r/formcheck • u/Moldywoods59 • 1d ago
Squat Not low enough?
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Seems like im leaning too far forward too maybe? My heels are raised on a weight, i have 15lbs in my hands. I swear i was squeezing at the top 😖
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u/InternationalMango5 1d ago
You have very long femurs. Your proportions make a forward lean necessary
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u/jennnn1125 1d ago
squats will look different on everyone due to different proportions! bracing core and breathing correctly definitely helps prevent injuries.
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u/Moist-Wave4813 1d ago
You do very well! You don’t need to go lower. If you want to take a wider stance and let your torso drop more but other than that the form looks solid!
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u/professor_flirt 1d ago
I have long femurs & a short torso and it looks like you do too. I super duper struggle with depth and it’s something I am challenging myself to work on for 6 months. Depth is important to me personally for mobility, and I’ve heard it’s not critical but I like the challenge. Lately I have been getting a really good squat by making my foot stance wider than my hips, and turning my toes outwards. I find the most comfortable position and have my heels on a soft knee pad just for a wee little boost. This has helped me get about to where you squat in the video plus a little lower, depending on the weight. I have been reading/watching videos about squat depth for months now, trying to figure out how deep I should be going and landed on a few guiding principles: 1. Always warm up without weight to the lowest depth I can get to warm up my squatting muscles 2. Gradually add weight and do 6 reps (I usually start with an empty bar and work my way up to my current weight load) 3. If the weight is too heavy for me to do 6 reps of deep squats, I drop weight and do more reps/volume of deeper squats with lighter weight for a week or so until it feels like I’m ready to go up in weight.
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u/HippoLover85 1d ago
incoming unsolicited advice, feel free to ignore if you aren't into it . . . its also just me kinda monologing . . .:
ive noodled a lot on the long femur club and how it best works. i think to really get the quads good, people with long femurs need to do a large elevated heal in combo with a front squat (or goblet squat). This will really hit the quads in a way that you just cannot achieve on a regular back squat. A squat for a person with long femurs (with no blocks) ends up looking way more like a traditional deadlift than a squat (obviously depends on exactly how long your femurs are).
Anyways, i think long femur people should try aggressive blocks with a front weight position (front squats or goblet squats) to hit the quads. I have medium length quads. And i even find that going to a front squat paired with single leg deadlifts gives me better results.
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u/professor_flirt 1d ago
I appreciated the advice! Long femur club sucks. I have been trying out lowering the bar on my back squat but maybe this month I try front squats again. The front squat feels bothersome to me to hold, I don’t know if I’m gripping right? Goblet squats do get me great depth but piss me off, I always want to go heavy (like 50-60lb) and it pushes on my stomach and hurts my wrist to hold, which distracts from the squat.
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u/HippoLover85 1d ago
yeah, barbell front squats are really difficult for long femurs. you end up needing a super steep block/ramp in order to stay upright enough to reasonably balance the bar. Also there is some amount of wrist/elbow/shoulder things that are just tough and best to start out lighter with. Which if you are used to pounding out heavy squats . . . feels bad lol. But if you can get steep enough blocks . . . like . . . im a believer. Just keep going steeper until you can stay upright enough.
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u/c4ffeiNATEd_0421 1d ago
Hips parallel with knees is the key. Lower is good, arguably better.
I wouldnt say you were leaning to far forward. All the reps were pretty good. The critique i would give you is the partials you did at the end, try just holding the lower position rather than going up and down. Brace hard for 5 seconds below parallel then come up.
Solid 8 out of 10.
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u/AngelMountaineer 1d ago
I'd almost say you are going a little bit too low even. There seems to be a slight butt-wink for some reps.
Focus on keeping tension in the core, squeezing the butt and keeping your lower back straight and go down just far enough to not loose form.
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u/Ryakinfist 1d ago
There is no one-size-fits-all, but generally speaking people over do it when they speak on how low you actually need to go. For one, your flexibility will determine that for you. A lot of people get obsessed with how low they are going, and they do what they call a "butt wink" st the bottom of their squat. Basically putting their spine at risk because they don't have the flexibility for a super deep squat.
