During this lockdown, I have decided to concentrate on my physical health, and these vids allow me to make sure I am not harming my body while trying to improve it. Thank you!
CutoDracon quad dominant lifter, that s you? oh thighs, well stretch it a bit (corrective stretching, determine this for youself). maybe look for ways to shift the load on certain muscles. play with bringing your knees forward or back a bit, feel what it does. or maybe youre not using tour lats = unstable low back = collapsing pelvic floor = loadshift to your adductors. and do you fear or do you use tour hipflexors¿ isimply dont use em so i need to strengthen them
Thank you for this, Jeff. I just recently started squatting again after a pretty bad injury from improper form a few years ago and I am definitely going to be doing this when I squat from now on.
+Renma Dude, Saitama doesn't lift weights. You're supposed to run a 10k, do 100 situps, and 100 pushups everyday. Follow the tried-and-true method for strength training. EDIT: Oops. I went back and watched it again, and it turns out I forgot about the squats. I've been wasting all my training efforts!!! DX Still, though, they were bodyweight squats...
As a fencer, I find I have to work extra hard and pull every trick in the book with my main workout just to keep these tendencies in line. The tips, tricks, and overall nuggets of info on your channel certainly help! :)
You're videos have always helped me understand areas I knew I could improve on. I am a personal trainer myself and sometimes researching my planned programmes for my clients means they get a safer workout during their session and a better understanding of why. Even for my own training. I've learnt so much . Thanks . Keep it going.
Good tip. I have one issue: At around 1:53 in the video you say "head's up" and you look up toward the ceiling. Both Mike Matthews (Bigger Leaner Stronger) and Mark Rippetoe (Starting Strength) make an emphatic point of saying that you should NEVER look up during a squat. You should look at the floor, 5 or 6 feet ahead of you (or at a low point on the wall if you're close to that). Looking up causes a bad back angle and even possible neck injury.
Looking up causes a better back angle actually. Im a big follower of mark rippetoe but he's not always right. Try squatting looking down, then try squatting looking up. What i've found is that your body will tend to move in the direction in which your head is pointing. If you look down, you will be more inclined to 'good morning' your squat and also round your upper back, while if you look forward or up, it's easier to maintain a straighter back and drive straight up. Just look at all the top level powerlifters, no one looks down. Same thing for deadlifts. Neck injury can happen if you take it to the extreme, which is the case with everything.
omiejay I can only say that Rippetoe isn't alone. Michael Matthews (BLS p. 115) writes: "Don't look up at the ceiling as some people advise as this alone completely ruins form -- it makes it almost impossible to reach the proper bottom position, it throws off proper hip movement and chest positioning ..." I see your point (though I think there's a difference between looking down and looking at the floor 6 feet out) but I see his logic: it would be difficult to squat with sufficient depth if your neck or head is bent upwards. He also makes the point that powerlifters have their own game; they squat in a way that allows for more weight -- which is what they're after -- but that isn't necessarily best for bodybuilding or general fitness. (Their wide stance, Matthews says, "reduces the role of the quads.") But whatever works for you. I'm currently using a weighted hip belt and avoiding the whole issue.
Interesting. Just watched Elliott Hulse do a video. He says to retract chin a bit and look forward and not up because it tends to bring the neck and shoulders forward also.Everyone is different but I prefer looking forward.
Steven Zak I gathered from so many trainers to keep eyes level and and chest up like you have a small balloon between your chin and chest that your trying to keep in place.
Daniel Herrera The two trainers I cited -- Rippetoe in particular, who is world reknowned, spends 65 pages(!) describing the squat in excruciating detail -- never said that you should look down at your feet, but rather at a spot on the floor out about 5 or 6 feet. Given that, in a back squat, your upper body is slanted forward 45 degrees (even though, yes, your chest is "up"), that's a natural posture. if you looked up any higher, your neck would be bent oddly backwards, which they say would utterly interfere with proper hip thrust. (Actually, it may be that the "trying to hold a balloon" posture isn't so different. It would seem to imply NOT lifting your head up, as Jeff did at 1:53, but rather aiming your eyes outward and slightly downward (since, again, your back is slanted downward 45 degrees).
I'd say deadlift is the hardest exercise to master, but alot of people who sit all day are often very tight in the hip and have problems with squats. But squat is the most natural movement, all kids do it automatically.
Fantastic video! This little tip has improved my knee pain while squatting massively and pointed out an imbalance that I need to focus on. Keep up the good work.
This video just explained the exact issue I've been having with my squats.. I've always avoided lifting heavy with them and just figured it was an injury related issue, I never even realized (until now) that my body is slightly canted which throws my knee out of alignment.. It's very slight, so I never notice it with light weight, but whenever I lift large my right knee feels like it twist in and gives out.. I always thought I just had a bad knee.. but now that I really think about it, from where I constantly sit to one side has made me naturally lean towards that side.. RUclips saving gains out here, thanks Jeff!
This guys advice is really awesome. I followed his advice and exercise in how to fix back pain in one of his video.... OmG.... It really works and I am better... I will listen to his advice guys..
@@sfhgdshj6944 Jeff has several videos on back pain. His best recommendations for several times daily therapeutic use is free hangs with toes on the ground so you can pull down the bar and stretch your lumbar spine (like an upside-down hang or inversion table would), followed by back extensions (Kenzie extensions, lying on the ground) for posterior bulging lumbar discs. Read about the Kenzie method, what these exercises are based on. Jeff has also recommended reverse back extensions with legs hanging off a bench or machine with a dumbbell loaded between the feet. With a bulging L4-L5, this is one of the few back exercises I can still do that has the potential for hypertrophy without a guarantee of reinjury.
