*** The 2010 Gym Rats Thread ***

Clipsey said:
Regards to that squat picture, on the last one you don't lean your head forward like that. It is always important to fix your eyes on something above eye level and then focus on that one point throughout the squat, this will prevent you leaning forward as this poor chap has done :D
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The third diagram is correct.

Focussing on something above eye level will mean that your neck will not be in it's natural line with the back when in the squat position.

Focussing on something a few metres ahead of you on the floor will mean that your neck will be in the correct position for the squat.

The diagram is from Mark Rippetoes "Starting Strength - Basic Barbell Training" as is the advice above.
 
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UltimateBadger said:
Focussing on something above eye level will mean that your neck will not be in it's natural line with the back when in the squat position.

Focussing on something a few metres ahead of you on the floor will mean that your neck will be in the correct position for the squat.

The diagram is from Mark Rippetoes "Starting Strength - Basic Barbell Training" as is the advice above.
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That's what I find comfortable too.

For deadlift however, I keep my head up.
 
Squats went much better today. Still got a few balance issues which I think is to do with my lack of glute recruitment during the lift loading my hips more. However back pumps were non existant today which is progress :) Shall focus getting the glutes involved with some more controlled lifts.
 
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UltimateBadger said:
The third diagram is correct.

Focussing on something above eye level will mean that your neck will not be in it's natural line with the back when in the squat position.

Focussing on something a few metres ahead of you on the floor will mean that your neck will be in the correct position for the squat.

The diagram is from Mark Rippetoes "Starting Strength - Basic Barbell Training" as is the advice above.
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I have not read that book, but this is not what I have read in other journals/books. The alignment of the neck is not the issue as there is no strain (well there shouldn't be). If the neck/head is already aiming slightly down, the body will naturally want to bring this up when rising from the squat and thus putting strain on the neck and you may also lean forward.

Not saying I'm right, just something else that I have read and makes more sense to me :)
 
Gym not open... luckily I have some dumbells at home and was able to do a shoulder workout... really hate the fact that when it snows in this country eveything comes to a grinding halt.
 
-|ScottFree|- said:
Gym not open... luckily I have some dumbells at home and was able to do a shoulder workout... really hate the fact that when it snows in this country eveything comes to a grinding halt.
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x2 its pathetic, just cause some snow, it's not even that bad up here but they all panic and shut everything down, so no gyms open :L.
 
Dormant glutes, from sitting on my backside at work all day I have pinpointed as my problem. Explains why it feels like a lot of load is on my hips and also falling slightly foward and keeping my feet flat and driving through my heels isn't as natural as it used to be. Activation exercies should sort this out :)
 
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My gym has been open, but they been closing at 8pm instead of 12am, I've been tonight and done back.

I got myself some straps and I like to use em for lat pulldowns and barbell rows but I dont like to use em for deadlifts or T-bar rows coz it doesnt feel right, I seen allot of other people in my gym using them for deadlifts but it seems wierd and make it harder for me if I try do deadlifts with straps lol.

BTW I've read loads of articles and you can watch tutorial videos online on youtube and elsewhere on deadlifts and I've really researched this for a while now but I still find it hard to get low enough and have always found it hard with my body bending, I find it hard to keep my back straight for deadlifts, I've done em for over 3 years now but still feel like my form isnt perfect. Today I did it with a mirror infront of me and a mirror to the side of me in gym so I can watch my back and it made it allot better to see where I was going wrong.

Is there any exercises I can do to sort of make this easier for myself? Like do you think maybe I should get in the position at home that you get in when your deadlifting and practice for like 10 mins a day or sommat? Or is there some other technique?

It's like, I feel like my problem with deadlifts is different to everyone elses, like other people moan about the weight whereas I've never had trouble with the weight, its just the form I cant get down, but this is really strange coz I feel like I do squats really well and manage to get down really low past parallel so why I have trouble with deadlifts I dont know.

