Squat Like Clarence Kennedy | Analysis

[@whereyoufindus]

You can NOT understate how strong Mr. Kennedy’s back is. He could probably squat with a horizontal back and be fine

[@uhhcoolstory5627]

Yea just high bar good morning squats 💀

[@basicmeme1040]

@@uhhcoolstory5627 everyone but short leg people

[@thomasking1149]

Shut up, just shut up

[@spaghettiman426]

@@basicmeme1040 they can do that they just need mad mobility

[@basicmeme1040]

@@spaghettiman426 nr. Short leg people are made to squat upright like lu and what form police think a squat is like

[@yahyakahya5326]

Zack: Wait, it's a horizontal back angle? Mark Rippetoe: Always has been.

[@Gatwayerror]

Doing paused squats and focusing on getting a powerful bottom position instead of looking for a bounce has solved my knee problem that has been bugging me for the past 2 years. This video felt spot on.

[@rustysausage69]

It takes a LONG time to build up but extremely worth it

[@Vsevolod3788]

Everyone's talking about the quads but Clarence's squats are actually very hip dominant if you look from the side angle. Driving through the heels, vertical shins, horizontal back angle - it's all hips.

[@armwrestlingelysium]

Thats absolutely right. His mechanics much suitable for low bar.

[@Vsevolod3788]

@@armwrestlingelysium Exactly.

[@alfred4407]

Yeah even my squat is like that i feel my squat is much more glute and hip dominant instead of my quads so I'm trying to balance this out my working on my Quads Strength by doing Front Squats alot

[@SKTom0]

Anecdotally it’s one of the first things I tend to notice when I get clients to perform a barbell squat for the first time. A quick fix is just letting them know it’s okay to lean their torso forward as they descend, and that seems to noticeably improve their depth and comfort during the movement. It’s not a universal fix, but it’s something I’ve come across more often than not when coaching people.

[@RGV2300]

A cousin of mine actually told me to do not lean during back squats, so probably that's a universally accepted advice and myth (he is a rugby player). I already knew that was a shit of advice, but many don't and will avoid leaning at any cost, so half reps are the norm in squats, unfortunately.

[@SKTom0]

It’s a very common technical cue I come across when I ask someone why they try to stay as upright as possible. The cue to stay upright isn’t a problem in and of itself, but it needs to be contextualized depending on the lifter and what they’re trying to accomplish with the barbell squat.

[@AfferbeckBeats]

It is far more common of a problem that people lack the mobility and technique to squat down without needing to completely fold their torso over to even get to parallel. Learning to squat more upright is required to even attempt the lifts with any degree of competency. This is why so many people, even those who say they have a 'good atg squat', think they have upper body mobility issues when learning the overhead squat. No, the shoulders are just having to move triple the distance they should need to because the limitations of the ankles and hips force the torso to be so bent over in the squat.

[@SKTom0]

ok

[@Whosyourdaddy21]

@@RGV2300a slight lean is pretty normal. The main things to worry about are keeping you back locked in a natural alignment and keep the weight over your mid foot and your waist and shoulders rising at the same time. The main issue that people can have when they lean is they lift their hips up from the bottom first cause if the weight to move to far forward and turn you squat into a good morning.

[@radreynolds8978]

One thing I find myself disagreeing with the Sika boys about quite a bit is the 'fix' to the 'good morning squat'. The thing that makes a good morning squat look uncontrolled is not the fact that you lean over on the concentric. It's that you lean _different amounts_ during the eccentric and the concentric. Your reps are asymmetrical. The first thing that helped me in fixing my good morning squat was to actually move to a more starting strength-esque low bar squat and learn to embrace the forward lean. Allowing the hips to come back on the way down helped in mitigating the excessive shooting back on the way up. This opposed to trying to keep the knees super forward and staying super upright on the way down, which will only over-fatigue the quads and make you have to disproportionately recruit _even more hips_ on the way up. Quads and knees must move together! good vid. (also I believe some degree of good morning squat is literally impossible to avoid for everyone because literally no one can avoid it at max level lifts)

[@strider5474]

No one like Harry Squatter to do magic stuff in the gym

[@kingkali666]

How to squat like Clarence: You don’t

[@Real28]

Probably single digit people who can squat like him. He's outerworldly.

