Critique My Form

**romanaz** · 08-03-2006, 04:35 AM

Alright, I have 3 video's of me at the gym tonite doing some lifts I think I need some form adjustments with. The first video is clean and jerk, and the second one is deadlifts. I think I need some more help with the deadlift since I just switched from Sumo style back to Conventional.

Clean and Jerk -- 105lbs 6 repper
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...1000016849&n=2

Conventional Deadlift 245lb 8 repper
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...1000121665&n=2

Any helpful tips will be wonderful :-D

I don't think I'm using my legs enough for either of them. Anyone else thinking the same?

**romanaz** · 08-04-2006, 09:23 PM

alright I just had a friend tape me doing squats, but unfortunatly he was to busy spotting me for the 245x7 so I had him tape me doing the 135x20. Tell me how you think it is:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...1006341241&n=2

**madman911** · 08-05-2006, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by romanaz

alright I just had a friend tape me doing squats, but unfortunatly he was to busy spotting me for the 245x7 so I had him tape me doing the 135x20. Tell me how you think it is:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...1006341241&n=2

I just watched this one first, I'll comment on the others when I get to 'em.

First off, your going to wreck your knees... they are going way out past your toes as they bend, that stress will give you knee problems. Your feet appear to be too far apart and your knees are bending out away from your body. Keep you feet shoulder width apart, or just slightly greater than shoulder width, and bend you knees straight out in front of you, use a very, very slight outward angle if it feels more comfortable. Sit back with your butt and hips... this is what initiates the movement, not your knees... butt and hips sit back, then knees start bending. Sit back, you have the weight too far forward, that's what's causing your knees to go over your toes, it also puts more strain on your lower back. You are doing a good job of keeping your head up. Your back starts to round as you are getting tired... you never want to do this, you can suffer a bad lower back injury. You must maintain your back alignment no matter how tired you are getting, if you're back is getting tired way before your legs, add good mornings into your routine to strengthen your lower back. It is hard to tell from the angle of the video, but I think the bar is too low, kinda resting on your upper back rather than on a shelf created by your traps as it should be. It seems like the bar slides lower as you are getting tired, which again makes you injury prone. Keep that bar up and resting across your traps, they should form a nice shelf when you have your shoulders pulled back.

If you are getting tired enough to lose back alignment at 135 x 20, then I think you should not be squatting 245 at all. I would use light weight and work on correcting your form. Work on your form with just the bar at first, then don't go above 135 until you have your form totally nailed. When you think you've made improvements, go ahead and post another vid.

Don't get discouraged bro, everyone takes steps back at various points in their training. You have to take one step back sometimes to take three forward.

**madman911** · 08-05-2006, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by romanaz

Alright, I have 3 video's of me at the gym tonite doing some lifts I think I need some form adjustments with. The first video is clean and jerk, and the second one is deadlifts. I think I need some more help with the deadlift since I just switched from Sumo style back to Conventional.

Clean and Jerk -- 105lbs 6 repper
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...1000016849&n=2

Conventional Deadlift 245lb 8 repper
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...1000121665&n=2

Any helpful tips will be wonderful :-D

I don't think I'm using my legs enough for either of them. Anyone else thinking the same?

On the deads, I do see your back round just a little on some of the reps. To my eyes, you aren't putting enough of your back into the movement. Make sure you feel your back pulling the weight up and contracting hard at the top of the movement. You are thrusting your hips forward and arching backwards. Your shoulders should be pulled back and your chest should be pushed forward at the top of the movement, due to your back contracting, but your back should remain quite straight, with just a slight lumbar curvature to the back. It looks to me like your legs are too far apart, keep them shoulder width or just slightly beyond. Toes should point straight ahead or just slight angle out. Legs should bend more, to about parallel to initiate the movement. Again, drop the weight and get the form down cold.

I'm no expert on clean and jerk form, cause I don't do them, so I'm not qualified to comment.

Hope I helped some. I'm always tweaking my form and probably always will be. Lifting with good form is way more important for making good gains than how much weight you lift, IMO.

**romanaz** · 08-05-2006, 04:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madman911

I just watched this one first, I'll comment on the others when I get to 'em.

