I definitely do this, to the exclusion of back squats. It’s probably time to change back though.
I haven’t. It would be possible to experience a lot of pain (thus gain, presumably) with this. One would be dreading the sessions!!!
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My legs felt fried from the little amount of work I did on Sunday, so this absolutely sucked:
50 25kg goblet squats in 4:00 (shaved almost a minute off from last week’s time)
4x6 standing ab wheel progression
50 band pull aparts
Then my legs ached with every step on a 3k run, finished in 15:09. I don’t know how I came up with that goblet squat thing, but I think I’ll keep doing them moving forward.
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Can relate to the inverse here. Austrian dialect in (very) rural Saxony. Pretty much was told “if you’re gonna stack an English and Austrian accent and try to speak German, you might as well just speak English.” Talk about discouraging. Vienna airport and Austrian Airlines on the way there was cool, though.
I do agree that as long as you’re in a major city you won’t see nearly as much dialect difference as you would in the countryside. I will also say that most seemed to view Americans favorably at the time, but it was in 2016 that I was there so take that with a huge, orange grain of salt.
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That “like” was just for the last 5 words. Can’t weigh in on the dialect discussions, I’ve been all over the world and much of Europe but never Germany.
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Honestly a lot wanted to practice their English with me. So I would always agree with the understanding that they let me try to respond in sad and broken Österreichisch.
I come off as perhaps too humble here, but if there’s one thing, I am very confident about my German skills. While I still improve slowly, I would have to relocate or at least spend a considerable amount of time over there to change dramatically.
My experiences probably hold little weight because I’ve not traveled extensively abroad. However, I exchange languages with others fairly regularly – not only with Germans but also those from countries where you would expect nothing but negativity toward Americans – and find that even during the recent roller coaster of a regime we had (and in many ways still do), people are more curious than critical. Of course, these people are younger and probably more open-minded than their country’s older generations. It is not difficult for us to find American and global politics humorous, they sometimes ask how healthcare and public transit actually work here, but all in all we’re both just humans trying to live our lives in a messed up world.
I think genuinely showing interest in their nation’s language and circumstances goes a long way. Americans are very self-centered. I don’t mean this in a bad way or that I am immune to it. It works well in some cases. I think the key is making the choice to not be that way because it is so easy to recognize, as it is radically different from the norms we experience as Americans and how the media abroad may portray us. The problem is that many Americans don’t even think about these things.
Maybe it doesn’t really matter for a 1-2 week vacation beyond learning a few useful phrases so that you’re not that inconsiderate person who demands everyone speak English to you. It’s still a choice I try to make though, even with international co-workers whose languages I honestly don’t care too much to learn.
It’s so funny to me that young Germans digest so much media in English, not to mention their stellar English education, yet they seemingly never practice with each other. I can’t deny that practicing with a native speaker is superior, but still. I’d jump at the chance to converse with anyone near me whose target languages match mine.
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This piece here is huge. My wife and I can’t stand typical American travelers abroad because they tend to act as if they own the place. In Iceland, we do our best to distance ourselves from that and to make it clear to the locals (and tourists from other countries) that we’d like to engage in and learn about their culture. Usually once we do that everyone is super nice and happy to talk with us. I do think tourists in general are more likely to be selfish - likely having to do with the relative affluence needed to travel abroad. Definitely a generalization, but holds mostly true in my experience.
TL;DR - if you’re not a dick, you’re probably gonna have a good time traveling regardless of where.
Yeah no front squats are definitely harder than goblet squats. Well, I’d have to find 80 kgs DBs or something to compare, but with a good front squat the bar will jam your throat, you can’t breathe, so if you do it for high reps daaaamn…
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Yeah, I think this is generally true. There are a lot of non-Americans who travel and walk around “as if they own the place” too – maybe Americans do this more often, I don’t know – but I think the American self-centeredness is almost unique and insular, only rearing its head when . . . juxtaposed abroad, maybe. That’s a different discussion. Then don’t even get me started on modern volunteering tourism. I digress, hahaha.
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Coffinworm C3W2D3
Pullups
+10x4,4,3,3,4,3,3,3
+0x23 total total
Press
35x6
47.5x5
55x5
60x5
55x5
60x4
67.5x2
SA KB Press empty top half shell + 2kg 4x8
50 band pull aparts
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Yes. Holy balls yes.
Anyway, if you just let people know you’d like to communicate in German I’m sure they’ll oblige. Especially if you’re good at it. If you sound like a caveman, they’ll tell you to just stick with English…ask me how I know. haha
Guys, she is doing them weighted now. Just don’t address her directly about them, she will shrug it off like it’s no big deal.
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I’m not afraid of inconveniencing people by asking to communicate in German; I simply want the self-satisfaction of speaking German well enough that people don’t even think to default to English, so I don’t have to suggest otherwise. 
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The Brits suck abroad, too. Rarely speak a foreign language, drunk, and boisterous. A lot like Americans tbh.
I did voluntourism when I was 19 or so, built houses in Costa Rica, it probably wasn’t super helpful for locals but largely not exploitative (for the local population) either, which I think is about the best you can ask.
It’s more than just behavior abroad though, at least in my opinion. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the previously “American” self-centeredness has spread to Western European countries.
Eh, if people want to go spend time and money doing something that might slightly help with little to no harm to locals yet offers a way to “feel good,” I don’t really mind. Building houses is cool, haha. I’m thinking of more unsavory examples.
I feel like I come off as a crazy SJW, but it’s not my intention nor would I characterize myself as one
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Yes. My advice is: don’t. Front squats suck.
Seriously though: if you’re going to use front squats for BBB (or as a major part of any program), I’d advise you to keep them very submaximal and explosive. Grinding front squats is unpleasant, and not in an effective way.
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Where do you think we learned it from 
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Yea, our entire culture is setup on the basis that the individual can achieve. The whole misguided lift-yourself-up-by-your-boostraps mentality has definitely helped that self-centeredness permeate everything here, unfortunately. Doesn’t seem as pervasive in other places I’ve been to but it’s hard to tell on the surface.
Eh, I don’t think you come off that way. My bubble is like 348 steps left of this forum though.
I mean, if every former British colony turned out to be assholes you’d have a better argument.
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I was just about to say: that sounds like a “superpower” thing, not an American thing.
I have a colleague who says frequently: “America is growing up just like daddy”
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