I'm just starting out doing squats on the rack, before I did squats on a sled or machine. When I started doing deadlifts for the first time in May I could tell that my legs could handle the weight but my back couldn't. I started doing dead lifts with 150lb and now doing 285lb, so my back has definitely gotten stronger. The squats could be working my back in a different way so I might have to continue to build that first. I'm going to take your advice and try to get a weight between 135-185lb, something comfortable and something that is going to make me work. Work strictly on form and then maybe after this week I can start to add some pounds.

Not sure if there is anyone I can ask to critique my form. I try to watch other people in-between sets, try to see what they do good and bad so I can improve my form. Every person I see doing squats load the bar up with 300+lb and go crazy. They don't even go down to parallel and they explode up so fast that the bar almost lifts off their shoulders. It’s pretty bad that a newbie like me can easily see their bad form.

If you are going A2G is it typical that the first 2-3" when pushing back up are extremely difficult? This is where I feel it in my back the most.