Practicing the golf swing turned out to be great for relieving my lower back pain. As long as I avoided actually playing golf I was happy with the results.
Jeff, your videos are encyclopedias of information. No matter what subject you are covering you provide the most in-depth analysis and on any subject on the internet. Whenever I have a question about anything to do with nutrition, exercise routine, proper mechanics, injury prevention and rehabilitation, and a lesson on Magic Marker Poisoning 😁 I look for YOU. Thank You for sharing your abundance of knowledge with us. I look forward to seeing whatever you have coming in 2023. Happy/Healthy New Year to you and Jessie. 🙏
I learned how to squat after I switched to body weight exercises . After years of lifting weights like the magazine's and football taught me I met 2 guys who did kettlebell and body weight. That was a game changer. I actually learned how to use my muscles and proper form. Athlean X is amazing stuff.
Because of a neck injury I don’t barbell squat but I always goblet squat and I never concentrated on squaring my hips. I’m excited to try these corrections and see if it improves my development. Let’s go Mets!
It's good to see Jeff mention leg length imbalance, it's rare to see trainers consider this. I've had a row with a physiotherapist face to face because he was insisting my left leg was not shorter. The idiot pushed my right knee with the heel of his foot while I stood causing pain and making it all for nothing by being in denial about the left heel rising of the ground. He kept telling me I rose it and that I just need to flatten it. The last paragraph explains what happens because of this when I train. My left leg is 2 inches shorter than my right leg because of a hip injury. This means squats are two dangerous for me. I get problems with the hip from standing OHP and Romanian Dead Lifts and especially farmers walks. Afterwards and for about two days the left leg feels like it is dislocating sometimes when I stand. The pain is in the dent of the left glute. I have to do unilateral leg press to compensate for Squats and I have to start Romanian Deadlifts with the barbell racked at thigh level. When doing any standing lifts the main problem this imbalance causes is severe stiffness and aching in the left lumbar muscles. Seated OHP and other seated exercises don't work my core and legs at the same time, so I avoid them while I can. My right medial delt and right trap sometimes look less developed because I stand with my shorter leg with knee locked for hip stability while the right knee is slightly bent. Locking the right knee lifts the left foot of the floor. I do extra lateral raises on the right shoulder in the week to keep on top of that, and a few sets of dumbbell shrug.
I correct postural imbalances and I check myself every time before squatting to see if my pelvis is aligned and correct it if it's not. It's really freaky to squat with crooked pelvis(which is one cause for different leg lengths). It would be great if personal trainers could do this also for their clients on the spot.
filipcza That makes sense. In my case the imbalance is bone length, the pelvis is level, the hips are level and my nipples are level.Yet if I lockout my right knee, the left heel raises 2 inches. I've ordered shoe lifts so I can try one in my left shoe to even out the leg length. I thought of this after putting a weight plate under my left foot when doing deadlifts. I damaged my hip when running on some waste ground to get home quicker. There were some low walls which I jumped over. On the other side of one there was an unexpected twenty foot drop.
Even if there has been an accident it still might be correctable. I've corrected several imbalances which came after accidents. Usually there is imbalance in ankles, knees, hips or pelvis(or combination of all) and after all these are corrected leg length has been corrected pretty much every time. The hard thing is to find someone who knows how to measure and correct whole body. Because if you correct just one spot and leave another, then the body will compensate again and imbalance returns.
filipcza The specialist I saw about my left hip had me penciled in for a hip replacement last year but I've not gone through with it. I can't do something which will jeapordise my ability to lift. My right leg and knee in particular is fucked after compensating for the shortage in the left leg for years, so like you point out, a different left leg length is going to probably screw that more. Deadlifts make me have no worries about back problems, it's just the stability of my left leg and hip, and the right knee too. I've got a reconstructed left arm, left shoulder and left wrist too plus a broken thumb on the left hand. I say a prayer before every bench press and standing OHP. I always say "At least I'll die doing what I love." I best leave my body to science so they can recycle all the pins and plates screwed to my bones.
It's quite intriguing cos I feel my right leg to be shorter than my left. When I walk, I feel that my right leg takes a bit longer to touch the ground. I have no idea if this can truly be corrected completely or how or by whom. it sucks.
This was literally so helpful. I'm about 5'1" and my friend told me my knee was caving in because I was short and couldn't handle the weight. Really, it was just my form. However, I have great form if I'm around 120lbs. But once i hit 190 and up my entire (right) hip and knee start going inward. It's hard being a girl at the gym, people blame my problems on being a girl, not because something may actually be wrong! lol thank you forreal man
I’ve been telling clients to squeeze their glutes before the squat to even the hips for years. Then i realized I watched this years ago. 😂💪🏽 Appreciate you Jeff!
For some reason there is something confusing on what he means by square to some people. All he is talking about is proper body alignment. For instance if you squat and you can see your body shift slightly left or right as you come down you know you have a dominant side in your core and legs. When you square up with something you are facing it in equal measure and form...
I have never seen the word "square" used to much in a context where I cannot see anything that is actually square. His feet dont form a square, his hips dont form a square... I am lost
Alan Frost Lol. I won't bash you if you're being serious, but you've really never heard the word "square" used to describe things that are orthogonal -- i.e., at a right angle to one another? It doesn't necessarily mean that something forms a square. For example, "The walls of the room and the floor aren't square." There's actually a carpenter's tool, called a square, used for this very purpose. I realize that he points his feet slightly outward, but the idea is that the angle between either hip and the corresponding foot should be the same; when your feet are pointing forward, it would form a 90 degree angle.
jwhite326 Seriously? Nope never have. Seems entirely odd to me considering we have words that actually mean that, but if that is what's going on, then thanks for letting me know.
jwhite326 Actually, he should be using the term parallel, not square, as it is more accurate and applies to what he is saying. Toes, hips and shoulders should all be parallel to each other. The term square does on fact refer to 90 degree angles. Even his golf example is incorrect as any golf instructor will teach a student to keep their lines parallel to the target to prevent coming over the top or steep inside.