[@AfferbeckBeats]

I agree, people should not be trying to copy his specific movement because in anyone less strong and well practised than him, it's just going to turn into a squatmorning.

[@clifton6919]

Exactly. I'm 6'3 with endlessly long legs. There is no way in hell I'll be able to squat like him.

[@jonathanbrunner5202]

@@clifton6919 your long legs allow you to squat very deep. You absolutely can squat like him!

[@clifton6919]

@Devon Hæbermän Someone with long legs and a short torso can squat the same way as a person with a long torso and short legs?! Sure sure.

[@jocaingles8464]

So what you're saying is that we need to focus on... *Hip Drahve* ?

[@bigjoe87]

The vertical torso in the squat has definitely become fetishised in recent years, but my God do I need to master it.

[@samharris9559]

I’ve been clarence squatting for a couple months now* and it helped me break through a year long deadlift plateau, jumped up 10 lbs and can hit it consistently now

[@powderedwaterpudding]

Really interesting queues. I look forward to focusing on these. I know you have your disagreements with Rip but he was the first person whose videos I saw explicitly saying that a vertical back is largely irrelevant. Great to see that same point here.

[@mcfarvo]

Queues or cues?

[@Leonidas-eu9bb]

Using the hips/glutes is a must. The hips/glute are the main driver. They are by far the biggest/strongest muscle when looking at athletes doing heavy deep high bar squats. A very uncommon cue wich work wonders is not just sink down by gravity but rather trying to pull yourself down by triple flexion the hip, knee an ankles. Basically a reverse squat. This should activate the deep frontal line and core wich is the base for stable core and a following strong glute contraction. The problem is our instinct don't want to do it with a heavy bar on the back.

[@KwisBwown]

underated comment

[@Reriiru]

You're absolutely correct with that "get down there and work from there". I've had friends with multiple different issues in a squat, from odd balance, to spinal column collapse. With every single one of them, if we're talking about a high bar squat, my first ever training que: "Squat down to full depth and find the position you're comfortable with for a prolonged period of time". Everything else goes from there on. Squat width (it's usually a tiny bit wider than the position I've described), head angle (some need it a bit lower down, some stargaze), shoulder position (the difference there is subtle, but substantial). It showcases whether that person can do a deep squat to begin with, and if they can't it shows why really well. Really solid advice, there. I came to it myself, after watching a fellow like me, teaching his friends how to lift (he really insisted on a narrower squat stance with a fellow who couldn't do it). Preach, dude.

[@coach_paul_t]

Wow. Appreciate the commentary and things to think about on my next session. If WULIFT did this she’d say “Hands on bar. Bar on shoulders. Takes a breath. Stays tight. Goes down. Big chest. Stays upright. Makes the lift. Good squat.”

[@snoopertrooper4468]

great timing, recently started experiementing with my squat technique. Was in the camp of keeping a vertical back

[@JinnDante]

I basically squat like Clarence due to probably long fucking legs. I always thought I did a mistake and trying to be absolutely upright is basically impossible for me so I had a slight angle while decending nothing crazy. Then I saw videos of Lasha squatting so I thought there is some merit to it. Since then I never changed my style again and my squat skyrocketed

[@tomc3216]

Unless you are built like a south East Asian, with a long toros and short legs, you’re going to have a little torso lean.

[@leinekenugelvondoofenfocke1002]

When I squat I focus on keeping my feet from moving, and keeping the weight from shifting to different parts of my feet. I get just the right amount of knees, and just the right amount of hip when I do that.

[@ButlerM5]

Niceone

[@tjcogger1974]

It would be cool to hear your talk about how your weightlifting mobility has (or hasn't) helped your jujitsu game. Have you had to do any additional mobility work once you started jujitsu? Or had you already developed sufficient mobility for it through weightlifting?

