Awesome copy and paste skills.
That’s how most of my training for the competition lifts has been lately, although I go heavier on the volume work. As you can see, I have been reading a lot of Josh Bryant’s work and his methods seem to be working for me. The CAT sets are usually in the 70-80% range and are done with the same exercise as the top set.
In the case of the speed pulls between sets of isometrics, I watched a few of the videos yesterday since I’m concerned about my deadlift technique and it actually looks like the bar moved quite slowly off the floor but moved fast after that. Perhaps the fatigue from the isometrics increased my perception of effort and made an explosive rep feel like slow.
Sounds like a reasonable idea.
Seated GMs with SSB
Standing GMs with SSB
I just saw Alpha(seated)and Pete Rubbish(standing) praising this lift too. Use a wide stance, feel the glutes. The strongest stocky dude at my gym does tons of these, standing, seated and squat/GM hybrids. I did them last summer, so they can work or very bad or very good lifters.
Frog Stretch for hips
I did these with a band to loosen up. The strongest stocky dude at my gym does them and pressups or the “cobra stretch” before lower body.
Ed Coan coaches a bunch of dudes Deadlifting. Sumo and Conventional, lots of great info. Many mentions of position, glutes and driving hips through. One of those dudes does the frog stretch in the beginning.
“Westside Barbell Podcast: Episode 23-Training outside the Groove.”
A strength coach and therapy guy discuss how better ROM in the joints results in better motion of the body, for better technique and bigger lifts.
If you’re willing to get 1 piece of equipment, hyper deads are popular with big deadlifters, on T Nation and in real life.
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Would you focus on keeping your back straight the whole time or could it also be a good idea to let your upper and mid back round a little and move into an arch at the top much like I see the SSB vids you posted?
With your feet out wide, your butt on the box, and your belt on, you’re pretty solid and stable. I would start flat, to make sure you feel hips and backside. But if you feel comfortable, round a little. I used the seated GM in 5/3/1 as my deadlift last summer. Hitting those rep PRs, I’m sure I got a little loose on some reps.
Months Later, I did Tate/Meadows style upper back GMs sitting on the box as an upper back “accessory” lift. I was cool with the upper back rounding for a couple months, when I kept the volume down to 3 x15 or so.
I strained something in my upper back when I started messing with 4-5 sets. So maybe don’t rush too fast.
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Aren’t seated GMs a lower back exercise? I have done them a few times but I’m not aware of them doing much for glutes. I do SSB GMs though, in place of RDLs which I was doing for a while and with the specific intention of building my squat. I definitely feel them in my glutes, and I plan to keep doing them for a while.
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Hip Extension/Back Raise
This is an excellent Auxiliary Exercise for the Deadlift, as well as the Squat.
Essentially, the Hip Extension/Back Raise is a Good Morning performed from a different angle.
The benefit is that by varying the angle of pull, you are able to strengthen different parts of you Deadlift due to the…
Strength Curve
The Good Mornings, 90 Degree Hip Extension/Back and 45 Degree Hip Extension/Back Raise each have different Strength Curves.
- Good Mornings: It has an Ascending Strength Curve. The greatest loading (hardest position) is in the bottom part of the movement. As you ascend with the weight, it becomes easier.
Benefit: The Good Morning builds strength in the bottom part of the Deadlift, coming off the floor.
- 45 Degree Hip Extension/Back Raise: It has a Bell Shaped Strength Curve. It is easy at the start and finish of the movement; harder in the middle range.
Benefit: It build strength in the middle part of the Deadlift, in the knee area.
- 90 Degree Hip Extension/Back Raise: It has a Descending Strength Curve. It is easy in the bottom and middle part of the movement and hard in the top lock out position.
Benefit: It build strength at the top end lockout position of the Deadlift.
Body Positioning
- Glute Hamstring Activation: Placing the pad below your hips, provides more loading on the Glutes and Hamstrings.
Hip Extension Loading Demonstration
To ensure the greatest loading is on the Glutes and Hamstrings your technique needs to focus on…
“Neck Packing” Demnstration
Tucking you chin into your chest when performing ensure you maintain a neutral spine, minimize the erectors involvement, forcing the loading on the Glutes and Hamstrings.
This technique will “Fry” your Glues and Hamstrings, if performed correctly.
If you have a hard time tucking your chin into your chest, bit down on your shirt, it cues you to tuck you chin into your chest.
- Thoracic (Upper) Back Activation. Placing you hips higher on the pad with your abdominal muscles on it, shift the load to the Upper Back.
The “Thoracic Back Raise” is a good exercise. However, it is uncomfortable. There are other “Thoracic Back Raise” Exercise that work just as well that I prefer. Another topic for another time.
Kenny Croxdale
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For the ‘other thoracic back raise exercises that work just as well that [you] prefer’ topic, I’d really appreciate it if you posted a link for that here if you get to it soon. I wanna read about that!
8Thoracic Extension Exercises
Contreras provide you with some good exercises for the upper back.
Rows with Thoracic Extension
A compound exercise that I like is to perform Cable Rows with my upper back rounded upper back. As I near completion of the Cable Row, I contract my upper back, pulling back with it.
It works my upper back, enabling me to generate more force and use more weight; which overload that posterior upper back chain, as well.
Kenny Croxdale