It's still all about me

Auto Reg rating
+2

Med Ball Throws
Backwards x 10

Hills
3 x 4 x 30m rec 3 / 6 min

Squats
3 min rec
warmup 5r x 70

work 90 x 3s x 7r

SLDL
3 min rec
80 x 3s x 7r

stretch & abs

Rating
8.5

start of week 4 so lower volume

Auto Reg rating
+2

S/set with 2 mins between reps
Chins BW x 3s x 7r
Dips BW + 10kg x 3s x 7r

Conditioning
Bike 60 mins

reverse loop
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/new-zealand/-dunedin/104125762541019953

stretch & abs

Rating
8

Auto Reg rating
+2

Med Ball Throws
Backwards x 10

Hills
1 x 10m walkback rec
1 x 20m 2 min rec
1 x 30m 3 min rec
1 x 25 sec 7 1/2 min rec
1 x 20 sec

Squats
3 min rec
warmup 5r x 75

work 95 x 4s x 5r

Glute bridge
3 min rec
80 x 2s x 10r

stretch & abs

Rating
7

Auto Reg rating
+2

S/set with 2 mins between reps
Incline DB press 27db x 4s x 5r
1 arm db row 37db x 3s x 7r

Conditioning
Bike 60 mins

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/new-zealand/-dunedin/104125762541019953

stretch & abs

Rating
7

Auto Reg rating
+2

Med Ball Throws
Backwards x 10

Grass
2 x 10m sled walkback rec
2 x 20m sled 2 min rec
2 x 30m sled 3 min rec
4 x BFR 5 min rec
2 x EFE 4 min rec

Squats
3 min rec
warmup 5r x 75

work 95 x 4s x 8r

RDL
3 min rec
80 x 4s x 8r

stretch & abs

Rating
9.5 :cool:

Although some of the reps were a bit out of sync pleased to do a session on the flat with absolutely no leg issues :smiley:

Was going to do squats @ 95 x 5 x 5 but got to 4 on 1st set and decided to up to 8ā€¦a nice surprise :stuck_out_tongue:

Great job, John! :smiley:

Have you ever been this strong on your squats before? Oh, and how long is each set taking you? Are you staying far clear of failure?

Keep up the good work.

Thanks. Heck yes todayā€™s estimated 1RM is only 120kg, pre Christmas I was up to 110 x 3s x 5r (128) and that was after cleans and s/setted with an upper body exercise, and I think about 3-4 months prior 120 x 3r (132).

Hmmm today about 40 sec from memory. I am fastidious about rests but donā€™t really track set time.

Not far clear but not at failure.

Auto Reg rating
+2

S/set with 2 mins between reps
Hang cleans 40 x 5s x 3r
Chins +5kg x 3s x 5r 2s x 4r
Dips + 15kg x 3s x 5r 1s x 4r 1s x +10kg x 5

Conditioning
Bike 125 mins

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/nz/dunedin/205126743109864737

Rating
6

Auto Reg rating
-2

Med Ball Throws
Backwards x 10

Hills
1 x 10m walkback rec
1 x 20m 2 min rec
1 x 30m 3 min rec
5 x 15 sec 7 1/2 min rec

Squats
3 min rec
warmup 5r x 75

work 100 x 5s x 5r

Glute bridge
3 min rec
80 x 1s x 10r
90 x 3s x 8r

stretch & abs

Rating
7

went better than expected although some squats werenā€™t pretty will post vid later

Auto Reg rating
+2

S/set with 2 mins between reps
Incline DB press 27db x 5s x 5r, 1s x 4r
BOR 70 x 6s x 5r

Conditioning
Bike 121 mins

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/nz/dunedin/205126743109864737

Rating
7

vid of squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPC9gExbvN4

You know, this is the first time Iā€™ve ever really seen you squat. Youā€™ve got a very unique form. Not great depth, but youā€™ve still got a lot of flexion at the hip. Where do you find you usually get sore?

lower back, my injuries come when I get too upright and my back rounds. Here is a vid from last Jan which was a lot better IMHO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSkXkOnktMA

Honestly, I donā€™t like the look of your old form. Youā€™ve got an excessive arch in your lower back and Iā€™d wager youā€™re doing harm to your abdominal recruitment patterns (instilling an improper length/tension relationship). I used to lift the same way (very arched back, anteriorly rotated pelvis) and it showed up strongly on the track.

Your new form combines excessive (though less severely so) arching at the top and couples it with what is probably too steep of a torso angle. Your lower back should not be the primary thing getting sore from squats.

I donā€™t know if Iā€™d have you squatting at this point in time. Iā€™d probably put a lot of emphasis on hip mobility and abdominal coordination.

so what do you suggest? :confused: I actually thought I would stick to about 100kg and work on form.

Ugh, this is a tough question. This may be a case where itā€™s necessary to take a step or two back to take several forward. Iā€™m going to email you.

i agree with rj, once you take the weight and are about to go Downwards, your hips rotate drastically (sticking your butt out, creating lower back arch) This you want to avoid, Hold your abs tight to keep you hips from rotating back like that. Then that combined with the massive Lean forward of the upper body is what is Killing the Crap out of your Lower back. I dont think i would know of anybody who would not get a sore lower back doing ya squats that way.

One way to correct the Upper body forward lean, is to squat just 2inches away from a Post. Set a broom handle down infront of post to square your Feet, then back off 2inches. Then when you squat, look for the following

  • your nose remains infront of post and doesnt Wrap around the side of the post.
  • your feet remain flat on floor
  • your toes remain just slightly pointed out
  • your knees dont drift past your toes

when 1st doing it, hold onto the post with your hands
then

  • have your hands beside the post without touching it
  • have your hands beside you
  • have your hands on your head
  • do the squat with a bar

Then, you can move right over to the squat rack.
Depending on how long that takes, it may be useful to use that as a warm up for some time?

Oh yeah, also perhaps set up a small bench or medball where your butt can just touch so your get Deeper in your squats. Not to sit on, just to Feel your at the correct depth.

Some ppl get this right in 10min. Others can take weeks. Typically, the longer it takes, the Tighter You are. If you are tight, the squat will tell you exactly where you are, esp if you do a Squat HOld at the very bottom position. And often, lets say your Hip Flexors are tight, and you fix them, you do the squat hold again, and Hip Flexors feel better, but now your Glutes are tight, and so on and so forth.

I hope that makes sence. If done correctly, and you listen to the Squat Hold at correct posture at parallel position, i have never had it fail.

I suggest your knees are going too far forward, donā€™t let them get in front of your toes, if possible no further forward than the ball of foot.

Thanks for the input, in my defence I did post some squats werenā€™t pretty I hadnā€™t videoed any this year and it was worse than I expected. In part that is because I had got into

http://stronglifts.com/why-your-lower-back-rounds-during-squats-how-to-fix-it/

Bold I can do all that holding the post only at this stage.

RJ has kindly sent some stuff to consider as well.

Gee more shit to sort out :rolleyes:

here is some bar only stuff from today which is a rest day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcecgSAPIPk

overhead squats show my back rounding / flexibility issues and squats are to a box which I will probably use for a fair while. Johnnie Be Good seemed an apt choice for the Black Comedy that is my training. To be honest right now after this squat debacle Iā€™m a bit flat. :o EVERYTHING seems f*&*&d up with my training!!!

Although in both videos you have the tendency to start going up with your hips first instead of your chest (especially with the heavier loads), I agree that the old form is much better/safer in my eyes! I donā€™t see any major issues with your knees (?). Overall, use the right loads and technique, simple! I am sure you can feel/see what these areā€¦ :slight_smile: