WS4SB ME Lower Body Question

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
1

Thats the program I’ll be using. I don’ have a way to squat at the moment (getting the bar onto my back)

Would cycling between deadlifts, snatch grip deads, and rack pulls (or suggest another exercise if you can think of one) be a viable option?

Also seeing as I cant get a bar onto my back, it makes the single leg work hard to do as well. I’m thinking single leg deadlifts could work, any other suggestions would be good though.

This is what it would look like:

ME exercise- deadlift/snatch-grip dead/rack pull
Unilateral Movement(4 sets 8-15 reps)- Single leg deads
Hamstring and post chain movement(3-4 sets of 6-10 reps)- Romanian deadlifts

As you can see its a lot of deadlifting.
The single leg deads wouldn’t be to hard on the spinal erectors though. The only problem I could see if that theres not enough difference between the ME exercises.

Thoughts?

2

Deadlift variations for ME exercise.

Unilateral exercise can be lunge/bulgarian split squat/stepup variations. Do these with zercher or behind the neck grip.

posterior chain dominant exercise can be RDL’s and other variations.

Why cant you get enough weight over your head for the unilateral work?

3

Use dumbbells for unilateral work.

If you have the equipment, trap bar deadlifts would be a good one.

4

[quote]benmoore wrote:
Deadlift variations for ME exercise.

Unilateral exercise can be lunge/bulgarian split squat/stepup variations. Do these with zercher or behind the neck grip.

posterior chain dominant exercise can be RDL’s and other variations.

Why cant you get enough weight over your head for the unilateral work?[/quote]

I train in my grandfather’s old carpentry shop in his backyard. It’s a small space already, the ceiling is low, and there is a lot of machines crammed in there.

Zercher lunges look good. Thanks man.

5

[quote]Smith K wrote:
benmoore wrote:
Deadlift variations for ME exercise.

Unilateral exercise can be lunge/bulgarian split squat/stepup variations. Do these with zercher or behind the neck grip.

posterior chain dominant exercise can be RDL’s and other variations.

Why cant you get enough weight over your head for the unilateral work?

I train in my grandfather’s old carpentry shop in his backyard. It’s a small space already, the ceiling is low, and there is a lot of machines crammed in there.

Zercher lunges look good. Thanks man.[/quote]

So take the weights outside maybe? Do some walking lunges up and down your street?

Also zercher lunges are a brutal, brutal exercise imo.

6

Find a way.

Seriously, you can use dumbbells to perform a variety of unilateral exercises as already mentioned.

And if you have room to deadlift, you should have room to clean the barbell to your shoulders and perform front squats. If you can’t overload your front squats, try barbell hack squats - at least you’ll get more quad emphasis than performing only deadlift variations.

And yes, you could go outside the shed to perform some of your exercises.

7

[quote]
So take the weights outside maybe? Do some walking lunges up and down your street?

Also zercher lunges are a brutal, brutal exercise imo.[/quote]

Thats certainly possible in a few months, but currently its not at all haha. I live out of town, and the “roads” aren’t exactly solid at the moment lol. Outside the shed (and for miles around for that matters) Its either a foot thick of mud, 3 foot high snow banks, or ice, and it will be that way for a good time to come haha.

8

[quote]Nate Dogg wrote:
Find a way.

Seriously, you can use dumbbells to perform a variety of unilateral exercises as already mentioned.

And if you have room to deadlift, you should have room to clean the barbell to your shoulders and perform front squats. If you can’t overload your front squats, try barbell hack squats - at least you’ll get more quad emphasis than performing only deadlift variations.

And yes, you could go outside the shed to perform some of your exercises.[/quote]

No dumbbells, and money is tied up elsewhere. Maybe I can find some somewhere cheap though, I thought about cleaning then front squating, But I can front squat my power clean a few times already. It could work for a cycle or two though.

I’ll think about hack squats, haven’t done them since I was 16 or so. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m tall (6’2") but everytime I do them The barbell eventually smashed into my achilles tendon at an odd angle and I’m walking funny for a week lol. I’ll try them though and see what happens.

9

[quote]Smith K wrote:
Nate Dogg wrote:
Find a way.

Seriously, you can use dumbbells to perform a variety of unilateral exercises as already mentioned.

And if you have room to deadlift, you should have room to clean the barbell to your shoulders and perform front squats. If you can’t overload your front squats, try barbell hack squats - at least you’ll get more quad emphasis than performing only deadlift variations.

And yes, you could go outside the shed to perform some of your exercises.

No dumbbells, and money is tied up elsewhere. Maybe I can find some somewhere cheap though, I thought about cleaning then front squating, But I can front squat my power clean a few times already. It could work for a cycle or two though.[/quote]

Don’t forget that you can perform bodyweight versions of all those exercises and still get a good workout. If you have an X-vest or even a backpack, you could load it up with weight and then perform lunges, step ups, Bulgarian split squats, etc.

The clean and front squatting will work, but you will have problems loading it with enough weight unless someone can help add weight after you clean it and rack it on your shoulders before you start squatting.

[quote]I’ll think about hack squats, haven’t done them since I was 16 or so. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m tall (6’2") but everytime I do them The barbell eventually smashed into my achilles tendon at an odd angle and I’m walking funny for a week lol. I’ll try them though and see what happens.
[/quote]

I had a friend train with me a few years ago, and he was also about your height or slightly taller. He had problems with barbell hack squats just like you experienced. He also had bad flexibility, so that didn’t help.

10

Clean it for front squats.

You don’t have to clean the weight very high to get it set.

11

[quote]Ghost22 wrote:
Clean it for front squats.

You don’t have to clean the weight very high to get it set.[/quote]

I don’t know how to do a proper olympic clean, and since there are sharp metal edges and corners within feet of me, I don’t intend on learning till next year-ish.

12

[quote]Nate Dogg wrote:
Smith K wrote:
Nate Dogg wrote:
Find a way.

Seriously, you can use dumbbells to perform a variety of unilateral exercises as already mentioned.

And if you have room to deadlift, you should have room to clean the barbell to your shoulders and perform front squats. If you can’t overload your front squats, try barbell hack squats - at least you’ll get more quad emphasis than performing only deadlift variations.

And yes, you could go outside the shed to perform some of your exercises.

No dumbbells, and money is tied up elsewhere. Maybe I can find some somewhere cheap though, I thought about cleaning then front squating, But I can front squat my power clean a few times already. It could work for a cycle or two though.

Don’t forget that you can perform bodyweight versions of all those exercises and still get a good workout. If you have an X-vest or even a backpack, you could load it up with weight and then perform lunges, step ups, Bulgarian split squats, etc.

The clean and front squatting will work, but you will have problems loading it with enough weight unless someone can help add weight after you clean it and rack it on your shoulders before you start squatting.

I’ll think about hack squats, haven’t done them since I was 16 or so. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m tall (6’2") but everytime I do them The barbell eventually smashed into my achilles tendon at an odd angle and I’m walking funny for a week lol. I’ll try them though and see what happens.

I had a friend train with me a few years ago, and he was also about your height or slightly taller. He had problems with barbell hack squats just like you experienced. He also had bad flexibility, so that didn’t help.

[/quote]

Haha I hadn’t even thought of a school bag to be honest, that could work perfectly for single leg work.

Maybe this is a dumb question, but should I wear it on my back, or front (If I’m doing lunges)… I’m thinking front?

13

Whatever works! Try both!