I’m surprised so many people use zerchers with a front squat width stance I’d always thought of them as more of a mid-wide stance motion for emphasis on sitting back and getting focused on powerful hip extension and an upright torso/tight upper back coming out of the hole. I’m going to try them close stance next time and see how they feel compared to regular front squats. It’s too bad this thread got so absurdly stupid and long there’s some interesting stuff folded in here.
It had to be done…
[quote]pushharder wrote:
[quote]PB Andy wrote:
hey push, if you don’t mind, I’d like to give some tips from an Oly perspective.
To me, a zercher is like a front squat. What I mean by that is, sit down, not back.
[/quote]
I understand. I think we mean the same basic thing.
Then I run into the problem of my elbows banging into my thighs.
Haven’t tried that so I can’t disagree from experience but I would think that would pitch me forward (just a bit) which would be the opposite of what I should be doing. Your thoughts?
[/quote]
well, it doesn’t have to be so narrow that your elbows can’t get down between the knees. But I think a little narrower would be beneficial for you.
As for pitching you forward, it actually does the opposite. A heel lift allows your to keep a much more upright torso by allowing the knees to come forward more and letting the hips get much lower/forward (read: your hips should be able to come forward more, but your torso should still be upright). Do a front squat right now barefoot, and then do another one with your heels on something. Should feel mighty different, and I think it would be the same case for the zerchers. Admittedly, I have never done zerchers, but that’s how I’d do them, anyhow…
[quote]Professor X wrote:
One another small point, but I could see ranting about “have you done the exercise” to newbs. I could understand saying that to someone who had not lived in a gym for 1 or 2 decades. What I don’t get is saying that to someone who actually understands their own body mechanics through several years of serious weight training. I seriously doubt anyone here who has been at this like a gym rat for over a decade would have trouble looking at a movement and making a very sure decision of whether the risk is worth the effort.
If that weren’t the case, you would literally have to try every movement on the planet to see what works best for you.
This COULD have been a decent discussion between bodybuiulders and powerlifters, seeing as this was in a forum used by all of us here. It COULD have been more informative…but it turned into the same bullshit most of these threads do.
[/quote]
This will be my only post in this thread. Because I dont plan to read the rest of this thread to see if it has been countered already.
You say that condemning a newb for passing judgement without experience makes some sense. But condemning an experienced lifter doesnt make sense. Yet this vet has no experience in this area. He is actually a newb, in regards to the particular discussion.
And this is proven by the fact that the vet has been dead wrong about the perceived danger. So not only is the condemnation of the no-relevant-experience vet ‘sensical’, it is beneficial since the person (you) is completely wrong.
I cant wrap my head around someone passing off their opinion as fact when he has absolutely no experience on the subject. It’s lunacy to the highest degree.
bye bye, take care.
[quote]PB Andy wrote:
[quote]pushharder wrote:
[quote]PB Andy wrote:
hey push, if you don’t mind, I’d like to give some tips from an Oly perspective.
To me, a zercher is like a front squat. What I mean by that is, sit down, not back.
[/quote]
I understand. I think we mean the same basic thing.
Then I run into the problem of my elbows banging into my thighs.
Haven’t tried that so I can’t disagree from experience but I would think that would pitch me forward (just a bit) which would be the opposite of what I should be doing. Your thoughts?
[/quote]
well, it doesn’t have to be so narrow that your elbows can’t get down between the knees. But I think a little narrower would be beneficial for you.
As for pitching you forward, it actually does the opposite. A heel lift allows your to keep a much more upright torso by allowing the knees to come forward more and letting the hips get much lower/forward (read: your hips should be able to come forward more, but your torso should still be upright). Do a front squat right now barefoot, and then do another one with your heels on something. Should feel mighty different, and I think it would be the same case for the zerchers. Admittedly, I have never done zerchers, but that’s how I’d do them, anyhow…[/quote]
I’d second what PB Andy is saying about the raised heal. Very helpfull for a medium to close stance squat, whether back or front. Having just tried zerchers, the raised heal in my squat shoes did not cause any pitch forward to speak of. For me, it actually helps me keep the weight torwards the heal of my foot.
Heaviest zercher lift i have ever seen,and it was lifted off the floor. Zercher lift from the floor - 510lbs. for 1 rep (nearly 3x bodyweight) - YouTube
Goodness!
[quote] POWER 1 wrote:
Heaviest zercher lift i have ever seen,and it was lifted off the floor. Zercher lift from the floor - 510lbs. for 1 rep (nearly 3x bodyweight) - YouTube
after watching that (amazing lift aside)…
I think the risk/benefit is just not there for zerchers from the floor. It’s definitely there for zercher squats taken from the rack/pins, but I don’t see it from the floor.
omg his back is going to break
I learned zercher’s from Masticity (on this site) about 2.5 years ago. Hungry4more was there for the session too. I’m glad he taught me because I deployed aboard the USS Bataan shortly thereafter with no squat rack … and I don’t like the smith machine for squats. I may not have been in prison, but being in that 120 degree, tiny gym with steel floors and walls was pretty damn close. It was a pretty good alternative to regular squats, but I kept it to 225 and below so I didn’t tear my biceps or bruise myself to warrant investigation. If all you had was a barbell, plates, and maybe 25 sqft to yourself, it’s not a bad choice.
I see no point and I train for strength
[quote]njrusmc wrote:
I learned zercher’s from Masticity (on this site) about 2.5 years ago. Hungry4more was there for the session too. I’m glad he taught me because I deployed aboard the USS Bataan shortly thereafter with no squat rack … and I don’t like the smith machine for squats. I may not have been in prison, but being in that 120 degree, tiny gym with steel floors and walls was pretty damn close. It was a pretty good alternative to regular squats, but I kept it to 225 and below so I didn’t tear my biceps or bruise myself to warrant investigation. If all you had was a barbell, plates, and maybe 25 sqft to yourself, it’s not a bad choice.[/quote]
Ugh. Did you read the thread? If there’s anything we established, it’s that the risk for tearing your biceps is almost nonexistent. The weight is so close to your elbow that there isn’t much torque on the joint at all.
i do zercher squats from the pins, with a wide almost sumo stance. It allows me to squat with a super upright torso compared to back squats, it also rapes my hams glutes and back, without killiling my low back, and i can go fucking heavy on them. Thats why i do them. Plus its fucking bad ass to carry a bar in ur arms.
And honestly, it does not hurt that much, its no wrose than getting used to a hook grip or w.e i also think it literally builds mental toughness to just become accustomed to that discomfort. Im not sayinfg i dont feel them anymore, but it literally never bothers to do them.
Well since switching gyms I like doing zerchers once every few weeks as a ME movement from pins. Hole 2 is about as low down as I get while still being able to get under the bar so as to not just round-back it up. It honestly feels harder than doing them from the floor.
And this thread makes me feel that I have a ‘magic touch’ as far as starting internet shitstorms is concerned. Seems like a better superpower than flying.
[quote]xjusticex2013x wrote:
And this thread makes me feel that I have a ‘magic touch’ as far as starting internet shitstorms is concerned. Seems like a better superpower than flying.[/quote]
[quote]spar4tee wrote:
[quote]xjusticex2013x wrote:
And this thread makes me feel that I have a ‘magic touch’ as far as starting internet shitstorms is concerned. Seems like a better superpower than flying.[/quote]
You make me glad that my dad is a gun owner.