*** The 2010 Gym Rats Thread ***

Yeah if you go to parallel or below you involve a huge amount of hamstring. Which is what you're supposed to do on a squat, it's not just a quad exercise. I find that hamstring activation is very strong, but surprisingly my quad activation is less powerful. Working on it though! :D
 
I often go through sites like that to give me some inspiration for new movements. However, I'm a bit "old school" in that I just love my big compound movements and feel there's very little substitute for them and that all isolation movements are a supporting or "completing" movements. I know this isn't strictly correct, but I wouldn't ever stop doing big compound movements. That said, for the complete package you do need the subsidiary exercises for sure!
 
It's a balance between intensity and recovery. High intensity sessions will often not allow you to lift heavy weights lots of times. High intensity = short rest. IT's good to vary it. Between big movements like squats and deadlifts I like to leave 180s, for smaller movements I typically choose 60-90s. If you're going for volume training or a heavy big session you need to allow enough time for your CNS to recover between sets. However, don't leave it for minute after minute. It's good to hit your body hard with small breaks - but it's training dependent and you have to listen to what your body is telling you. You sometimes have to be mean to it and get a spotted to help you with those last few reps!
 
exhashdotdot said:
I always get the glute activation going but the more I think about it, the more I don't think I get true DOMS on my hamstrings from deadlifts or squats.

I'm doing legs tomorrow so I'll try everything I can to work my hamstrings in the squats. But if again I get disappointing results I'll have to resort to the hamstring curl machine.
Click to expand...

The hamstrings are only put in use in squats if you go bellow parallel, as until then they don't really get a squeeze on. For getting ham activation on DLs should happen, but remember the ham has a high resistivity so it takes a lot for it to feel like it's been hit hard. However as you alluded to earlier, SLDLs are the big Hamstring exercise. :)
 
Grip strength = overall lifting ability. It's synergistic. Grip strength does improve, heck, I used to struggle to deadlift 180kg without mixed grip and straps, but now can rep it out with double overhand grip and no straps... similarly to my 230kg no straps, it comes with time. Grip strength improves, and needs to be worked on. I can understand the need for using straps to focus on the muscle group for high reps, but even then I'm still of the view that if you can't hold it confidently you need to get to a level where you can. :)
 
Big breakfast is good. Not sure why you'd be putting on fat, that diet looks pretty good. Maybe do some HIIT. Maybe change your training a bit? Maybe you're not pushing yourself as much or hitting enough exercise for the cals you're taking in?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom