*** The 2013 Gym Rats Thread ***

Biz.Kid09 said:
Pigeon, thats how I did one set but my legs were burning so I changed to just with my foot on the floor which was slightly easier?

This was my first time doing them so it was a bit of a shock. Next week I will make sure I do them as in that video. Even if it kills me!
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Good chap. :p

Enjoy tomorrow. :D
 
Squat Technique

Guys - you may recall a few pages back I sustained quite a nasty lower back injury during my last squat set last week. I've reviewed my technique and have a few questions. I will upload a video when I'm next in the gym.

I read a few guides on squatting technique and I then did a video the other night in my room just squatting with no weight and noticed the following:

- I kept looking towards the floor to check my knees weren't too far over my toes. Are you supposed to look straight ahead? I'm also assuming I'm correct in saying your knees shouldn't go to far over your toes?

- I push my chest right out and keep my shoulder blades tucked in, I find this helps maintain a straighter back.

- FEET: I have always squatted with my feet facing straight forwards. I've now adjusted it so they're about 45 degrees and at the bottom of the squat my knees follow that 45 degree angle. This seems significantly easier than what I was doing before but is this right?

I guess that last point is my biggest query. In the video at the bottom of the squat my back is perfectly straight and directly parallel with my lower legs. I honestly think my injury was because I tried to lift too much weight and possibly had already hurt my back doing something else. When my back is healed I'll do a vid in the gym squatting with some weight and ask you lads for your opinion.

Cheers
 
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If no one can be bothered to read my whole post can you at least read the bit I put in bold about feet :D

Many thanks in advance guys. I really want to nail this because I'm cutting on the LG/IF diet at the moment and ideally want to be squatting 2-3 times a week once my back is recovered.
 
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scott212 said:
Guys - you may recall a few pages back I sustained quite a nasty lower back injury during my last squat set last week. I've reviewed my technique and have a few questions. I will upload a video when I'm next in the gym.

I read a few guides on squatting technique and I then did a video the other night in my room just squatting with no weight and noticed the following:

- I kept looking towards the floor to check my knees weren't too far over my toes. Are you supposed to look straight ahead? I'm also assuming I'm correct in saying your knees shouldn't go to far over your toes?

- I push my chest right out and keep my shoulder blades tucked in, I find this helps maintain a straighter back.

- FEET: I have always squatted with my feet facing straight forwards. I've now adjusted it so they're about 45 degrees and at the bottom of the squat my knees follow that 45 degree angle. This seems significantly easier than what I was doing before but is this right?

I guess that last point is my biggest query. In the video at the bottom of the squat my back is perfectly straight and directly parallel with my lower legs. I honestly think my injury was because I tried to lift too much weight and possibly had already hurt my back doing something else. When my back is healed I'll do a vid in the gym squatting with some weight and ask you lads for your opinion.

Cheers
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Similar to you i looked down at my knees / lower whilst doing squats and got lower back pain. To the point where my SLDL's afterwards were painful, so i didn't do them. Which i kind of 'solved' by wearing a belt, but not really.

Looking straight forward has helped me massively recently as you don't bend forward near the bottom effectively doing a half arsed good morning or something aswell as a squat.
 
Finally back in here after 4 months of Holidaying around Asia, multiple weddings & Stags, plenty of trips away with work, loads of offshore trips and far too much drinking and eating out with friends when I'm not away.

Soo the last few days in the gym have killed me!!!

Thankfully it's a quiet offshore trip on a rig that doesn't move (Gas Platform) and there's both a cardio gym and an open air gym in the hanger by the Helideck full of spit and sawdust equipment :D:D:D

Food is fairly good, although there are not many protein snacks available as all cold meats and things are taken away between meal times, so might ask for some cold meats direct from the galley for between meals. But there was a huge post-shutdown works celebration meal last night where loaded up on Rump Steak, Spare Ribs, Chicken breast, corn on the cob, and a few wedges for cheat.

Finally counting calories again on myfitnesspal online and hitting the gym twice a day, with HIIT 3 times a week and hitting FST7 weight program to kick start my growth again. Already feeling amazing after not having drunk anything for a week (hard for an Oil worker alcoholic partier :() and the exercise makes me feel epic.

Right, snack time before back and calves :D

icecold said:
Both of you seriously need to immerse yourselves in the form thread.
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Listen to icecold, you're both lifting wrong and have already hurt yourselfs. Stop lifting heavy weight whilst squatting until you can sort your technique out. I'm far from perfect, but have never got pains from lifting, and I only squat around a 100kg.
 
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Had a one off session with a good personal trainer a couple of days ago, was good to speak to somebody in person who's been doing the main compound lifts & was able to point out a few minor flaws in my technique.

With these very minor adjustments I'm fairly confident I can smash most of my PB's this week, can't wait to get into the gym. :)
 
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