[@bmstylee]

It's been the opposite for me. Jujutsu has helped my shoulder mobility immensely. It's definitely helped my squat and bench mechanics. It's helped me get noticably tighter

[@tjcogger1974]

@@bmstylee How much Olympic lifting do you do?

[@bmstylee]

@@tjcogger1974 it depends on what I am training for. A few years ago I was training weightlifting much more as I was burned out on powerlifting and looking for something different. Now I'm starting prep for a USAPL meet in September so I'm keeping specificity a bit lower as I am a few months out but will probably not be doing the classic movements as they are not particularly helpful in my opinion for powerlifting. If it's just a gpp block where I'm not really training for anything specific generally once a week will hit something weightlifting related. I'm a 3x/week lifter and 4x/week I impersonate a jujitsu player. Key word is impersonate.

[@Tee468]

High bar atg squats are the best

[@yunoscheng3522]

So insightful this channel is my favorite weightlifting channel. Learn a lot thanks Zach.

[@0xp556]

Absolutely true. I'm 6'3 and squat to absolute ass to grass. Not much weight though, I work up to 385 for 3 at the end of my sets. Hope to get up to 405 for 3 within a few months.

[@emmanuelmacias6959]

what’s your deadlift?

[@emmanuelmacias6959]

Also does your program or routine incorporate pause squats of any kind?

[@0xp556]

@@emmanuelmacias6959 I don't specifically train the deadlift anymore, but it can come back with ease. The last time I deadlifted was 535 over four years ago. And yes, I like to pause squat.

[@jdata]

That's an amazing amount of weight. Don't compare yourself to the pros. 300-400lbs for reps is a great squat. 💪

[@sp00ky313]

This is like writing perfect english and saying sorry for my language 🤣

[@matriaxpunk]

He has a vertical torso both at the top and at the bottom of the movement, but when he is actually moving his torso is pretty much at a 45 degree angle. So he goes from vertical to 45 to vertical, and then he just reverses the movement.

[@tombrockhoff3081]

he has to lean forward and shoot hips back at the bottom of the squat because he goes so low and loses tension at the bottom. i believe if he just squatted to parallel he would stay more vertical all through the suat

[@fr0sbitEDIT]

that arch you were talking about is how i strained my seratus posterior inferior. Kinda lagged out halfway through the rep and tightened my back super hard and as soon as i arched some i felt a shooting pain and was out of the gym for a week and had to rehabilitate the muscle and ones around it for 3 more weeks. That's how i learned that i need to keep my back neutral no matter what, slight arch is ok if you are not rpe 9-10'ing

[@RamanSingh-zr7pk]

Clarence has the most appealing squat to eyes. Show his squat from any angle to anyone and everyone will say its beautiful.

[@sidhayes6168]

Fantastic depth and strength and even a pause. I am doing what you are saying, with no wt. and using this form.

[@vancemcnulty8242]

Good vid man. Everyone should ATG squat, problem is most people can't even ATG properly with their own bodyweight. Learn the technique first then add a little weight at a time. Belt squats very helpful if you can't do it with a bar across the back.

[@ChurchOfThought]

ATG fuck up my knees unequipped.

[@11202]

@@ChurchOfThought people wanna prescribe "the best way" without taking into consideration that squats especially have a huge emphasis on biomechanics. Hip socket shape alone can make a huge difference.

[@signs80]

@@ChurchOfThought most of the time if ATG squats are fucking up your knees it's because you need to lower the weight significantly to allow your knee tendons to adjust to the new load and stress. If you can squat 315 without ATG then you should probably start with 135 ATG and work up at 5 lbs per workout

[@Cursed_Jono]

I squat High Bar, my chest definitely dips down and my ass goes out. I also have a Positive Ape index, so I understand that that's just how my body is comfortable. trying to force verticality doesn't make me comfortable, it causes me problems. So what if I'm standing up and my chest is still pretty low? I get the rep done, and I'm comfortable! This is a good video Zack!

