Squat form check (no. 2)

Question

Gentlemen, and ladies, I would like a squat form check, please!

So here is my previous squat form check.

The most important advice was that I needed to slow down my descent to consistently reach depth. Another issue was that my heels were coming up at the bottom of the squat (probably due to my basketball shoes). A few helping exercises were recommended (pause squats, goblet squats, etc.). I did some pause squats and some pin-squats. Oh yes, and shoes! I got a pair of lifting shoes; however, they were the cheapest pair out there that I could afford.

I am wondering how the form looks now. And how do I improve it? I do think that my descent is a bit more controlled now. Should I get it even more slower?

Set 1 235 lbs 5 reps

Set 2 235 lbs 5 reps

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I have been having a sharp pain in the top of my fibulas (the right one is more noticeable and more concerning). It hurts when I squat, especially on the way up from the bottom. I tried taking two days off in between my squat sessions, and the pain goes away momentarily. But when I get to my second work-set, it comes back. When I poke this spot, I can feel the pain a bit. I read in the Starting Strength forums that this might be caused due to the greater knee angle in the high-bar squat. I guess my question is, have any of you experienced such a case? If yes, what did you do? Not asking for medical advice, just your experience with this.

Answer 1

Everything looks a lot better.

In the first set, reps 1, 2, and 4 look basically fine. Your bracing, footing, and overall movement are miles improved. I think you didn't hit sufficient depth on reps 3 and 5 but it's borderline.

Depth issues are a little more obvious in the second set, and in general it looks a little sloppier -- but only a little. The main concern I see is that you're starting each rep by bracing (good!) then sticking your hips out behind you a split second before you break at the knees. It looks like you could be losing some position there. Try to break at the hips and knees simultaneously, and more importantly to make sure your lower back stays braced and in position while you move your hips back. (It's possible you're doing this already, and I just can't tell because of your shirt.)

Overall, solid work and much improved. I would stay at this weight until you feel comfortable rocking three sets of six, but the important point is you're on track. Hopefully you're feeling how these are closer to correct, too, because that's the really important part of learning the movement.