Play the video on this story, there are a few seconds of Clemens squatting in a pretty odd way:
Of course I don’t know that this is how he squatted all the time, but it looks like his feet are way forward.
looks like a smith machine, still really wierd form
He’s doing Smith machine squats. That’s how you do them when there is no angle on the Smith machine.
[quote]rainjack wrote:
He’s doing Smith machine squats. That’s how you do them when there is no angle on the Smith machine. [/quote]
He will never amount to anything that way. He will wreck his knees, never pitch past 30, be doomed to skinny legs etc.
I am so glad I know better.
I was just about to create this thread when I noticed it already existed. You guys forgot to mention the towel that he was using for a pussy pad.
I would like to know McNamee’s (I don’t think I spelled the name right)credentials because any smart coach would not have his/her athlete squat in a smith machine. I guess this shows two things. The first is that athletes should follow the advice of his/her teams strength and conditioning coach or a reputable strength and conditioning coach in the off-season, instead of some personal trainer (I am assuming that McNamee is one of those personal trainers that is internet certified and didn’t really need an education.).
The second thing is that the best athletes in there sport can do some really stupid things and still excel because of their talent.
[quote]Geebus wrote:
I was just about to create this thread when I noticed it already existed. You guys forgot to mention the towel that he was using for a pussy pad.
I would like to know McNamee’s (I don’t think I spelled the name right)credentials because any smart coach would not have his/her athlete squat in a smith machine. I guess this shows two things. The first is that athletes should follow the advice of his/her teams strength and conditioning coach or a reputable strength and conditioning coach in the off-season, instead of some personal trainer (I am assuming that McNamee is one of those personal trainers that is internet certified and didn’t really need an education.).
The second thing is that the best athletes in there sport can do some really stupid things and still excel because of their talent.[/quote]
Uh… don’t many NFL strength and conditioning coaches include smith machine work ( including squats) in their workouts? I remember reading some article interviewing a coach about this exact topic. I’m not saying smith machine work is good, i’m seriously curious to find out why the do it. It would be nice if my search button worked right now. Oh yeah , i think he ate soy too…
it’s either the Cardinals or the 49ers who have the NFL’s best strength and conditioning coach (he moderates the workouts at the NFL Combine). I say, whatever he says goes (unless it doesn’t go, then oh well).
my strength coach in high school for football was awesome. he knew how to get it done the old fashioned way, and it sure as hell helped me a lot.
oh, and my brother does “roger clemens” squats on the smith machine when he works out. he seems to not have any problems.
[quote]Geebus wrote:
I would like to know McNamee’s (I don’t think I spelled the name right)credentials because any smart coach would not have his/her athlete squat in a smith machine. [/quote]
And what are your credentials, exactly? We can start with that, then move on to discuss how many elite professional athletes you have trained. While you are at it, if you could take the time to fill us all in on RC’s training/injury history and goals (when that was filmed), that would be great, as well.
Remember, reading a T-Nation article that says ‘No!’ to smith machines doesn’t count as a valid answer to any of the above.
Thanks.
[quote]anonym wrote:
Geebus wrote:
I would like to know McNamee’s (I don’t think I spelled the name right)credentials because any smart coach would not have his/her athlete squat in a smith machine.
And what are your credentials, exactly? We can start with that, then move on to discuss how many elite professional athletes you have trained. While you are at it, if you could take the time to fill us all in on RC’s training/injury history and goals (when that was filmed), that would be great, as well.
Remember, reading a T-Nation article that says ‘No!’ to smith machines doesn’t count as a valid answer to any of the above.
Thanks.[/quote]
Most strength coaches worth their weight wouldn’t use a smith machine as a primary means of squatting.
And frankly I’m not very impressed by anyone who only trains “Elite” athletes. Anyone can train those genetic freaks.
I’m more impressed by the guys who take guys with more average genetics and turn them into monsters.
My two cents.
[quote]Geebus wrote:
I would like to know McNamee’s (I don’t think I spelled the name right)credentials because any smart coach would not have his/her athlete squat in a smith machine. I guess this shows two things. The first is that athletes should follow the advice of his/her teams strength and conditioning coach or a reputable strength and conditioning coach in the off-season, instead of some personal trainer (I am assuming that McNamee is one of those personal trainers that is internet certified and didn’t really need an education.).
