Excessive forward lean on squats

Get your elbows pointed DOWN and not back. Keep your upper back tight. Those have helped me. I still suck at back squats but I don't GM them anymore.
 
for me a big part of not falling forward was upper back tightness and also slowing my descent, not jsut out right dropping. Once I did that and focused on pushing my core out my squat looked 1000% better.
 
Klotz said:
Could just be a core strength issue. Are you puffing a deep breath into your belly before squatting?
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I can almost guarantee that it is not a core strength issue. As anyone who has experienced this this problem can attest, a GM'd squat a given weight is a whole lot more of a "core" movement that a well-executed squat. You're taking the working that would normally be done by the legs and transferring it to the trunk. A good morning is the epitome of a heavy "core" lift. If the lifter had a weak core, his natural tendency would certainly not be to revert to a highly core-intensive bastardization of the squat.

IMO, the idea that excessive forward lean on squats is caused by a weak "core" is just one of those persistent lifting myths that won't die.

Also, I hate the word "core."
 
^^^Dude, theres nothing like a one legged bicep curl to shoulder press standing on a bosu to really get your TVA engaged.
 
I thought I was the only one that had this squat/gm issue. thanks for asking TS, and thanks for all the replies, especially the Dave Tate article. I'm definitely going to work on that at the gym tomorrow.
 
Oblivian, I'm doing a 3x5 version of stronglifts (due to time constraints), so I squat 3 times a week.

I've taken some of the advice here during my last workout on wednesday, and it was much better, but that might be due to the lowered weight. I'll make sure to keep the advice in mind as I go up in weight.

I'll try to get a video up of my squats sometime before my gym closes for a week for renovations.
 
Sirakoz said:
Oblivian, I'm doing a 3x5 version of stronglifts (due to time constraints), so I squat 3 times a week.

I've taken some of the advice here during my last workout on wednesday, and it was much better, but that might be due to the lowered weight. I'll make sure to keep the advice in mind as I go up in weight.

I'll try to get a video up of my squats sometime before my gym closes for a week for renovations.
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Good luck. It all just clicked for me one day. Just keep working on it and it will come.
 
Have you tried Goblet squats? Those are good at keeping you upright, would be good for a warm up to squatting.

Grab a dumbbell, hold it to your chest, keep your chest big, and squat deep. As deep as you can.
 
^Personally, I don't think stuff like that does crap for improving back squat mechanics. Might even make them worse, if you're not secure in you back squat form. The mechanics are quite different (good luck transferring your "hip drive" technique-or lack thereof-from goblet squats to back squats).

And you can't load goblet squats heavily enough to make them useful for anything other than conditioning.
 
^If someones knees adduct I will have them do stop at the bottom of a goblet squat, and drive their knees out with their elbows for a stretch. I have never tried GS for excessive forward lean as I normally will just have them stretch their hip flexors, calves and/or lats.
 
I have had this problem everysince I started repping >225. I was consistently told it was my core and upperback, but that was not the case.

As Oblivian and I think a few others mentioned, you are probably not focusing on your upperbody. A suggestion from CJK really helped me. He said to kick my elbow's untill they are pointed down and concentrate on pulling the bar into my back in a straight path toward the center of my foot. I got a chance to implement this today and this improved my form a ton. I did 7 or 8 sets at 215 or greater including setting a 1 rep p.r. and only goodmorninged the weight once or twice (which was when I was getting tired on my 10 rep sets and not concentrating on pulling the bar down). Last time I did a heavy set of ten I imagine I good morninged more than 50% and on those last reps and my lower back was feeling it.

My lower back felt a hell of a let better today after a pretty intense squat session than I can remember it feeling for the last few months after doing squats.
 
its weird because I find I can keep upper back tightest when elbows are pushed back so shoulders are internally rotated. it gave me forearm trouble tough. maybe ill try what the guy above me said.
 
You might want to try elevating your heels about 1". I have to do that.
The best thing to use is a 1"X4" board about 3 feet long, but that's not ideal to carry into/around a gym, so depending on the thickness, two 5 or 10lb. plates will do.

Having your feet elevated will allow you to 'stay back' when going down. It will increase the stress on your knees and lower quads, so reduce the weight you're currently using by about 25%.
 
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