Weight: 70 kg (35 kg each side)
Whenever I go above about 60 kg, I notice my squat form starts to lean forward more.
Got any tips?
From what I've read, the fixes could be:
- widen the stance a bit, spreading the knees more
-
brace the core really tight- place the bar a little higher on the traps so there's no wiggle room
I face the same issue, so I end up doing my squats on the Smith machine.
Try putting plates under your feet, widen your stance, and it's even better if you go barefoot.
My glutes, abs and hips are weak and tight. I'd work on those three for a few weeks – you can even ask ChatGPT for routines. A little forward lean will always stay because of a long femur, so people like us naturally tilt a bit forward.
Why do you want to change it? From what I see, your lean isn't that bad to ruin your quad leverage, and a bit of forward lean is normal because of femur length. If you try to stay overly stiff and upright, your spine will go into hyper‑extension, which isn't good. Just focus on bracing and breathing into your diaphragm, keep the belly tight. Don't inhale too much; try a strong exhale but keep some air so the tension stays. Pull the bar into your back with your lats so the bar path doesn't move much and you stay stable. Other than that, your form is fine!
Switch to flat shoes – they'll really help. Experiment with wide and narrow stances and stick to what feels best. Also, consider using a wrist strap.
Bro, what's the guy behind doing, lol.
You're doing a low‑bar squat, so that amount of forward lean is normal – it's the style used by Starting Strength and powerlifters. If you switch to a high‑bar squat, you'll need to keep the bar a bit higher on the upper traps instead of the rear delts, which reduces the lean – that's the version bodybuilders prefer.
Just stick with whatever feels comfortable. At the moment, your lean is acceptable for your squat style and femur length, and both low‑ and high‑bar squats will develop your legs.
Flat shoes – not the high‑heel running ones. They won't completely fix your posture because of your femur length, but they'll give you much better balance.
* Shoes – switch to flat shoes with a hard, non‑compressible sole.
* Can you record from a pure side angle? I want to see the bar path relative to your mid‑foot. I suspect the "forward lean" is just the bar moving over the mid‑foot, which is actually fine.
* Unless you have a reason not to, try squatting a bit deeper, at least to parallel.
* The people telling you to drop the weight dramatically don't know what they're talking about. You can lift this load; you just need a few minor tweaks.
Keep at it! You're on the right track, and a solid brace is always worth improving.
I'm not sure it works for everyone, but I saw a video that solved my problem. Instead of feeling the weight on your toes or heels, aim to balance it right in the middle of your foot. That corrected my posture and eliminated back pain at the end of the reps.