Learning to Squat | The Starting Strength Method

[@theshellest]

Where has this video been hiding while I've been failing at squats the last 4 years??? This is the type of tutorial the youtube fitness community DESSSSSPERATELY needs. No bs. No ego, self advertising, self promoting or over-complicated explaining for no reason. This is what I've been looking for. The holy grail of workout videos. I've only heard rumors... but I never thought I would find it...

[@stev.a.n]

Same

[@ReallyInterestingName]

You simply suck big time at searching the Internet. Admit the truth you kkkunnnt !

[@luism8130]

Starting Strength is a foundational book. Everyone must read it before training.

[@punkfan96]

​@@luism8130 nope

[@maximisatwat]

Dont think "No Ego" is something you could ever really accuse Mark Rippentoe of His move advice is quite opionated and simple, but often wrong. He is revered as a guru but isnt. He got his money and fame from writing the book Starting Strength because it was simple and worked.

[@musician4776]

These videos are the most well explained on KZbin. No gimmicks, no nonsense, not pretence, just solid information. Thank you!

[@reaper545454]

Ive been doing squats wrong this WHOLE time and started to develop back and knee pains. I studied this video and now the pain is starting to subside! Thanks so much!

[@Liftercode]

Im asked " why you lean foward? It is low bar. Low bar is not common in my country

[@nyxongames5692]

​@@Liftercodeeveryone in my gym keeps saying i lean forward too much. Which is funny they give me technique advice when i squat triple of what they usually put on the bar.

[@Pughhead]

@@nyxongames5692 That's because leaning forward makes it easier as it uses more of the posterior chain than the quads. You will be able to lift more if you lean forward too much.

[@nyxongames5692]

@@Pughhead And why would i care about working the quads? Idgaf about bodybuilding. I'm getting strong as hell and big as hell in the process. People are still trying to give me form cues to this day lol.

[@edisonli1647]

Listening to uncle Rip's voice after a heavy squat trainning is better than any supplement.

[@kieransheehan7945]

u r gay

[@TENNSUMITSUMA]

'uncle'?!

[@SnowPyramid]

Extremely gay comment.

[@sydnierenner1144]

Thank you so much for this video. A couple weeks ago I quit squatting because I thought squats just might not be for me. Turns out I wasn’t spreading my knees out far enough! Usually the day after my lower back is killing me but today it feels 100%. Thank you so much.

[@alphastrength3402]

Maybe the shortest squat tutorial out there and maybe the best also

[@Mrtunneling]

Totally disagree there. The cues "hip drive" and "chain pulled from hips" are very poor universal cues. Please watch squat university and Juggernaut squat pillars tutorials. They are far more robust tutorials, let me know if you notice a difference between those and this starting strength video. I wish that I hadn't first learned how to squat from starting strength.

[@alphastrength3402]

@@Mrtunneling, bro, this guy knows what he is doing, you need to study a more before saying what is good and bad and also, very important, understand that all universal tips are not bad, the details differ from body 2 body

[@tylera86]

The cues in this are stellar!

[@yerlee4]

Hell naw, awful tutorial and what makes it worst? You guys claiming it's correct. Want to see real squats? Look at Olympic weightlifters specifically the Chinese national team

[@tylera86]

yerlee4 two different criteria. You’re looking at squats from weightlifting (which isn’t even a tested lift), and squats for powerlifting (these). There are also more squat variations than “omg high bar atg squats.” HBBS tends to hit the fronts of your legs. Low bar (shown here) engages the posterior chain more. Both are good variations to employ, but saying either is incorrect because you watched some Chinese weightlifters killing it on squats (which I agree is incredibly impressive) then it displays your lack of knowledge in regards to strength training. Again, it’s powerlifting vs. weightlifting. Learn the difference in how they are scored.

[@taylorlittle1821]

Squat 1. Heels about shoulder width apart and toes pointed out about 30 degrees (NOT facing forward) 2. Squat down all the way to a position in which the apex (highest point) of the hip crease drops just below the top of the patella (kneecap) 3. Put your elbows against your knees with your palms together and shove your knees out 4. Notice: your feet are flat on the floor, your knees are shoved out to where they are in a parallel line with your feet and just a little in front of your toes 5. Notice: Your back should be as flat as you can get it (inclined at about a 45 degree angle, NOT at all vertical!) 6. Notice: your eyes are on the floor a few feet in front of you 7. Come up out of the bottom by driving your butt straight up in the air, NOT forward, NOT back (this movement keeps your weight solid over the whole foot NOT letting it shift over the toes) Now with bar 1. Thumbs on top of bar to keep forearm parallel with the wrist 2. Elbows lifted up (but NOT lifted high) in order to trap bar in between back and hands 3. Place your hands and thumbs on the bar and dip your head under the bar and come up into position with the bar on your back just below the spine of the scapula (the bone you feel at the top of the shoulder blades) 4. Then secure it in place by lifting your elbows and chest at the same time (it should feel as if the bar is resting on a shelf under the traps and on top of the posterior deltoids (rounded common shoulder muscle) 5. Torso and shoulders tight, chest and elbows up, head position down, and both feet under the bar 6. Knees need to be out, aspracticed with elbows before, but now place them there by your brain 7. Hold breath for movement 8. Feet firm and balanced 9. Hips perform the squat not legs 10. Full depth (parallel) accept nothing less

