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Stop Squatting Like This (AWFUL)

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Rating: 4.0; Vote: 1

If you are looking to improve your squat, then this is a must watch video for you. When it comes to a well executed squat, bar path cannot be overlooked. The fastest and most efficient path from point A to point B is a straight line. The more efficient you are with a movement, the more weight you will be able to move and therefore the more gains you will see from your training. When I-m correcting an athletes bar path in the squat there are a few things I look at. How is the bar descending and then how is it ascending as the athlete comes out of the bottom of the squat. A common flaw is to pitch the head forward. A common cause for this particular fault is quad weakness. In the case of quad weakness the body attempts to recruit the stronger muscles of the posterior chain. This is easily diagnosed by asking the athlete to perform a pause squat. Often the ability to properly hold a squat in the bottom position under control will reveal that it is not the quads as to do a paused squat properly requires significant quad strength. Some other causes for improper bar path are poor set up, lack of mobility; especially dorsiflexion in the ankle. Inefficient bar path could also indicate a weakness in the upper back specifically in the scapular retractors. If an athlete has a strong upper back, it-s possible that they lack the muscular endurance to maintain it. They can stay tight in the set up but somewhere during the lift they get lax and lose the requisite upper back rigidity causing them to lurch forward. The last cause that we-ll cover in this video is habitual patterning. This is often caused by a previous injury that the athlete has sustained. As a response to an injury the body will sometimes develop inefficient movement patterning to accommodate the injury. Once the injury heals the patterning has become so ingrained in the athletes movement that they continue to demonstrate it. Whatever the reason is for your crooked bar path you need to address it. There-s no point slapping more weight on the bar and fooling yourself into thinking that you-re getting stronger. All you are doing is putting the problem off until it refuses to be ignored. That usually comes in the form of an injury and when you-re talking about the king of all exercises, the squat, there-s often hundreds of pounds of weight involved. Not a good idea. If you want to get stronger and move better not just with the squat but on every lift you do then you have to start focusing on doing the things that help you to improve at every opportunity. Athletes take every element of their training seriously and leave no room for error. If you are looking to train like an athlete and get more out of every workout you do, head to and get the ATHLEAN-X Training System
Date: 2022-04-22

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Comments and reviews: 10

Alvito
I noticed something quite interesting. if you slow down the video to 50% speed, at 8: 54, notice that in the video on the left Jeff goes down lower than the right video - you'll noticed that in the left view, the top of his head is in line with the black bar of the huge window behind him, but in the second video his eyebrow is in line with that same black bar indicating that he cut off some depth. So maybe the forward lean happens because we try to go very low and then dont have the strength to lift back up (so the quad weakness that JC talks about.
When I do squats, I too have this forward lean on my heavier sets (because at the bottom of the squat I have to forcibly push my neck into the bar in order to maintain a more upright position else the weight goes more over the toes. However, none of this happens if I cut the weight back to 80% or so, it stays perfectly over midfoot. Anyone else have this problem?
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Kota
Army vet and LEO vet, still in decent shape but I'm just now hitting the gym regularly. I've dislocated my left knee twice and I've got hairline fractures in two vertebrae in my lower back. Pain is manageable but when squatting, deadlifting or good mornings, I literally take 2-3 days to recover enough to just walk again. I'm not lifting heavy and often just do body weight squats but it's still a problem. Any advice on alternate workouts for legs and lower back? Or a possible way to rehabilitate?
And yes I've gone to the VA and they refuse to see me or give me any disability and I've been trying for 3 years. I know someone will have something to say regarding that so there it is.
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John
Mark Rippetoe says the low bar squat is -The Squat-. The low bar squat seems slightly different as the bar sits halfway down the shoulder blades. It should also have a vertical bar path when done correctly. Why not do the low bar squat from your perspective? As an ISSA certified personal trainer I would like people to take me seriously. People will only tell me I'm doing things wrong when I do the low bar squat. It may be that my bar path needs to be corrected so I should take video. As you have stated though, technique is one way to fail at the end of lift (along with tempo and tolerance) and form will fail eventually. So my last squat won't be perfect if I'm getting a workout.
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Hardy
Me: Hey AthleanX, I want to make my calves stronger and bigger! -
AthleanX: Do face pulls! -
Me: Hey AthleanX, I want to get good abs! -
AthleanX: Do face pulls! -
Me: Hey AthleanX, I want to get big arms! -
AthleanX: Do face pulls! -
Me: Hey AthleanX, I want good chest! -
AthleanX: Do face pulls! -
Me: Hey AthleanX, I want to get good abs! -
AthleanX: Do face pulls! -
Me: Hey AthleanX, I want to get good marks in college! -
AthleanX: Do face pulls! -
Me: Hey AthleanX, I want to get a good job! -
AthleanX: Do face pulls!
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Mark
Anybody qualified to answer this question? What are some options to deal with a restricted range of motion in the ankle. I had a 95% tear of the left Achilles- tendon requiring surgery and a year off work for rehab. Now my left ankle has much less flexion and extension. Additionally my left calf is smaller than the right one (I was told that ROM and size difference are permanent. i want to be able to lift competitively in Masters (60+) events but need a heavier squat.
Thanks.
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SeaC
Hey yalls For Android I use the app named Bar Path! Like dude said I have no affiliation with them its free,
Take them extra plates off that thing and test your path. make sure your not bent way the FK over when squatting I notice he didn't mention that common sense tip It's not good mornings its legs not lower back exercise lol -- if he did I missed it
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Robert
1) not having balance (you need a straight vertical bar path > hold bar over mid of foot from start position)
2) poor ankle mobility
3) weak qauds (engages hips to early and leans you forward)
4) scapula not being held tight (this hunches your shoulders forward)
5) not using hips and ribs as one unit
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Michael
This fella knows his stuff!
Only thing he forgot to mention in this clip is bearhug squats with a sandbag.
A great auxillerie exercise to go with regular squats if you are having problems keeping your back straight.
It's very hard to do bear hug sandbag squats with a rounded back!
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Tyler
I have hardware in my left ankle. I-ve been skipping squats because of it. I-m trying to change that but I-m having issues getting low when squatting. My feet tend to put all the weight on my toes or on the heels. How can I work on keeping my feet flat? Is using a sled just as good?
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BLACKRIFLESMATTER
So I broke my ankle in football and now it's doesn't bend like my other, so when I do squats I actually have to move my foot back and outward slightly so I can do a proper squat, if I don't it puts a ton of pressure on my knee and my core isn't center, what should I do?
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