Josh Murray No it is not ... he said square to the line - so he means 90 degrees to the line...carpenters use a try square to check their angles are 90 degrees to each other - not parallel
EhButU Look, if he is stating square to the line, that means each foot is sitting 90 degrees to the line. Even your carpenters square example requires the new line to be at 90 degree angles to the primary line. Or perhaps you've never actually used a carpenter's square. In his example, he should state that the shoulder hip and toe lines need to be parallel - nothing is square. He simple misstated, or used the wrong terminology. Just because you are a fan boy doesn't make him right and doesn't make your lack of understanding regarding geometry or the use of a square correct.
My god... I was wondering why it always felt like my left knee was so tense after leg days... this could've been a joint saver for me, such an amazing channel
Phyllis Landis - you look good! Keep doing what you're doing and I'm sure you'll still be watching RUclips at 99. It's really cool you keep up with technology, at least to the point where you can comment on YT. You've got it (life) right, i believe!
hm never really thought of there being a proper strength ratio between muscle groups...I thought it was always genetic and that some people will just simply be stronger in certain lifts due to body structure and shape.
thank you for your physique knowledge. You help a lot of people. I have Knock knees from Emotional trauma and use your techniques to stand properly. 5'1" to 5'3" every inch helps!
Good tip on re-aligning the hips just in case they are by tightening the glutes! Excellent video. Came here from the link on the Athlean-X portal. Great job Jeff. Athlean-X subscriber.
Been watching your channel for years. Very informative. Never seen a video of you working out. You should do that! Curious on how strong your lifts are. Good Video
I just wanted to say congratulations ive been watching you for a couple years now and know your advice is very helpful. You've made it a long way making your channel reach more views and subscribers. Thank you for creating this channel. By the way ignore the picture i have i got hacked and when i was able to sign back in i had that picture there.
greatpathisnopath Correct. One can also have a small hemi-pelvis. A good Palmer graduate specializing in and able to perform Gonstead technique, and uses X-ray as part of the evaluation, is invaluable before anyone even touches weights. Deep tissue myofascial therapy equally as valuable.
Allen Jacob Well I've never really done squats before and this 2014 was pretty much my first year that I really got serious into working out, like using bench press and all sorts of stuff. Now, someone told me that squats are bad for you if you don't have a straight back, which in my case happened from bad positioned sitting over time, so I got scared a bit there, and I never really got into squats then. But now I'm thinking that I should do squats for soccer but I just don't know how and what I should do and know.
Is Butt wink the thing where it looks like the butt is moving up or down as he is going up and down during the squat? Looks like Jeff had butt wink according to that squat at the beginning of the video. Also, should my pelvis be in anterior tilt for the entire squat or posterior tilt?
AnAsianGeek FX wish I could figure this one out myself.. especially which tilt you should be in. I thought it was posterior. Squats tend to freak me out a bit - probably because there’s so much going on and you can mess up at any given point. Even going down and forgetting to activate glutes. Hopefully someone responds to this comment eventually
Try to hold your pelvis in midline or rather stay with a posterior tilt. With an anterior tilt you're taking your glutes out of this movement. Just try squeezing your glutes eitg anterior and posterior tilt, you'll notice :)
I'm just now learning how the hip is an u deniable factor in core training. From running form to now squatting form I hope to transform my body after learning such awareness. Before I ever lost fat from my gut my glutes grew 3x the size they used to be
It's amazing how the video quality changed over time allowing Jeff to up the clarity of his messages. Also, this video is now old enough for VShredz to reference, duplicate and post as an original on his channel.
Yeah what i said was definitely misleading, the bar isn't literally on my neck and I lay it on my traps but the bar still hurts my spinal bones that travels up my neck
try getting the arms further tucked in to increase contracted musculature in the traps. see if this works. I'd probably place about and inch or two lower as well, but I have no idea where your bar placement is, exactly.
Hey Jeff! I am doing my courses to become a certified trainer. I would like to send you a thank you card for all the tips I’ve gained from your page. Thanks again!
With dead lift I used to do that, I lightened the weight and made sure I didnt let my hips shift and it balanced everything out and feels good when I lift now
I'm 70kg, I can do pistol squat with low extra weight (my max is 15kg) but my max on squat is around 65kg... Pistol squat is more about balance and technic and since your weight is centred you don't use abductor that much. Watch Calisthenic videos for tutorial, start with close feet squat, use elastic to help, do the "duck" : close your feet, sit on your heels and just bounce from 1 foot to another and feel the burn on the glute. ;) (hope it helps, my english may not be that good).
My feet and hips postures are unbalanced (I see orthopaedist) and moreover I mainly work on bodyweight workouts. I'm not into weighted exercises that much.
Just be careful, I was squatting 250lbs last year at 14 years old and it seriously messed up my knees with something called Osgood Schlatter. I haven't been able to squat since last winter
In my opinion, by incorporating a posterior tilt of the ribcage (as happens when performing pullovers) into the movement, the lower portion of the upper body is brought into better alignment hence better engagement. This also creates more volume in the upper body as a whole which aids in supporting added weight. This creates a natural arch in the back and a slight bend in the knees. Therefore a more accurate cue would be to stand taller, which includes elongation of various parts of the upper body.
