# Squat and Deadlift form check please ?



## Marrsy86

Hi guys,

Today in the gym I noticed that I was alone in the weights bay so decided to record myself to check my form. Unfortinatly when watching my Squats back I found that I wasnt going as low as I had previously though I had been and though I would upload them on here for the oppinion of people with more experiance.

I rather get my form nailed now while only 2 month in and while the weight is still relativly light to try and get better gains and avoid injoury in the future.

The squat was the 5th Set at 87.5kg and today is the first day lifting this weight after pushing up from 85kg from my last 2 workouts.






The Deadlift is the first time lifting 100kg after pushing up from 97.5 the last time I did Deadlifts two work outs ago.






Thanks for any help guys.


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## Wardy211436114751

Hey mate,

Be good to see how you're setting up on the squat from hips up cause I can bet its wrong the way you are kinda jittering down. Looks like you're struggling to hit depth and falling away abit. Gotta keep tight and drive the hips through!

Deadlifts not sure what that post rep ritual is but why aren't you doing rep after another? If you need a breather after each rep then drop the weight so you can bang out 5 continuously. Also make sure you're set up well for each rep. Ass down driving heels through the floor lifting head up and pulling and driving legs back as a unit to complete lockout and down again.


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## Marrsy86

Wardy21 said:


> Hey mate,
> 
> Be good to see how you're setting up on the squat from hips up cause I can bet its wrong the way you are kinda jittering down. Looks like you're struggling to hit depth and falling away abit. Gotta keep tight and drive the hips through!
> 
> Deadlifts not sure what that post rep ritual is but why aren't you doing rep after another? If you need a breather after each rep then drop the weight so you can bang out 5 continuously. Also make sure you're set up well for each rep. Ass down driving heels through the floor lifting head up and pulling and driving legs back as a unit to complete lockout and down again.


Thanks for the reply mate I will try find a better place to put my phone to get more of a full body shot in then link it, does high have any effect on squatting form as im 6'4" and my long legs dont seem to help much. I have no idea why I roll the weight after each rep when I deadlift just some random habbit I picked up and need to shift haha.


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## Wardy211436114751

Marrsy86 said:


> Thanks for the reply mate I will try find a better place to put my phone to get more of a full body shot in then link it, does high have any effect on squatting form as im 6'4" and my long legs dont seem to help much. I have no idea why I roll the weight after each rep when I deadlift just some random habbit I picked up and need to shift haha.


You need to get the bar low on your back as possible stay super tight from head to toe and control the negative slightly better so you can drive back up through the lift.

Deadlifts reps should be done one after another really. My deadlift form has been critiqued quite abit check this video out should be repping out more like this


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## Marrsy86

Wardy21 said:


> You need to get the bar low on your back as possible stay super tight from head to toe and control the negative slightly better so you can drive back up through the lift.
> 
> Deadlifts reps should be done one after another really. My deadlift form has been critiqued quite abit check this video out should be repping out more like this


Will try that next time im Deadlifting, thanks for your help mate


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## Cythraul

Your breaking at the knees for squats, you've gotta stop that 

You want to break at the hips, so the first thing you want moving, is your ass, sit back, push your ass out, as soon as thats going, dont push the knees forward, but outward, inline with the toes.

And your lower back, isnt tight, you want to keep that fukker tight at all times to 1. keep good form, 2. prevent injury.

deadlift, you've got a crazy set up 

but err, again you need to keep your back TIGHT, and yo need to start off lower, your almsot doing a stiff-leg deadlift, and i cant quite see, but it looks like you have slight rounding too, but thats due to the back been tight.

I'll try drag out some vids that help'd me alot


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## Tassotti

Josh, I am amazed at your ability to see his feet stance when you cant even see his feet in the squat


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## golden

experiment with your feet positions on a lower weight until you get a comfortable form. you could also try using the smith machine where you can focus on a deep squat without worrying about balance too much.


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## kites1664

As above really, just wanted to say well done for posting up your vids and getting form checked.


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## Marrsy86

Thanks for posting them videos Cythraul, I have saved them to my phone so I can rewatch them when I go to the gym tomorrow for my Squats and Deadlifts. I will try and re-record myself and get the videos up on here to see what yous think.

Thanks for all your help guys.


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## Rick89

Tassotti said:


> Josh, I am amazed at your ability to see his feet stance when you cant even see his feet in the squat


Hahaha lol


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## Ste7n

golden said:


> experiment with your feet positions on a lower weight until you get a comfortable form. you could also try using the smith machine where you can focus on a deep squat without worrying about balance too much.


Oh dear man not again, smith machines are only good for one thing shrugs lol, he needs to get form right on a olympic barbell with no weight while someone checks his form...


