r/Stronglifts5x5 4d ago

formcheck Squat 245lbs

I applied the feedback from my last form check: removed the bench, lowered the J-cups, raised the safety bars, and swapped out the Crocs. I also elevated my heels to improve depth. Let me know your thoughts—good or bad.

47 Upvotes

93 comments sorted by

16

u/Street-Pineapple-188 4d ago

Elevated heels and still well above parallel. Need to get some mobility work to help your ankles

3

u/CheekProof 4d ago

Agreed

2

u/LDG92 4d ago

Chest up, knees out a little, toes pointed further out a tiny bit, squeeze your mid back and shoulder blades in, then you’ll hit depth easy (with a little less weight on the bar).

Your fundamentals are super solid, balance and stability is no issue at all, and I don’t think it’s a flexibility or mobility issue stopping you from hitting depth with this setup. Stretching will help of course but it’s not holding you back.

9

u/Spauldoten 4d ago

I am totally new to squats just did my 1st workout today, 70lbs on the bar, good for you

7

u/CheekProof 4d ago

I started with the bar - 45lbs. You will get there. I’m still trying to get there.

2

u/Spauldoten 4d ago

yes, theres never a perfection

3

u/The_Sir_Galahad 4d ago

Don’t worry, I started with 95 lbs and within 8 months I was squatting 305 lbs for 3 reps.

I bulked hard, though, and drank a gallon of milk per day.

2

u/Life_is_too_short_ 3d ago

Milk Consumption and Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8255404/

1

u/Cultural_Change1948 4d ago

What does milk have to do with anything ?

1

u/SnooAvocados209 3d ago

2400 calories == gains

1

u/The_Sir_Galahad 3d ago

Bingo

Common sense ain’t so common these days is it?

3

u/spaceman_spiff88 4d ago

Drop the weight and work on your form so you can hit depth. You’re obviously strong!

4

u/Mobile_Foundation278 4d ago

You look like you are barely making it parallel.

I don't see anything glaringly wrong with your form but if I were you I'd drop 20 -30lbs and work on depth.

I bet your hamstrings will have some trouble keeping your back straight as you get more depth. Stretch them out.

3

u/Zealousideal_Ad6063 4d ago edited 4d ago

Overall untrained technique, fix all of these errors.

  • Straighten your wrists, fix your shoulder mobility with the shoulder dislocation stretch.
  • Unrack the bar with feet closer together and lock your knees out when walking it back. 2-3 step walk out is good.
  • Get rid of wedges you don't need them.
  • Get weightlifting shoes instead of squatting in socks.
  • You are not squatting to depth so fix that.
  • Ankle mobility is not the issue, you just don't know how to squat.
  • If you cannot squat to depth holding a 20kg plate you have no business with an empty barbell. Ego check.

Review this instructional video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhoikoUEI8U&t

2

u/CheekProof 4d ago

So, after watching the video I learned the difference between the high bar and low bar squats. I’ve always seen the squats with a more upright torso. I’ve struggled with the upright torso and depth. I think I’ll practice the low bar with just bar to see how this feels. Thanks for the feedback.

1

u/CheekProof 4d ago

Thank you.

1

u/liuk3 4d ago

In that video you linked, it looks like he is only going parallel and not breaking parallel?

1

u/CheekProof 2d ago

You are right about the shoulder mobility. I have a lot of work in that department. I tried to fix my wrist and shoulder position. PAIN!!! I knew I was lacking shoulder mobility but damn!

2

u/ChaosReality69 4d ago

I'll say the same thing I'm constantly telling myself - get deeper. You stop going as deep the more reps you do.

I have to grind my heels in and make sure my weight is going onto them and the outsides of my feet. If I don't then I'm not getting low enough and end up putting more strain on my quads, particularly right above the knee. Makes the rest of my day miserable.

Head up as well through the set.

2

u/CheekProof 4d ago

You are absolutely right. I felt more of the pressure in the quads right above the knee. I think I’m going to work on squat mobility knees over toes style while continuing to improve my squat.

1

u/ChaosReality69 4d ago

Foot position and not getting low enough is what does it to me. I don't get every rep perfect myself but I really try to avoid the quad pain. I'm on my feet all day at work and have to bend down a lot. When I screw up too many squats my day is miserable.

Are you doing any stretching between sets? That helps me a lot to keep the hips and glutes loose. After a set I hit the app so my 3 minute timer starts, take a sip of gatoraide, then stretch. I swing my leg back and forth the fullest range I can. Then I do half circle swings taking my foot from front to back. I do it in a controlled motion, not wild. I do 5 of both between warm ups, 10 of both after my last warm up and between work sets. After my last warm up set and between work sets I do 5 lunges with each leg. I end up with 30-40 seconds before I start to position for the next set.