[/quote]
McNamee was the strength coach for Toronto when Clemens was there I believe. When Clemens left Toronto he paid McNamee and bought him a house so he would be his own personal trainer. I also think he played college ball and got a masters in exercise science or something.
Clemens is a workhorse. You don’t pitch that well for that period of time under that type of load doing stupid shit. Different things work for different people. Just because he was smith-machine squatting in that video doesn’t mean he didn’t do real squats.
just a quick question:
who do you think is lying? McNamee or Clemens?
[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
rainjack wrote:
He’s doing Smith machine squats. That’s how you do them when there is no angle on the Smith machine.
He will never amount to anything that way. He will wreck his knees, never pitch past 30, be doomed to skinny legs etc.
I am so glad I know better.[/quote]
Who would suspect someone doing 185lb squats as a steroid user?
[quote]anonym wrote:
Geebus wrote:
I would like to know McNamee’s (I don’t think I spelled the name right)credentials because any smart coach would not have his/her athlete squat in a smith machine.
And what are your credentials, exactly? We can start with that, then move on to discuss how many elite professional athletes you have trained. While you are at it, if you could take the time to fill us all in on RC’s training/injury history and goals (when that was filmed), that would be great, as well.
Remember, reading a T-Nation article that says ‘No!’ to smith machines doesn’t count as a valid answer to any of the above.
Thanks.[/quote]
You are right. I shouldn’t be talking about a person’s credentials when I don’t have any credentials myself. Just like you said, I was going with what many T-Nation articles have said.
150lbs on a smith machine? that’s pretty sad.
[quote]TKL wrote:
150lbs on a smith machine? that’s pretty sad. [/quote]
Only seven Cy Young awards? That’s sad, too.
[quote]malonetd wrote:
TKL wrote:
150lbs on a smith machine? that’s pretty sad.
Only seven Cy Young awards? That’s sad, too.[/quote]
Didn’t mean to downplay his accomplishments athletically, but you think the guy would be doing a more intense workout, considering his level. Then again, maybe it’s a warm-up set?
[quote]TKL wrote:
malonetd wrote:
TKL wrote:
150lbs on a smith machine? that’s pretty sad.
Only seven Cy Young awards? That’s sad, too.
Didn’t mean to downplay his accomplishments athletically, but you think the guy would be doing a more intense workout, considering his level. Then again, maybe it’s a warm-up set?[/quote]
Sarcasm aside, that was my point. No one knows the context of this workout. Whatever it was he was doing got him results on the field.
[quote]TKL wrote:
malonetd wrote:
TKL wrote:
150lbs on a smith machine? that’s pretty sad.
Only seven Cy Young awards? That’s sad, too.
Didn’t mean to downplay his accomplishments athletically, but you think the guy would be doing a more intense workout, considering his level. Then again, maybe it’s a warm-up set?[/quote]
You have to realize that these pitchers throw more than 200 pitches (warmups , game, side session) in a given week. Needless to say , they’re bodies are real tired after a start. Compound that with the fact Clemens has been pitching for more than 20 years. Although the video was probably taken during the offseason , i really think squatting may be too taxing on a pitcher with that amount of mileage.
In regards to the 7 Cy youngs, i think we can subtract four of them if what Mcnamee says it’s true. Still , it’s quite the achievement.
[quote]zooropa1150 wrote:
In regards to the 7 Cy youngs, i think we can subtract four of them if what Mcnamee says it’s true. Still , it’s quite the achievement. [/quote]
I couldn’t disagree more. If anything, his Cy Youngs carry more weight. He was pitching against a league of juiced hitters.
[quote]rainjack wrote:
He’s doing Smith machine squats. That’s how you do them when there is no angle on the Smith machine. [/quote]
Yeah I’m another guy who was perplexed by this footage when I saw it on ESPN. Seems kind of the same range of motion as a leg press when you get your legs that far out in front.
Is that really how you’re supposed to do Smith Squats, because I searched them on YouTube and it’s just a ton of people who mimic regular back squat form. Maybe that’s where the confusion is on whether using the smith machine is bad for your joints, two different exercises?