First off, your going to wreck your knees... they are going way out past your toes as they bend, that stress will give you knee problems. Your feet appear to be too far apart and your knees are bending out away from your body. Keep you feet shoulder width apart, or just slightly greater than shoulder width, and bend you knees straight out in front of you, use a very, very slight outward angle if it feels more comfortable. Sit back with your butt and hips... this is what initiates the movement, not your knees... butt and hips sit back, then knees start bending. Sit back, you have the weight too far forward, that's what's causing your knees to go over your toes, it also puts more strain on your lower back. You are doing a good job of keeping your head up. Your back starts to round as you are getting tired... you never want to do this, you can suffer a bad lower back injury. You must maintain your back alignment no matter how tired you are getting, if you're back is getting tired way before your legs, add good mornings into your routine to strengthen your lower back. It is hard to tell from the angle of the video, but I think the bar is too low, kinda resting on your upper back rather than on a shelf created by your traps as it should be. It seems like the bar slides lower as you are getting tired, which again makes you injury prone. Keep that bar up and resting across your traps, they should form a nice shelf when you have your shoulders pulled back.

If you are getting tired enough to lose back alignment at 135 x 20, then I think you should not be squatting 245 at all. I would use light weight and work on correcting your form. Work on your form with just the bar at first, then don't go above 135 until you have your form totally nailed. When you think you've made improvements, go ahead and post another vid.

Don't get discouraged bro, everyone takes steps back at various points in their training. You have to take one step back sometimes to take three forward.

I appreciate the help, but my knees naturally point outwards and I'm flatfooted, so I honestly can't get my knees in straight. I keep my legs out a little more then shoulder width because at shoulder width I can't get all the way down. My knees don't hurt at all from doing squats, but I do notice my lower back hurts (like from doing stiff leg deadlifts) after the 20 repper. I'll work on getting my butt and hips back first instead of my legs going first. I keep the bar around my shoulder blades, I'll try and keep it higher.

For my deadlifts, I have my feet just slightly wider then shoulder width. But I have a harder time getting my legs down that far, its always been a struggle for me with that. I'm definitly going to try and get down farther and trying to pull my shoulder blades back a bit so my back doesn't round out.

**DarkFalcon** · 08-05-2006, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by romanaz

I appreciate the help, but my knees naturally point outwards and I'm flatfooted, so I honestly can't get my knees in straight. I keep my legs out a little more then shoulder width because at shoulder width I can't get all the way down. My knees don't hurt at all from doing squats, but I do notice my lower back hurts (like from doing stiff leg deadlifts) after the 20 repper. I'll work on getting my butt and hips back first instead of my legs going first. I keep the bar around my shoulder blades, I'll try and keep it higher.

For my deadlifts, I have my feet just slightly wider then shoulder width. But I have a harder time getting my legs down that far, its always been a struggle for me with that. I'm definitly going to try and get down farther and trying to pull my shoulder blades back a bit so my back doesn't round out.

Listen to madman he's spot on. Your back is rounding too much on your deads and your going a little to far back in your top lockout. Also work on your squats even if your knee's don't hurt now they will later on if your don't correct your form. Instead of bending forward at the knee's practice sitting straight back. Use sittong in a chair to practice the movement until you feel confortable doing it. http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...FullSquat.html

dton · 08-05-2006, 08:00 AM

I can't do em that far down, feels like im going to fall backward.

**powerman2000** · 08-05-2006, 06:10 PM

His back rounding out occurs later in his set, which is 100% normal as we get more and more fatigued. Don't worry about it too much. You started out in great shape and overall your form looked pretty damn good. The only thing I see, and I think madman called you on as well was your overextending at the locked out position. Leaning back that far and not standing as straight up and down as you can will put you at risk for jacking up your back. It's not necessary so I would suggest you stop doing that.

**Peaked_18** · 08-05-2006, 06:29 PM

Host it on a better hosting site.

**romanaz** · 08-05-2006, 09:55 PM

peaked, I'll try and get them up on youtube, but I normally have problems with it.

**romanaz** · 08-05-2006, 10:51 PM

squats :

Vegeto · 08-31-2006, 08:54 PM

Hi, I haven't posted here in a while and I know this thread is old.. but nobody gave him much critique about his clean and jerk.