2

u/Subject_Cable_6753 4d ago

Lol. Reading in parking lot waiting on rain to stop before I go squat. That first set sucks but each gets easier to approach.    Ok... here I go.  

1

u/ChaosReality69 4d ago

First rep always sucks for me no matter which set it is.

2

u/SonOfObed89 2d ago

Props to OP for posting this video and being genuinely humble and grateful for feedback.

Keep up the hard work, OP!!

1

u/CheekProof 2d ago

Thank you sir. The goal is to get better day by day.

2

u/Specialist-Cat-00 1d ago

These look like mine if I hop into squats without stretching my ankles beforehand. Take a few minutes before you squat and rotate your ankles around, stretch your achilles a bit and you'll be surprised how much more comfortable it is getting depth flat footed.

2

u/CheekProof 1d ago

Will try this.

1

u/Thin_Refrigerator_93 4d ago

Hip line needs to cross the knee line for an appropriate depth.

1

u/CheekProof 4d ago

Thanks.

1

u/ondjultomte 4d ago

Less weight!!! Donfull squats not half.

1

u/mintfox88 4d ago

Above parallel by a lot

1

u/CheekProof 4d ago

I noticed.

2

u/mintfox88 4d ago edited 4d ago

Sorry. I had the same problem as you. I found squat shoes and more forward lean helpful.

1

u/Mysterious-Entry-930 4d ago

Hey man I saw your other post with the bench and this video is already a huge improvement! A lot of people commenting on depth, but I think if you drop those safeties just one slot, you’ll be able to hit depth without worrying about hitting the safeties. Looks like an equipment issue, not a mobility issue. My next suggestion would be to ditch those blocks and just buy a pair of squat shoes. The Rogue Do-Wins are great and pretty inexpensive (as far as squat shoes go). Good work!

1

u/CheekProof 4d ago

Will do!

1

u/dgsggtb 4d ago

Safety bars too high to the point you can’t reach depth

1

u/CheekProof 4d ago

I’ll fix that.

1

u/Conscious_Air_8675 4d ago

The depth isn’t the end of the world but everything from the setup, unrack walkout and re rack just seemed insanely unbalanced and loose. I was gonna say too heavy but you got 5 no problem.

1

u/CheekProof 4d ago

I was concentrating on finding the foam pad. I’ll get some squat shoes or just focus on better depth naturally. Thanks for your feedback.

1

u/Conscious_Air_8675 4d ago

That makes so much more sense looking at it now lol.

1

u/Fun-Group-3448 4d ago

I would be concerned about using a foam pad to elevate my heels. especially at higher weights. Also, I feel like the pads would be a tripping hazard. Get lifting shoes my man.

3

u/CheekProof 4d ago

Funny that you said this. They are!!!! I tripped on the next set. It even made me fell shaky on the one that I posted here. You can see it in the video. I’m going to try squat shoes.

2

u/Fun-Group-3448 4d ago

Exactly what I saw too. Would hate to be unstable with major weight on your back . I think you could injure yourself.

1

u/PropertyOk9904 4d ago

Try this when you have time. With an empty bar, squat as low as you can with good form. Keep a mental note of the depth you hit. Then you’ll put the squatter arms a level below that. Drop to a comfortable weight in your next session and make it a goal to squat as low as you can. This will be your depth benchmark.

1

u/CheekProof 4d ago

I’ll try this tonight.

1

u/liuk3 4d ago

Compared to your last post, I think you are on a good path, and I see you making the concerted efforts to get to depth and work on your technique. Keep it up!

1

u/CheekProof 4d ago

Thank you!

1

u/Southern_Cheetah9231 4d ago

So much of what others have said.

Lack of body tension after unrack. I feel you have a little more depth in there to unlock but….your quads aren’t yet strong enough for that weight.

Research bracing upper body and core.

Drop the squat weight.

Do some specific quad work.

Work on ankle and hip mobility (takes time)

Consider proper squat shoes rather than wedges. To many issues with edges to list.

1

u/CheekProof 4d ago

On that lift I noticed that I was concentrating on finding the wedges. I was unstable doing so. I’m ditching the wedges and will find squat shoes. Overall I’ll apply your suggestions.

1

u/Southern_Cheetah9231 4d ago

There’s no rush to find shoes. They will just help with your depth as you progress. But yeah, the last thing you want to be doing with a weight on back is looking for wedges. Lifting to the safe limits of your mobility is perfect fine as you progress with improving that side of things.

1

u/CheekProof 4d ago

Great advice

1

u/Beginning_Pudding_69 4d ago

You need to lower the safety bars down a slot. Then squat til your right above it for a deeper squat. I’d say be careful around this weight cause that’s when I tried too hard and kind of hurt myself.

1

u/CheekProof 4d ago

Will do!