EDIT: I feel like I'm letting myself down with this one exercise, and if I can master this one then I reckon I can do pretty much all exercises with perfect form....I do deadlifts like once every 5-6 days and usually do around 5x5 or 6x6 and my back never hurts, I've never been injured or anything, but when I was looking from side a few weeks ago I realised my back looked arched and not straight at all so since then I really been trying and I'm allot better now. My back seems to start off straight as I rise with the bar from the floor but once I start going back down to touch the floor with the plates I seem to bend and arch my back and thats the part where it goes wrong.....I seem to do this even if I lift 60kg or 140kg, either way, so it cant be the weight, it has to be something else?
 
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best way to practice is to get the bar loaded with a light weight and focus on keeping your back perfectly straight and head up all the time. The first part of the moment should be involving a lot of leg drive.
Be carefull with watching yourself in the mirror on the side with heavy weights as you can easily injure yourself.

The setup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Syt7A23YnpA

explanation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nRRlk6264I
 
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Originally Posted by -|ScottFree|-
Gym not open... luckily I have some dumbells at home and was able to do a shoulder workout... really hate the fact that when it snows in this country eveything comes to a grinding halt.
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Yeah I think this country needs to get its act together now, we should plan more for the snow and be better prepared, because its more then likely that this is gona happen everything year now.

I dont really know anything about cars, but maybe we should all have 4 wheel drive cars and maybe tyres with chains wrapped around them etc etc, lol (I seen that on a film once where the car had chains around the wheels to drive on snow), atleast then everyone could get about.

Went to coop for some bananas and everything was sold out and shelves empty because they said the delivery van cant get there.
 
best way to practice is to get the bar loaded with a light weight and focus on keeping your back perfectly straight and head up all the time. The first part of the moment should be involving a lot of leg drive.
Be carefull with watching yourself in the mirror on the side with heavy weights as you can easily injure yourself.
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Yeah maybe I'll just have to stick with it and keep practising and also maybe I could do like 3 sets on super light weight before I do proper sets and make sure I'm getting form right.
 
yep, that's what I did.
Up to half a year ago, I could deadlift a fair amount but my form wasn't that good.
I just followed the advice in those two videos (which I got from this topic) and went light while doing so, although I can't deadlift more than before now, it feels a lot more safe and confortable. :)
 
It's a combination of weak core and/or poor spinal erector activation. It's really very common and I see it all the time. It's good practice to be aware of your posture all day and don't allow yourself to slouch at all.

My advice would be to go light for a while, potentially getting some high reps in. For every rep really focus on the set up. This is REALLY important. Take a few seconds to get everything right and don't rush it. You want to have a mental checklist that you run through step by step before you lift. Eventually this will happen very quickly but there is a lot of value in taking your time on every single rep for a few weeks.

Here's an example:

Grip the bar
Arse down
Arse out as far as you can
Shoulders back
Chest up
Head up
Drive through heals

Right before you drive pause and get a feel for the postitioning of your body, particularly the position of your back and shoulders. Your spinal erectors should be engaged and together with your lats they should be locked into position. When you're ready, drive.

That is just an example. Find what works for you with a light weight that still provides resistance and really take your time on the setup. Part of the problem now is that you have learnt some bad habits (on a neuro-muscular level too), but in time and with enough effort and diligance you'll be back to heavy weights.

Which part of your back rounds?
 
I don't know if it will work for you but a friend that I'm training used to have a lot of difficulties getting his back set up and keeping it that way. I can vouch for my brothers way of doing it ^ cause I've seen it help, but the thing which really helped my friend was that I gave him some simple core exercises to do everyday or so from rowing that are basically really high reps or just steady state stuff, for example making a bridge with feet and shoulders on the floor so in a way thrusting upwards but just holding it for 2-3 mins maybe, or 20-30 reps of dorsal raises, etc...

...I know these exercises work from a stability point of view but what was good was that the enabled my friend to 'feel' what his back should be like in a neuro-muscular way.

If you want to give it a try I'd be more than happy to give you a list of exercises. Like I said I don't know if it will help because everyone is different.
 
I'll be one to admit it took me a long while to get grips with deadlifts lmao, just couldn't get the form right, but now I can just do it without blinking an eye, once you get the grasp of it you'll do it no bother.
 
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