[quote]MikeRich928 wrote:
I hear you, but you’re warming up the quad to prepare for the squat… which is truly a whole body movement. Your hips, back, glutes, your freekin neck, shoulders, none of that is getting warmed up on a leg extension it is a waste of time, if done to prepare for a Squat. But hey, That’s just me. [/quote]
Well, I tried what was recommended. It went alright, so far. I still felt that I didn’t quite achieve the pump I was looking for w/o the leg extensions for warm-ups, though.
I’ll try it once or twice more.
Also, I actually stepped on a scale recently. 172 pounds, not bad. I don’t know how I got there since my diet hasn’t been the best in the past two weeks, but it’s much better than where I was earlier.
I just how much of that 172 has to do with my gut, though…
[quote]MikeRich928 wrote:
I hear you, but you’re warming up the quad to prepare for the squat… which is truly a whole body movement. Your hips, back, glutes, your freekin neck, shoulders, none of that is getting warmed up on a leg extension it is a waste of time, if done to prepare for a Squat. But hey, That’s just me. [/quote]
I disagree. I think you need to fire up your muscles and CNS before starting, whether it be something with kettlebells, box jumps, or some other explosive movement. I think CT (maybe Dave Tate? I don’t remember) wrote an article about priming your CNS before you start actually lifting.
[quote]MikeRich928 wrote:
I hear you, but you’re warming up the quad to prepare for the squat… which is truly a whole body movement. Your hips, back, glutes, your freekin neck, shoulders, none of that is getting warmed up on a leg extension it is a waste of time, if done to prepare for a Squat. But hey, That’s just me. [/quote]
I disagree. I think you need to fire up your muscles and CNS before starting, whether it be something with kettlebells, box jumps, or some other explosive movement. I think CT (maybe Dave Tate? I don’t remember) wrote an article about priming your CNS before you start actually lifting.
After reading through this thread, I suspect you might not be aware of what your body is capable of when its really pushed or how to really push it. My suggestion is:
Work your way up in singles and find out exactly where your max squat to legal depth is. If your depth sucks, work on that first until it doesn’t, then test.
Google “joe scopec smolov caclulator” and enter your max.
Run the smolov base program to the letter; don’t miss a day; don’t miss a rep; hit every rep to depth; do what it takes to finish the base cycle. You squat 4 days a week heavy and hard, but the base cycle only lasts 18 days. If you have actually been working hard in the gym you will be able to finish the program as written.
Don’t do any other lifts besides squatting while running the base cycle. Also, eat like a son-of-a-bitch. Again, it only lasts 18 days.
When you complete the base cycle, weigh yourself, then rest for a few days, and retest your max.
After this, take a mental note of your weight, strength gains, how you feel, and then re-evaluate your program going forward. I suspect these 18 days will change your perception of your actual work capacity, what your body is capable of when really pushed, and the type of lifting intensity and type of lifts that will get you where you want to go.
Of course you ramp up your CNS. Easily achievable by using a light warm up then simply starting light and working your way up. Using Box jumps to ramp up your CNS? Box jumps and other explosive movements place a high demand on the CNS, you would need to warm up BEFORE performing those movements, and you wouldn’t warm up for a squat by doing box jumps, that doesn’t make sense.
You’re suggesting he run the smolov squat program… when his original reason for posting was not about squatting. In what way does that answer his original issue posted here?
[quote]MikeRich928 wrote:
You’re suggesting he run the smolov squat program… when his original reason for posting was not about squatting. In what way does that answer his original issue posted here? [/quote]
I see three things good about doing that:
it gives him something preplanned with a very single minded focus. His current workout routine has too many variables that he doesn’t yet seem to understand how to juggle. With this, all he has to do is follow the program, and adjust food and recovery in order to support the work he’s doing in the gym. (Which directly addresses the original question.)
it teaches him to push himself hard in the gym and understand “intensiveness”; based on his current program it sounds like he hasn’t quite learned how to push himself hard… he thinks he’s working hard (like everyone does)… but this should be eye-opening
it demonstrates that the squat is much more of a full body movement than just a leg movement.
Everything he learns from doing that he can then take and apply to whatever he chooses to do in the future.
[quote]MikeRich928 wrote:
You’re suggesting he run the smolov squat program… when his original reason for posting was not about squatting. In what way does that answer his original issue posted here? [/quote]
I see three things good about doing that:
it gives him something preplanned with a very single minded focus. His current workout routine has too many variables that he doesn’t yet seem to understand how to juggle. With this, all he has to do is follow the program, and adjust food and recovery in order to support the work he’s doing in the gym. (Which directly addresses the original question.)
it teaches him to push himself hard in the gym and understand “intensiveness”; based on his current program it sounds like he hasn’t quite learned how to push himself hard… he thinks he’s working hard (like everyone does)… but this should be eye-opening
it demonstrates that the squat is much more of a full body movement than just a leg movement.
Everything he learns from doing that he can then take and apply to whatever he chooses to do in the future.
My 2 cents. May not be worth anything.[/quote]
Pretty much this. Its only 18 days, but its an eye-opening 18 days that can change the way a lifter looks at lifting.
[quote]MikeRich928 wrote:
You’re suggesting he run the smolov squat program… when his original reason for posting was not about squatting. In what way does that answer his original issue posted here? [/quote]
I see three things good about doing that:
it gives him something preplanned with a very single minded focus. His current workout routine has too many variables that he doesn’t yet seem to understand how to juggle. With this, all he has to do is follow the program, and adjust food and recovery in order to support the work he’s doing in the gym. (Which directly addresses the original question.)
it teaches him to push himself hard in the gym and understand “intensiveness”; based on his current program it sounds like he hasn’t quite learned how to push himself hard… he thinks he’s working hard (like everyone does)… but this should be eye-opening
it demonstrates that the squat is much more of a full body movement than just a leg movement.
Everything he learns from doing that he can then take and apply to whatever he chooses to do in the future.
My 2 cents. May not be worth anything.[/quote]
Pretty much this. Its only 18 days, but its an eye-opening 18 days that can change the way a lifter looks at lifting.
[/quote]
I’ll second this. Or third, or whatever it is. OP is too scattered in his programming. This will be a good lesson that will take all of three weeks away from him. He can go back to his program of choice after doing that, but I’m guessing that he’ll learn a thing or two that he’ll carry forward.