[@robbyx6846]

Thanks man for transcribing

[@Cormac-jd2kx]

You are the greatest 🐐

[@WhiteGenghisKhan]

I have had big shoulder mobility problems with my squat that slants the barbell when I go down. I just tried it out and the barbell was straight the entire time. Another queue I missed was leaning forward and chest down. I was basically performing a high bar squat in a low bar position. I really appreciate you mark

[@bodyreclaimed253]

This video is a game changer for me. Thank you! I was struggling getting the depth for no good reason this whole time. You explained and demonstrated well. I was trying to keep my back too vertical.

[@no_lft_shft]

ME TOO! When I first seen him doing the squat in this video I was so set in my ways I was thinking now that's not right! Look how far he's leaning forward. I just did legs today I'll have to try this next week

[@richardbarrow2977]

This is Great read starting strength while I was in collage. Having these videos that match the movements with the descriptions in the are invaluable aids!

[@acerock013]

this is the best squat tutorial video i have ever seen and super helpful.

[@msofronidis]

Mr. Rippetoe has saved many a spine and ligaments from injury. His book starting strength is seminal in the field of exercise and training.

[@Stalast.]

1:55 - shouldn't the hips travel up at the same rate as the chest? This motion has the chest lagging behind the hips slightly.

[@voxyde]

That is correct. If you look at the reps the guy performs with weight, the back angle doesn't change at the bottom. In that instance however his chest is lagging behind, probably exagerating the "hip drive" cue for the video

[@TheBaregel]

not exagerating at all. that's happen because the load is too light, when it goes up you've no choise to maintain hardly the back angle,otherwise you will collapse forword.

[@TheBaregel]

i meant strongly and not hardly, sry :)

[@DJLCPA]

I caught that too. He was coming up from the squat like a stripper.

[@CrimsonStrider]

@@DJLCPA That's the squat morning and it's probably the most common mistake when people learn to squat via SS. That's why people mockingly call it the Rippetoe squat. The issue is, SS doesn't teach a good morning squat. It's just very easy to misinterpret the cues and instructions as a beginner lifter. Some people read the book with little exposure to videos and that further complicates the issue. It's not a loading issue. My guess is they intentionally exaggerated the hip drive for the purpose of this video, but that can be a double-edged sword

[@ftk_ovr_9k]

I could not reach max depth without losing balance and just could not figure out why. Now I know. I wasn’t pushing my knees out . I can’t thank you enough for this!

[@rollotomassi8358]

Best single squat instruction I've received in over 30 years. To think I'd receive it on a video via KZbin 🤣. Amazing. Thanks guys. Excellent work.

[@MetalSupporter95]

My knee pain stopped when i started doing it this way.

[@mrmolasses5366]

You shouldn't have knee pain from high bar it means you are doing it wrong

[@mikeyob4271]

Good information. Because sometimes my knees hurt.

[@mrmolasses5366]

@@mikeyob4271 there's a difference from pain and soreness its ok for joints to be sore after a heavy cycle but pain I'd bad

[@mikeyob4271]

@@mrmolasses5366 Yes thank you. Me left knee has had surgery. So I use dumbbells. When I use a bar the bar leans low left. Because the left knee is much weaker... An WORSE now because the govner of Michigan has had the gyms closed for 5 months an no exercise... WTF. I even was one day a week just workout my left leg more to strengthen it. Thank you. Stay healthy.

[@mrmolasses5366]

@@mikeyob4271 you could have a Imbalance in the flexibility of your ankles leading to a pain watch squat Universitys videos on knee pain he has a couple and they are great

[@tobarstep]

Possibly the best squat "how to" I've seen. And right off I realized my one major mistake that was keeping me from squatting: keep my head *down*. I've been trying to do squats like other movements where you keep your head up, but I was having trouble with balance. By simply looking down instead of up, I've eliminated the balance issue entirely. Amazing.

[@bigsalty2003]

literally no one in world class powerlifting, strongman and weightlifting squat the way it's shown here

[@inwardheelallday]

Same there are some people that have a really good low bar squat with keeping head up im jus tnot one of those, I loose all my balance also

[@inwardheelallday]

@@bigsalty2003 Yes they do (especially powerlifters), its just a low bar squat, what will vary that gives you the ilussion they dont is that some keep there head up instead of neutral but its still a low bar squat.