Kingsley Amafor thx a lot man :) actually went to 2 doctors, orthopedic & a physiotherapist, both did the same course " pain killer & some anti muscle cramps, the pain went away for some time and then came back again, I might go for MRI soon, wish you all the best
Get some patella tendon knee straps, generally knee pain is associated with that unless you've injured them previously or have some kind of condition. Hope this helps
![GEEK TIMË [OFFICIAL AUDIO]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ry-6RvkH880/mqdefault.jpg)
I will keep this in mind for when I do my annual leg day
😂
😂😂😂😂😂
lol
Lmao
same
I never feel like Im squatting right
same
The Other Kid I still do em though, still have wobbly legs for a few days and still haven't wrecked my back so I must be doing them somewhat right.
fuck me too and I've been doing it for years
me too
Though I was the only one
You know a channel is good when you've been training for 15 years and still learn something fascinating and new in every video.
Stairs is the worst enemy after leg day
Shashank Gupta Sitting on the toilet
Agreeing the part on sitting on the toilet after the 2nd day. First day nothing really, but the next if a hell when you try and sit down.
Ray so tru
+LiberalTears AreDrowningMe i gotta put both hands down on the seat I feel like an old ass man hahaha love leg day
Shashank Gupta these comments r damn funny
I was waiting for him to turn around and be like "Oh...youre here" proper old school style at the beginning.
"didn't see you come in c;"
"Oh, hi. Didn't see you there"
Skyrim NPC style
Turns around: "Hey, who are you?!"
You guys are too funny 😂😂😂😂
During this lockdown, I have decided to concentrate on my physical health, and these vids allow me to make sure I am not harming my body while trying to improve it. Thank you!
Same here. Well I just started in January. Sticking with it though. 🙏🏻
squat #999998
squat#999999
'sup guys Jeff Cavellier
verjemAhajadba that was hilarious 😂
that's actually funny lol
lmao
weak, didn’t do one more
And still not out of breath 😂
So this is what Ross has been doing since friends ended....
LMAO
OMGG lolll
Oh shiat!
2010drive lol
2010drive i thought im only one who thought about ross,when i saw this guy
Back when Jeff used to wear a Tshirt 😂
He doesn't fit in tshirts anymore.
You gotta wear a shirt when squating or the bar will chew ur shoulders up when u load it with enough weight
Thanks for the advice Ross from Friends
Omg you guys are insane about Ross!!! lmao
+Lori Gardner he's the best
Wow, now you've said that I even think he sounds like Ross.
ughhh why? now I only hear Ross :(
+Kyle Payne s
*jeff* : its like playing golf
*Me* : searches how to play golf
Coriantumr Makasini lmao right who tf knows how to play golf
León Morales Abby from the Last of Us 2
I have come from the future to warn you of an impending t-shirt shortage.
Chad Gillis this is awesome
Thanks Chad. I have stalked up on a lifetime supply of hanes beefy t’s
underrated comment
When I do squat, I don't feel it in my butt but I really feel it in my thighs...
CutoDracon quad dominant lifter, that s you? oh thighs, well stretch it a bit (corrective stretching, determine this for youself). maybe look for ways to shift the load on certain muscles. play with bringing your knees forward or back a bit, feel what it does. or maybe youre not using tour lats = unstable low back = collapsing pelvic floor = loadshift to your adductors. and do you fear or do you use tour hipflexors¿ isimply dont use em so i need to strengthen them
I don't to squads with weights, just my body. If that helps.
Why don't you use weights?
CutoDracon same I find tucking my pelvis a bit helps. after I started doing this my ass was on fire
yahh i feel the same
It's hip to be square
+tom iguess Hahahhh!
hip..hip...,so hip to be!!!!!📣📣📣🎤🎤🎤🎶🎶🎶🎶
Hey, Allen! "What?" AHHHHHGGHGHFHGG!!!!!!
+Anthony Dark I get it 😁
tom iguess It's because you're square if you wanna be hip
Thank you for this, Jeff. I just recently started squatting again after a pretty bad injury from improper form a few years ago and I am definitely going to be doing this when I squat from now on.
Got to get these 101 squats in if I'm going to be stronger than Saitama.
see ya in.church bruh
+Renma Dude, Saitama doesn't lift weights. You're supposed to run a 10k, do 100 situps, and 100 pushups everyday. Follow the tried-and-true method for strength training.
EDIT: Oops. I went back and watched it again, and it turns out I forgot about the squats. I've been wasting all my training efforts!!! DX Still, though, they were bodyweight squats...
Saitama is a weak ass bitch, goku is way stronger
Absolutgaming
Saitama would take goku out faster than goku could, well... get two punches.
+Renma join the navy seal
As a fencer, I find I have to work extra hard and pull every trick in the book with my main workout just to keep these tendencies in line.
The tips, tricks, and overall nuggets of info on your channel certainly help! :)
You're videos have always helped me understand areas I knew I could improve on. I am a personal trainer myself and sometimes researching my planned programmes for my clients means they get a safer workout during their session and a better understanding of why. Even for my own training. I've learnt so much .
Thanks . Keep it going.
Good tip. I have one issue: At around 1:53 in the video you say "head's up" and you look up toward the ceiling. Both Mike Matthews (Bigger Leaner Stronger) and Mark Rippetoe (Starting Strength) make an emphatic point of saying that you should NEVER look up during a squat. You should look at the floor, 5 or 6 feet ahead of you (or at a low point on the wall if you're close to that). Looking up causes a bad back angle and even possible neck injury.
Looking up causes a better back angle actually.
Im a big follower of mark rippetoe but he's not always right.
Try squatting looking down, then try squatting looking up.
What i've found is that your body will tend to move in the direction in which your head is pointing. If you look down, you will be more inclined to 'good morning' your squat and also round your upper back, while if you look forward or up, it's easier to maintain a straighter back and drive straight up. Just look at all the top level powerlifters, no one looks down.