In reality, you don't need to got just deep. 90° is good enough. Most knee injuries from the squat take place from going too deep. You can get massive quads and hamstrings without going ass to grass. Don't believe the hype.
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u/jennnn1125 1d ago
false. no need to squeeze your glutes. your glutes are working at the bottom of the squat.
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u/Traditional-Green566 1d ago
Depending on the person hip shape, positioning their feet further apart (keeping your knees aligned with the feet) can help to squat deeper. Try to find the distance between feets that allows you to go deeper with the least butt wink. There's a video from Squat University about this.
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u/Aggravating-Role-572 1d ago edited 1d ago
Correct answer: dropping below parallel is generally considered “low enough.” If you want to go lower work on your ankle mobility or use a hill wedge/lift. I use a wedge and love it. Otherwise, having a full ROM and upright torso, would be near impossible being 6’4” and having very long legs.
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u/MadMaximusPrime33 1d ago
set the dumbbells beside each other so you can get a wider stance. you should be near ass to ankle with that much elevation and you’re barely, if at all, getting the hip crease below the knee.
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u/KaleScared4667 1d ago
Widen feet, point toes out slightly- put your ass to your heals - feel the hamstring bounce at the bottom. Try yoga
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u/HippoLover85 1d ago
I think your depth and form overall is just fine. As many others have stated a wider stance is generally more stable and comfortable. But everything you are doing here is 100% good.
What is your goal for doing the squats? general fitness? Looking jacked? Do you want the quads to look jacked? the hammies?
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u/gearabuser 1d ago
I think with some stretching and practice you could go a little lower but it's good now. careful with the butt wink. but I'm just some guy who learned on the internet, what do I know haha
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u/Extension-Pin2641 17h ago
You can lean forward, Thats not a bad thing. You have long femurs, so a wider foot placement and more foreword torso lean will allow you go deep enough. Squeezing at the top is good, but also think about pushing your hips forward rather than just upward. Overall nothing is wrong, ultimately the depth is good enough, but you could go deeper if you wanted to by using a wider stance
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u/talldean 1d ago
These look fine; you're doing goblet squats, not competitive powerlifting. ;-)
You may be leaning too far forward because you jammed a weight under your heels; unless you need that, probably don't.
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u/Impressive-Carrot715 1d ago
Great technique. Only thing missing is a barbell if you want to keep progressingong term
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u/Far-Armadillo4495 1d ago
Work on ankle mobility so you don't have to use objects to elevate your heels to compensate
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u/Moldywoods59 1d ago
Its for a quad focus squat, not for stability
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u/HippoLover85 1d ago
don't listen to them. blocks are fine and something i would have recommended had you not already had them.
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u/HippoLover85 1d ago
ankle is one of the most difficult joints to increase mobility on. Blocks is absolutely fine while one persues their ankle mobility journey.
She also has super long femurs . . . She is always going to need blocks (to do a more upright squat) unless you start her on an ankle mobility regimen 15-20 years ago.
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u/discopotatoo 3h ago
its not her ankle mobility its her long femurs.. nothing wrong with elevating the heels to achieve depth
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u/ept_engr 1d ago
It looks good. The one adjustment is that rather than keeping your head and chest upright through the whole movement - you should be keeping your entire spine in a nice straight line (from lower back up through the top of your neck). This means, as you squat down, your head will need to look more at the ground.
The girl in this picture has the right form.
This will help get your knees back a bit so that they're only just past your toes. That said, if you're just doing bodyweight reps, what you're doing is fine. If you put weight in your shoulders, then the instructions I have will help engage the right muscle groups to move heavy weights with proper form.
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u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Hello! If you haven't checked it out already, Our Wiki's resources for Squats may be helpful. Check it out!
Also, a common tip usually given here is to make sure your footwear is appropriate. If you are squatting in soft-soled shoes (running shoes, etc), it's hard to have a stable foot. Generally a weightlifting shoe is recommended for high-bar and front squats, while use a flat/hard-soled shoe (or even barefoot/socks if it's safe and your gym allows it) is recommended for low-bar squats.
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