[@Nightman9001]

@@bigsalty2003 A) You're wrong B) Exact hand / foot placement / foot angle is going to vary from one person to the next based on their physiology. There are like a dozen discrete factors that come into play when determining what I just mentioned + the angle of your torso and a few other things. You don't seem to be aware but Mark Rippetoe is one of the most recognizable names in the industry and has been for decades. This man knows what he's talking about. You should probably learn to do the same before spreading terrible information.

[@nordan00]

@@bigsalty2003I agree. At 6’2” and thin at the time (1980ish), I learned from a couple of national and regional calibre powerlifters to squat low bar and head up, looking up. This kept me from doing a good morning at the bottom of each rep. To this day, at 62, I put a mark on the gym mirror at about eye level and keep my eyes on it through every rep, which also keeps me from checking out the hot gym chicks during my set!

[@nickg6296]

Damn, Rip is getting all professional and efficient now... I think I prefer raw unfiltered Rip but this is now the best squat video on the internet. If this video isn’t up to a million views within 6 months their is no hope for humanity!

[@greenwithagun]

We have to hope for more haters. Haters are excellent at spreading the word, and they work harder at publicising you than any fan.

[@MrJason005]

Straight to the point, no bullshitting, crystal clear explanation. Perfect video.

[@kurtschulten5369]

And for the majority of lifters.........completely wrong.

[@MrJason005]

@@kurtschulten5369 After 3 years you're kind of right haha. I realised now that doing too many squats made me look like a t-rex and really unattractive. I've completely changed my work out routine now.

[@undercover3192]

@@MrJason005 You should have worked out the upper body more then???? What.

[@wreagfe]

​@@kurtschulten5369Please elaborate.

[@kurtschulten5369]

@@wreagfe Do your own research. I'm not your mother. But your first clue would be that Rippetoe only trains beginners. When they become intermediate lifters, they leave him and have to unlearn what they have been taught.

[@genesisfloral]

Hey I really liked this video style, it felt like a tutorial from the 70s, calm and to the point.

[@RitobanBhattacharya]

Always tried to squat upright before. Always suffered from back pain. After switching to this style, can squat heavier, without any back pain.

[@Trailrunner1978]

Best squat demo I've ever seen.

[@Trillvil1]

Thank god for this video. I keep having ppl tells me and even trainers saying I’m leaning too much in but I’m a y’all guy like this guy in the video. I couldn’t find balance but now I see I have to lean more forward

[@ObsoleteTutorials]

I think they all meant the same, except how they imagine it in their head: they're saying keep the bar with your center of mass as you go down and up.

[@chrisronan]

Mark has always been a genius. In many ways but for me in his ability to communicate. So. Clearly. // Even to skinny road cyclists afraid of iron. Watching this is like being transported back in time. What’s so apparent, looking back, is how important these lessons exceed the boundaries of the gym. From Mark, these are life lessons about the the importance of detail, mental focus, and the repetition of all those things over, and over, and over. I reckon it feels great to be strong. Bonus to have a strong mind and to have learned to be OK with the small but important repetition that seems a bit lost around us today. Massive life lessons in that gym! Yeah it sounds like I’m “kissing up” here - but, FACT - Rip helps humans find their super powers!

[@Kias1dad]

Why is he a genius. Could provide the list of top level strength athletes he's coached. The people I know, who've even heard of him, aren't impressed.

[@chrisronan]

@@Kias1dad then they are not for real

[@Kias1dad]

@@chrisronan I assume you mean that not squatting the Ripitoe way means they're not real squats. You do realize that none of his theories have been proven out. Look at the top Oly lifters, guys who live by their legs, and not one squats anything like the way this clown tells people to. How many top strength athletes has he trained. He has his little cult following. But in the real world the guy is a joke.

[@Kirk-eu6xc]

@@Kias1dadIt’s almost like…..Rip doesn’t train competitive strength athletes. How is this so hard to comprehend?

[@Kias1dad]

He doesn't train competitive athletes because they know he's a joke. If he doesn't train competitive athletes, doesn't put his theories and claims to the test and prove they work, why listen to anything he says. @@Kirk-eu6xc

[@atomicsnarl]

Thank you! First video I've found that addressed my problem of getting forward on my toes and heel lift. My problem was the knees weren't far enough apart and toes pointed out. Success! No more deep squat problems - yay!

[@skanda1832]

The starting strength method is freaking fun and easy. Put on 45 pounds of muscle in eight months at 48 years old. Bigger and stronger than ever. Doing just 30-60min of traditional, hatha yoga postures at home in the morning and lifting heavy in the afternoon is the perfect yin/yang, imho.

