Just a cue for you guys who find it it hard to squeeze glutes on the way down, which it definitely is.... I think about squeezing my hamstrings instead, don't even do it hard, just engage them and this really works. If you engage them and try purposely arching your lower back it's almost impossible :-) Great work Alexander Bromley!

Not sure how many subscribers you have. But for some of us you're making a big difference. After the last 15 years of following the arch type squat with heavy breathing into the belt - I have a slipped disk, serious knee problems and agonizing hip pain. I live my life in constant pain. I refuse to give up but you've already helped me so much to identify what's wrong. So this a very sincere thank you! Rooting for you to hopefully have a fantastic result in next year's official strongman games!

Jesse Burdick recently mentioned that the "arch your back" is a really a really outdated cue that was used to tell stupid 350+ lbs men to keep their back straight. Not every cue helps everyone

THat advice will save tons of lower back injuries.... thanks a lot bro....

You are a super hero. I don’t feel my lower back anymore while doing squats and I have zero pain. Meanwhile squats are my favorite exercise. Thank you very much

Wish I saw this video 10 years ago, before I destroyed by lower back..... went from a 455lbs squat to not being able to at all. It's been a long road back! Wize words my friend! Keep up the great videos!

Always overxtended lumbar in my squats and put me out for a year after reaching 3 plates. Getting back to it is all about my abs and ass. Weak as fuk but is the greatest feeling to not have a thrashed lower back after lifting. Only recently not associating constant pain and difficulty walking with gym progression. sic channel.

You're so right about recording yourself. By recording myself, I realized how bad my overall posture had gotten. Rounded shoulders, thoracic kyphosis, and anterior pelvic tilt. Basically, I'm fucked and have a lot of work to do LOL.

This was explained in a way that I actually could understand and can’t wait to implement it next session

Your content is golden. Just golden. I went to your website and bought your spreadsheet just to support you with something right away. I wish I had this 15 years ago. What you describe is exact and precise - the crazy cues about a big arch etc... my goodness I am blessed that I never injured myself but my lifts also suffered. I feel so much stronger lifting with proper bracing. Big thanks.

Your videos are a game changer, this has completely eliminated any back pain I have while squatting. Thanks for putting this information out!!

Damn! That’s gold! Can’t wait to try it. I’m at the beginning of a 20 squat program. I was somewhat concerned with my form breaking down with heavier weight as I progressed. This tip will definitely help. This video came just in time. So thank you very much.

thank you so much saving me before I get injured haha i found the anterior pelvic tilt made my squat more stable because I didn’t know how to brace before doing it but I always felt my lower back fatigue

Great video! Gonna rewatch it multiple times for sure. Beginner-intermediate lifter here. I’m having to relearn bracing for squats/deadlifts and start all over again with lower weights because of overarching. If I’m squatting or deadlifting heavy regularly my lower back gets super tight and painful. Very frustrating!!! Thanks for taking the time to go over this! 👍🏻

This stuff is amazing I dont get why you dont have more viewers. You are the first KZfaqr to give me this much free advice. Not only on this video but the whole squat series, DL series,… Thank you so much ! Greetings from Belgium

Thank you .I’m new to squating and tweaked my back yesterday and I felt like it was from arching my back.I’ve been doing light weights trying to get my form right before I proceed.The camera idea is great .👍🏻

I don't remember the last time I read 50 pages of anything and I read your ebook in one setting. Great work, It really helps to put a plan in place to improve my braceing. I've actually realized this was the reason I had butt wink and started addressing it and it does work

Thank you. This is so true. In the 90’s our clubs squat cues were “Chest up, butt back, Drive through your heels!” It took me so long (over a decade) to work out that it wasn’t working for me. It is good to have this explanation/validation of moving away from this set-up.

Found this after giving myself what I thought was a hernia but turned out to be a soft tissue injury near my groin. I like many others was bracing improperly and arching my back and this feels SO much better. Changing old habits is difficult and it hurts the ego to have to use less weight but the improved technique and lower injury risk is worth it. Thank you for the explanation!!

My man brought up everyone I’d use to argue against him good shit sir you may have saved me from an injury

Agree, some people said that they only maintain the natural arch of the spine but the cue can be misinterpreted (I did it and got back pain)

Great tips ! Best channel on tube. Thanks !!

Always bringing awesome content man

Couldn't agree with you more absolutely brilliant video my man

Thank you very much Alexander.

