I think I need to work on hip mobility a bit but I’m considering bastardizing the program and making deadlift day sumo technique focused (don’t tell chicken). Even if I focus on conventional I’ll probably zero the deadlift event in my next comp anyway, I’m planning to go all in on the overhead and carry events to bank some points.
And you’re right about being quad dominant. Quads and adductors are pretty big so my legs look good from the front but kinda comical from a side view due to no hamstrings.
From what I remember when I messed with sumo a little a few years back the weight moved really easily but I had this weird sensation in the medial hamstring, almost like the tendon was snapping to the side. But I never looked at technique vids or did mobility stuff back then.
I also saw this quote from the thread @Voxel started the other day and that got the gears turning…
I do like parts of the program though as I’m noticing good progress these first couple weeks, especially with the overhead work. I might steal parts of the progression scheme when I go back to making up my own stuff. Deadlifts though…
I saw that! I opted for trap bar in the superhero program so I wouldn’t have to keep deloading/reloading the bar between cleans and DL, so I totally understand having to change some things up.
This is something I would be somewhat concerned about if only from an injury prevention front. Having your legs that dominant to one side seems like it could some pretty nasty problems down the track.
I had thought about that last year and cut out all supplemental work for quads, just squats. Then I realized that doesn’t fix the lack of hamstrings problem…
From some of the exercises I tried last fall I found that stiff leg deads with a paused stretch at the bottom and lying hamstring curls are the only exercises that really hit hams hard and gave me DOMS for several days. They’ve definitely lagged behind but at least now I know a few things that work.
Seated hamstring curls in the seated machine that has you sitting upright and curling your legs under your butt give a bigger weighted stretch, especially if you pull yourself forward, and for your SLDLs or RDLs, elevating your toes (not heels) by putting them on a 2x4 or some plates also help the weighted stretch. Just some further unsolicited advice from someone with the opposite imbalance, haha. You’re stronger than me, so I wouldn’t be offended if it’s not taken, but anything that loads the hams while stretched can really help hypertrophy them.
I’ll try the elevated toes on deadlift. I’ve tried a seated machine before but I don’t like it because the eccentric always pulls me up from the seat, I usually lean back and have my arms locked out pushing down on the thigh pad to keep myself down. I’ll try leaning forward in the future though, no reason to go too crazy on a deficit, planning to maintain with low-ish volume for some resensitization when I decide to get fat again around April/May
Also
I’m a manlet so it doesn’t count. And advice is always welcome. I feel that taking constructive criticism is one of my strengths and you weren’t even criticizing, just sharing some ideas
Left side of lower back really doesn’t like being in the hole on front squats. My legs were continuously doing weird stuff on the way up (shifting position, changing toe angle). On the final set I had 1 rep where I was on my toes on my left foot the entire time while wearing 1inch heels… Pain wasn’t all that bad, just some mild discomfort but my body was doing all kinds of weird stuff to avoid certain positions so skipped the assistance stuff
Felt some plantar fascia pain on my left foot during calf press, sharp/burning sensation and kinda felt the tendons sliding sideways in the arch of the foot. This side was very tender after rolling it out on a golf ball last week, going to spend some time on it as I thought it might tighten up with running.
Thursday (Upper)
Pull ups 4x10
Bench 2x5x135 5x155 5x185 5x225 5x5x235
Floor press 5x95 5x135 3x6x175 6x185
Delt fly 5x15x20
Was about to completely bastardize this but tried something a little different with technique and had no left sided back pain. I will bastardize the assistance though, just don’t feel my technique is good enough to get a good leg workout in with a lot of these movements. Good insight on some mobility work I should focus on.
