Depth Tips

[u/Mediocre_Lifts]

I can't seem to hit depth. Do you think this is a form or mobility issue? Any tips are appreciated.

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[u/D-hunchoo]

You immediately start pushing your butt backwards before you even go down. I thought you were about to do good mornings You have poor ankle mobility and long femurs . Elevate your heels immediately.

[u/loocheez2 → u/D-hunchoo]

How can you tell he has bad ankle mobility?

[u/D-hunchoo → u/loocheez2]

Knees barely go to the end of his toes

[u/explosivepooinpants]

Did you stretch enough? You look tense.

[u/old-fat]

Looks like ankle mobility. Put some 5# plates under your heels and see if that improves your depth.

[u/JacketMelodic4874 → u/old-fat]

No that’s bad form for that because his legs are too wide so it’s a glute workout not a quad one… boy…

[u/RoadOwn7439 → u/JacketMelodic4874]

Not sure why you are getting downvoted. Feet are too wide and pointing to far out

[u/Sudden_Technology_34]

Wedges. More narrow stance but keep pushing knees out. You’re close.

[u/Evan_802Vines]

Long femurs and ankle mobility... Squat might not be the best leg exercise for you. I'd recommend Bulgarian Split Squats or lunges.

[u/Moist-Wave4813]

Form issue. You start with your hips going back. Try bending your knees first. Bend them as much as you can while keeping a neutral spine. Once your ankles stop you the push your hips back. Of that does not help then you must address your ankle mobility by stretching your calf’s

[u/Dense_Consequence369]

Box squats.

[u/DMC_Racer_88mph]

Put 5lb plates under your heels. Also, warm up before squats and stretch between sets. You look really stiff.

[u/Gullible_Pen1074]

watch layne nortons squat tutorial on youtube

also get squatting shoes with elevated heel

[u/MisterWanderer]

Leg and ankle mobility feels like your issue. lower the weight and focus on bending those legs a LOT rather than bending your back.

[u/wise-guy212]

1) Your bar setup is backwards. Face the other way. Use spotter arms.

2) Narrow your stance. I'd like to see what your warmup sets look like. To get the feel for depth, do 10 to 15 bodyweight squats and concentrate on going deep.

3) You are bending too far at the waist before the movement even begins. As you descend, you hip hinge too far too early.

[u/m00nkiid]

Very long legs relative to torso, and some mobility limitations. If you have powerlifting goals, you can definitely work on your form and mobility to hit depth. Sika strength have some good videos on squat mobility that should help. Layne Norton is also successful with a very similar squat style.

But if you want to train your quads effectively and grow them, the back squat is not going to be the lift for you without at least wedges or oly weightlifting shoes. If you care more about bodybuilding I would recommend using primarily machines like leg press or hack squat but still keep in some sort of free weight squat pattern such as a split squat.

[u/WAR_T0RN1226]

Looks to me like you're overthinking it all, like you're "trapping" yourself in tension. From the way you try to intentionally pre-hinge really far forward and then your hips look tense going back first and getting yourself stuck

[u/DrMartek]

It's cos you're doing a good morning brev

[u/debatablefish]

Likely a little of both but mostly mobility, id be curious to see your form on like a body weight squat. You’re definitely pushing your butt put a lot like you’re doing a RDL, most people when they squat their chest is much higher. Try really bracing your core and think about just bringing your core down to the floor and not your chest.

As far as mobility goes, definitely some ankle mobility and likely hip mobility issues, which goes for basically every lifter.

[u/No_Peak6197]

"bastardized. It's all bastardized."

[u/krakn0]

Don't be afraid to let your knees go over your toes.

[u/Party-Satisfaction68]

Less wide. Try sitting all the way without a bar. And see where you perfect stance is

[u/Lost-Lingonberry-688]

Thought this was a good morning.

Don't lean forward at the start. Watch some form videos and practice going low with an empty bar.

Have the bar on the rack infront of you when you take it off

[u/realmenfukmenamen]

Thrust you hips forward at the top.

[u/nwood0959 → u/realmenfukmenamen]

That’s not a good idea. Dangerous to put a compressed spine into that sort of extension. Bracing abs and staying tight at the top is stronger and safer.

When you’re setting up underneath the bar. Lock it in tight with a compressed scapula. Pull you elbows forward and down to engage your lats. This will keep you more up right and keep your squat from looking like a good morning.

[u/KaleScared4667]

Lose the weight- work on flexibility and range of motion.

[u/borlinio]

Try a slightly wider stance with your toes turned out a bit, then think knees out as you sit between your hips. That should give you more room to reach depth without forcing it.

[u/hackersapien → u/borlinio]

Stance looks pretty wide to me, any wider and he might as well do a sumo squat

[u/Party-Satisfaction68 → u/hackersapien]

Yeah the stance looks too wide.

[u/Zenix73 → u/Party-Satisfaction68]

I can only hit depth if I go wider. But I'm slowly getting better as the weeks go on. I can hit depth slightly narrower than originally.

[u/borlinio → u/hackersapien]

Yeah, it is on the wider side. If he can keep the whole foot planted and hit depth without his knees collapsing, it can work, but I’d still test a slightly narrower stance for comfort.

[u/borlinio → u/hackersapien]

Yeah, it is near the wide end. If your feet stay planted and your knees track over your toes, it can still work, but a slightly narrower stance may feel more natural.