btw seeing your squats on the box, I don’t think depth is going to be a long term problem for you. You obviously don’t have a problem getting down. The problem is remember how far down to go, and that will come with more practice.
To my unpracticed eye, it certainly does not appear to be a mobility issue.
[quote]mjnewland wrote:
btw seeing your squats on the box, I don’t think depth is going to be a long term problem for you. You obviously don’t have a problem getting down. The problem is remember how far down to go, and that will come with more practice.
To my unpracticed eye, it certainly does not appear to be a mobility issue.[/quote]
You and Brett are right. I just have to learn a new technique. It’s not flexibility, my mind was tricking me into thinking I was getting lower than I was. I’m determined to make this work.
Thanks to everyone for the advice on the singlet. I tried it and it’s surprisingly comfortable. amazing how you can squat down and not even feel it. Then I started wondering about going to the bathroom and started to freak out. Once I calmed down, then started where to put key to the locker… this is going to take some thought.
Yeah, I should train at least once in the thing, maybe at an hour no one else is in the gym. Sorry, it just looks like a superhero outfit without the cape.
Snapper, where to get kneesocks? Are they a speciality item? I don’t recall seeing them at department stores.
Can’t believe I had to get an extra large. Have I put on that much weight?
Question: what’s worn underneath? (Will pause while everyone shouts “Nothing! Everything works fine!”)
[quote]cavalier wrote:
[quote]mjnewland wrote:
btw seeing your squats on the box, I don’t think depth is going to be a long term problem for you. You obviously don’t have a problem getting down. The problem is remember how far down to go, and that will come with more practice.
To my unpracticed eye, it certainly does not appear to be a mobility issue.[/quote]
You and Brett are right. I just have to learn a new technique. It’s not flexibility, my mind was tricking me into thinking I was getting lower than I was. I’m determined to make this work.
Thanks to everyone for the advice on the singlet. I tried it and it’s surprisingly comfortable. amazing how you can squat down and not even feel it. Then I started wondering about going to the bathroom and started to freak out. Once I calmed down, then started where to put key to the locker… this is going to take some thought.
Yeah, I should train at least once in the thing, maybe at an hour no one else is in the gym. Sorry, it just looks like a superhero outfit without the cape.
Snapper, where to get kneesocks? Are they a speciality item? I don’t recall seeing them at department stores.
Can’t believe I had to get an extra large. Have I put on that much weight?
Question: what’s worn underneath? (Will pause while everyone shouts “Nothing! Everything works fine!”)[/quote]
You can get DL socks on line or you can just get big tube socks any where. Feds have rules about what to wear under the singlet. I’m serious…
Tighty whities are acceptable everywhere.
Just get long athletic socks.
What fed are you lifting in? You should acquaint yourself with the rulebook. People regularly screw up meets because they don’t know the rules.
[quote]kpsnap wrote:
Tighty whities are acceptable everywhere.
Just get long athletic socks.
What fed are you lifting in? You should acquaint yourself with the rulebook. People regularly screw up meets because they don’t know the rules.[/quote]
I’m amazed how little attention some people pay to the rules.
Snapper, I don’t think it’s associated with a fed. On clothing, the rules just say “bench press shirts allowed. One piece lifting suit strongly suggested. No loose fitting pants or shorts.” No reference to other rules. I decided might as well get used to a singlet. It’s called the Annual Pittsburgh Area Monster Bench Press & Deadlift Meet, if that means anything.
Anyway, it was deadlift day.
135 x 6
185 x 5
235 x 5 thinking of making this my opener
275 x 1 was hoping to make this a triple, but didn’t happen
275 x 0 what’s going on?
255 x 1
205 x 5
machine bicep
55 x 15
85 x 6 HIT FAILURE
something’s going on here. couldn’t even get the reps I had last week. stress? not enough eating? I had tons of sleep, that’s not it. I decided to mix up the routine, maybe I just wasn’t recovered.
Chins x1 x1 x1 x1 x1 x1 these are so hard
dumbbell shrugs
30 x 15
45 x 9
50 x 10
55 x 9
60 x 7
40 x 11
hypers x15 x15 x17
Well, doesn’t look like I’ll be getting up to 300 by the meet. I can’t believe these people who claim you can put 25 lbs on deadlift in just a couple of months. Are they on steroids or what?
There is a list of things that can screw up a training day. Either before or during.
For me, the best que for DL, and I can’t remember where I read it, is “commit to the lift”. Before you lift have the internal conversation that the bar IS going up, channel as much aggression as you can, don’t over-think form (but do the basics) and rip it. If I over-think I am screwed.
25lbs in a couple of months is completely doable.
sounds like you might need some rest. or more food.
Do you do any active recovery stuff, drag a sled, walk up a hill carrying something in a pack, that kind of stuff?
I’m way late to this party. I’m thrilled you’re working on proper depth. Having been down this path before, it is a humiliating experience to be squatting with an empty bar… at first. Then it just feels f##king awesome to have killed it. There’s nothing like the personal satisfaction that comes from going WAY DOWN into a squat… it was a big ego lift like I’d really earned something worthwhile.