Thanks so much for this Mr Bromley

This has literally helped so much for me, I had a suspicion I was doing this on my squat and then started engaging more glutes with a better spine position and my squats feel better than ever

This Is a very helpful and clear video. Thanks!

That’s awesome! I recovering from a sports hernia which i 100% believe came from having my belt to tight and the arch which over stretching the lower abdominal area in the deep squat position so i will work on that

Brilliant very helpful video Thankyou, I needed this knowledge 15years ago tbh Iv had to learn all this trial and error

This is a great video and great philosophy!

I had to go ahead and suscribe. I really appreciate what you have been doing! Please keep it going sir!!

I used to ascribe to Tate's methodology back when he was a regular contributor on T-Nation about 15 years ago. All the cues and positioning I gleaned from him and other similar strength coaches has led me into movement dysfunction that I'm paying for in all the ways you mention in this video. I'm revisiting my form and positioning now and it's making a huge difference, I just hope I haven't done irreparable damage. The butt arching is a difficult thing to retrain, especially when I've acquired APT over that many years, but I'm making progress and the movements feel much more comfortable than they used to. Thanks for the information!

When I started lifting in the early/mid 2000s, Westside principles were seen as the only way to lift, and my god everything you said here was everything that caused me problems. I had so many back issues that sidelined me for YEARS, and this is rebuilding me. The hard arching, big belly breathing, I got coached into doing all this shit even as a raw lifter.

Thank You Sir. You e helped me identify my issues. Ive been dling bodyweight back Extensions and hydromassages at my gym for a week now trying to recover from improper squat technique and also was increasing weight to fast

Very informative. I think this is the reason I have anterior pelvic tilt.

Thank you for the help.

Clicked, got it. You just made my lifting life better.

Another great video for sure. I've been binging your content for the last week, and I can't believe that you don't have more subscribers. I really feel like I've found a hidden gem here. The one time the KZfaq algorithm actually suggested something good to me I think. Please keep up the good work!

Excellent video! Thank you.

Good on you to fight misinformation like this. I've had to unfuck so many aspects of my lifting after being taught the wrong cues at the start of my lifting journey and it lost me years of progress. Keep it up man.

This is great info. Thank you so much!

WOW your videos help me a lot. My Personal trainer kept on saying I have butt wink, weak core,... But just with your advice: squeeze glute through the entire range of motion, everything is fixed. Thank a lot!

Great stuff man. Thank you

Great advice, thank you!

8:29 for the correct way. Takes much processing before going down the hole.

Great video

Great video, so clear and concise. I wish the ebook was still available but i can't seem to find it. I've love to read more as I'm also a yoga teacher and the focus on breath technique is a discipline both lifting and yoga have in common.

Wow this is super helpful!

This is some good and solid info. I herniated my l4/l5 6 years ago and ever since my range of motion is shitty. I always have the butt wink in the squats and end up sore and hurting for over a week or two and that messes with training. Gonna try you method on the next session

Thanks man, I've been over arching.

Great video!

Just found your channel and glad I did. Such great information given in a practical way that allows a dumb dumb like me to incorporate it into my training. Thanks!

Great content!

Thank you!!! I just came back from an injury for this exact reason..

Great info

omg, this a revelation.... Thank you i have alotta work to do 😅

Thanks so much!

My god this guy is the best

This video clarified a lot of myths about back position when lifting. A lot of guys think about their back when squatting or deadlifting. But if we are honest, or tiny spine and the related muscles can only support a fraction of the weight in contrast to when our abdomen/core is supporting the spine like an airbag. When I focused on my back muscles by arching, I had a lot of trouble with my back…. When I started to focus on my abs when lifting (bracing) , I stopped feeling my spine but am able to lift trouble free. This is the reason why I never had problems lifting sandbags…an arched spine was not possible and I braced naturally. Never dared to apply the same to deadlifts because of the „you have to arch your back“ advice… Now when deadlifting with my altered form, my impression is that my spine is round, but in reality it is just flat…all the years of arching have misguided my senses…Now I have to relearn what a neutral spine is and that a neutral spine will feel somewhat rounded for me because of my arching history. I don’t concentrate anymore on my back position but more on a really hard braced core and that my abs never loose contact to my hips if that makes sense….stacked like you call it…. Thanks a lot for your advices…they are helping a lot of us guys trying to get stronger … I don’t get why guys like Matt Wenning are still preaching to arch the back……?