[@blakespier9616]

Tom platz always talked about keeping his back almost vertical and how he disagreed with leaning over. I wonder what they would say to each other about this

[@fudgie3312]

Thank you so much for this amazing vid.. clear concise and easy to understand... Now that I've started training I've realised that these simple looking movements have a lot of nuances and complexities to them... Sometimes its so confusing trying to find helpful information that you can put into practice... Thank you so much the narrator is cool as cucumber slice .. love from East London

[@monsierchubbs]

Perfect technique and form for those looking to get efficient and stronger with this lift. Personally, I would look to get full range of motion (ass to grass) in my squat for a well-rounded lower body development because my goal is to improve mobility (hips and ankles) and avoid injury long term. If your goal is to purely get more weight on the bar this is a great tutorial.

[@omaygot5331]

This one turns the squat into a good morning. U should learn to squat like a olympic weightlifter, they can squat heavy with clean form making it look easy

[@sleepteam]

@@omaygot5331 No it doesn't.

[@THExJMC]

This is a low bar squat form. To go literally ass to grass you need very good mobility, certain limb length ratios and high bar

[@dewildlifts]

A lot of videos I’ve seen have recommended chest and torso up which helps with lat engagement, lower back fatigue, butt wink, and keeping a straight bar path. Why do you recommend the chest being down?

[@stevebaker3183]

Thank you, Mark and the team. I’ve been wishing for a video from yourselves to accompany the book description.

[@abhisheksathe123]

The best squat video ive ever seen. Precise and to the point

[@wafflesmcgallagher934]

I can't wait to get back into the gym to try this. I compressed my spine a few years back and have been terrified to squat more than(currently) 115lb, and my knees are always an issue.

[@wafflesmcgallagher934]

@JohnBalnis I got up to doing 240 for reps really easy. Then an SI joint issue took me out for months. Been flaring up from time to time. But I got strong FAST.

[@10thMorales]

I’ve been doing the classic “vertical” back since last Christmas and only progressed from 30kg to a “seated squat” 45kg last week. I did the Rippetoe squat Technique after watching Rip’s coaching in ArtOfManliness and bam! 55 kg REAL squat on the first go.👍

[@mrmolasses5366]

@@RandomKZbin123 lmao right

[@mrmolasses5366]

You lift more on low bar no matter what you duh duh and there is not right squat it's dependent on the sport

[@BaldKiwi117]

So you went from high bar to low bar.

[@pacificbuildingcare]

Mark Rippetoe is the best instructor out there on youtube, old school dong one thing at a time the right way. Watch all his videos this guy a real pro knows exactly what he's talking about

[@alloutwar2011]

Great videos, at my age(59) technique is so much more important than just lifting things up and putting them down. I'm taking this guy to the gym with me everyday from now on. Whether he likes it or not !

[@jeffreybabino8161]

I pick things and put things down😂

[@Momosvlogsies]

How'd it go

[@fg786]

1:55 I hear you stating that by raising the hip first the weight will be balanced over the mid foot. But as he comes up in this style one can clearly see, that he shifts forward. Why is nobody saying how it is? It is much harder to come up like doing a snatch, upper body and lower body moving in unison. Doing it this way you get a lot more activation from the quads. While coming up hip first, the knee joint is extended without the bar moving very far. Knee extension is done without much work of the quad, it is a byproduct of the hips rising. Think about the extreme that as your hips rise, your upper body rotates around the stationary bar. Then comes the hard part, getting your upper body upright. But that is done by the glutes. They are stronger than your quads. Imagine becoming upright as a single motion, your quads actually have to do more for the knee extension. That is why in powerlifting hip first is promoted, you will move more weight. Test it. Try going up in a single motion. Do as many reps as you can and as it gets harder throughout the set, your body knows what to do, getting up hip first.

[@marzmarch]

This is a terrible example of anything but the good morning squat SS is criticized for. He is far in front of the mid foot. And staying bent over until standing. Good for glutes, bad for quads and trunk strength.

[@jeffriggins9106]

Because he has to go forward with light weight because his ass is not weight less.

[@davidalexsandermoreno5532]

You're totally right. The guys not even breaking parallel too.

[@capturingthewilde70]

Thought the same thing - his lower back is bearing a ton of the weight on the top of the drive, rather than his legs. Seems to work for some people, but I wouldn’t squat this way

[@joefridaysucks]

i thought i was going craazy until i found this thread of comments. the weight and his head go so far forward potentially putting a lot pressure on the lower back as the lifter moves back up, especially as you go up in weight. i like the foot and knee placement direction but i would never squat like this.

[@bryanjohnson1628]

This is how I've squatted all my life but coaches said it was wrong. They always wanted my back straight, chest forward and eyes up. The stupidest positions with 0 balance. It made no sense too me!

[@brianmcg321]

Bryan Johnson Most “coaches” don’t have a clue at what they are doing.

