[quote]kpsnap wrote:
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)[/quote]
Heh, you just endeared yourself to nearly every single man on the planet. Any you hadn’t already, before this statement, anyhow.
[quote]kpsnap wrote:
[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.[/quote]
Snap,
I don’t think that your disagreeing with me at all. i understood the point you guys were making when you recommended he do body weight squats to see if he could achieve depth, and I agree with that. I’m just saying that now he needs to start slowly adding a little weight. In my opinion, continuing to do them at body weight will not reinforce good technique.
The video moved me too.
Squirrel man - I like that. I feel like a squirrel man sometimes. Those box squats were beautiful, I too was moved. Depth is not your problem, excellent mobility, I agree that maybe you should add a little weight now and watch yourself on vid to see if your form holds. Btw have you posted dl form since that’s what you’re competing, a couple of pointers from the powerlifters might add some weight in your quest for 300.
Thanks a lot, everyone. Good thing I didn’t add the Rocky theme to the vid or poor Snapper couldn’t have taken it. Yes, I’ll start adding weight, I’m certainly strong enough for it, just want to be very careful the old form doesn’t suddenly reappear.
Ogre, we’ve done it. Finally found a girl that DOESN’T think Titanic is the greatest thing since sliced bread. (BTW, my sister thinks they should rename the Spiderman Broadway musical Titanic because it’s sinking fast. Or as the New York Times put it, “Spiderman: Turn Off the Critics”)
Squirrel Man, I haven’t posted vids of my DL yet, an oversight. Should do that at some point.
Bench day. Can it be explained why my pushing exercises are suddenly jumping up while my prize DL is languishing?
45 x 15
100 x 8
115 x 7
120 x 6
130 x 5
145 x 2
95 x 16
rope pulldown
60 x 15
90 x 11
110 x 8
110 x 8
110 x 8
110 x 8
pec dec
40 x 15
70 x 11
100 x 5
100 x 5
100 x 5
100 x 5
CG bench
45 x 15
65 x 12
85 x 7
85 x 8
85 x 8
85 x 8
You never progress evenly and it seems to me that one area of progress comes at the expense of another all to frequently.
Good work on the box squats - I too did the very same thing that you are embarking on…
[quote]cavalier wrote:
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?[/quote]
25lbs in a couple of months is totally impossible for someone for whom it is totally impossible.
its very difficult for some
its easy for others
the point is that how difficult it is doesnt really matter imo. Youre improving and will be lifting more in 10 years time than you are now.
[quote]soldog wrote:
You never progress evenly and it seems to me that one area of progress comes at the expense of another all to frequently.
Good work on the box squats - I too did the very same thing that you are embarking on…[/quote]
Dog, I’ll take any progress I can. And given the amount you squat now, that gives me something to shoot for. Already have some strength in the legs, I should get there.
Brasil, if Old Navy can tear up the gym in his 60’s, no reason I can’t either.
Just a suggestion. 
Holy crap, thats for me! Help for keeping the knees out, I will see if I can get some weights on the bar as well doing those. Another exercise to make me look like an idiot in the gym, but something that might help with the knee issues I have.
Remedial squat class for the win, I am in it with you, Cav.
[quote]Ogre21793 wrote:
Remedial squat class for the win, I am in it with you, Cav.[/quote]
You’re on, Ogre.
Bulldog, I’ve seen a lot of strange things in my day and heard of even weirder, but seriously… a wall squat??? This is a practical joke, right? If I tried that at my gym, they’d jump me with a butterfly net.
Anyway, I put a bit of weight on my shoulders and tried the low squat:
That was 65 lbs, and this is 75 lb:
Two sets empty bar, two of 65, two 75. Started feeling a bit shaky on the 75, the old form was trying to reassert itself.
