The Smith Machine works well to rest your foot on for these. I never use a pad on the bar because I wear shoes while I do them, but if you’re barefoot then I’m sure you could slip a foam pad over the bar.
(This is the only time I use the smith machine. You should see the looks I get from people when I use it for this.)
[quote]Donut62 wrote:
If you don’t want to walk right for a week pair them with snatch grip deadlift. Sitting down and get up becomes a herculean effort.[/quote]
I always pair them with a bilateral PC dominant exercise. So it’ll be box squats and then BSS. Or deads and BSS. Then a few sets of GHRs and reverse hypers. LOL.
In fact, the template I use is always: bilateral PC dominant movement, then a unilateral movement (BSS, step-ups, lunges, etc.) Then GHRs or reverse hypoers (or both). That always seems to fully fry my legs.
[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
Donut62 wrote:
If you don’t want to walk right for a week pair them with snatch grip deadlift. Sitting down and get up becomes a herculean effort.
I always pair them with a bilateral PC dominant exercise. So it’ll be box squats and then BSS. Or deads and BSS. Then a few sets of GHRs and reverse hypers. LOL.
In fact, the template I use is always: bilateral PC dominant movement, then a unilateral movement (BSS, step-ups, lunges, etc.) Then GHRs or reverse hypoers (or both). That always seems to fully fry my legs.[/quote]
Same here. Sounds like you’re a Defranco fan too.
[quote]mj_gk wrote:
The Smith Machine works well to rest your foot on for these. I never use a pad on the bar because I wear shoes while I do them, but if you’re barefoot then I’m sure you could slip a foam pad over the bar.
(This is the only time I use the smith machine. You should see the looks I get from people when I use it for this.)[/quote]
Great Idea! I never thought of that. The smith machine is also good for fat man pull ups. I guess that’s two uses now (aside from keeping the wannabe’s outta my squat rack).
This may have been said already, but I found that starting with the 1 and 1/2, (AKA “speed skater”) version has really helped me stay stable when doing the regular ones. Maybe because it lengthens the hip flexors longer on each “rep” or maybe because they suck so much dirty ass that anything else seems like a cake walk!
Pat
[quote]wressler125 wrote:
Who here does them? Does anyone else find they absolutely destroy you? I did them after squats and SL’s, but I was using 20lb dumbbells for sets of 6.
Anyone know of a good way to keep the back leg on the bench? I figure this is just my bodies way of telling me I have serious hip flexor tightness, but what do you guys do? [/quote]
I like the smith machine idea. I already do mobility work with it, might as well do an actual exercise with it.
[quote]Donut62 wrote:
Same here. Sounds like you’re a Defranco fan too.[/quote]
Yup. His stuff is great: general guidelines that leave a lot of room for discretion in exercise selection.
Wow I haven’t done this exercise in so long. I definately have to get back to it. I only remember me doing them when I was 170lbs. in our school the heaviest db’s were 70’s and I was using those for 4 sets of 10-12. All I can remember is that the level of exhaustion it creates can be very high lol. I’m gonna try these again.
[quote]digitalairair wrote:
they are the best exercises
i started with just 15s worked up to 120s for 8 each leg at 160. They really helped my speed and my core lifts.[/quote]
Your a savage. I just got comfortable with the 100’s. By comfortable I mean I dont puke after doing a set of 6. Great job man.
love to do these albeit not all the time, but as an occasional assistance lift. one thing that has helped my form, balance, and to keep the trailing leg in place is doing singles. i do lots of singles for most lifts anyway. not necc. maxing out, but no more than a handfull of tough singles for each leg.
i find it alot easier to stomach the idea of doing these and then pulling it off when i don’t have to maintain balance for very long in a set. you can make it tougher also by not resting much or at all between sets, just enough time to reset each leg. i’ve only gotten up to a pair of 50’s so far, can probably handle 55’s by now.
My lifting partner just said yesterday that he was “missing” them. I had to check “the book” to find out when and how much; haven’t done them since end of September when I managed 185 for 8 reps. Flipping back through previous workouts, I’m guessing that 185x8 wasn’t a very good set, since I was usually doing 155-175.
I have only ever done them at the very beginning of a leg workout; you people who talk about doing them AFTER something else amaze me.
I put the top of my foot on the bench, not my toes;I think it makes it a little easier to both to stay stable and to go a little lower.
Try putting your lead foot on top of something 6" or higher and doing them with an extended ROM. Walking is fun even after the set!
[quote]Ballin4Christ32 wrote:
Try putting your lead foot on top of something 6" or higher and doing them with an extended ROM. Walking is fun even after the set![/quote]
This sounds painful just reading it…I will let you know how bad I hurt on Tuesday.
If you want to add some variety into your single leg exercises, check out this excellent Mike Robertson article:
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=473323
my training partner and i do 275lbs x 25 reps on the single leg squat. it’s like sprinting in the cage, high ham and glutes. this is the best core leg exercise for athletes. we play football and this transfers right to our track training. i read some of your numbers guys. i would suggest useing a bar and training at 15 reps minimum for a long ass time. trust me your strength will go up big time.
[quote]mike30 wrote:
my training partner and i do 275lbs x 25 reps on the single leg squat. it’s like sprinting in the cage, high ham and glutes. this is the best core leg exercise for athletes. we play football and this transfers right to our track training. i read some of your numbers guys. i would suggest useing a bar and training at 15 reps minimum for a long ass time. trust me your strength will go up big time.[/quote]
so you mean a bulgarian split squat with a bar on your back with that much weight, right? any tips on how to set up for this exercise? how do you keep your balance?
[quote]smallmike wrote:
mike30 wrote:
my training partner and i do 275lbs x 25 reps on the single leg squat. it’s like sprinting in the cage, high ham and glutes. this is the best core leg exercise for athletes. we play football and this transfers right to our track training. i read some of your numbers guys. i would suggest useing a bar and training at 15 reps minimum for a long ass time. trust me your strength will go up big time.
so you mean a bulgarian split squat with a bar on your back with that much weight, right? any tips on how to set up for this exercise? how do you keep your balance?[/quote]
I’d like to hear about this, as well.
put your back foot up on a bench. stack plates at the bottom or have your partner sit/rest on it. put the ball of your foot on the bench. take a wide split. you dont need to be directley in line w your feet so balance them out for a good base. you’ll still need great proprio. then still push your butt away from your body as you would in a regular squat. it will not look like your going low from your angle in the mirror but let your hips sink. bend both legs on the way down. head up, cheast up.
[quote]Ross Hunt wrote:
smallmike wrote:
mike30 wrote:
my training partner and i do 275lbs x 25 reps on the single leg squat. it’s like sprinting in the cage, high ham and glutes. this is the best core leg exercise for athletes. we play football and this transfers right to our track training. i read some of your numbers guys. i would suggest useing a bar and training at 15 reps minimum for a long ass time. trust me your strength will go up big time.
so you mean a bulgarian split squat with a bar on your back with that much weight, right? any tips on how to set up for this exercise? how do you keep your balance?
I’d like to hear about this, as well.[/quote]
This is the fourth post (including this one) where he has said he can do these numbers:
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=948365&pageNo=0#948613
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=945505&pageNo=0#948663
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=948611&pageNo=0#950488
He’s either full of shit or full of himself. I’d like to see the video since he’s made the claim so many times.
He also claims he push presses 315 10 times. Either he’s Jesse Marunde or some douche bag 15 year old.