Knocking the rust off my Low bar squat

[augeleven]

After starting out squatting SS style for a year I switched to high bar, mostly due to horrible golfers elbow. For the last two years the elbows have been cooperative.

But now I’ve signed up for a meet. I’m running a MM-style program and am doing low bar as singles only on power day. Today was my 2nd day #lookingdown. I’ve always struggled a lot with the squat.

Do these look ok? From what I see I’m losing tightness in the bottom and extension in the chest. Anything else?
Low bar feels stronger, even though I’m out of practice. How is muh hip drahve?
How are my elbows? They feel good, and I assume keeping things mostly below RPE 8 will help

Can I please get an RPE check on that 300x1 @8.5
Thanks in advance

[Wilhelm]

No worries about depth.

Really hard for me to say how your sticking point affects you, but it looked like you could do a triple with that 300.

[KarlM]

Look pretty good to me TBH. You can probably squat more if you cut your depth a bit. You may be able to get a better brace to help with stability at the bottom, but I'd say run those up!

[BenM]

Yeah the brace was very quick, and the depth was well and truly below comp spec. If your are losing tightness to hit that depth, that's not great, but it wasn't obvious from here. For me, the weight always seems lighter when I am sure to brace really, really hard and not relax in the hole... but I still forget that sometimes because sets also feel far more strenuous cardio wise when you're bracing hard!

Solid squat, and if it was mine, too fast to be an 8.5. But no glaring issues I can see. Add 5lbs and carry on

[FredM]

Looks pretty dang good. You're about an inch "too deep" but maybe ignore that because too deep is better than the alternative on comp day.

300 looks like @6.5 dude.

[augeleven]

Thanks for the response everybody. After watching the video more I agree, I over-judged the RPE. I think it might be due to feeling weird with the bar in the new position, Low bar feels way less sturdy than high bar right now. Spreadsheet now has this as a 7, and I'll probably keep adding 5 pounds for now, maybe enjoy some novel exercise gains?

Also I'm not going to actively worry about cutting depth, but I will focus on it with the back off breathing paused squats.

[Wilhelm]

I haven't mastered cutting depth.
I'm not sure it's a concept i even approve of for myself.
It seems like i'm interfering with my best motion when i've tried it.

Depth tends to come up some at the heaviest weights anyway.
It's when i'm tenative that i will ever squat parallel or high, so i like to get tight and have a confident descent.

To me, it doesn't look like your depth is causing you any problems, and is probably giving you some of that sweet stretch reflex action.
Back angle remains locked in, with hips only rising a very small amount in advance of shoulders.
Basically rock solid from my view.

I don't see you getting loose, though i know it doesn't always manifest visually.

If you can squat deep comfortably, just be thankfull, is my opinion.

[JohnHelton]

If you hold your knees back slightly more at the bottom, the depth will come up without having to think about it. You definitely don't want to be trying to cut the depth off. You should hit bottom, but you can adjust the bottom with knee positioning.

[Skid]

Since you are entering a meet - To me it seems like your feet are too close together and facing almost directly forward, and as a result you are going a couple inches too deep. If you take a wider stance with your toes angled out a bit more, this will limit your depth, give a better stretch reflex at the bottom, and increase the weight you can squat. Depends on your hips though... And get some knee sleeves if you don't have any already. They'll add a few pounds to the bar.