[@Theo-ul8qm]

I like Zack's point about not focusing excessively on a vertical torso. Personally, I've found that paying attention to my upper back posture really helps keep good posture in the entire torso when I squat. It really helps me to grip the bar narrow, so as to force thoracic extension. The rest of the upper body posture almost takes care of itself, and I can squat while mentally focusing almost exclusively on my legs.

[@jkarpov3634]

Apparently I've been squatting this way why entire life. Anything thing else felt like it just wasn't a natural movement for me...unless doing front squat. This style just feels....natural

[@ButlerM5]

Goodone Bro. You should be having 2M views by now on this vid. Great points on different bodies. Respect and Peace 🙌

[@Football__Junkie]

Clarence is such a beast. He has another level of toughness and disregard for pain.

[@michaelgonzalez_]

Can you do a vid on his squat more in detail? As in stance, knee position, avoiding lower back pain 🙌🏻

[@Feastalisk]

Man, I started doing compound/big movement because of Clarence, he's super athletic and simultaneously immensely strong

[@KwisBwown]

incredible brah thanks for the content always king

[@SchmidtyFilms]

Squat University is screaming while watching this and typing on his keyboard with his elbows completely locked out

[@RamanSingh-zr7pk]

One of the most interesting things about Clarence is his mindset. You can look at his rep and say that its his last rep because of how much he struggled during the rep and how much slow was that rep but you'll be wrong and he will do 5 more reps or something at that same RPE 9.5 or 10

[@blakejohnson1607]

i tried squatting like clarence once and got a nose explosion of blood when i went heavy the guy is insane

[@RGV2300]

My nose bleed from now and then during summer, due the heat, but i have never experience that, only dizziness during deadlifts.

[@bonkersdonkers7381]

You using Dianabol lol

[@SisypheanRoller]

Did you just jump into it or did you build up to it?

[@dnullify100]

His deep hip abductors are insanely strong, long, and coordinated. That's what's required. I've worked up to sitting without weight in that position, doing single leg squat variations. Hip coordination of internal rotation at deep hip flexion is something that almost everyone is missing. If your femurs are externally rotated at the bottom of a squat you're not using the right muscles to get up.

[@siawinkelmolen2851]

This video helped me a ton mindset wise. Thank you.

[@TheMASDrummer]

Took me like 2 years but my technique is now pretty much identical to Clarence, except like 200kg lighter lmao

[@socksmccox1025]

I love the outset island background 🌴

[@davidrioux611]

Great video.. Besides focus on constantly lowering depth even with hip crease bellow my knees I recently made better torso position with a tip I found from SIKA Strength- move the knees forward simultaneously as you move your hips backwards.

[@Iheartlifting]

I like the background you chose and think more people should do the same 🏝️

[@Almaztings]

outset island in the back with gerudo valley at the end. my mans knows quality

[@SuperSilver316]

It’s always Clarence’s Hand position that actually boggles my mind, how he can have his hands so close to his shoulders, I could only dream of mobility like that.

[@ryanturner8577]

I don't know if you'll see this but you should react to Milko Tokola video called "Brutal back squat training). Honestly not sure how strong he is for weightlifting, but I used to watch this years ago before my squat training just because of how intense it was with all the screaming and the techno ghostbusters russian like music.

[@Davis.smith.weightlifting]

Over at alee athletic Alex lee coaches the back squat as an accessory for the snatch, intentionally keeping the hips back earlier in the eccentric and later in the concentric to engage the hips and erectors more and mimic more of the demands on the back in the snatch.

[@rominalenguaza5692]

Great video!!

[@williamhubel4643]

I have to do a lot of squatting down when I’m stocking shelves at work and getting out of a low squat by initiating the concentric movement with the hips saves me a lot of knee pain

[@tpola3648]

Hey man very good video, subscribing after that one!

[@2eme_voltigeur652]

Awesome video! But the best must be the Gerudo village theme from Zelda OOT at the end :).

