I’ve noticed some times squatting seems easier if I use the que, push waist forward, rather than drive up with legs. Would this be hip drive?
All types of squatting can utilize “hip drive” but its manifests itself in the low bar squat to a greater degree. The idea is that instead of “pushing with your legs and driving your hips forward” in the bottom of a squat. You instead focus on “lifting your hips straight up while maintaining your back angle as long as possible”. It has the net effect of making the squat a hip dominant movement (glutes/hams/lower back).
Strength Block 2 week 2 day 1
Squats - 10 heavy singles
Deads - 10 heavy singles
Pull Ups - 7 clusters of 3
Shoulder Press - 9 heavy singles
Strength Block 2 week 2 day 2
Squats - 10 heavy singles
Deads - 10 heavy singles
Sternum Chin Ups - 7 clusters of 3
Shoulder Press - 8 heavy singles
Started diet on Monday, slightly affecting my workouts.
– Ralphie
Strength Block 2 week 2 day 3
Squats - 10 heavy singles
Deads - 10 heavy singles
Pull Ups - 8 clusters of 3
Shoulder Press - 8 heavy singles
Diet is kinda sapping my strength. Need to eat a little more during eating window. Also going to bump both squat and deadlift weight next time. Noticed that a slower decent on
squats made them really easy. Didn’t anticipate this.
– Ralphie
Strength Block 2 week 3 day 1
Squats (+10 lbs) - 10 heavy singles
Deads (+10 lbs) - 10 heavy singles
Pull Ups - 8 clusters of 3 (kinda tired from squats and deads)
Shoulder Press - 8 heavy singles
Increased weight on both squats and deads today. The increase made pull ups and presses a little harder but was still an enjoyable workout.
Strength Block 2 week 3 day 2
Squats - worked up to max for the day then called it
Deads - worked up to max then did 5 singles
Pull Ups - 5 clusters of 3
Shoulder Press - 5 heavy singles
I’m not getting enough to eat during my eating window… and its affecting my workouts. Going to start adding a mandatory extra protein shake at the end of the eating window and adjust from there.
Strength Block 2 week 3 day 3
Squats - daily max then 6 singles
Deads - daily max then 6 singles
Pull Ups / Chin Ups - sets of 3 with 15 seconds until I couldn’t do them any more
Hmm interesting day today… diet is sapping my strength but I managed to finally correct my bar path on squats today. I’m happy.
Strength Block 2 week 4 day 1
Squats - daily max then 6 singles
Deads - daily max then 6 singles
Pull Ups / Chin Ups (alternating grip) - 3 reps 15 seconds rest 8 sets
Shoulder Press - daily max then 6 singles
I think this bar path issue is a done deal. Using hip drive to really power out of the hole. Makes squatting feel more like a hip dominant movement.
Strength Block 2 week 4 day 2
Squats - daily max then 8 singles
Deads - daily max then 8 singles
Pull Ups - 4 reps 15 seconds rest 6 sets
Shoulder Press - daily max then 4 singles (wasn’t really feeling it today)
Normally I’d move to a hypertrophy block at the end of this week but since I am really feeling the squat pattern I think I’m going to do another strength block.
Weird… not sure why but my glutes/hams/adductors are all sore from squatting?
Some authors describe this effect as the Lombard Paradox.
Strength Block 2 week 4 day 3
Squats - daily max then 10 singles
Deadlifts - daily max then 6 singles
Pull Ups / Chin Ups - six sets of 4 with 15 seconds rest
Shoulder Press - daily max then 7 singles
Normally this would be a deload week for me but this week I’ve been experimenting more with autoregulation. In the past I drove myself into the ground using autoregulation but I think I’ve gotten a little more mature these days and would rather “live to fight another day”. That said I’ve run 8 weeks of strength training without a deload and I feel fine. Recently I had an epiphany with my squat form so I’m going to start another 4 week strength block on Monday.
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Oh yeah… my elbow tendinitis and what was likely a rotator cuff tear doesn’t bother me any more.
Strength block 3 week 1 day 1
Squat - daily max then 10 singles
Deadlift - daily max then 10 singles
Pull Up / Chin Up pairs - 5 pairs of 4 reps
Shoulder Press - daily max then 10 singles
No longer using straps anymore so I had to drop the weight used for deadlifts down slightly. Grip was a bit tired moving into pull ups and chin ups. Squats went up really easy today for some reason. Hip mobility exercises removed that “pinching” feeling while squatting. I’m happy.
I get calloused hands from work, and find with heavier deads I tear my hands to shit. It’s not so much lack of grip strength, (though this will obviously suffer) that makes me use straps on heavy sets, I just don’t want torn up hands. Do you use chalk?
@boyce79 I typically use straps for only my heavy sets. However, lately I’ve been wanting to strengthen my hands/forearms more. The the most time efficient way I could think of is to just ditch straps.
Strength Block 3 week 1 day 2
Squats - daily max then 12 singles
Deadlifts - daily max then 10 singles
Pull Ups - 5 sets of 4 with 15 seconds rest
Shoulder Press - 6 reps / 3 / 3 / 2 with 15 seconds rest
Going on vacation for a week… I’ll be back Wednesday. Also went back on “the straps”. Decided that shorting yourself because your grip isn’t strong enough is stupid.
– Ralphie
Hey Ralphie, hope your doing OK.
Hoping your good Ralphie.