Same thing for deadlifts.
Neck injury can happen if you take it to the extreme, which is the case with everything.
omiejay I can only say that Rippetoe isn't alone. Michael Matthews (BLS p. 115) writes: "Don't look up at the ceiling as some people advise as this alone completely ruins form -- it makes it almost impossible to reach the proper bottom position, it throws off proper hip movement and chest positioning ..." I see your point (though I think there's a difference between looking down and looking at the floor 6 feet out) but I see his logic: it would be difficult to squat with sufficient depth if your neck or head is bent upwards. He also makes the point that powerlifters have their own game; they squat in a way that allows for more weight -- which is what they're after -- but that isn't necessarily best for bodybuilding or general fitness. (Their wide stance, Matthews says, "reduces the role of the quads.") But whatever works for you. I'm currently using a weighted hip belt and avoiding the whole issue.
Interesting. Just watched Elliott Hulse do a video. He says to retract chin a bit and look forward and not up because it tends to bring the neck and shoulders forward also.Everyone is different but I prefer looking forward.
Steven Zak I gathered from so many trainers to keep eyes level and and chest up like you have a small balloon between your chin and chest that your trying to keep in place.
Daniel Herrera The two trainers I cited -- Rippetoe in particular, who is world reknowned, spends 65 pages(!) describing the squat in excruciating detail -- never said that you should look down at your feet, but rather at a spot on the floor out about 5 or 6 feet. Given that, in a back squat, your upper body is slanted forward 45 degrees (even though, yes, your chest is "up"), that's a natural posture. if you looked up any higher, your neck would be bent oddly backwards, which they say would utterly interfere with proper hip thrust. (Actually, it may be that the "trying to hold a balloon" posture isn't so different. It would seem to imply NOT lifting your head up, as Jeff did at 1:53, but rather aiming your eyes outward and slightly downward (since, again, your back is slanted downward 45 degrees).
this guy speaks my language; Logic, reason, functionality.
+Hassan Alameedi quiet Hassan, before I waterboard you.
+WittyRants haha you're a savage
Adam Raza u
Adam Raza No dude these are not languages. Languages are like English, Spanish, Punjabi, Hindi etc. Jeez what a DUMBASS!!
Callimo why the hate, who hurt you friend?
“Knees go out”...and my form just got fixed. Amazing
You should do a video for beginners on how to squat. Not just a form fix.
LiNingAir squats are easy af tho
Its actually the hardest exercise to execute in perfect form consistently. Stop being a knob and maybe try to be more helpful next time ye?
David Huang Soz I was a bit carried away there :P
LiNingAir
I'd say deadlift is the hardest exercise to master, but alot of people who sit all day are often very tight in the hip and have problems with squats. But squat is the most natural movement, all kids do it automatically.
Fantastic video! This little tip has improved my knee pain while squatting massively and pointed out an imbalance that I need to focus on. Keep up the good work.
This video just explained the exact issue I've been having with my squats.. I've always avoided lifting heavy with them and just figured it was an injury related issue, I never even realized (until now) that my body is slightly canted which throws my knee out of alignment.. It's very slight, so I never notice it with light weight, but whenever I lift large my right knee feels like it twist in and gives out.. I always thought I just had a bad knee.. but now that I really think about it, from where I constantly sit to one side has made me naturally lean towards that side.. RUclips saving gains out here, thanks Jeff!
it's like playing galf. It's like playing GALF.
😂😂💀
golf
I am dead
This guys advice is really awesome. I followed his advice and exercise in how to fix back pain in one of his video.... OmG.... It really works and I am better... I will listen to his advice guys..
Rahman Alwi link to vid?
funnybomb shat uhap
His burner account lol
@@sfhgdshj6944 Jeff has several videos on back pain. His best recommendations for several times daily therapeutic use is free hangs with toes on the ground so you can pull down the bar and stretch your lumbar spine (like an upside-down hang or inversion table would), followed by back extensions (Kenzie extensions, lying on the ground) for posterior bulging lumbar discs. Read about the Kenzie method, what these exercises are based on. Jeff has also recommended reverse back extensions with legs hanging off a bench or machine with a dumbbell loaded between the feet. With a bulging L4-L5, this is one of the few back exercises I can still do that has the potential for hypertrophy without a guarantee of reinjury.
Jeff seems like a really genuine good guy. His videos have helped me so much.
if you close your eyes its as if ross geller is talking
lmao
haha haha
lol he does sound a lot like him
Dammit, Adam..
lol
+adam smith man! haha
Watching these old videos compared to the newer ones feels like I'm watching them at 0.5x speed 🤣
Practicing the golf swing turned out to be great for relieving my lower back pain. As long as I avoided actually playing golf I was happy with the results.
I am 80 years old and have been bodybuilding for about 65 years --despite all the negative comments this is an excellent informative video,
Interesting!
holy shit, he's actually wearing a shirt.
Yung Brizzy you're right. He should of took off his pants
Nick should have* ffs
To my disappointment.
Try to squat with no shirt on. It's not much fun.
Matt Britzius lmao
Jeff, your videos are encyclopedias of information. No matter what subject you are covering you provide the most in-depth analysis and on any subject on the internet. Whenever I have a question about anything to do with nutrition, exercise routine, proper mechanics, injury prevention and rehabilitation, and a lesson on Magic Marker Poisoning 😁 I look for YOU. Thank You for sharing your abundance of knowledge with us. I look forward to seeing whatever you have coming in 2023. Happy/Healthy New Year to you and Jessie. 🙏
I learned how to squat after I switched to body weight exercises . After years of lifting weights like the magazine's and football taught me I met 2 guys who did kettlebell and body weight. That was a game changer. I actually learned how to use my muscles and proper form. Athlean X is amazing stuff.
