24 Apr 10/20/Life: Fixing Your Squat

Identifying your weak points and fixing them is the most important part of any program. I can’t stress this enough. Instead of following a cookie-cutter program and getting mediocre results, you need to learn how to coach yourself by customizing your own training program to meet your particular needs. That’s how this works.

This is the first installment of a series designed to show how 10/20/Life will teach you how to do this. The idea is to show a video of someone performing one of the big lifts, followed by an explanation of what the person’s weak points are, and how they should be fixed. Today, we’ll address the squat, talking directly to the person who submitted the video:

APPROACH: This isn’t too bad. You set up pretty well, but you need to be tighter and more direct with your walkout. Your back gets a little soft, and your elbows come up slightly as your chest lowers. This isn’t a dealbreaker, but it will definitely hurt on your max attempts.

FORM: You’re a little bit “slinky” here. This causes you some back movement, along with a big hinge in the middle of your squat. See below for more suggestions, but in terms of your form, focus on pulling your elbows down and locking in your back. You can’t move your back like that and expect to stay tight and healthy. Aside from this, you’re okay, but the things I mentioned are pretty big.

WEAK POINTS: Mid and upper back, big time. Strengthening your core in general will help your walkout, along with your tightness on both your descent and your ascent. More lat and upper back power will prevent you from folding up the way you are, and it’ll keep you locked in. Refer to my lifter’s wedge video for both the squat and the deadlift to learn how to lock in your back. Grip the floor like a monkey—see how you’re rocking back and forth?—and lock your gaze on the point where the wall meets the ceiling.

FIX: Along with the cues I gave you above, here are the exercises you should be adding to your routine. Add the back work in on deadlift day, and the core work can be done at any time:

McGill Pull-ups: 4-12 singles (use band if necessary).

Barbell Rows: 3×10

Double-Overhand Shrugs: 3×10

Stir the Pot: 3×50

Lifter’s Wedge (with empty bar): A few sets

https://youtu.be/GczUopiunPM 

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Brian Carroll

Owner and Founder at PowerRackStrength.com

Brian is a retired world-class powerlifter with over two decades of world-class powerlifting. From 1999 to 2020, Brian Carroll was a competitive powerlifter, one of the most accomplished lifters in the sport's history. Brian started off competing in bench press competitions 'raw,' then, shortly into the journey, he gravitated toward equipped lifting as there were no "raw" categories then. You only had to choose from single-ply (USPF) and Multi-ply (APF/WPC). Brian went on to total 2730 at 275 and 2651 at 242 with more than ten times his body weight in three different classes (220, 242, 275), and both bench pressed and deadlifted over 800 pounds in two other weight classes. He's totaled 2600 over 20 times in 2 different weight classes in his career. With 60 squats of 1000lbs or more officially, this is the most in powerlifting history, regardless of weight class or federation, by anyone not named David Hoff. Brian realized many ups and downs during his 20+ years competing. After ten years of high-level powerlifting competition and an all-time World Record squat at 220 with 1030, in 2009, Brian was competing for a Police academy scholarship. On a hot and humid July morning, Brian, hurdling over a barricade at 275lbs, landed on, fell, and hurt his back. After years of back pain and failed therapy, Brian met with world-renowned back specialist Prof McGill in 2013, which changed his trajectory more than he could have imagined. In 2017, Brian Carroll and Prof McGill authored the best-selling book about Brian's triumphant comeback to powerlifting in Gift of Injury. Most recently (10.3.20) -Brian set the highest squat of all time (regardless of weight class) with 1306 lbs – being the first man to break the 1300lb squat barrier at a bodyweight of 303 lbs.

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