Notes: Felt worn out today. Crashed at 8PM for about an hour, woke up and then decided not to go out and do anything tonight.
#29 was apparently not the best cycle to do considering my numbers, so I am told that I most likely have overreached my recovery bounds quite a bit by this point, and I’d agree. Legs generally just feel heavy, although I haven’t really been sore in a while now.
My desire to go out and be social was really waning by the middle of this week, but hopefully will have subsided once I begin #37 next week.
Notes: Felt worn out today. Crashed at 8PM for about an hour, woke up and then decided not to go out and do anything tonight.
#29 was apparently not the best cycle to do considering my numbers, so I am told that I most likely have overreached my recovery bounds quite a bit by this point, and I’d agree. Legs generally just feel heavy, although I haven’t really been sore in a while now.
My desire to go out and be social was really waning by the middle of this week, but hopefully will have subsided once I begin #37 next week.
First of all dont even mention smith machine squats. Second you dont have any business starting out in a double denim shirt. You need to really consider getting much stronger before you consider using a shirt. Then you first shirt should be a fairly loose single ply poly.
I have hit 510 in a bench only meet and 560 in the gym, I am still using a single ply rage X. I have tried double ply denim and poly, I could not even touch my chest with 575! You really need to be a 600 bencher before you even worry about double ply bro!
come on man… don’t be hate’n on the smith machine. i get a killer burn in the wheels when i pump out my ATG squats.
And i don’t want to wait to get into the double denim. I want to be really strong NOW!! Who has time to put in the time to get strong first. I’m thinking the more gear… the better. i wear my Briefs when i spot my partner during squat rack curls.
I would try wearing your canvas squat suit briefs and knee wraps on you elbows and knees will going for a smith machine max wearing your double denim shirt with reverse blue bands!
[/quote]
As long as Maurauder isn’t sporting the thong he was bragging about a few months ago.
120kg: 3,3,3,3,3,
120kg: 3,3,3 (Tried to explode so much that it sent the footplate beyond my normal ROM and then it came back down)
Leg CUrls:
7th pin: 15,15,15,15
8th pin: 15
Hanging Leg raises:
+7kg: 12,15,15,15,14
(NOTE ABOUT LEG PRESS): I know there is something wrong with my squats. It seems that I use too much lower back (as in I lean too far forward) and it makes me think that it’s quad strength (as in lack thereof). The fact that I use too much back really takes away from my ME Dead day, I’d guess…as well as super fatiguing it.
(made it capital and bold to try to get you all to notice. ;):
Here it is: Wherever you are sitting, could you please set your legs into a narrow stance squat position and stand up? Can you tell me to what degree you bend forward to do it? It can be a good comparison for me to determine my problem:
Personally, I have to get to about 45 degrees, using the floor as the base for the angle (if you know what I mean).
(made it capital and bold to try to get you all to notice. ;):
Here it is: Wherever you are sitting, could you please set your legs into a narrow stance squat position and stand up? Can you tell me to what degree you bend forward to do it? It can be a good comparison for me to determine my problem:
Personally, I have to get to about 45 degrees, using the floor as the base for the angle (if you know what I mean).
thanks for any help.
AD[/quote]
I don’t know. I can’t see myself. I don’t think that it is 45 degrees though. Post a video of yourself squatting and we will see if you lean too much.
(made it capital and bold to try to get you all to notice. ;):
Here it is: Wherever you are sitting, could you please set your legs into a narrow stance squat position and stand up? Can you tell me to what degree you bend forward to do it? It can be a good comparison for me to determine my problem:
Personally, I have to get to about 45 degrees, using the floor as the base for the angle (if you know what I mean).
thanks for any help.
AD[/quote]
If I keep my knees back behind my toes, I have to lean forward about 45 degrees. If I let my knees go way forward, I don’t have to lean forward much at all. But I think if your just standing up out of a chair, balance is a much bigger factor than strength.
(NOTE ABOUT LEG PRESS): I know there is something wrong with my squats. It seems that I use too much lower back (as in I lean too far forward) and it makes me think that it’s quad strength (as in lack thereof). The fact that I use too much back really takes away from my ME Dead day, I’d guess…as well as super fatiguing it.
[/quote]
I could be wrong, but it’s always been my understanding that turning a squat into a good morning meant that your hamstrings were weak in comparison to your quads, not vice versa. Not that I have anything against quad work or the leg press.
But think about it, your knees are extending before your hips extend. That’s what causes the forward lean. That’s what the squat rx guy says anyway. Here’s a link.
1/10/2008 ME upper
bench
bar x 5
95 x 3
135 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 1
265 x 1 x 5
3 board
265 x 3
295 x 3
315 x 2 (tie PR), 1
DB floor press
65 x 20, 20, 19
delt raises (front side rear)
10 x 10, 10
hammer strength row
180 x 10
200 x 8
230 x 6
1 arm tri pulldown
40 x 12
50 x 12
60 x 6/5
Pretty good session today even though I was tired as shit when I got to the gym from getting two hours earlier than normal. Bench was feeling really strong and I was a little peeved that I didn’t get a third rep with 315. I had the strength for it, but I chicken winged and lost the groove on the last two reps. Need to keep working on the form with heavier weights. All things considered, my form is still getting better, and felt really good on the singles. Changed my set up a bit and my legs are getting involved a bit. More to shoot for next week.
(NOTE ABOUT LEG PRESS): I know there is something wrong with my squats. It seems that I use too much lower back (as in I lean too far forward) and it makes me think that it’s quad strength (as in lack thereof). The fact that I use too much back really takes away from my ME Dead day, I’d guess…as well as super fatiguing it.