"he doesn't really look like Ross" *starts speaking* "ohhh"
Because of a neck injury I don’t barbell squat but I always goblet squat and I never concentrated on squaring my hips. I’m excited to try these corrections and see if it improves my development. Let’s go Mets!
It's good to see Jeff mention leg length imbalance, it's rare to see trainers consider this. I've had a row with a physiotherapist face to face because he was insisting my left leg was not shorter. The idiot pushed my right knee with the heel of his foot while I stood causing pain and making it all for nothing by being in denial about the left heel rising of the ground. He kept telling me I rose it and that I just need to flatten it. The last paragraph explains what happens because of this when I train.
My left leg is 2 inches shorter than my right leg because of a hip injury. This means squats are two dangerous for me. I get problems with the hip from standing OHP and Romanian Dead Lifts and especially farmers walks. Afterwards and for about two days the left leg feels like it is dislocating sometimes when I stand. The pain is in the dent of the left glute.
I have to do unilateral leg press to compensate for Squats and I have to start Romanian Deadlifts with the barbell racked at thigh level.
When doing any standing lifts the main problem this imbalance causes is severe stiffness and aching in the left lumbar muscles.
Seated OHP and other seated exercises don't work my core and legs at the same time, so I avoid them while I can.
My right medial delt and right trap sometimes look less developed because I stand with my shorter leg with knee locked for hip stability while the right knee is slightly bent. Locking the right knee lifts the left foot of the floor. I do extra lateral raises on the right shoulder in the week to keep on top of that, and a few sets of dumbbell shrug.
I correct postural imbalances and I check myself every time before squatting to see if my pelvis is aligned and correct it if it's not. It's really freaky to squat with crooked pelvis(which is one cause for different leg lengths). It would be great if personal trainers could do this also for their clients on the spot.
filipcza
That makes sense. In my case the imbalance is bone length, the pelvis is level, the hips are level and my nipples are level.Yet if I lockout my right knee, the left heel raises 2 inches.
I've ordered shoe lifts so I can try one in my left shoe to even out the leg length. I thought of this after putting a weight plate under my left foot when doing deadlifts.
I damaged my hip when running on some waste ground to get home quicker. There were some low walls which I jumped over. On the other side of one there was an unexpected twenty foot drop.
Even if there has been an accident it still might be correctable. I've corrected several imbalances which came after accidents. Usually there is imbalance in ankles, knees, hips or pelvis(or combination of all) and after all these are corrected leg length has been corrected pretty much every time. The hard thing is to find someone who knows how to measure and correct whole body. Because if you correct just one spot and leave another, then the body will compensate again and imbalance returns.
filipcza The specialist I saw about my left hip had me penciled in for a hip replacement last year but I've not gone through with it. I can't do something which will jeapordise my ability to lift. My right leg and knee in particular is fucked after compensating for the shortage in the left leg for years, so like you point out, a different left leg length is going to probably screw that more. Deadlifts make me have no worries about back problems, it's just the stability of my left leg and hip, and the right knee too. I've got a reconstructed left arm, left shoulder and left wrist too plus a broken thumb on the left hand. I say a prayer before every bench press and standing OHP.
I always say "At least I'll die doing what I love." I best leave my body to science so they can recycle all the pins and plates screwed to my bones.
It's quite intriguing cos I feel my right leg to be shorter than my left. When I walk, I feel that my right leg takes a bit longer to touch the ground. I have no idea if this can truly be corrected completely or how or by whom. it sucks.
This was literally so helpful. I'm about 5'1" and my friend told me my knee was caving in because I was short and couldn't handle the weight. Really, it was just my form. However, I have great form if I'm around 120lbs. But once i hit 190 and up my entire (right) hip and knee start going inward. It's hard being a girl at the gym, people blame my problems on being a girl, not because something may actually be wrong! lol thank you forreal man
@Deep Blue yup, no one gives a **** about you
I’ve been telling clients to squeeze their glutes before the squat to even the hips for years. Then i realized I watched this years ago. 😂💪🏽 Appreciate you Jeff!
For some reason there is something confusing on what he means by square to some people. All he is talking about is proper body alignment. For instance if you squat and you can see your body shift slightly left or right as you come down you know you have a dominant side in your core and legs. When you square up with something you are facing it in equal measure and form...
I have never seen the word "square" used to much in a context where I cannot see anything that is actually square. His feet dont form a square, his hips dont form a square... I am lost
Alan Frost Lol. I won't bash you if you're being serious, but you've really never heard the word "square" used to describe things that are orthogonal -- i.e., at a right angle to one another? It doesn't necessarily mean that something forms a square. For example, "The walls of the room and the floor aren't square." There's actually a carpenter's tool, called a square, used for this very purpose. I realize that he points his feet slightly outward, but the idea is that the angle between either hip and the corresponding foot should be the same; when your feet are pointing forward, it would form a 90 degree angle.
jwhite326 Seriously? Nope never have. Seems entirely odd to me considering we have words that actually mean that, but if that is what's going on, then thanks for letting me know.
jwhite326 Actually, he should be using the term parallel, not square, as it is more accurate and applies to what he is saying. Toes, hips and shoulders should all be parallel to each other. The term square does on fact refer to 90 degree angles. Even his golf example is incorrect as any golf instructor will teach a student to keep their lines parallel to the target to prevent coming over the top or steep inside.
