26 Jun Q&A: Casey Williams – “What is wrong with my Squat?”

By: Brian Carroll

Casey Williams and Squat Form:

Question: “Why do I feel unstable? I never fall back on a squat. My Squat is off in general. I know that I’m still ahead of schedule on the squat (compared to other cycles) but form is off. I feel like I’m babying it on the way down as well“

What I See

Hello Handsome Bob,

To start, the un-rack is a bit off. You don’t look totally wedged from the go. You rotate your head down as soon as you take the bar out of the rack. This tends to flare your upper back (watch your elbow as the weight gets heavy, IT RISES!). If you get that reference, I like you even more.

The falling back: IMO – it’s a result of your upper back not being locked it and head position. You kind of hinge on the way up as you drive your heels, especially when the weight gets heavy. The movement causes you to be unstable and therefore rock back on your heels as you try to compensate for bad leverage.

Potential Solution

Get your head up a little more and lock in your upper back. Don’t wait to ‘pull your elbows down’ during the transition, get it right from the start. No micro-movement. Lock your lat’s in and don’t let them budge.

You’re still early in cycle to worry too much. Fix what I see is the major cause now, and you will find your descent speed and groove.

Make sure to hammer your upper back; i.e. barbell rows, chest supported rows, McGill chins, shrugs etc.

Also, work on the thoracic mobility movements that I showed you last time and get your upper back in the best position possible. If you don’t have anyone that will let you lap your face, I feel bad for you. JK – use a bench!

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Brian Carroll

Owner and Founder at PowerRackStrength.com

Brian Carroll is committed to helping people overcome back pain and optimizing lifts and movement. After years of suffering, he met back specialist Prof. McGill in 2013, which led to a life-changing transformation. In 2017, they co-authored the best-selling book "Gift of Injury." On October 3, 2020, Carroll made history in powerlifting by squatting 1306 lbs, becoming the first person to break this record. He retired with a secure legacy and a life free from back pain.

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