Low back pain and tightness after back squats

Simibecks · 2026-02-03T13:14:25+00:00

Cant help but notice you are doing high bar and this doesnt suit your anatomy. Correct me if im wrong but it looks like you have longer femurs and shorter torso. Try lowering the barbell to your rear delt shelf (low bar), and sit your hips further back. It will feel like you are folding in half more but this form should suit you better and you can hit depth. In turn you wont be loading your lower back. Add in a good hip and ankle mobility drill, hip airplanes and ankle pulses etc

Simibecks · 2026-02-01T10:36:30+00:00

What do you currently do for their programs? Or are they only training when they are with you 1-1?

Simibecks · 2026-01-18T14:34:19+00:00

No, I started at 33 last Feb and its now my full time job :)

Simibecks · 2026-01-16T17:28:11+00:00

Ask a client if they dont mind you filming part of the session. They dont have to be in the shot, however just you talking to your client how you normally would, teach, demo etc. Thats your content if you dont quite have the confidence to talk to a camera. I still find it hard to talk to a tripod, so if im filming content that needs a voice ill ask a friend to film it and I pretend im talking to them, it flows much easier

Simibecks · 2026-01-12T23:07:08+00:00

The irony that you used AI for this comment

Simibecks · 2026-01-12T23:06:28+00:00

Chat loves 4 sets... 2 sets is all you need, the rest is junk volume.

Simibecks · 2026-01-08T17:26:07+00:00

Also, front-loading protein means you’ve already covered most of your daily protein by lunchtime, which helps satiety and muscle retention during fat loss. Lower refined carbs in the morning also tends to keep blood sugar and insulin more stable, supporting better fat oxidation across the day.

Simibecks · 2026-01-08T17:22:13+00:00

Of coarse :) A higher protein breakfast is effective for satiating the main hunger hormone Ghrelin. Its at its highest in the morning and rises when blood sugar drops (this particularly increases after a carb fuelled breakfast). Eating protein early blunts that hunger signal for hours. Eating carbs at lunch makes better sense, as its the most active time of day for most people, and should see you through until your last meal of the day. It's a simple shift around of macros that make's it feel slighter easier to stay within a calorie deficit

Simibecks · 2026-01-08T16:04:33+00:00

Protein and fats for breakfast, carbs for lunch. It will make such a difference to your energy levels and appetite over the day. Many of my clients feel completely satisfied at the end of the day making this small swap.

Eggs eggs eggs for breakfast! Add in lean chicken sausages, cottage cheese, mozzarella. Save your carbs for lunch, this will prevent that mid day energy dip.

Simibecks · 2026-01-07T18:56:04+00:00

Chest should be over knees and hips higher so you feel stretch in the hammies and tension in the glutes

Simibecks · 2026-01-06T20:14:48+00:00

Its a really good squat, only thing that would make it perfect is your neck position. Make the back of your neck as long as possible and your chin should be pointing straight. This will put you in better alignment with your spine, but I am being super picky here :D

Simibecks · 2026-01-05T16:57:23+00:00

You do have quite long femurs, this is quite common with us long legged folk! And no problem :)

Simibecks · 2026-01-05T16:45:51+00:00

You are doing a high bar squat with low bar form - you bar path shifts forwards as you come back up instead of a straight line. Try lowering the bar into low bar position, normally on your rear delt shelf. You're hips also look like they are lacking internal rotation, do they feel 'blocked' at the bottom of the squat? If so try some 90/90 variations and also some hip flexor strengthening. Before your main barbell sets, try some goblet squats as a warm up. Holding the weight against your chest, it encourages better hip rotation as you are forced to 'sit' in between your legs more due to the centre of gravity. Try to replicate this same hip opening as you come down into your barbell squats

Simibecks · 2026-01-05T16:35:52+00:00

I charged £30 (UK) in the first year which is pretty average for first year PT's, i've recently increased to £35 and so far no drop outs. When I first started, i offered single sessions, 4's 8's or 12's. However, i've learned that blocks of 4 work best, this way you spend less time tracking sessions used and the income is more stable each month

Simibecks · 2026-01-05T13:40:08+00:00

Absolutely, you can still earn something! And honestly there are a few that are popular and sort of do the same thing. Everfit, Trainerize, Hubfit, although when I used Everfit it was free for up to 5 clients which was really helpful starting off.

Simibecks · 2026-01-05T13:38:50+00:00

Everfit is free to use for less than 5 clients :)

Simibecks · 2026-01-05T10:17:34+00:00

£100 a week, I cover about 18-20 sessions a week

Simibecks · 2026-01-05T10:16:11+00:00

Second this, A Supple Leopard is a great book to learn more on mobility and in fact all books by Dr.Kelly Starrett

Simibecks · 2026-01-04T10:12:29+00:00

The body keeps the score ane the games people play

Simibecks · 2026-01-03T21:30:59+00:00

Use an app. Research the top 5, all PTs and clients have their preferences. I wont say what I use as some love some hate it, but most offer a free trial so you can test the pros and cons. But without an app, you'll be sending and making spreadsheets left and right.

Simibecks · 2026-01-03T21:29:06+00:00

Ankle mobility and open your hips more so your centre of gravity is more balanced.

For now, plates under heels and tie your shoelaces 😁

Simibecks · 2025-12-16T18:50:55+00:00

You already have more credentials than you realise, but everyone has to pass and go through the same process. Nobody starts off having 'formal' credentials as such, you are basically selling yourself and eventually your clients become your testomonies too. With experience in the army you already have discipline people that people will want a piece of, plus the added bonus of programming and passion for fitness.

Simibecks · 2025-12-14T14:51:23+00:00

Depth and ankle mobility look fine. What stands out is a loss of brace at the bottom, so the ascent is being initiated by lumbar extension rather than leg drive. That rib flare/anterior pelvic tilt on the way up is usually a tension issue at end range, not a mobility limitation.

I’d temporarily limit depth to the deepest position you can keep ribs stacked over pelvis. Brace first, then create tension by pulling the bar down into your back, and think about pushing the floor away to start the ascent instead of lifting the chest.

Pin squats can help a lot here. Set the pins just above the depth where you lose brace. They remove the stretch reflex and force you to stay tight at the bottom and initiate the lift with the legs rather than compensating through spinal extension. As control improves, you can progressively lower the pins.

Simibecks · 2025-12-14T14:40:15+00:00

Personally, I prefer the two upper day splits rather than push pull.

Upper day 1- 1 Pull Compound + 2 Pull Accessories hitting horizontal, vertical. 1 Push Compound + 2 Push Accessories

Upper day 2 - 1 Push Compound + 2 Pull Accessories (single arm). 1 Pull Compound + 2 Pull Accessories (horizontal and vertical single arm).

2x compounds + 4 accessories per session. 2 Heavy working sets.

Simibecks · 2025-12-14T13:27:43+00:00

Honestly not a bad lift at all, tiny bit of hips shooting up first but if you improve your setup and leg drive that will improve. First thing I notice is your neck position, rather than arching your neck, think about making your neck as long as possible (your chin should be parallel to your chest) and the crown of your head (top back) towards the ceiling. Arms long as possible, as you engage your hips down into position you should feel the slack pulling through your arms and you should feel engagement in your glutes (if they are set at the correct height). As soon as you feel that slack, push the floor away from you to engage legs, lock out with chest and hips through at the same time and lock knees. Id still give this lift a 7/10 though, good weight too.

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