[@karansoam]

Thankyouuu thankyouuu just sooo soo much for this video!!!

[@FaddaJoe]

Pausing a video of Clarence squatting merely opens a portal to his personal temporal realm so we can see his pause squats in real time as he perceives them. He accessed forbidden knowledge to cast the secret Harry Squatter spell to create his own time dimension. That's what I choose to believe, anyway.

[@AfferbeckBeats]

People should not try to squat like Clarence, a lot of novices do it inadvertently, throwing their hips back to ascend and turning it into a squatmorning. It also causes people to get folded over when they fail, meaning they cannot safely bail in the regular weightlifting fashion. One of the best things to learn for squatting as a weightlifter is to limit the hips drifting back and maintaining balance through the feet. There are two great squat articles I'd recommend to anyone which are on the Yashathoughts blog being "Don't good-morning the back squat" and "Check your balance".

[@Tom-vu1wr]

@Christopher Huber I think the best way to get better squat mobility is just to try and sit in a squat for a long time frequently

[@Tom-vu1wr]

@Christopher Huber having said this I got to having good atg mobility in a month or so of stretching and most people I know who have had poor mobility have improved it pretty quickly with stretching

[@SisypheanRoller]

People should squat like Clarence. What they shouldn't do is put weight on their back when they can't even squat ATG without weights. Too many people have terrible posture and mobility that remain unaddressed while they chase PR numbers.

[@jingsndthings]

4:00 Zach also tells ppl to learn overhead squat from the bottom position first too

[@coaltin2449]

I love a good Clarence video

[@jorgealziroramosdaconceica5676]

Gerudo valley out of fking nowhere is why I freaking love Zack

[@carloscontreras3633]

Awesome ending song

[@MrSocialish]

You should show some unequipped low bar powerlifting squats. I feel like a lot of times when low bar is brought up in weightlifting videos, the clips always seem to be these ugly-ass equipped squats. Someone like Ashton Ruska has an amazing low bar squat that uses equal parts hips and legs.

[@tombrockhoff3081]

i try to go to parallel because when i go any lower i lose the stretch reflex. If i go lower my butt just shoots back and chest folds over to be able to get it back to parallel.

[@armwrestlingelysium]

There is something beautiful at Clarence s squat.

[@Tangsters]

Clarence is a different kinda BEAST!

[@MichaelYouTube23]

“We’re different morphologies”. Literally built different

[@uhhcoolstory5627]

4:10 feel the same way with pitching. Getting into the right positions matters tremendously. If you can’t throw efficiently then why tf are we going to try and compete 😂 how we first start out or train in something matters tremendously

[@strepie93]

How to squat like Clarence: be a promising junior weightlifter, train like a madman, get a heavy knee injury but continue training like a madman, get knee surgery, squat more hip dominant to decrease stress on the knees.

[@KickinTodlrs]

Clearance

[@patrickherpai2555]

Great Zack😇

[@fredreichmendiola9255]

my form is like this and people say i do it wrong. but then i saw clarence doing it exactly how i do so now ik im ok

[@scottessery100]

9:33 was that also with trenboloni sandwiches 🥪?

[@Runner-Boy]

I find sqauting like Clarence easier than low bar

[@lucas.coletti]

“Weightlifting Giraffe analyzes Weightlifting Fridge” Great video as always!

[@connorz640]

I naturally kind of squat like him, I have tried to emulate squats like his since I started lifting.

[@kkjjffss]

TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT w/ Zack Telander 🌋🔥🐉💪🤯

[@MrWilllego]

come to Cardiff!

[@TTT-o2f]

Do you think it is hurt for your knees or for your entire legs if you try make use of bounding with hard bar which means powerlifting bar? Weightlifter are supposed to be able to do squat on such heavy weght at high bar squat because they know well of how to bound from the bottom position. Of course, I know that some weight lifters are doing posing squat which they can't rely on such boudinig skill but such training are not frequently done so much. I suppose that their legs would be hurt soon if they use hard bar - powerlifting bar - if they continue such bounding to lift up heavy weight. What do you think? No one talks about this matter specifically on KZbin.