I relate to the “physically inferior” bit… it leaped right off the page at me. I’ve been fighting that damned insecurity all my life. I’m CLEARLY overcompensating with this whole bodybuilding thing. Freud would have a field day, I’m sure. But you and I don’t ACCEPT IT… so we lift, and we fight, and we earn every damned pound that goes on that bar by sweat equity.
I predict neat things here.
[quote]Canada_K wrote:
I’m way late to this party. I’m thrilled you’re working on proper depth. Having been down this path before, it is a humiliating experience to be squatting with an empty bar… at first. Then it just feels f##king awesome to have killed it. There’s nothing like the personal satisfaction that comes from going WAY DOWN into a squat… it was a big ego lift like I’d really earned something worthwhile.
I relate to the “physically inferior” bit… it leaped right off the page at me. I’ve been fighting that damned insecurity all my life. I’m CLEARLY overcompensating with this whole bodybuilding thing. Freud would have a field day, I’m sure. But you and I don’t ACCEPT IT… so we lift, and we fight, and we earn every damned pound that goes on that bar by sweat equity.
I predict neat things here.[/quote]
Yeah, all through your treadmill video I was thinking “this guy is a bundle of insecurities!”
Sigh. Confidence, Brett, is a hard won place. Really, really hard.
Cavalier, Your dedication, perseverance, and determination are inspiring. I’m no sage nor guru, not even qualified to give advice, but you have to believe in yourself. You gotta believe you can pull the weight before you even take your grip, forget about feeling inferior, forget about childhood, focus on the bar and know that you can pull more than last time, know that bar is going up, and pull with everything you have, with everything you are because in that moment the only thing that matters is the lift, just you and the bar. Beliveing in yourself makes every weight seem lighter.
Nice depth in the video. Being an o-lifter and thrower, I prefer high bar atg squats, but the powerlifters have been giving good advice. You will have a very strict, parallel, low bar squat if you do as they suggest.
My daughter just started doing squats and I’m forcing her to use very strict form. I want to see her get strong, not injured. She can only handle 20lbs for a set of 5 right now.
Thanks, folks. And now, for my next death defying trick:
Squirrel man (sorry, can’t spell your username, much less pronounce it), I’ll keep my thoughts focused on lift technique - shoulders back, hips down, etc, etc - which should take up all my concentration as I set up. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to miss it. Apparently 275 is either my max or near max, I probalby shouldn’t be using it too much just before the meet. will take it down a bit for the next couple of weeks.
Carl, good luck with your daughter.
Kent & Brett, learned a new term today: “Muscle Dysmorphia”. Google on it, use it in conversation, amaze your friends.
MJ, the most consistent conditioning I’ve been doing was walking from the parking lot at work to my cube. No seriously, the hills are so severe - plus a big flight of stairs inside - that I was probably climbing a hundred feet every morning. Unfortunately, the job’s over (it was temp) and now should find something else. There’s a nice hill just behind my apartment.
Git, good advice on approaching DL. As for 25 lbs in 2 months, if you tell me you’ve done it, I’ll believe you, but I’ve never come close to it. Other than the very beginning of using an empty bar, then adding. I’ve added about 25# to deadlift in the entire past year, from 250 to 275, and that was training hard, lots of eating, protein shakes, tons of sleep, a relaxing job, and meds for heart and mood. As for bench… forget seeing any improvements at all in only a year. If some guys really can make such improvements, then either I’m doing something really drastically wrong that no one’s noticed yet, or else old age is hitting me way worse than I expected, or else there is something in my body that just doesn’t respond well to exercise.
BELOW PARALLEL!!!
WOO HOO!!!
hehe, yep, thats another thing you have on a lot of 54 yr old folks… the ability to go down that low repeatedly, and I assume without much, or any pain.
Thanks, Brett, I’m happy too.
Ogre, no pain at all. Felt good, I could already put weight on without trouble. Have to make sure the technique’s burned into my head, will take it slow.
Alas, very few gatherings of 54 yr olds require showing off such skills. “My, it’s warm in here, think I’ll do some squats.”
Oh my.
Amazing.
Your vid really thrilled me.
Your making great progress Cavalier.
Since you know that flexibility is not an issue, I might recommend adding at least a little weight to those squats. I understand why your doing these but I don’t think BW squats really reinforce good technique. Without some weight on your back it’s difficult to sit back and the lift tends to end up being completely quad dominant. That being said, i think your doing a great job. I can only hope that i am still lifting into my fifties and beyond. Keep up the god work…
[quote]embo622 wrote:
I understand why your doing these but I don’t think BW squats really reinforce good technique. [/quote]
I disagree. Cav wasn’t even approaching depth with weight on his back. I wanted to see if he could do a BW squat just holding something . . . anything . . . on his back. And he can! Now that he knows that, the challenge becomes adding weight to the bar while maintaining proper form and depth. But that’s the case with any lift.
I gotta say, I almost got choked up watching those broomstick squats. Coming from a girl who thinks movies like “Titanic” are pure rubbish (I think I cheered at the end when I first saw it because that infernal piece of shit was over), those of you who say I don’t have a heart have got to see me get choked up over a vid of some guy I don’t even know doing BW squats to depth.