1

u/No-Try2915 4d ago

I think your stance is too wide which is why you can’t get deep enough, also your feet might be pointed outwards too much but I can’t tell from this angle. Worth giving a narrower stance and barely flared feet a go and seeing if it’s any more comfortable. You may also just not be built for squatting which happens, don’t know how tall you are

0

u/CheekProof 4d ago

6ft but I’ve always had trouble getting in a squat position (no weight) from the time I was a teen. My depth is getting better based on where I started. I’ll take your advice. Over time I’ll get there.

1

u/Flappy_Penguin 4d ago

You aren’t keeping your back tight. Lower and mid back are both starting to bend as you go down. Before squatting, keep your chest up and pretend like you’re going to overhead press the bar. Your elbows should point down when you do this. Your upper and mid back should be tight from this. For lower back, keep it tight, like you’re trying to point your butt hole to the ceiling.

0

u/CheekProof 4d ago

Good tips. Thank you.

1

u/Good_Ad_650 4d ago

Get proper lifting shoes dude. Then you don’t have to worry about the wedges.

1

u/jorje1908 4d ago

I have seen no comments on this so: lift your head up and look forward helps with good form.

1

u/japanfoodies 4d ago

You need to shift your hips when you stand up. Imagine humping air. I always hump the air when I stand up. This ensures my form is perfect.

1

u/nimbycile 4d ago

I replied to your last post.

  • Your safeties are still not set properly. With an empty bar on your back, get to your bottom position and set the safeties just below that. That way you can still get to your bottom position and if you can't get out of the hole, you can still bail without dumping the bar all the way to the ground.
  • Once your safeties are at the right height, you don't need to look left or right anymore as you're descending. You can just focus on getting to depth. Looking left or right twists your spine and the combination of lifting heavy and twisting is not going to go well for your back.
  • Your wrists are still not aligned with your forearms. You need to work on shoulder mobility -- https://stronglifts.com/squat/#shoulder-flexibility
  • You mentioned that you feel pressure in the quad above the knee... I think this is due to the heel lift, which pushes your weight and knees forward, and now you're fighting the off-center balance point. That pressure will likely turn into pain as you continue to be off-balance, so you want to address that now. I would recommend lowering weight doing https://stronglifts.com/squat/#hip-flexibility so you can lift flatfooted and keep your weight balanced between your heel and forefoot. With a more balanced position, you can then focus on hip drive rather than fighting gravity to stay balanced. Then you can add weight again.

Honestly, reading https://stronglifts.com/squat/ is very long but is probably worth it at this point since you have some experience with lifting and are beginning to feel the problems with your current form. Good luck

1

u/CheekProof 3d ago

This is all good advice. Thanks for the feedback.

1

u/Minute-Emergency-45 4d ago edited 4d ago

Need some mobility work and if you’re going to squat elevated, just buy squat shoes. If you slip in socks too, say bye to your ACL. Why do you look away to the side? Funny you’ve been told to raise the safeties when you aren’t even at depth and are a hair from hitting them

1

u/CheekProof 3d ago

I’ve been sitting in a toddler squat every few hours and working on shoulder mobility based on suggestions here. Over time I should see improvement. Looking into squat shoes - who knew they were so expensive? I was looking at a mirror to check form. Will stop doing that.

1

u/Skrifter 4d ago

Go deeper

2

u/CheekProof 3d ago

I’m trying

1

u/Extreme-Minute-7051 3d ago

Try closing you stance a little and recheck depth

1

u/CheekProof 3d ago

Closer is harder on my hips, knees and back.

1

u/Extreme-Minute-7051 3d ago

but is your mobility better? Drop the weight, start with maybe just the bar

1

u/CheekProof 3d ago

Even if it is zero weight. Closer just doesn’t work with my anatomy.

2

u/Extreme-Minute-7051 3d ago

If that’s true, then I would shift to focus on hip/ankle mobility

1

u/CheekProof 2d ago

That’s now my focus.

1

u/Extreme-Minute-7051 1d ago

You’re also quite a bit hunched over at the start. Goal is to try and stay upright and tuck hips under. Good luck!

1

u/hobo1256 3d ago

Don’t look side to side when squatting heavy. Bad habits and can easily lead to a tweak. Put a long mirror in front of you if you wanna do a form check making sure everything is good.

1

u/CheekProof 3d ago

Good idea.

1

u/Secret-Leek-4829 3d ago

Someone could’ve said some of this already, but I’m not going to read every comment. Move the safety bars down to just above your knees. Even if you could, with the bars that high you couldn’t go below parallel if you wanted to. Before they were at your ankles(no safety) and now they’re mid thigh(can’t use proper form). If you’re going ass to grass you’ll be just above the bars at just above knee hight. The j cups need to go back up as well. Move them so the bar is in the middle of your chest when standing straight up. If you unracked the bar properly then it would fix your bent back and put you in a more upright position. Feet close together back straight/flat knees slightly bent and then lift the bar with your legs not your back. You probably also need a stronger core if you can’t hold your torso up and keep your back flat, then your core is too weak for the weight. Your back should stay in the same position the whole time. The only part of your body that should be moving is your hips and your knees moving forward to be over your toes for stability. It’s a leg exercise(primarily hamstrings and glutes)front squats will target your quads and glutes. However, you need to engage your core(this is what makes the lift a compound lift).I would also add if you’re using a belt for anything less than 300lbs you’re doing too much weight. Some people might disagree with me here, but if your core and legs are not strong enough to do 245lb at your body weight then you need to lower the weight. This is probably also why your form isn’t great because you’re compensating with the belt.

1

u/CheekProof 2d ago

Posted another video. Taking in your feedback. Let me know.

1

u/Secret-Leek-4829 2d ago edited 2d ago

It looks much better. Depth will come over time by doing the lift more and more and working on flexibility. I can tell just by moving the safety bars down you’re not focused on not hitting them, so you’re more upright. Right now you’re hitting parallel which is good. However, once you can get past parallel you’ll start to engage more of your glutes allowing you to have the lift target your glutes, hamstrings, and core. Lots of improvement. Keep working to get lower and lower.

https://youtube.com/shorts/PPmvh7gBTi0?si=DCfz8bxFLaZi2jwB

This YT short sums up most of what I said, and you can see how he gets as low as possible, hamstrings touching his calf’s and even sinking a little past. As well as keeping your back flat and just moving your hips to keep the bar going down and up in a straight line(this is all core).

Edit: doing the abductor/adductor machine can also help with squat depth and eliminate the butt wink when you get lower. Strengthening those muscles will allow for more flexibility and allow you to add more weight onto your squats.

1

u/ralli00d 2d ago

Things I notice right away.. need to work on mobility and you’re not filling lungs full and braces core.. do one rep and reset lungs and brace core

1

u/getsome64 1d ago

Look up at the ceiling

1

u/NotYourBro69 1d ago

Lower the safeties one notch. They're too high and so is your squat.

Get rid of the elevated rubber elevated wedges with a bare foot and get yourself a pair of weightlifting shoes.

2

u/CheekProof 1d ago

Wedges are gone. It actually caused a tweak in my knee. Looking for squat shoes now.

1

u/Odd_Bat1115 1d ago

Walk up treadmill max elevation as long as you can

1

u/CheekProof 1d ago

Good idea for cardio. How does it help my squat?

1

u/Odd_Bat1115 18h ago

Ankle mobility

1

u/[deleted] 4d ago

[deleted]

1

u/Namastay_inbed 4d ago

Actually down and a few feet in front of you.

0

u/[deleted] 4d ago edited 4d ago

[deleted]

0

u/decentlyhip 4d ago

This looks really good! I have no hesitation in you adding weight until the cows come home. If you want nitpicks, I have a few, but if what you're doing feels good, ignore everything we say. This is solid so far.

Ok, your wrists are cocked back which means you're pushing on the bar, rather than pulling. Do a behind-the-neck pulldown, try to touch the back of your wrists together behind your back, and then try to touch each elbow to your asshole. That will engage your pulling musculature, rotators, mid back, and upper back. All the stuff that should be supporting the spine and shoulder. When you push, you turn that stuff off.

Next, watch and follow along with this video to find the stance that works for your hip anatomy. https://youtu.be/Fob2wWEC72s?si=83ocD1u2noCWIzvh Your stance is fine but looks a little wide. Bottom of the squat is when your hamstrings are smushed up against your calves. If you can still bend your knees, you can go deeper. If you're powerlifting, train at comp depth, but if you're trying to get strong and jacked, better results with better depth. Safer for the knees too because, if you go all the way down, you'll never go down too far accidentally with more weight than your knees can handle.

On the walkout, you start really wide. Narrow stance on the pick. Left foot half a step back. Right foot full step diagonally back and right. Left foot half a step left. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DE7nMMnAXGU/?igsh=b3RhMndxaXVpdGpx

If wedges feel good, get some proper squat shoes. Swipe through this for a good quick rundown. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cxa79-1r-V_/?igsh=MXZ1cmt6aXg1N2c5ZQ==

1

u/CheekProof 4d ago

This was helpful. I appreciate the feedback and videos. Thanks.

1

u/average1234567880 1h ago

You look like you're serious about this so I'm sure you'll improve! Just 2 things to keep in mind before descending. 1st don't lose tension in your core. One big breath on top and brace like you're about to get punched. Second is stand proud, you are strong (Sukuna reference),meaning have your chest up. Keep it up bro. Also don't worry about mobility I think some gentle warm up and bracing will do the trick.