Front squat difficulty

[Ben Smith]

I've recently taken up weightlifting. I'm transitioning from a Starting Strength-style squat to an oly-style squat. I'm struggling with the movement pattern and with ankle mobility (lots of old basketball sprains that weren't dealt with properly).

Here's a "control" set of low-bar back squats - it's 355 for 8 reps, just so you can see where my strength is at.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkdrsF8ZSMQ

And here's tonight's front squat. I'm following Greg's main page programming (more or less), so this is the second of two singles at 90%.

http://youtu.be/IskzWemVKlQ

I don't like the back angle much.

I have Greg's book, and am working through it. I'm also doing daily calf stretches, will get a lacrosse ball tomorrow to start rolling my fascia on my problem foot, and am doing the bottom-position ankle stretches that Greg describes.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Kevin Shaughnessy]

I gotta say I was expecting a lot worse than what I saw.

I have a similar issue of getting bent over a bit and was told by Glenn Pendlay to not sweat it because form is just going to break down with near maximal weights. He also wrote that once you can do 30 pounds more than what your doing now, that 250 will look picture perfect.

I also don't think everyone has the anthropometry to do a completely upright front squat.

[Blair Lowe]

Are your elbows dropping in the FS? I'm not sure if they are dropping or just being blocked because of the height of where the camera is shooting from.

Looks pretty decent for the most part, IMO. The bar path is a bit quirky but it's a lot better than what I often see.

[Ben Smith]

Thanks to both of you.

Blair, what's quirky about the bar path to you?

[Greg Everett]

Looks good to me. I don't think you have anything to worry about. Flexibility doesn't look bad at all. Maybe could use a bit more in the upper back, but it won't make or break you at this point. And if that's 90%, you have a lot more in you.

[Ben Smith]

Word to the upper back flexibility. Will work on that. I went up to 275 that day, and the limiting factor is wrists/rack.