I could be wrong, but it’s always been my understanding that turning a squat into a good morning meant that your hamstrings were weak in comparison to your quads, not vice versa. Not that I have anything against quad work or the leg press.
But think about it, your knees are extending before your hips extend. That’s what causes the forward lean. That’s what the squat rx guy says anyway. Here’s a link.
I don’t think so. A GMing is mainly hamstrings and low back. If you GM the weight then you are relying too much on your back side. Still, a video would be helpful.
(NOTE ABOUT LEG PRESS): I know there is something wrong with my squats. It seems that I use too much lower back (as in I lean too far forward) and it makes me think that it’s quad strength (as in lack thereof). The fact that I use too much back really takes away from my ME Dead day, I’d guess…as well as super fatiguing it.
I could be wrong, but it’s always been my understanding that turning a squat into a good morning meant that your hamstrings were weak in comparison to your quads, not vice versa. Not that I have anything against quad work or the leg press.
But think about it, your knees are extending before your hips extend. That’s what causes the forward lean. That’s what the squat rx guy says anyway. Here’s a link.
There’s definitely more than one reason that the torso can be pitched forward at 45 degrees. The way the squat Rx guy talks about with the hips rising first does sound like it would be either a technique issue or possibly a weakness in the hamstrings.
Here’s a video of me squatting.
Notice that the forward lean is definitely 45 degrees or possibly even less. Now, I know for sure that my quads are a lot weaker than my posterior chain. I think that for me, it has to do with bar placement and the length of my torso relative to my legs. If I use a high bar position, I can stay much more upright, but can’t squat shit.
For me, it might even be the fact that I can probably do a GM with my squat weight better than I could squat it up using my quads. Here’s another view of my torso lean- almost exactally 45 degrees.
If you post a video it will be a lot more easy to tell.
I know that for me I squat with the bar low on my back, probably at the bottom of my delts. I have a long torso and squat wide, I am 6’1’’ 300 lbs.
If you have a short torso try a higher bar placement this will allow you to sit more straight up and down. The wider my stance the more forward lean I end up having.
If you are going to wear a gear you will have to change your technique slightly for different types of gear. For instance a poly suit allows more forward lean, a canvas suit you have to sit more straight up and down.
(made it capital and bold to try to get you all to notice. ;):
Here it is: Wherever you are sitting, could you please set your legs into a narrow stance squat position and stand up? Can you tell me to what degree you bend forward to do it? It can be a good comparison for me to determine my problem:
Personally, I have to get to about 45 degrees, using the floor as the base for the angle (if you know what I mean).
thanks for any help.
AD[/quote]
there are many things that could be going on. video is definitely the best way to pin point the problem. it could be an imbalance or a form issue. A lot of the time it’s just a form adjustment.
a few things- do you keep your elbows under the bar? if you grip the bar wide, try bring your grip in a bit and then consciously keep your elbows under the bar as you decend. As you drive out of the hole, force your elbows forward, this will keep the weight over your hips and will keep your tight arch. a good way to do this is to think about trying to bend the bar behind your neck.
also, keep your head up and definitely don’t look into the mirror(if you have one… hopefully not). another good tip is to turn your hat around and keep the bill of the hat on your traps the entire time. this will teach you to force the bar into your neck and keep your head up.
hope this helps some but definiteley get a video up
A. Sumo Deadlift
135 x 8
225 x 5
315 x 1
365 x 1
410 x 0
385 x 1
385 x 1
315 x 1
B. Angled Leg Press
590 x 4 sets x 8 reps
My legs are still pretty sore from squatting on Tuesday so I don’t really know what to make of today’s session. Everything felt really heavy for some reason. During the warm-up sets, 315 felt like 365 and 365 felt like 395. Nevertheless, I went for a 5lb PR at 410. I was able to pull the bar up to my knee but couldn’t lock it out. The subsequent 385 pulls felt like maxes.
I’m gonna chalk this one up as part of the process of coming back after a layoff. If this pattern continues though, I might have to change things up because my progress has been stalling as of late.
[quote]Tony Hsiao wrote:
Friday, 1/11/2008: ME Deadlift
A. Sumo Deadlift
135 x 8
225 x 5
315 x 1
365 x 1
410 x 0
385 x 1
385 x 1
315 x 1
B. Angled Leg Press
590 x 4 sets x 8 reps
My legs are still pretty sore from squatting on Tuesday so I don’t really know what to make of today’s session. Everything felt really heavy for some reason. During the warm-up sets, 315 felt like 365 and 365 felt like 395. Nevertheless, I went for a 5lb PR at 410. I was able to pull the bar up to my knee but couldn’t lock it out. The subsequent 385 pulls felt like maxes.
I’m gonna chalk this one up as part of the process of coming back after a layoff. If this pattern continues though, I might have to change things up because my progress has been stalling as of late.[/quote]
I think its time for you to switch to the tradtional two me days and two re/de days
Since im running my westside variation more for bodybuilding decided to start my own thread…nothing against you…i will still read this thread as a reference and ask question if i have problem!
Notes: Felt super nice to not have to squat or bench twice today. Workout was fairly easy, but took awhile because of the volume.
I forgot my shorts home today, so I squatted in briefs…as in boxer briefs. I asked my buddy if he had shorts but all he had were these MC Hammer pants, so I decided to go without them. Got 2 vids of the squats to examine in terms of form. I notice the knees still falling in little bit, and my forward lean is fucking huge, haha. My elbows are touching my knees at the bottom…maybe I’m going too low.
Worked on squeezing the bar and getting some elbow tuck on the bench today and it felt a little better. Thanks to all those who made suggestions.