Josh Murray No it is not ... he said square to the line - so he means 90 degrees to the line...carpenters use a try square to check their angles are 90 degrees to each other - not parallel
EhButU Look, if he is stating square to the line, that means each foot is sitting 90 degrees to the line. Even your carpenters square example requires the new line to be at 90 degree angles to the primary line. Or perhaps you've never actually used a carpenter's square. In his example, he should state that the shoulder hip and toe lines need to be parallel - nothing is square. He simple misstated, or used the wrong terminology. Just because you are a fan boy doesn't make him right and doesn't make your lack of understanding regarding geometry or the use of a square correct.
My god... I was wondering why it always felt like my left knee was so tense after leg days... this could've been a joint saver for me, such an amazing channel
Thanks. I am a 79 year old women and squats areimportant to me so Thanks for the heads up.
your profile pic
get that ass grandma.
Phyllis Landis
Phyllis Landis - you look good! Keep doing what you're doing and I'm sure you'll still be watching RUclips at 99. It's really cool you keep up with technology, at least to the point where you can comment on YT. You've got it (life) right, i believe!
@@needforspeedXL lol
Straight from the hip, cut to the chase, I gotta try this out now. Good information.
Michael Bernhardt play no games,take no names
Ever since I broke with up what's her face
Say new names, play new games
I'm a different man
bitch y ask
Great step by step illustration for monitoring correct instruction for establishing proper squat form. OUTSTANDING!
I love it when you wear the physical therapy hat! Can you talk about proper strength ratios between muscle groups?
hm never really thought of there being a proper strength ratio between muscle groups...I thought it was always genetic and that some people will just simply be stronger in certain lifts due to body structure and shape.
I farted...thanks.
Louise Allan that's annoying
Chacho Guevara haha I never have farted when I'm doing squats
Chacho Guevara 😂😂😂
This made me fart
I sharted
thank you for your physique knowledge. You help a lot of people. I have Knock knees from Emotional trauma and use your techniques to stand properly. 5'1" to 5'3" every inch helps!
Holy crap! Jeff owned a shirt back then.
@Jadon Frick the Pope's is
WOW just squatting with body weight I can see already that this will help my form, thanx again, Love ur channel!
Good tip on re-aligning the hips just in case they are by tightening the glutes! Excellent video.
Came here from the link on the Athlean-X portal.
Great job Jeff.
Athlean-X subscriber.
Been watching your channel for years. Very informative. Never seen a video of you working out. You should do that! Curious on how strong your lifts are. Good Video
He has! It's a complete chest workout and should be on his channel somewhere
Not those athlean x workouts but his own
Alexis Velazquez That chest workout was his own. he also did a back workout "back workout in 23 minutes" or something like that.
*****
Good one lmao haha
Exactly what I needed to learn now. That alignment trick is amazing.
Thank you.
I just wanted to say congratulations ive been watching you for a couple years now and know your advice is very helpful. You've made it a long way making your channel reach more views and subscribers. Thank you for creating this channel. By the way ignore the picture i have i got hacked and when i was able to sign back in i had that picture there.
This guy always has the best pointers!!
This is extremely helpful. Been slacking off on my form. Like/subbed
Crazy to see how far this dude has come
I had a leg length imbalance. Went to a Palmer style Chiropractor, fixed me right up. Legs are now even.
I went to Palmer style chiropractic, I was raped by a gerbil and now a tree is growing out of my forehead.
good for you?
Functional short leg maybe. The only fix for a structural short leg is a heel lift.
greatpathisnopath
Correct.
One can also have a small hemi-pelvis.
A good Palmer graduate specializing in and able to perform Gonstead technique, and uses X-ray as part of the evaluation, is invaluable before anyone even touches weights.
Deep tissue myofascial therapy equally as valuable.
Holy shit I feel better with my squats already just practicing with the bar. Thank you so much jeff!!!
You're one of the best trainers I've come across in a while. Thanks for putting out such great information. Everything you say always makes sense.
He sounds like that dude from friends.
Ross?
Tommy Tucker Yup
OMG YES
Agreed!
YEAH!!! :) lol
can you please say, "Pivot, Pivot, PIVOT!!""
Stupendous Jia 😂😂😂
This video is helpful as i was doing squats the way they aught not be done , will watch it several times
Is this David Schwimmer
it is, actually
I thought it was Ray Romano's buff brother.
Divorce force !
He sounds like Ross from Friends :O
lol and looks
Anvi Srivastava LOL
FALSE!
Ross from Friends sounds nothing like this..
Ross from Friends - Suzinak
Can't unhear... ahhh
You have come a LONG way Jeff, thank you!!🔥🔥
Are the bones in my neck suppose to hurt when I do squats?
maybe try placing the bar a little lower on your traps, if that doesn't work you need to build some bigger traps
Ok I'll try that. Also, my spine isn't completely straight; it's a but curvy in one area. Is it a bad idea to do a squat with curved spine?
Park Andrew same here bro.. got a droop on ma upper back which is becoming a problem while doing squats specially bar squats
Allen Jacob Well I've never really done squats before and this 2014 was pretty much my first year that I really got serious into working out, like using bench press and all sorts of stuff. Now, someone told me that squats are bad for you if you don't have a straight back, which in my case happened from bad positioned sitting over time, so I got scared a bit there, and I never really got into squats then. But now I'm thinking that I should do squats for soccer but I just don't know how and what I should do and know.
Park Andrew hire a trainer , you'll never get it from a you tube description. you need someone to observe your body mechanics
how do you fix it? Chiropractor for a hip adjustment? mine fixed my back in a treatment session
and whatnot and strength improved dramatically..
Thank you for all your videos, you've helped me immensely. You're the only youtuber I really trust. Thank you so much man
Added to my workout playlist 👍
Is Butt wink the thing where it looks like the butt is moving up or down as he is going up and down during the squat? Looks like Jeff had butt wink according to that squat at the beginning of the video. Also, should my pelvis be in anterior tilt for the entire squat or posterior tilt?
