I sometimes lose the air on purpose so I don't pass out my back is adapted to be bent over a bit thankfully but i need to brace and I feel like I will explode every time I try to brace right

Try adding rib cage down into the bracing sequence for deads! Breathe out hard and exhale everything while bringing the rib cage down right before you catch your breath. This will help with both bracing and lat engagement actually. As for lat engagement in particular you'll notice in my deadlift videos I always shove my arms down aggressively. This is to depress my scapula with the lats and traps to engage them in a full depressed state which is optimal for back activation and position in a deadlift. I NEVER retract or "screwdrive" my armpits, that cue just leads to tension shifting mid rep and a longer range of motion. Think arms extended down and shove your armpits down

Thanks so much!

brace the abs by squeezing isometrically and flex the glutes. The glutes are a prime mover and thus need to actually go through flexion/extension.

Márton K imo he's incorrect. The torso never truly moves in a straight line during squat movement patterns in the first place. Getting a better brace that's neutral and more locked in is far more beneficial than starting with the bar over the mid foot in the top position. Not only does that put unwanted constant tension onto the thoracic/extensor muscles it also won't allow for a large brace. Not only does that position never allow you to place the spine into neutral because you can't squeeze your glutes, the bent over start position he likes is going to collapse the chest more which wont allow for maximum chest/stomach capacity for catching a brace. I also disagree with the vast majority of starting strength principles utilized for their movement patterns in regards to maximal powerlifting strength. Starting strength preaches tactics for general strength and health which is sub optimal for powerlifting in most cases. For instance the hooked wrist position, "hip drive", bent over start position, etc. all sub optimal. If you watch the best squatters in the world they get vertical. Chris duffin has some great articles and videos on this.

Thanks for the quick response!

Simon Kealy yup, I squat low bar and do it before every rep. Being vertical in low bar is just as important for bracing

Keep the vids coming dude. Be good to see a vid for ur warm up sequences from walking in the gym to touching a bar on a lower and upper day dude !! I think thats where most struggle is putting the warm ups together including raising heart rate, mobilisation & activation.

Yes! I squat low bar (a true low low bar lol) and I always get vertical as possible. It changes the way you will descend but once you get use to it its gold! Chris Duffin is huge on this as well, a ton of high level low bar squatters implement it.

so what's your opinion on the starting strength coaches advocating leaning forward on low bar ?

I have longer legs and keeping upright is harder. But is it possible to change this?

No man, you have to stay as horizontal as possible, Mark Rippetoe ftw!!

It depends on femur length I think. Because if you have a long femur you need to stay less upright to keep the barbell over the mid of the foot.

steezy join the team man! Website is Prime-strength.com We’re about to announce openings soon! Get ahead of the line.

a year late haha .. but you are supposed to repeat the bracing process after each rep.

Asif Munir when I said vertical I meant the start position of the brace. It's actually detrimental to be more vertical than midfoot/heel in the movement of the squat it's self. I just meant "get tall" so to say when you catch your brace!

It is the same for every intensity range however of course the lighter it is the less bracing you need as well as the more difficult it is to hold that big of a breath on high reps LOL! So yes I do this for any intensity zone however to a smaller degree the lighter it is.

@@BrendanTietz Well to be fair in a high rep squat set, you would simply reset your bracing and breath before every rep, right? You don't actually hold your breath for 12 squats do you? I've always been taught to treat every rep in a set like a single rep.

Nguyen Thuyet 00

Brooke S yes, it's called a valsalva maneuver

Try driving your knees out as far as you can while keeping knee and foot alignment. You may also need to turn your toes out more and open up your stance.

Ng Jadyn yes! It's called a valsalva maneuver.

Brendan Tietz thanks!

No that would actually be impossible since the hips would have to leave extension and the glutes wouldn't be able to fully squeeze. Once the position is braced you can let go of the glute squeeze!

@@BrendanTietz oh, shit. This just made sense to me. You first concentrically move the pelvis into a more neutral position (because most of us are perpetually in a state of anterior pelvic tilt), then you brace with the abs, some of which are connected to the pelvis and keep the pelvis from tilting back into anterior pelvic tilt. This would be a great point to add to the video (about releasing the glute squeeze after bracing). I know that you must do it in order to descend, but, knowing the sequence of the whole thing helps me understand and execute it better.