Back by popular demand: high bar squat check

[Shrilaraune]

So thanks to all of you fantastic help here, I was able to pinpoint the nefarious shoulder mobility issue keeping me from my low bar love. While I rehabilitate: I'll be starting from scratch with some high bar goodness. I'll need your help on this one rebels. Excuse the butt wink, I'm working on it.

 

First attempt:

 

 

Maybe a breakthrough?:

 

 

Is the second video any better??

Excuse the weird quality. And thanks in advance

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[wildross]

Looking pretty good.  Still going forward just a bit.  Watch the end of the bar and you can see the forward/backward movement.

[Shrilaraune]

Looking pretty good.  Still going forward just a bit.  Watch the end of the bar and you can see the forward/backward movement.

Thanks! It's feeling a little more natural though I have to say something is still up with my right leg and it's weirdly agressive turn out. Yeah you're right about that. What any idea what that's trying to tell me?

Thanks for the feedback, as always!

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[Jord]

I'm a relative novice so I can't really give form advice. I do have a cue that I found to be helpful. I also struggle with leaning forward a little. In an Alan Thrall video (I think that's where I got this) he suggested pushing through the outsides of the feet on the way up. This really helped me to push up the center of gravity rather than pushing myself forward or backward. I am now more stabilized over the mid-foot. I still lean slightly, but this cue and working on my mobility and strength is resulting in improvements. 

It might be worth a try and it if doesn't help, no harm no foul. 

[jdanger]

Those are pretty good squats in the second video. I agree with Taddea that thinking about pushing through the outside of your foot would help, if not to keep you more upright to simply keep your arches from collapsing. I'm a big believer in everything being mid foot/neutral dominant so that's also good advice. I try to distill everything down to straight down, straight up. Think about sitting straight down between your legs and driving straight up, staying tall the entire time.

 

 But yeah, you need to find a squat rack before adding much weight. Heck if that's not an option I'd suggest learning the power clean so you can pick the bar up from the floor safely then press/push press it and set it on your back. You won't be able to do a ton of weight this way but it's probably better than what you're doing now.

[Shrilaraune]

Wow thanks guys! I'd never heard that advice before! Yeah so I'm actually intentionally pushing forward a bit in that second video to overcompensate for my tendency to fall back. It's an old habit from the days when I'd been told to keep my weight on my heels for bodyweight squats.

Hard ditto on the squat rack. That's why I'm glad I took such a long break and was forced to strip down to the bar. Gives the gym more time to get their act together.

You know learning to power clean may not be a bad idea. It's a pretty small space (the gym) but at the very least it's safe (power cleans) and will force TPTB at the gym to notice they need to hurry up on that rack they promised.

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[Shrilaraune]

Those are pretty good squats in the second video. I agree with Taddea that thinking about pushing through the outside of your foot would help, if not to keep you more upright to simply keep your arches from collapsing. I'm a big believer in everything being mid foot/neutral dominant so that's also good advice. I try to distill everything down to straight down, straight up. Think about sitting straight down between your legs and driving straight up, staying tall the entire time.

Oh wow, you know I'd been focusing so much on my ankles, my duck stance and the sheer weirdness of my right foot that I had totally forgotten about my arches. My ankles pronate inwards (which is why I have special running shoes) and my arches are actually totally collapsed. I alarm podiatrists with the flatness of my feet. Thoughts on wearing said running shoes to squat? I know converse or wrestling shoes are suggested so I don't know.

As for sitting straight between my legs, I feel like my stance isn't wide enough for that? And when I get a wide stance I might end up in a plie or messing with my hips like I did before (see stronglifts newbie topic for details). Do you have shots of you squatting? Maybe a wide stance isn't what you're getting at?

Thanks!

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[Emerald_Dragonfly]

I had two choices of shoes when I started squatting - my vibram 5 finger shoes or my running sneakers.  After goblet squatting a few times in the running shoes, I switched to the vibrams.  The running shoes actually made my squats much more wobbly.  I feel much more grounded and safe in the vibrams.  Everything that I have read since advises to avoid squatting in sneakers and instead to go for something flat and hard. 

[Shrilaraune]

I had two choices of shoes when I started squatting - my vibram 5 finger shoes or my running sneakers.  After goblet squatting a few times in the running shoes, I switched to the vibrams.  The running shoes actually made my squats much more wobbly.  I feel much more grounded and safe in the vibrams.  Everything that I have read since advises to avoid squatting in sneakers and instead to go for something flat and hard. 

Mmmm I've been reading the same too! But I haven't found anything about flat feet or pronating ankles in relation to that so I thought I'd ask.We'll see what happens with my workout tonight! Maybe the advice above will be enough!

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[Grymm]

I have really flat feet, but when pushing really hard the force tends to be heavily biased to the outside of my feet.  So much so, that sometimes I have a tendency to pick my big toe up off the ground.  The heavy twisting and toe action ripped holes in my cross trainers.  I think the deep heel cups of my squat shoes will prevent some of this.  Also, they have much more pronounced arch support than my other footwear. 

[Shrilaraune]

I have really flat feet, but when pushing really hard the force tends to be heavily biased to the outside of my feet.  So much so, that sometimes I have a tendency to pick my big toe up off the ground.  The heavy twisting and toe action ripped holes in my cross trainers.  I think the deep heel cups of my squat shoes will prevent some of this.  Also, they have much more pronounced arch support than my other footwear. 

What squat shoes?? Tell me more because this sounds really familiar!

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[Grymm]

Squat shoes in general should have pronounced heel cups and arch support.  They are after all designed to hold your feet still while you push with all your might.  I have Nike romaleos 2.  I stick with Nike a lot as the shoes tend to be a little more narrow which works for me.