[@deltardx2800]

Really need help bro, I am from Mexico and wanna know how to explain to coaches what a low bar is, I am so frustrated right now 💔

[@Tinfoiledhat]

Lmao you should've listened to them. A proper squat has eyes up and chest up. Knees go forward first. Look up Max Aita crazy strong oly lifter. He explains why all this is wrong

[@bryanjohnson1628]

@@Tinfoiledhat Cute and appreciate it but I will stick with what feels natural.

[@steelslither]

@@Tinfoiledhat why the hell would anyone that's trying to learn the low bar squat watch an Olympic lifter explain why it's bad? That's like listening to a vegan explain to you why eating meat is bad.

[@kennethlopez6527]

this is outstanding. for a basic squatter, who is just learning how 2 do it and the movements, this is great. i squat without weights on it. i just do more reps with just th bar.

[@casperchan8281]

may I know what do you think about butt wink, caz I saw his pelvis rotates a lot, is it good or not ?

[@SamuelRWB]

Holy shit iv'e been going to the gym for 2 years now. Trying squats on and off and always having massive back pain so going periods of trying them, trying to fix them, then ultimatley stopping because the pain was too much. I did 50 kg squats today pain free using this system going to start super light with higher reps to make sure i dont comprise my form and cause myself undue pain, my mobility is poor and definatley cannot high bar squat though all the work I have done on my mobility hasn't gone to waste as I can quite comfortably do a low bar squat as instucted now.

[@gee5861]

I been doing it wrong. The ass straight up advice is a game changer. No more knee pain and more weight immediately

[@Adrian16Z]

scott shoemaker there are so many different tutorials on squats along with different studies with different varieties. For example, the squat form seen on this video is nothing like how you would see an Olympic power lifter performing a squat. So I don’t believe, there is a right or wrong way, as long as you apply the main principles such as keeping back neutral and pushing through with your legs and using hip drive, then you can modify the squat or use a technique that feels and suits you the best. Don’t just assume there is only one way to do it. Try different forms and you’ll find one you like.

[@nuzabe9054]

ADEE SZ if you do this type of squat it’s not going to translate well for Olympic lifts, clean n jerk, snatch. Torso needs to be more upright.

[@jedi77palmer]

@@nuzabe9054 But you will get stronger

[@punxsutawneyphil3944]

@ryan rogers Awesome, thanks for the video tip with Efferding/Juji. :)

[@imamajesticseahorse2548]

It us about 6:00 am here and I have fallen down a rabbit hole finding all these videos and I'm more upset that these are all a few years old and they never showed up on my feed. I'm really truly excited to try all of these out because a lot of the other cues just did not work for me. I've seen so many people say you need to keep your back upright as much as possible squatting and I'm always like, "...how?" I can't get deep if my back is too upright. If I do go deeper, I lose my balance. Not exactly safe when you're "dangling" 45 pounds on your shoulders (yeah I know 45 pounds isn't much for lifting, but it is a lot when you're falling over). The problem is that lifts like squats and deadlifts aren't necessarily hard, in theory. BUT, there are seemingly small cues that are important because it can be the difference between actually progressing or jacking your back and knees up for life.

[@ericmckay2004]

Thanks a lot. I've always been afraid to do squats. Now I've learned proper form and love them!

[@tomrichardson6917]

The one true voice of the strength and conditioning profession

[@buckshot927tx]

This is almost verbatim from the audio book but it has a video with it. Awesome guide to getting strong

[@mgr001]

love the way you get straight to the point. thank you.

[@Mox2077]

I've seriously watched a ton of videos on "how to do a squat" and I still couldn't get it right .. .Why? Because all of those videos says "feet shoulder width apart" but not ONE of them said "toes outward at about 30 degrees" ... that little detail made all the difference! Thank you!

[@JimRohn-u8c]

This video needs to be saved in the library of Congress 🤣

[@jonnysnakes5417]

Great video, i will have to rewatch this before my next workout . Definitely learned a couple of things here.

[@edwinatwell7423]

Best good morning tutorial on KZbin. R.I.P. Layne Norton's spine.

[@Dolphchristiaan]

Explain such a bolt statement.

[@TravisMcGee151]

@@Dolphchristiaan He's right. ' Good Mornings' are went you bend forward with the bar on your rear delts keeping your legs straight. You do squats like this video tells you, you can kiss your back good-bye. Ouch.

[@undercover3192]

@@TravisMcGee151 Nope. You are totally clueless. Hope you've grown up in 2 years.

[@AldoRaineoftheBasterds]

Bless you Ripp!! Mark you are the man. Stay healthy

[@wlovett4]

Kudos on a great presentation. This is the best analysis and guide to doing the squat I have seen. Pushing the knees out is a great aspect of fearlessly doing this exercise. Thanks very much.

