Squat form critique

[bronco]

If someone has some useful tips on how to improve my squatting form, please speak out .

[KC Masterpiece]

That's a damn good lookin' squat!

[JP]

maybe bigger moustache would help?

[baldy]

Form looks great, bar path is really straight. Heels stay planted. Back is tight, sideburns are strong. Only thing you can do is put more weight on the bar and maybe a sound track?

Must be kind of creepy training in a silent gym.

[Devil's Plaything]

Awesomely huge plates!

Oh and the form is pretty much perfect as well

[bronco]

Thanks all ! So consensus is that while the squats look ok, I need to put more weight on the bar and grow a moustache ?
Maybe I put some more weight on and see what kind of technical flaws that reveal.

Must be kind of creepy training in a silent gym.

Not really I am used to it. I tried to bring some CDs but the CD player did not accept my CDRs. It would have been so nice training to 70s hardrock .

Awesomely huge plates!

He, yeah they are nice, I like how 120kg is allmost enough to fill up the bar - good for the ego .

A more specific question, is it normal to have the elbows as far back as I have? I remember reading to try to keep the elbows almost under the bar, but that was probably related to lowbar squats. Having the elbows back seem to create a really comfy shelf for the bar.

[KC Masterpiece]

A more specific question, is it normal to have the elbows as far back as I have? I remember reading to try to keep the elbows almost under the bar, but that was probably related to lowbar squats. Having the elbows back seem to create a really comfy shelf for the bar.

I was wondering the same thing myself.

One of the guys from the Diesel Crew is a hard line "forearms vertical" guy, while Rippetoe and others are the reverse (elbows way up). I'm messing around with switching from lowbar to a squat (hopefully) similar to yours, and everywhere I look they say keep the elbows down, forearms vertical, etc. for that type of squat, but the elbows back enables a tighter back and just feels better for me.

I suppose then its whatever works for you?

[JP]

yeah what ever works for you mate with the elbows.

ok one thing, dont walk such a massive distance back with the weights? When its 200 on the bar, you wouldnt like to walk that far and far back to rack it again.

[ninearms]

Looks solid except for the one thing that you mentioned yourself - the elbows. You can get a much tighter upper back and keep your chest up by pulling down on the bar, which necessitates elbows under the bar. One other thing I'd change is just to move your stands up a notch as you have to dip down quite far to rack and unrack the bar, so you may lose some tightness there.

[bronco]

I was wondering the same thing myself.

One of the guys from the Diesel Crew is a hard line "forearms vertical" guy, while Rippetoe and others are the reverse (elbows way up). I'm messing around with switching from lowbar to a squat (hopefully) similar to yours, and everywhere I look they say keep the elbows down, forearms vertical, etc. for that type of squat, but the elbows back enables a tighter back and just feels better for me.

I suppose then its whatever works for you?

Looks solid except for the one thing that you mentioned yourself - the elbows. You can get a much tighter upper back and keep your chest up by pulling down on the bar, which necessitates elbows under the bar.

I had a look in some books and there seems to be no real consensus on this point. Riptoe says elbows back and up (allthough he is talking about low bar squat so not sure how relevant), Everett says near vertical and Dreschler simply states elbows should be behind the bar. This pulling the bar down thing definitely sounds interesting so I will try that out and see how it feels, thanks .

One other thing I'd change is just to move your stands up a notch as you have to dip down quite far to rack and unrack the bar, so you may lose some tightness there.

That is also a good point. Most of the other guys at the gym are shorter so I have kind of gotten used to the lower setting since I have to use it when using the rack at the same time as someone else. Think I will try out a higher setting and see if the benefits overweight the drawback of sometime having to switch to the lower setting.

ok one thing, dont walk such a massive distance back with the weights? When its 200 on the bar, you wouldnt like to walk that far and far back to rack it again.

Thanks, that is a good point .

[baldy]

I was wondering the same thing myself.

One of the guys from the Diesel Crew is a hard line "forearms vertical" guy, while Rippetoe and others are the reverse (elbows way up). I'm messing around with switching from lowbar to a squat (hopefully) similar to yours, and everywhere I look they say keep the elbows down, forearms vertical, etc. for that type of squat, but the elbows back enables a tighter back and just feels better for me.

I suppose then its whatever works for you?

Looks solid except for the one thing that you mentioned yourself - the elbows. You can get a much tighter upper back and keep your chest up by pulling down on the bar, which necessitates elbows under the bar.

I had a look in some books and there seems to be no real consensus on this point. Riptoe says elbows back and up (allthough he is talking about low bar squat so not sure how relevant), Everett says near vertical and Dreschler simply states elbows should be behind the bar. This pulling the bar down thing definitely sounds interesting so I will try that out and see how it feels, thanks .

After watching a Rippetoe video that ninearms posted I picked up the q elbows out. Before I had always tried to get my elbows under the bar and take some of the weight. For me elbows out takes the strain off my wrist and creates a better platform on my back for the bar. So the walkout feels lighter and I can keep more upright. I think the connection between the bar, core and my legs is also stronger. Can imagine the bar bouncing around more on my back with elbows down.

[knackers]

Strong squatting mate, form is really good, only thing i will also comment on (as you already have highlighted) is the elbows flaring back, when you increase the weight on the bar it may cause you issues with you wanting to lean forward and soreness in the elbows. That is exactly what happens to me anyway. Elbows flared back at challenging weight = Good morning squat
I recently watched this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scBJWKbUGX0&feature=channel
and am trying to keep my elbows inline with my body, by doing this I tend to feel and stay more vertical..

[baldy]

Strong squatting mate, form is really good, only thing i will also comment on (as you already have highlighted) is the elbows flaring back, when you increase the weight on the bar it may cause you issues with you wanting to lean forward and soreness in the elbows. That is exactly what happens to me anyway. Elbows flared back at challenging weight = Good morning squat
I recently watched this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scBJWKbUGX0&feature=channel
and am trying to keep my elbows inline with my body, by doing this I tend to feel and stay more vertical..

Squats are fascinating, love the fact we can argue about the form for hours. The guy in the video seemed very unflexable when he demonstrated flaring his elbows back the bar was really high. When I flare my elbows back the bar settles at the base of my deltoids, proper low bar position.

So maybe high bar = low elbows and low bar = flared elbows?

[ninearms]

The elbows are back in the low bar that Rip teaches because the torso angle is greater, but the end result is that the elbows are in line with the torso, not in front or behind. In the high bar squat the torso angle is less, and so the elbows should sit lower to keep them in line with the torso.

[JP]

fuck the elbows, put some weight on the bar!!!