Great great video

I figured this out about 8 years after i started squatting. A few years ago now I started having sciatic pain. It juat grew worse until I had constant pain. So I stopped squatting, deadlifting and arching anywhere really and Im now reasonably pain free (I can live with it at least. Minor flare ups a few months apart). I want to do a 20rep squat program to get some weight to my meagre frame. Have done 20rep squats before but with that horrendous arch. This time around I want to do it high bar, knees forward and my back as vertical as possible with my long legs and short torso... Anyway, just wanted to appreciate this video and hope that you catch new lifters with this before they do the same mistakes as a lot of us "older" guys (30+). Thanks

This is excellent coaching. I wish I had you as a coach about 20 years ago.

Brian Alsruhe’s bracing video helped me tremendously with squats and your video definitely adds to it. I’ve noticed that squeezing my glutes helps with butt wink as you demonstrated here. Thanks for your video! Now I need to practice the 90/90 breathing techniques.

Could you please do a vid on upper body bracing and lower body movers and how they function separately and work together as one in the deadlift? Thanks 😊💪

Thanks dude

Golden

Brilliant

Thank you this is so helpful. I've just plucked up the courage to go in the weight room and the bar has kind of been intimidating to me to set up and use so thanks!

Thanks

big yes

Keeping my glutes tight is the hardest thing while descending. Same issue with deadlifts

This is genius thank you really comprehensive explaination, I totally doing this wrong.....

I think you just saved me from years of pain

Damn I was experimenting with positioning and discovered this form. I felt extremely strong. Like my upper torso was connected to my hips and it was one unit, like a log. Now I’m eating dinner and just discovered your video.

So good mate. I have problems with having disproportioned leg lengths which means i have to stand with one leg futher forward to feel even. Is that the way to go? Subscribed andbthis is some of the best content i've found, thanks!!

This series is amazing. Im in my offseason and starting to hit the 100+kg in my squat and almost deadlift and yet my glutes have been lagging. But these videos are great for me. thank you!!!

My back naturally arches a lot, so I’m keen to try this and see if it helps. I tried it with no weight and seems as though it will work!! Thanks for the tip

Nice

Dude this is me to a fucking T. Hyperextending the shit out of my back to keep it safe. My low back was fucking pumped out of its mind just getting the warmup sets done. Really appreciate this video man I thought I was just someone who would never be able to get over 200 lbs on my lifts because my low back just gets wrecked because of this exact phenomena every time. Thank you so much!

The ad before this 😮

Yep the arch caused me an injury need to lighten the weight and practice form

Big help man. I screwed up my back the other day because I was squatting with an arched back.

Great video. I had a lot of lower back issues after squatting and this explains it. I also have some degree of atp, which in hindsight makes sense. But it is really hard not arching while squatting. It's like trying to write with my left hand. Or trying not to close my eyes when I sneeze. I can engage my glutes in an upright position, but I'm not really sure how to maintain that squeeze while squatting down. And having to "push my hips back" or "sit into the squat" also physically contradicts the glute squeeze. Or so it feels.

A tube of biscuits 😂 love it! This boy is hungry!

Wish i saw this years ago

"Tuba Biscuits" is going to be #1 Squat cue from now on.

Deadlift bracing please!

I don’t do back/front squats usually. I do body weight squats and hack squats, but this is still very useful.

squeeze abs and issue solved!!

Is what is taught by the Starting Strength method appropriate? Regarding extension?

I wish more girls like me watched this video first! There’s a lot of fitness influencers ARCHING their backs while squatting. Lots of girls will be commenting their lower back hurts and the replies are flooded with “you just have a weak back” or “that’s normal”. So glad this video was recommended to me bc it makes sense now (and I’m saving my lower back early on)!

Should you not do the whole squeezing the glutes & cannon ball breathing right before you unrack the weight as well?

I have anterior tilt as well and when I tighten the glutes and hammy it seems impossible to squat as it feels too stiff.

Do i have to try to squeeze my glutes throughout the squat or only while bracing? Thank you

Do you hold your breath when you’re going back up (during actual workout with more weights) or do you breath out?

Does anyone know any ques for keeping the glutes tight at bottom of the squat? Standing upright I can flex my glutes and they are solid as a rock, but the moment I start to descend into the squat or even to hip hinge to get down to a deadlift I lose that solid tightness I had from standing upright

Nice tips! For context, are you talking about strength or hypertrophy training? Thanks!

So my question is do you flex your lower back to keep tightness? (Not overextending) I've tried squatting completely straight, and i almost touch the ground, but it's unstable.

Thanks, pretty sure this is why I hurt my back.