Now I lift in a room with low ceilings, so I can't comment on the jerk portion, but I have a little for you on the cleans-

deadlift and clean

1. I think you should establish a technique for both your deadlift and clean that are nearly an identical movement, (if you really want to clean). The reason for establishing a universal form for the two lifts is that training one lift compliments your training for the other. ...In otherwords, deadlift as if you were doing the first portion of a clean.

2. Taking the above into consideration, I think you should start lower on your deadlift and clean.

3. Get your back into position at the beginning of each and every rep, and keep it there.

clean-

1. When you catch the barbell in the clean position, kick your elbows forward and up. Your elbows are pointing towards the floor, (they shouldn't be). The bar's weight should be more on your shoulders, not your hands and arms.

2. Watch some vids of O-lifters and really check their form against your own.

Good luck and be patient, they are precision lifts, and difficult to learn.

**romanaz** · 08-31-2006, 10:34 PM

yeah, I have fixed the getting down lower on both deadlift and clean. I just can't get my elbows up, it just really isnt possible i dont know why. I can do it but my fingers are bent way to much back and it hurts.

**DJSTARER** · 09-02-2006, 05:16 AM

stop using straps

**bubba g** · 09-02-2006, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by romanaz

squats :

You have to fix your form. Your knees will without question get injured the way you are doing them.

squatting properly requires decent ballance. Some people naturaly have better ballance, or are built differently and can do squats easily.

Flexibility also plays a role.

anyway you have to ballance in a way that you can stop your knees going further forward than your toes. also your foot position is going to incourage lateral movment of your knee.. these to errors combined are a recipe for disaster.

use a light weight 75lbs or so, and work on it.. use a video camera to watch yourself, or have a friend watch you...

I am flat footed by the way, and it doesn't affect me in the least...

08-05-2006, 08:00 AM	#7
dton Pro Stature Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 222 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 5	I can't do em that far down, feels like im going to fall backward. __________________

08-05-2006, 06:10 PM	#8
powerman2000 The Old Moderator Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 4,082 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 197	His back rounding out occurs later in his set, which is 100% normal as we get more and more fatigued. Don't worry about it too much. You started out in great shape and overall your form looked pretty damn good. The only thing I see, and I think madman called you on as well was your overextending at the locked out position. Leaning back that far and not standing as straight up and down as you can will put you at risk for jacking up your back. It's not necessary so I would suggest you stop doing that. __________________ Don't forget to periodize Best BP 507 lbs competitive Best Squat 705 lbs competitive Best DL 650 lbs competitive Guns don't kill people, men who come home early do. My workout log http://www.ironmass.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6247

08-31-2006, 08:54 PM	#12
Vegeto blameless sinner Join Date: May 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 803 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 15	Hi, I haven't posted here in a while and I know this thread is old.. but nobody gave him much critique about his clean and jerk. Now I lift in a room with low ceilings, so I can't comment on the jerk portion, but I have a little for you on the cleans- deadlift and clean 1. I think you should establish a technique for both your deadlift and clean that are nearly an identical movement, (if you really want to clean). The reason for establishing a universal form for the two lifts is that training one lift compliments your training for the other. ...In otherwords, deadlift as if you were doing the first portion of a clean. 2. Taking the above into consideration, I think you should start lower on your deadlift and clean. 3. Get your back into position at the beginning of each and every rep, and keep it there. clean- 1. When you catch the barbell in the clean position, kick your elbows forward and up. Your elbows are pointing towards the floor, (they shouldn't be). The bar's weight should be more on your shoulders, not your hands and arms. 2. Watch some vids of O-lifters and really check their form against your own. Good luck and be patient, they are precision lifts, and difficult to learn. __________________ ______________ ________________ ......Busy Training...... __________________ ________________ __________________

09-02-2006, 05:16 AM	#14
DJSTARER eating more folate... Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: State College, PA Posts: 3,995 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 113	stop using straps __________________ My philosophies on training: "Extreme training yields extreme results" "Just because you can, does not mean you should" "The best program is the one you are not doing" Penn State Powerlifting-181 lb weightclass PGA Professional of America Current Stats: 474 Squat 601 Deadlift 320 Bench Goals for next training cycle: 500lbs squat and a total over 1400 in competition

08-05-2006, 06:29 PM	#9
Peaked_18 a la commode Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 4,247 Recipes: 2 Rep Power: 96	Host it on a better hosting site.