Squat form check please!

[Ray]

Hey guys, last week I realized that I think I've been doing squats incorrectly. Doing them right for the most part, going low enough, not rounding my back, but starting the movement with my knees instead of my hips. So I took 3 videos today. One, the original way I was doing squats. Then, starting with pushing my hips back, but my knees look like they still come too far forward. Then the last is hips back and knees back too. What is correct?

Honestly, the first one might be wrong but it feels the most natural. Thanks in advance for any tips! I deloaded and want to make sure I get my form right before I build back up and have to start over!







And on this third one, I feel the least stable. I'm back on my heels so much that I really have to be careful with my balance. But it does result in my knees not going over my toes. So what should I be doing?

[MikeD]

You're going too low; your back is rounding. Maybe shoving your knees out more will help develop better tension just past parallel.

[Ray]

I didn't think I could go "too low". You mean just my lower back sticking out a bit when i get to the very bottom? I can see that... the rest of my back has a nice solid arch in it, including my lower back until that very bottom position.

And what I'm really concerned with is my knee/hip "sitting down" or "sitting back" situation. Which of these videos is most correct? What can I do differently to make one of them correct?

[MikeD]

"until the very bottom position"...exactly. You're "too low" when your back rounds. And your back is rounding. Thus, too low.

You feel unbalanced when you sit back, meaning? The third one, technically, is good in this regard. But your balance problem may be helped by leaning your torso more forward to compensate for the hips going back.

And the hip/knee relationship is all down to timing. You have to sit back, yes, but eventually you have to start going DOWN, and this timing to create a smooth squat is practice. Open your hips up during the standing position (turn your knees outward) and certain things will go in the right places when you begin to sit back.

[Ray]

bump

[Ray]

Can anyone else make some comments? I'd like some more input before I move forward.

[MikeD]

I'm not good enough, I see.

[sean]

You're looking straight ahead, your back is rounding, and you're about four inches too deep.

[Ray]

I'm not good enough, I see.

Of course not, I really appreciate your input, I was just hoping for more!

You're looking straight ahead, your back is rounding, and you're about four inches too deep.

Where should I be looking?

And I see that my back is rounding but that is because I'm going too deep, so when I stop going so deep that should be fixed.


But as far as the sitting back/down, and how far my knees go out, which is best? Or are they all good and I'm just going too deep?

[atypical1]

I think you should work on your depth first then create some new vids. Not going so deep could change the rest of your form too and it's hard for us to make a call on that without seeing it.

james