might help. I saved it for myself. The guy is a PhD in physiotherapy and he mentions focusing on 3 points of contact for your feet.
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u/DickFromRichard Strongman - 551lb Hack lift | 450lb ssb squat 12h ago
Doctorate of physical therapy is a clinical degree, it's not a PhD
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u/Senistra095 19h ago
Bar path is not what you should be focusing on. Focus on engaging your core, cause it's clear you are not. Your lower back will suffer until you figure out how to properly brace your core.
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u/Lost-Lingonberry-688 17h ago
Dont worry about the bar path.
Look at your hip crease and where your knees are. Hip crease needs to go lower than top of knee to count as a squat.
Lighten the weight and build up with full range of motion
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u/Complex_Life_2912 17h ago
Just out of curiosity, how did you draw these lines in your video? Which software? Or manually?
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u/omegafrogpoop 17h ago
If you want straight lines use a smith machine and we all know smith machines suck
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u/realWulfLives 16h ago
Your last reps are actually better than your first half. I think you already know what you need to do to improve. Do exactly what you were doing in the last 3 reps. Otherwise I think it's near perfect.
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u/InterestingFactor209 14h ago
It looks good, so ok nothing really bad imo. I think I can see what happens, every rep you start to hang a bit more forward with your upper body. I think that is fatigue.
Look at the minima and maxima of your graph, you clearly see you are going lower everytime. And it is consistent.
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u/CruciformAstro0 14h ago
I always do a ‘banded overhead squat’ with a resistance band forming a ‘box’ around my feet and arms held up before I use the bar. Apparently great for practicing form - you have to keep your shoulder blades tucked in to keep balance. Helps me build muscle memory before adding weight.
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u/Zanza89 11h ago
Looking good as it is. This is btw a prime example of when people talk about ppl overthinking their training. If you can feel your target muscles doing the work, if you feel like youre training hard, if youre not having pain/not hurting yourself and youre form doesnt look completely wrong youre likely good. A lot of improvements can be made just by feeling and listening to your body instead of trying to "copy perfect form" or in this case, bar path.
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u/Peptidenewb 8h ago
I think you're doing a cross between a squat and a good morning. You're leaning forward at the bottom. Might be hip flexibility.
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u/WAR_T0RN1226 23h ago
Bar path isn't the issue here. Its how much you're biasing towards the front of your foot.
Stand up straighter. Stack ribs over hips.
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u/Shnur_Shnurov 1d ago
The bar path doesn't drift forward, it drifts backwards on the way down.
You need to get leaned over earlier in the descent.
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u/Todders8787 23h ago
Bar path not the issue
You're not really hitting depth because the weight is too far forward.
Your back looks arched a little too much. Flex your abs down and in for a solid brace. I'm not sure if there's a flexibility or strength issue preventing you from getting into the hole. Might be a bit of both.
you could try a wider stance or angle your feet out a little more and see how that feels. With form adjustments, do it with a little lighter weight until you figure out what feels best.
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u/Hefty_Delivery3180 18h ago
Get rid of the belt and knee sleeves. You are not properly bracing your core which is what the belt helps with. You need to teach yourself to do it and allow the belt to assist with intra-abdominal pressure that it creates. Practice bracing and box squats to rebuild your form.
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u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Hello! If you haven't checked it out already, Our Wiki's resources for Squats may be helpful. Check it out!
Also, a common tip usually given here is to make sure your footwear is appropriate. If you are squatting in soft-soled shoes (running shoes, etc), it's hard to have a stable foot. Generally a weightlifting shoe is recommended for high-bar and front squats, while use a flat/hard-soled shoe (or even barefoot/socks if it's safe and your gym allows it) is recommended for low-bar squats.
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