[@richkeylor787]

The guy at :47 has the same nickname as the kid at the end of Tropic Thunder. "Little Half Squat."

[@lamontbillingslb]

It looks like good morning and a squat

[@chrisc7764]

It feels illegal getting such good information from you for free

[@F-Tier_Physique]

Rocking a vintage Omega watch today, Zack?

[@ZacharyHeilman]

Trying to find your squat training video you mentioned.

[@Nemo-nm1ef]

Clarence would mogg most powerlifting comps.

[@tombrockhoff3081]

even in your squat, when you drop your hips below the knee crease, you lose tension. right after you hit the bottom of you squat your hips shoot up and torso leans.

[@saadsait1700]

265kg for 10 reps. Insane

[@dasdos002]

Dude. 265 for 10 is ABSURD. That is absolutely absurd to think a human can do that for 5. But 10?!? What the hell are we even talking about????

[@reformedzoomer]

I'm pretty happy with my squat technique as is, and I'd like to make it even deeper, but god damn do I hate the knee creak I get when squatting deep. Medically known as crepitus; my knees are fine, they don't hurt, movement is not impeded, but god damn are they loud when I squat deep.

[@RS00121]

Damn where can I get those transparent shorts

[@Ak-uj5jr]

Knees should be pushed in front of the toes right ? Many people try to keep vertical shin position in high bar squat and end up with butt wink

[@Richwiking318]

Please mr.Z bring mr. Kennedy back to life ..

[@INDAMOMENTFilms]

Now all we need now is giraffe man collaborating with Harry Squatter once again.

[@theotherchannel2028]

what's that background, it's cool, is that some sort of live wallpaper or something?

[@Eric-hi5py]

Looks like it's from windwaker

[@farhanhussain_]

Squat technique is highly dependent upon leverages. All exercises do. But since squat utilizes the entire body, this point is more important. Squat mainly depends upon ratio between femur and back. Longer the back, more upright the squat remains, and deeper one can go... all while keeping neutral spine. Conversely, more the femur is equal to back, more bent over the squat is. This is all geometry and not the lack of strength. By the way, upright squat is not necessarily safer or better and bent over squat is not necessarily risky, bad, or incorrect. Both are fine depending upon your anatomy. Real deal is to ensure that spine remains neutral during squat.

[@the3gamingnerds458]

So what do you do if you can't close grip for squats. At least for me I have to have my hands on the plates and I hate it but I legit can't get a closer grip without being in pain even under 135lbs. Is there any tips for that?

[@barryallen767]

work on shoulder mobility

[@timthemaranta3148]

Yeah giraffe and Harry squatter collab!

[@jjamo1225]

Clarence's bottom position looks great.

[@anubislockward3750]

I cannot do a Squat without pausing at the bottom. If I don't pause, my knees hurt like hell, specially the left knee.

[@SisypheanRoller]

Seems like an injury waiting to happen. You should get that looked at man.

[@anubislockward3750]

@@SisypheanRoller PR or ER....I can't afford the medical care

[@SisypheanRoller]

@@anubislockward3750 Oh man I feel you there. Take care and stay safe with those heavy lifts 💪

[@jjmarcos]

is that background from windwaker?

[@ruskibeaner5983]

is butt-wink an issue that has to be considered? cuz anything below parallel for me equates to butt wink

[@ghfjfghjasdfasdf]

I like my knees the way they are.

[@aks20139]

Ive come across an juggernaut video saying that if your knees are going back as you can see clarences doing, it means that the your legs are weaker than your back. Dont you want to avoid that or is it normal and okay?

[@SisypheanRoller]

There's a fair amount of truth to that. If you notice his later reps as he fatigues, his ascent becomes more forward leaning and more hip driven. It's unavoidable to some extent, but I think all it really shows is a weakness to be addressed. Ideally you'd have a 1:1 matchup in hip vs knee extension strength, but the hips are often the most powerful for good reason haha