Hay guys,
Today I did 500x5 reps pretty easy (free squat parallel)and I was just wondering for a 100m-400m sprinter do you strength coaches feel this is enough lower body strength that’s in place?
Assuming a normal body weight, easily enough. I’m not a strength coach.
I’m a 6’1 long leg 200lbs.
I don’t know how fast you are running, but I doubt that anyone would think that leg strength will hold you back from improving. It’s certainly more than Tyson “Mr. 225lbs” Gay. 
Well strength can improve acceleration and being a general thing, helps out overall in the training.
500x5 is very good.
I don’t know yet myself but my first race will be in about 3 weeks. I have been on the L to S for the past 4 months! I have 3 weeks left to go as I noticed I could not recover within the days given on the graph and I also had to rest my leg for about 2 weeks from a injury pulling a tire. (don’t do those anymore…lol)
As far as tyson… lol, people lie about what they do for practice. Who knows what he is doing and to a large degree it really does not matter as every man is genetically and leverage wise different.
All you can do is play on your strengths and the squats are NATURALLY easy for me.
what are your PR’s?
47.6 in high school. Back then I was squating 225 and change…lol
You ran 47.6 and squating 225. Right now you are squating 500 and running?
Yes, that was when I was in HS. I KNOW I could have done more but I was SO SCARED of heavy weight on my back so I mainly did high reps with 225 and 360+or- on the leg press to failure. It seemed to help me deal with the pain in the 400.
Anyhow, yes I’m squatting 500 AND running and I can FEEL the difference. I mainly feel the difference when I run SE2’s where my strength seems to reside. I don’t seem to tire as quickly over the 450 meters and I feel that I have more of a reserve to tap into. Hmmm, I have read that a bigger muscle is a better buffer to lactic acid.
Anyhow, in about 2 weeks I have a single 350 SE to run so I think I might drag somebody out to time it.
ha, I’m doing it Jamaican style as I train on a dirt track which for me is more fun then training on a synthetic track. The bonus is I get to look and study my foot prints when I’m done.
I’m just posting this for guys that might be interested but yesterday was my first day in using the Mata Ray device for Max effort squats.The bar weight was 500lbs with 20lbs of chains on each side for 3 easy reps but my last two reps I should have went deeper( I feel).
Anyhow, today I can feel the soreness in places that I never felt before (upper back in a VERY specific area).You guys should try it; the device is only 50 bucks and it feels so snug on your traps.
Are you serious?
This is a ridiculous piece of kit. Dont use it.
Learn to keep the bar in the right place on top of the shoulders rather than rely on supposed ‘assistance’ equipment like this.
I agree with the previous two posters. Do not use that thing. Why did you decide you needed it, if you’d already been squatting 500lbs without it?
(sigh) Ok guys, I used it because I have learned that if you keep doing the same exercise over and over again you can get burned out therefore you change the exercise even if it’s ever so slightly such as using the device as posted above.
I have been lifting for a LONG time and without a doubt this device makes it much safer to squat in addition to slightly shifting some the bar weight to your quads so don’t knock it until you try it…
Regardless, if it’s good enough for Westside barbell/Joe Defranco then it’s good enough for me…:rolleyes:
I guess you guys have some more to learn (no disrespect) as there are all different kinds of ways to squat which the main purpose of using different variations would be to stimulate areas of the body and second would be to avoid stagnation.
These are all squat variations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEPW7gcK1-k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QugVk20OdKY&feature=related
:rolleyes: This is why I hate the internet:rolleyes:
Bro, you don’t know me and you never seen me squat in the gym so why do you assume that I don’t know how to keep the bar in the right place on the top of the shoulders? If you live in my state (Pennsylvania) PM me and I will take you to my gym and show you if you live close to my area.
As far as “assistance,” trust me 400lbs is 400lbs when you use the Manta Ray. Real assistance is PED, spotters, the use of jump stretch bands and maybe you can even throw in smith machine squats as you don’t really stabilize all the weight yourself.
Don’t take offense. People here are just cautious of devices to make a lift easier. If you have orthopedic limitations or it just makes you feel more comfortable, knock yourself out. If you’re a powerlifter, you may want to limit your use of it to be more specific for your sport (but you’re not). I have no problem with rotating exercises (yes, westside is big on this) but in the track community (i.e. HERE) you usually find an adherence to the basics (squat, power clean, bench) for general organism strength.
I’m in PA also. Where are you located?
I fully accept what you say, but dont come on looking for our thoughts then take offence at them when we give you them.
Instead of ‘assistance’ maybe I should have said ‘adaptive’ or soemhting similar. Yes the effect is changed but a variation by changing the exercise might be just as or more beneficial. Highbar/low bar etc for back squats, then you look at depths, foot widths etc as changes.
I just see people in gyms relying on these things rather than learning the proper base techniques.
the Manta probably makes the squats more difficult by having a smaller support area in contact with the bar, the bar being slightly raised up and out. This would create a longer hip to bar lever length thus increasing the work on the back…maybe thats why you feel the upper back work out so much.
Post video of these 500lb squats.