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## Rick89

to me it look like he just not got hte confidence to hit depth, but his legs do look narrow


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## Marrsy86

Rick89 said:


> to me it look like he just not got hte confidence to hit depth, but his legs do look narrow


Just came out of 3 years as a 10km/crosscountry runner. Only been lifting for 2 and abit months so my body still looks like a crosscountry runners 

I have noticed some nice changes allready though, cant wait to see what I look like in 12/24 months!


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## Marrsy86

ahhh I missunderstod what you meant by narrow :tongue:


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## Tassotti

Marrsy86 said:


> Just came out of 3 years as a 10km/crosscountry runner. Only been lifting for 2 and abit months so my body still looks like a crosscountry runners
> 
> I have noticed some nice changes allready though, cant wait to see what I look like in 12/24 months!


LOL..I think Rick meant that your stance was narrow, not your spindly legs..FPMSL


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## Marrsy86

Tassotti said:


> LOL..I think Rick meant that your stance was narrow, not your spindly legs..FPMSL


Yea I clicked on now :tongue:


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## Rick89

Marrsy86 said:


> Yea I clicked on now :tongue:


Yes mate as above meaning stance of legs dude

keep it up mate get some numbers going and make a journal


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## Marrsy86

Rick89 said:


> Yes mate as above meaning stance of legs dude
> 
> keep it up mate get some numbers going and make a journal


Yea started a journal yeasterday, more to help keep me focused over christmas than anything else.


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## jpmpro

with your squats I'd widen your stance a little bit and concentrate on moving your @rse back first and then dropping down. I find that this helps alot especially with a new trainer. Think of the squat as being controlled by your @rse. Move it back first and push your knees out so you have a space to go into when you start breaking at the knee. And like everyone else has stayed just keep your arch tight tight tight.

Your deadlifts are hard to give feedback on just because of the setting up you do in between reps. Its not necessarily a bad thing having a set up to keep you right but id try and limit it to the first rep and then just bash out the set. Id say keep tighter with the lower back and thrust your hips through and "clench" your @rse as the bar passes your knees. Good lifting though just keep things tight and youll be shifting big weights soon.

Is it a 5x5 programme you've been using since you started ?


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## Marrsy86

jpmpro said:


> with your squats I'd widen your stance a little bit and concentrate on moving your @rse back first and then dropping down. I find that this helps alot especially with a new trainer. Think of the squat as being controlled by your @rse. Move it back first and push your knees out so you have a space to go into when you start breaking at the knee. And like everyone else has stayed just keep your arch tight tight tight.
> 
> Your deadlifts are hard to give feedback on just because of the setting up you do in between reps. Its not necessarily a bad thing having a set up to keep you right but id try and limit it to the first rep and then just bash out the set. Id say keep tighter with the lower back and thrust your hips through and "clench" your @rse as the bar passes your knees. Good lifting though just keep things tight and youll be shifting big weights soon.
> 
> Is it a 5x5 programme you've been using since you started ?


Thanks for the input mate, definatly took on board. Yea its the Stronglifts 5x5 Program that im working through.



Bashman said:


> Maybe switch to front squats - I would not go a$$ to floor with regular squat either, it's a lot more difficult and dangerous for us tall guys, as we tend to tilt our torso too far when going deep.
> 
> Same for deadlift really, I would suggest switching it up to sumo deadlift.


I'm going to try record myself again tomorrow and put them videos online to see what people think after I have taken their feedback on board. If i'm still struggeling then I will research those two moves and maybe incoperate them. Thanks for the advise.


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## golden

SouthPaw said:


> Oh dear man not again, smith machines are only good for one thing shrugs lol, he needs to get form right on a olympic barbell with no weight while someone checks his form...


yeah yeah


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## MRSTRONG

arnie used to squat with a narrow stance as did the golden eagle these boys squatted heavy .

powerlifters go wide stance .

until footage is uploaded from the back showing your squat set up i really wouldnt change stance as guessing what something is doing is not ideal and trying to fix it could be dangerous.

deadlift looks ok roll ins are fine on heavy reps , these could be heavy for you but it looked like it wasnt .

rep the deadlift like wardy posted but keep a flat back and head up .


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## Marrsy86

ewen said:


> arnie used to squat with a narrow stance as did the golden eagle these boys squatted heavy .
> 
> powerlifters go wide stance .
> 
> until footage is uploaded from the back showing your squat set up i really wouldnt change stance as guessing what something is doing is not ideal and trying to fix it could be dangerous.
> 
> deadlift looks ok roll ins are fine on heavy reps , these could be heavy for you but it looked like it wasnt .
> 
> rep the deadlift like wardy posted but keep a flat back and head up .


Thanks for the feedback, I will try record from a few different angles tomorrow. The Deadlift was the heaviest I have ever done so I must just be good at hiding it


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## Marrsy86

In my gym sesh today I decided to drop the weight down on my Squats and Deadlifts to 60kg and focus on form and record it as best I could, I have tried to get full body shots from front and side. I was trying the tight arch back thing and though I was doing it correctly but watching the videos back it looks like I wasnt ?