[@THExJMC]

Gonna give this form a go. I have been squatting with feet very narrow as it’s the only way i seem to be able to hit depth. Perhaps going wide with more outward toe angle will help more. I just sometimes get hip pain, which i am often scared of. My squat has been fucked for years and if i just fix it I think I can add 100 lbs to my PR.

[@Bumiround]

Best and most natural squat position No more back or knee pain, and i can keep adding weight to my set of fahvee

[@lon90x]

This is a good morning involved squat.. not suitable at peak loads.. i can say from my previous squat mistakes..straight bar path! The most optimal squat which is lacking here leading to a good morning squat

[@seancrowe3353]

Yeah it looks quite forward balanced

[@Nousiainej]

DUDE! I have struggled with the squat my whole life, and you are saying that my back should be at 45° angle??? NO ONE HAS EVER TOLD ME THAT. I promise that if this will fix my pains for good, i will cry many many happy tears.

[@tamuwilson1583]

Best squat video I’ve ever seen 👍🏾

[@yetigriff]

0:20 hip drahve

[@OnGodFrFr0987]

...hip drive...uses leg drive and spine for 80% of the lift...

[@3m0k1d4evr]

Lmao why does this have so many likes

[@fsmoura]

needs more hip drahve

[@NateVHVT]

Chalk gainz

[@ATHLETE.X]

Hip drahve prevents Diabeetuhs

[@LaMar34_34]

Everywhere I’ve learned squatting tries to avoid the excessive forward lean. What is the reason why you lean forward

[@williamturner8852]

If your lower back is the first thing to get fatigued or hurt after squatting in this style is that an indication that you're leaning too far forward? I'm very tall(6'8") with a very long torso and my legs are just barely longer than average (34" inseam and I wear my pants around my hips, not my belly button). I feel like my form is very close to this but my lower back consistently gets fatigued before everything else. Should I use a slightly more vertical back angle than is being taught here due to my leverages being different from a normal sized human?

[@Magnus_Loov]

I think the form here is way, way too much forward leaning. It may work for some, but I feel having the bar super low (as it is here) and doing that extreme forward leaning turns the squat more into something different than a leg mainly excercise. More towards the power lifters where the only goal is to move as much weight as possible. Not necessarily to put the maximum load on the thighs and especially not doing it on the quads (more hamstrings, glutes and lower back dominant). If you already are doing deadlifts (Which you should) then I think this type of squat with the extreme low bar is kind of targeting the same type of muscles again : more of the posterior/back chain. Ie hamstrings, glutes, lower back. Better to try to do the squat with a higher bar position, which automatically will force you to do it more upright. That will "combine" better with the deadlift to put the load/target on the muscles differently (The still overlap some).

[@GmRb79]

hey um but the bar does not go straight down or up with regards to the floor... i mean the book cover means nothing then?

[@jamesianv]

this is a useful companion to the book. may even be necessary if you are learning on your own.

[@rockjock32492]

This style of video is incredibly useful and I am glad your team worked on it.

[@Martin-qs8zo]

What about the very pronounced posterior pelvic tilt (buttwink) seen at the bottom of the movement? Is this not considered an issue in the Starting Strength school of thought?

[@lukec2226]

Thanks, this is exactly what i have been looking for.

[@macnisse]

Fantastic instruction! Thank you 🤩

[@sergiogodoy340]

This video should be universal

[@rive3403]

Never felt better doing squats. Tysm!

[@niravdesai2399]

Man this is so comfortable setup. Now I don’t hate the leg day :)

[@solideogloria1644]

@ 4:32 ...shouldn’t the bar be over midfoot? It looks to be in front of his toes. I’m struggling to get my form to keep the bar over midfoot

[@jeffriggins9106]

It's an unloaded bar and he's a big man.

[@Clearview718]

My elbows keep pointing down as I go down and my wrists rolls the bar up and elbow up as I go up how can I fix this?

[@ehsfb20011]

I've never seen anybody that knew what they were doing advocate letting the chest dip forward coming out of the bottom. That's called unloading the legs and you do it when your back is much stronger than your legs are. You don't have to have the chest vertical but if you're going to hit bottom with the chest in a 45 degree angle it should stay at that angle as you come out of the bottom.

[@startingstrength]

Thanks! We’ll revise our material accordingly!!!

[@WmAHaynes]

100%, on the ascent they turned it into a good morning

[@mr.b840]

Even owning the starting strength dvd and book, I still enjoy watching these instructional videos.

[@alilGoat]

Thank you, I appreciate videos like this where you break down each and every step individually with a clear and concise close-up explanation. Please create videos just like this one for the other lifts as well! I would greatly appreciate one for the press specifically.

