Received it over the weekend (ordered it towards the end of August, not too bad timeframe) and will be doing the first legit workout this afternoon. But I played around for just a few reps right after I opened it.
Immediate impression: It’s feels indestructible. Just one big chunk of solid metal while the original Top Squat model was different, with molded PVC and a comfort groove for the neck. This new one wasn’t super comfortable across the back, but the handles were a good length so the shoulders felt good, which is the main point. Not sure I like that the end of the handles are angled up/out, but we’ll see.
It’s also kinda designed to push the handles forwards and up during reps, not pulled down and in like an actual safety bar, so that might make things weird. Again though, we’ll see after some real use.
Confession - flame free.
I stopped drinking beer a few weeks back. To aid weight loss. I’m not really missing it.
I mean sure - a little bit. But even if I could fit it in and still drop the weight I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t.
It’s amazing how quickly alcohol becomes meaningless once you stop consuming it. I still miss the taste of beer occasionally, but now they make a ton of great NA beers that have a few carbs but not the damaging effects of the alcohol.
I stopped a few years back, when my eldest was born. I now drink more on Christmas day than the entire rest of the year combined and I don’t miss it. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that it doesn’t even cross my mind that drinking is an option most of the time.
Me too bro, me too. I know with my genetics I could be an animal. Repping 350 and doing no handed pull ups for reps, but just can’t eat right to save my life.
Confession: I can’t thank you enough for this post about the screen settings, Chris. I’ve hated the color scheme of the forums since the switch a few years back and had no idea I could turn it back.
Which reminds me…the drinking and cleaning did not go as well as one might have expected. I think I mostly followed my husband around with cleaning stuff in my hands, talking.
I bought knee sleeves to keep my knees from getting sore from squatting but realistically the 40lbs I’ve been telling myself to drop for the last 6 years would make 10x more difference.
I confess I was so impatient to move our 350lb treadmill from the basement to the workout room that I did it with my daughter while my husband was at work and left a nasty gouge in the hardwood floor. I’m waiting for my husband to notice it and brace for the fury that follows. Well if he had helped me the first 3 times I asked then that wouldn’t have happened ow would it.
I had a record 4 “waking up to find out something bad has happened” nightmares in a row last night. In the last one, someone had broken my guitar. Then I realized that the pickups were still stock pickups but I’d changed the bridge pickups long ago. Then I realized I was dreaming. Then I finally really woke up. Probably still think I’m a rock star. (It’s a Washburn N4 with evolution bridge pickups btw for you fellow guitar nerds)
I think this varies for lots of people IME. Try various machines and stuff like reverse cable crossovers to get the feel of the rear delts working. Once you get it, you can make any exercise work.
Personally, I sometimes pick up heavy dumbbells and hold them at my normal rear delt raise stance and just stretch my delts out just to “remind” myself what the feeling is like when I’m not having a good day when it comes to mmc. Then I use my normal weights.