Looking at the vids, was a bit disappointed I didn’t get below parallel. Back to the broomstick and more, more, more box squats.
leg ext
5 x 15
7 x 11
10 x 9
12 x 7
12 x 7
12 x 7
At first they felt hard, but calmed down, concentrated, then they got easier.
leg curl
5 x 15
7 x 11
9 x 4 FAILURE
9 x 7 ok, what’s going on here?
seated calf
45 x 15
90 x 12
100 x 9
100 x 9
105 x 8
105 x 8
why am I so good at calf stuff? mystery of the ages
Oh, almost forgot. Now that the weather’s getting better, starting jogging up the hill back of the apartment.
My squat sucks, so I won’t give you any advice there.
I will tell you this -until you’ve squatted to the depth of the box you’re using for at least as long as you’ve been squatting high, your body will always revert to the more familiar pattern (high) under duress (with weight). You need to find a “box” to squat to, for depth, in the gym as well.
My personal trick for training myself to go to depth is to set the side bars so that I’ll hit them at just below parallel. I preferred that to the box.
Amd smap, my favorite part of Titanic was when all the china plates snahed to the floor, by the hundreds. Cameron had them custom made for several tens of thousands of dollars and then just wrecked 'em. What a weirdo.
[quote]Canada_K wrote:
Amd smap, my favorite part of Titanic was when all the china plates snahed to the floor, by the hundreds. Cameron had them custom made for several tens of thousands of dollars and then just wrecked 'em. What a weirdo.[/quote]
Smap? Is that what you’re calling me now?
My fave part of Titanic was the credits.
Cav: Yep. Box squats. That’s what needs to happen in the gym so you don’t do what Punnyguy says and revert. Also, you have a lot of GMing and corkscrewing going on, which suggests to me that you don’t keep your back tight during the movement. Gotta squeeze the bar, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and keep a nice, tight little arch if you can manage it.
I was working in Hollywood when Titanic was being made. Almost everyone in town was doing something on it, but I didn’t get to work on it, so piss on James Cameron.
Went back to the gym this morning, found something about a foot high, stuck it in the rack, then squatted the shit out of the empty bar. Smacked my butt on it every time.
[quote]cavalier wrote:
[quote]Ogre21793 wrote:
Remedial squat class for the win, I am in it with you, Cav.[/quote]
You’re on, Ogre.
Bulldog, I’ve seen a lot of strange things in my day and heard of even weirder, but seriously… a wall squat??? This is a practical joke, right? If I tried that at my gym, they’d jump me with a butterfly net.
[/quote]
Im not joking …I do them as part of my squat warm up.
Cav, I am mush less of an expert than the rest of the folks, but you need to sit back more, it almost looks like the ‘falling forward’ at the bottom is because you are carrying the weight on your toes/balls of feet. It also looked like your knees are out past your toes more than in the box vid, also saying you are too far forward, and not ‘on your heels’ like you should be.
The farther forward you are with your knees, the harder it is to get to parallel, the ankle and knee joint angles become smaller and smaller. Its much easier to hit depth with larger knee and ankle joint angles, by keeping the hips further back.
You need to head over to the Powerful Women compound and visit Frenchie’s Killer Queen log. She has a video of her doing said wall squats. Never tried 'em myself, but I think they might be tres beneficial for you with your issues. Don’t worry. She doesn’t bite.
Went back to the gym today, got a box in the rack and squatted empty bar. Plopped the box every time, and they were a bit easier - didn’t hit failure. Felt really good - the spring air didn’t hurt.
One of the other guys, never met him but he’s pretty muscular, stopped me and said how great my form was, getting really low. So I really can do them.
Will get some vids.
Cav, Saw your vids just now. Jumping from a broomstick to 75lbs is gonna mess with your form everytime, slow and easy does it. Increase the weight incrementally by 5lbs or so every squat day, while concentrating on form. You have to train the body to do what you want it to under load or it reverts to doing whatever makes the lift easiest.
I’m fairly certain that the Ogre called it and you’re pushing up with the balls of your feet when you want to actually try to drive your heels into the floor to lift the weight. Remember to break first at the hips on the descent by pushing your butt backwards while keeping your chest up and back tight.
I agree Cav that wall squat thing does look a bit ridiculous, but I suppose it might help.
If your gym has windows looking out onto the street it might be fun to do them up against the glass to amuse the passers by.