[@TravisMcGee151]

Then you should love this video on how to squat the RIGHT way. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHbZZ3Z5nJd1eZo

[@mufinmakesmusic1210]

Starting Strength- "Barbell over midfoot" Also Starting Strength- "Barbell 1 mile in front of foot" 4:25

[@dabblingfrancis]

The center of mass should be over midfoot. As the weight goes up, the center of mass up shifts up from the belly button towards the bar. This is why, with an empty bar, the bar is in front of the midfoot.

[@MichaelFluhrIsSnakDaddy]

Are you referring to the fact that it looks like this guy is good-morning his squats a bit? It does look like the bar moves forward with respect to his foot at the beginning of the decent and does not move up and down in a straight line.

[@jeffriggins9106]

@@MichaelFluhrIsSnakDaddy cause it's an unloaded barbell.

[@gcruishank9663]

I'm 60 and have been squatting for 35 years. My experience is that it's a little less taxing on the knees if you bounce less out of the hole and don't lock out your knees at the top. All good advice here though for sure.

[@shura30]

when did the bar/foot alignment changed? at 4:32 it's clearly shown that the bar goes over mid foot and in line with knees and toes

[@startingstrength]

The lifter's "weight" is over the mid-foot. The lifter's weight includes the barbell. For a 230 -240 lb man, a 45 lb barbell will have the bar forward of the mid-foot. As the weight on the bar increases, the lifter/barbell combined center of mass (or his perceived "weight") approximates the barbell and the bar will move closer to the mid-foot.

[@michaelkarayan6652]

Starting Strength wait, did you just say perceived? Lmao

[@shura30]

could you please elaborate more about this 'combined center of mass' ? I'm re-reading some paragraph in the book and there's no mentions of it so far. There's a picture about the extra effort needed on an out of balance bar tho

[@Mrtunneling]

@@startingstrength sounds like a very poor rational to me, a squat with the empty bar should look pretty similar to 70-80% of 1RM. Any deviation in form implies technique deviation as the bar load varies, this does not apply to any other lifts, so why do you promote this here? We don't deadlift 135 with the bar far in front of us. We have the bar in the optimal position aligned over mid foot. Anything else would ingrain a poor movement pattern.

[@MaRaX93]

@@Mrtunneling Because pull mechanics don't change based on your body's mass during pulls. The squat and the deadlift are completely different movements. Read the book ffs

[@janbangbigbang]

This is the best ever squat tutorial!!

[@chrisneukum9542]

what was the reason coaches told me to look up at the ceiling?

[@nothingboxrelaxation3440]

I watched a few squat vids- this the most helpfull

[@jamesk1996]

Can I go wider with my feet? Having them this narrow hurts my mid back I guess due to inflexibility? Idk just trying to learn correctly but having trouble even doing this position even with just the bar

[@jimbostephens]

The comments on elbow position at 2:50 seem to contradict Rip's advice against shoulder extension in the Clarification on the Squat Grip video. Which version is Rip currently teaching?

[@oleandreas5014]

This one

[@jimbostephens]

In the other video he says that active shoulder extension will cause thoracic flexion.

[@jonathonsullivan2609]

"Up, but not high." This seemed rather clear to me.

[@damontunstall3129]

If my legs are short but my torso is slightly on the long side, would my back angle be slightly more vertical? If I try to be 45 degrees , it’s I can’t use hipdrive

[@Steve.Dennis]

Definitely the best intro tutorial I’ve seen!

[@Mediagix]

breathe out when? In between the sets and only in the up position?

[@mikeburton8426]

I wanted to see why so many people disliked this video? I’ve been doing squats for almost 40 years as part of my routine and I’ve tried a variety of positions and techniques. This video, Just my opinion is great for beginners or anybody curious about how they can improve form and lift safely.

[@otoyoto7153]

“Find the uprights, not the hooks. You can’t miss the uprights, and if you touch them you will be over the hooks”. In 6 years of lifting I have no idea how I didn’t think of this.

[@jandmjsmama]

Thanks for sharing all of these. I am learning!

[@stefangreenlee5001]

This is a low-bar squat, great explanation. Most people squat high bar though. Makes things a little different. Usually easier to hold a high bar position when learning though.

[@Nightman9001]

Nothing here is low-bar specific except the actual bar placement. The demonstration is of a low-bar squat but ultimately if you keep the weight over mid-foot like you're supposed to, you won't have a choice but to adjust torso angle to accomplish that. Your body will adjust the knee bend / hip angle & so on "automatically".

[@statefan2013]

I agree with you about keeping the bar over mid foot and a straight bar path as this is essential for balance and overall efficiency. However, the placement of the bar is what constitutes low-bar vs. high-bar, hence the name. This is the exact methodology for low bar squat. It all just depends on goals. Go check out Matt Wenning. If you want pure numbers and are trying to compete then this version makes sense. However, if you want a more functional pattern and want to chase depth (which you need for any type of OLY lifts) then one should focus on high bar with an ATG mentality.