AnAsianGeek FX wish I could figure this one out myself.. especially which tilt you should be in. I thought it was posterior.
Squats tend to freak me out a bit - probably because there’s so much going on and you can mess up at any given point. Even going down and forgetting to activate glutes.
Hopefully someone responds to this comment eventually
Try to hold your pelvis in midline or rather stay with a posterior tilt.
With an anterior tilt you're taking your glutes out of this movement. Just try squeezing your glutes eitg anterior and posterior tilt, you'll notice :)
I'm just now learning how the hip is an u deniable factor in core training. From running form to now squatting form I hope to transform my body after learning such awareness.
Before I ever lost fat from my gut my glutes grew 3x the size they used to be
when i squat, i feel pain on my back. Did my step wrong?
Watching in 2019, too? :)
I'm the king of squat ok
2020 ;)
2020 here too
It's amazing how the video quality changed over time allowing Jeff to up the clarity of his messages. Also, this video is now old enough for VShredz to reference, duplicate and post as an original on his channel.
some people don't fully lock out at the top because they are trying to have constant tension on the quads..which burns like a bitch.
Plot Twist,,,, I have a Glutes imbalance !
😂😂😂😂
+Lugo Suarez xD
You are the man Jeff thank you for having a heart and kindness for people trying to get fit. #stayblessed
Hey Jeff, could you help me out on this? I have long legs and I cant seem to squat low enough. How can I fix this?
I have long legs too. What I notice myself doing is, as I get lower, I pop out my butt more without letting my knees go past my toes.
What about reducing the pain from the bar on your neck? I find that the heavier weights I put it hurts the bone connecting my spine to my neck
The bar shouldn't be on your neck! It should be at the base of your traps...
Lmao the bar shouldn't be on your neck it should be on your traps.
Yeah what i said was definitely misleading, the bar isn't literally on my neck and I lay it on my traps but the bar still hurts my spinal bones that travels up my neck
try getting the arms further tucked in to increase contracted musculature in the traps. see if this works. I'd probably place about and inch or two lower as well, but I have no idea where your bar placement is, exactly.
+Jay C ..exactly!!!
jeff is hands down the best trainer i know
He's having a shirt on!!!
Good job bro ;)
I always imagine doing the russian squat sitting like that for hours
I automatically thumbs up every video before it even plays. Bless up, Jeff.
I was waiting for him to say - We were on a breaaaakkk!!
Hey Jeff! I am doing my courses to become a certified trainer. I would like to send you a thank you card for all the tips I’ve gained from your page. Thanks again!
Thats why i squat on a smith machine. If my feet are square to the bar my hips have no choice but to be square. Good Explanation. Love the videos
Still i didn't learn squatting
Great great video Jeff. Thank you
With dead lift I used to do that, I lightened the weight and made sure I didnt let my hips shift and it balanced everything out and feels good when I lift now
This guy is a FKING GENIUS
Y2 L yep
JEFF !! why is squatting with both legs so easy with just bodyweight but when I do a 1 leg squat I can hardly get 1 full squat
Balance
Aliens.
I'm 70kg, I can do pistol squat with low extra weight (my max is 15kg) but my max on squat is around 65kg... Pistol squat is more about balance and technic and since your weight is centred you don't use abductor that much. Watch Calisthenic videos for tutorial, start with close feet squat, use elastic to help, do the "duck" : close your feet, sit on your heels and just bounce from 1 foot to another and feel the burn on the glute. ;) (hope it helps, my english may not be that good).
Gumnball How in earth is your squat max only 65kg?
My feet and hips postures are unbalanced (I see orthopaedist) and moreover I mainly work on bodyweight workouts. I'm not into weighted exercises that much.
Thank you for sharing this quality information, I learn something every time I watch your channel.
really did help because I'm a junior in high school and now i squat 520
thats beast man just make sure u keep perfect form 24/7 or you will crack something that heavy
i will thank you
BS
Just be careful, I was squatting 250lbs last year at 14 years old and it seriously messed up my knees with something called Osgood Schlatter. I haven't been able to squat since last winter
***** lol prolly right
Racking the weight to low, dangerous
Kyle Browning yes I noticed that too! It’s properly because the squat rack cannot go down more🤷🏽♂️ Jeff knows more than that I think
In my opinion, by incorporating a posterior tilt of the ribcage (as happens when performing pullovers) into the movement, the lower portion of the upper body is brought into better alignment hence better engagement. This also creates more volume in the upper body as a whole which aids in supporting added weight. This creates a natural arch in the back and a slight bend in the knees. Therefore a more accurate cue would be to stand taller, which includes elongation of various parts of the upper body.
I am suffering a lower back tear that prevents me from squatting & deadlifting, is there any solution to that ?
Rest up, see a doctor, use a belt or waist strap to support your back...And don't ever push through the pain, it isn't worth it
Kingsley Amafor thx a lot man :) actually went to 2 doctors, orthopedic & a physiotherapist, both did the same course " pain killer & some anti muscle cramps, the pain went away for some time and then came back again, I might go for MRI soon, wish you all the best
Alright bro, good luck and same to you!
back brace.
+Mohammed, try a different exercise.
My knees hurt a lot when i do squats
Get some patella tendon knee straps, generally knee pain is associated with that unless you've injured them previously or have some kind of condition. Hope this helps
Aaron Gazname i will definitely get them. Thank you very much
Kneesovertoesguy on instagram
Every time I get an injury, Jeff is the man I go to!
Jeff .. you're an angel from the iron heavens lol
Lol and this was 2 days ago! haha Truth though.