With the squats I found a movable bench that when I sit on it has my knees at around a 90 degree angle so tried using that as the box is used in one of the videos. Not sure if it helped much but rewaching the videos I noticed what you mean about sticking the **** out first opposed to using my hips. I think i'm still using my hips too much ?. When I have my legs a little wider appart with toes pointing out and try to keep my legs inline with my toes on the decline I seem to loose my balance when I push up as shown in two of the videos. Do you think this is my form, lack of confidence of something else ?

With the deadlift I see what you mean about me lifting pretty late and having my legs almost fully extended. I didnt have much time to practise my Deadlifts because the PTI needed the weights bay for a PT session with one of the squadrons but I managed to record myself with the ones I did. I did manage to rep out one after another today instead of doing my roll ins even when I upped my weight to doing 1x3 @ 100kg.

Thoughs ?

Squats side view with bench.






Squats front view with bench.






Squats Front view no bench, stumble.






Squats Front view no bench, stumble.






Deadlifts front view.






Deadlifts side view.


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## Tassotti

Squats - Feet further apart, shove knees out, keep knees shoved out throughout the lift. The bar placement is extremely high. I reckon this is hurting your neck and that's why you put the pussy-pad on the bar.

Your stumble is because the weight is coming forward onto your toes. (If you pause the vid when you are in the hole, you can see your heels raising). This could be due to the fact the bar is high and the weight is not centred

Have a look on youtube for Mark Rippetoe coaching squats, or the Do you think you can squat series posted earlier.


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## Marrsy86

Tassotti said:


> Squats - Feet further apart, shove knees out, keep knees shoved out throughout the lift. The bar placement is extremely high. I reckon this is hurting your neck and that's why you put the pussy-pad on the bar.
> 
> Your stumble is because the weight is coming forward onto your toes. (If you pause the vid when you are in the hole, you can see your heels raising). This could be due to the fact the bar is high and the weight is not centred
> 
> Have a look on youtube for Mark Rippetoe coaching squats, or the Do you think you can squat series posted earlier.


Thanks for the points mate will youtube them asap


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## adsdj

Good on you for posting your vids up for critique.

On your deadlift you are coming up on to your toes, keep the weight over your heels, feet flat. Think of moving the bar in a straight line upwards, not up and backwards. Keep your frame tight. Drive through the legs for the first part of the movement.


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## martin brown

You need to learn the squat from the bottom up. Start by sitting on a box about half the height of that bench you used. The find where your feet should be and stand up. Then sit back down following the same path. Do this 3-500 times until you get the hang of it. Then add a bar. Then add weight.


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## MattGriff

martin brown said:


> Do this 3-500 times until you get the hang of it. Then add a bar. Then add weight.


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## martin brown

MattGriff said:


> View attachment 69491


Everyone wants to run before they can walk!


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## a.notherguy

read a post on here along time ago about deadlift form where someone (cant remember who) gave the advice that instead of visualising lifting the bar off the ground, you should be pushing the world away from under the bar through your heels. (hope that makes sense!)

this really helped with my form.


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## Marrsy86

Thanks for the extra help guys, comments taken on board. I'm planning on hitting the gym for some cardio and then working on form with mega low weights maybe 40kg as I worked on form yeasterday and threw a few max effort reps in too.

If i'm able I will record them and get them online, failing that it wont be until the new year when I get a chance to record my form but fear not I will keep working on it and up date this in Jan 

On a side note I have liked everyone for the help and repped as many as I could (seems to be a max rep limit each day) for the help and advice, I will try and rep the rest of you next time I get some free time.

Cheers

Marrsy


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## Marrsy86

a.notherguy said:


> read a post on here along time ago about deadlift form where someone (cant remember who) gave the advice that instead of visualising lifting the bar off the ground, you should be pushing the world away from under the bar through your heels. (hope that makes sense!)
> 
> this really helped with my form.


Had a chance to practise Deadlifts a bit more today and pretty much focused on this statement for it all.

I done 2x5 @ 60kg and felt confident and moved upto 1x5 @100kg all after a 30 min run.

This is from today....






This is from my last traing sesh, previously linked in this thread...






I'm not sure if i'm there yet but to me it looks like I have definatly made an improvement, while lifting my heels stay on the floor all the time, I do rock onto my toes when I put the bar back on the floor but I think thats just from my old habbit of rolling the bar away from me. The bar comes off the floor when my legs are still bent where as before my legs were alot closer to vertical and it looked like my lower back was doing most of the work.