[@Nightman9001]

@@statefan2013 my point was that because the movement pattern is identical, and all that changes is bar placement (and consequently CoM), a low bar demo is functionally equivalent to a high-bar demo as long as the lifter understands that their own torso / hip / knee angles are going to be a bit different based on their own proportions, foot placement, etc. - I'd argue that this even applies to the front squat as the movement and principle are exactly the same - it's still just placement / CoM which changes. So while I think we're probably in agreement on most points, I do disagree about high-bar squatting being more "functional". I'm not a pro coach or exercise scientist however as we've established the only real difference between high/low bar is the leverages. I can't think of a common daily activity that you can't just hinge a bit more to accomplish to recruit your posterior chain a bit more, which is the only scenario I can think of that might make high-bar more "functional". To be clear I'm not dogmatic about training - I think people should do what works for them and what feels good to them. I personally have a slight preference for low-bar, but I don't think it's necessarily better - I do think that high-bar being a more "functional" movement (and I've heard that a lot) is a misconception, though.

[@Magnus_Loov]

@@Nightman9001 I think the problem more lies with that it combines worse with the deadlift. With a low bar squat you target more of the similar back chain (posterior chain) than the high bar squat. Something that already get more than enough from the deadlift. If you want to target the quads more and the back chain less then the high bar squat is better. I mean the low bar squat is mainly the powerlifter technique. Sure impressive weights are moved, but if you look at the leg development of them they actually often don't have the best quads (but huge glutes, lower back and hamstrings). Compare that to a weightlifter which mainly do front squats and they often have much better quad development. Especially with the outer sweeps. Bodybuilders also stay away from the lower bar placements for the same reason.

[@Nightman9001]

@@Magnus_Loov Sure but my original point was that the movement pattern is almost identical, so OP's complaint that it "Doesn't address high bar" is just wrong. I mostly agree with all of your points, but just remember that low bar squatting does *not* recruit the quads any less than high bar - the quads are the only knee flexors. The only drawback of low bar if you also DL regularly (as most people should) is that the posterior chain is more likely to be a limiting factor, not allowing for OPTIMAL quad growth. Realistically it's probably not very relevant for the majority of casual lifters. As for the point about Olympic weight lifters, I'd argue that it's more a question of the movement / torso angle having more carry over to their competition movements. I've heard several Olympic lifters state their preference for high bar being better carry over / specificity, but I've never heard one talk about the posterior chain limitation from DL fatigue. It's anecdotal, sure, so take it with a grain of salt but still worth considering.

[@mattgallegos7296]

Can you make a squat Mobility video? I can't get into the starting position without leaning over with my arms out in front of me for balance. If I do like he does at the beginning of the video I fall backwards.

[@kdk200]

I feel like I'm doing it properly but behind one knee feels sore or like I can't lift with it right now. hamstring tendon/ligament? It started day after not during workout.

[@joelorenzo7664]

Fantastic videos. Really well filmed from all angles and very well explained. Awesome !! Do you have an online workout program ?

[@thomasbudi2000]

Precious info, thank you for the education

[@TimErwin]

You're a lifesaver, Rip!

[@brentonhobson]

I went from squatting nothing to 300lbs within 5 months with starting strength. Its been good to me, no injuries. If you have any other programs or recommendations that work better please let me know

[@joshuatate5671]

Keep going, I've stuck with starting strength and am now squatting 350.

[@MachoMaamRandallSandwich]

Does SS still teach the elbows up/chest up queue?

[@johnnydarter]

Well said. Coming from a PT myself this is the perfect squat recipe. Can’t say enough about your books as well. I tell all my clients to buy them. Thanks & keep up the good work

[@GaztenLoL]

can someone explain why this guy is swaying the bar front-then--back in the upright position? or am i just not understanding?

[@vladb2713]

Maybe I am missing something but that is not a vertical bar path. You can clearly see at the bottom of the squat that the perpendicular from the bar to the ground is in front of the toes. That places a lot a stress on the lower back as the weight cannot be distrubuted evenly across the foot. Weight distributed evenly across the foot means that the bar is above midfoot at all times. Also on the way up he breaks the movement into two parts - first he shoots the hips up and the he straitghtens the back. This happens also because of the excesive front lean. Low bar squat implies a certain lean of the torso, however it should always ensure a balanced position of the bar over mid foot.

[@startingstrength]

A 20kg bar on a grown 245 lb man should be over the mid-foot? Review your physics, Vlad.

[@vladb2713]

@@startingstrength For sure is not a problem for the person in the video. But good form should be the same no matter the size of the person or the weight. And btw, I am expressing an opinion, no need to be sarcastic ;). You can bring your arguments instead, I am genuinely curios.