Whats your views guys ? again thanks for all this help 

I'm hanging out from the chirstmas party last night and ran 30 mins before this so couldent be bothered to work on Squats, tomorrow is an actual weights day though so I will focus mainly on Squats tomorrow and drop the deadlifts out of the stronglifts workout tomorrow as I done 1x5 @100kg today and use that time to work on form too.


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## Tassotti

It's quite difficult to tell from that angle, but it looks like the bar is too far away from you. You want it as close to your shins as possible.

'I do rock onto my toes when I put the bar back on the floor but I think thats just from my old habbit of rolling the bar away from me' - Don't do that!

When the weights hit the floor, pause the vid, stay in that position all the time. Set your back (chest up) take out the tension and squeeze off the floor pushing your feet through the floor.

It's definitely improving though mate.


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## Marrsy86

Fair point, before my first rep I set the bar up at that "half way point on the foot" as described in one of the videos linked. I didnt think to reset it back to that point after doing a rep or trying to keep it there on the decline. Will definatly work on that though.

Cheers


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## Tassotti

Looking at the vids again...Your form is much better in the first vid (60Kg)

Pause the vid just as you pull the weight on the first vid...That's a good position...You want to start and finish each rep in that position


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## Marrsy86

The first 60kg one from today or the first 60kg one as in the one I uploaded a few days ago ?


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## Tassotti

From today mate


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## Queenie

Hey...

Just wanted to add, when i do deads... i push my hips forward more when im at the top of my lift. Also my heels dont tend to leave the floor at all. def try and keep the bar as close to your shins as poss, should set u up nicely for the next one  x x


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## Marrsy86

Good stuff, I have checked out the Vid, Just before the Bar hits the floor I will try tuck it close to my shins so it lands near enough to that half way point on the foot.

Thanks for the input Queenie, I will work more on keeping my heels on the floor, I think with trying to tuck the bar close to my shins on the decline I should be able to stop it 

Cheers guys


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## Queenie

For sure, your just wasting energy unnecessarily at the moment  Remember the hips! Keep us posted on progress x x


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## Marrsy86

Cheers 

Will do I have a feeling I have a long way to go on my squat yet anyway, hopfully just polishing the deadlift off.


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## Queenie

Dont get me started on squats! The boys at my new gym have got me squatting to comp standard now.... deep as you like! So i've had to put my weights back down to get my form back on track x x


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## Marrsy86

Sounds hardcore haha, what do you squat and deadlift ?


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## Queenie

Hmm... not a lot. My pb's are squat 90kg and deads 82kg. As you know, i'm a newbie, so these will improve in the new year  x x


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## Marrsy86

Your squats higher than me  but I'm a noob too,

A girl from back home has got into lifting and was asking about it, she's only doing 40kg squats for now as she has noone to give her pointers because she trains either mega early or mega late when the gyms dead to avoid people peeving on her.

I'm trying to get her on here but she isn't exactly technical but we shall see lol.


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## Queenie

40kg squats is what i had to go back to. She's gotta start somewhere  Boys tend to stop perving once they know shes there to train properly, just get her to go and get proper advice, last thing she needs is an injury! x x


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## atlant1s

Good thread mate. Following this


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## Marrsy86

Managed to record my Squats today, recorded at 60kg. To me it looks like I have improved, I applied the push the world away through your heels principle and when looking back to my other videos I can tell that my feet are more stable and I dont rock onto my toes like I used to. Also the decent looks less jerky than it did at the start but there is still the odd twich. I tried to keep the bar further down my back as suggested but it seems to throw me a little but I will work on it, probably just not used to it.

With my focusing on keeping my heels on the floor at all times I managed not to stumble once so im happy with that as well as having my feet a little further apart than I did before and I feel it has helped me go deeper.

What do you guys think ?


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## adsdj

Much improved.


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## MRSTRONG

yeah looks loads better but lose the bar padding and this will help lower the bar a little down your traps .


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## MRSTRONG

i forgot to add , get them to play some music in your gym some prodigy will have you lifting houses in no time .


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## Readyandwaiting

i would ditch the squat imo.

Dorian didn't squat due to hit skeletal structure, some exercises aren't for everyone.

Please be safe whilst doing the deadlift and no need to go super heavy, just keep the form and don't push it to far past failure so tp speak, the back tends to round at that point.


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## Readyandwaiting

Perhaps a front squat might suit better.

Your thighs look a little too long, a bit like mine which causes me to lean too far forward whilst squatting causing too much tension on lower back


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## martin brown

Marssy, I think people are making too complicated for you.

Dont worry about the bar on your back - worry about the movement of a squat first. Forget the weight until you can do a bodyweight squat first. Your video is much better - but is still a long way off a real squat. Adding too many things to think about - and making it uncomfortable- will not help things.

Just go without weight and arms out straight in front of you and see if you can master a squat


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## Marrsy86

Thanks for all the help again guys


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