*** The 2013 Gym Rats Thread ***
- Thread starter Morba
- Start date
The reason this issue comes up seems to be because of two things:
1) Some people don't have full range of motion in their knees, so straight legs mean fully extended knees. This tightly wound system at end range can lead to injury.
2) People generally missing internal/external rotation, and/or resting on a valgus knee at lock out.
These are not how a human being is meant to be set up, so if you have these issues (addressing the perpetrators of the myth here) then fix them before tweaking exercises to work around your dysfunction.
To directly answer your question, a squat rep starts and finishes with straight legs. As Gareth says though, don't over extend and passively sit at end range.
Look in the form thread. The OP has good videos from youtube. I really wouldn't recommend randomly looking for good reference as even some well respected coaches are... well, they're ****.Had a crack at some squats today, practised a little at home and I think my form is alright. I'll get a friend to film me and post it up however, just to eliminate any issues with form from the beginning.
Done 2 sets of 20kg then a final set of 30kg + bar so about 50kg and I haven't felt my legs burn like that ever, feels good. Can't wait til next leg day
7.5 or 10 kilos. Jump on some scales holding one to be certain.
Will do mate, I'll get a video doing them next leg day too.
If you are still ok for me to have a play with your routine, let me know.
And squatting is goooooooood.
If you are still ok for me to have a play with your routine, let me know.
And squatting is goooooooood.
Yes mate by all means please do so! Yeah I think they may be a favourite, haven't had a burn like that since I started lifting 4 month ago.
Cheers, I was guessing about 7.5KG but thought it could be 10.
No scales anywhere near the bars and I might get some strange looks carrying one out of the gym into the changing room!
Soldato
Creatine has revolutionised my workouts. In the two months I have been using it my lifts have increased tremendously. My flat dumbell press has increased from 22kg to 28kg and my incline from 20kg to 24kg. Maybe not big numbers but for a notorious under lifter that's solid progress.
And I've reached bw pullups now as well which was something I found very difficult to achieve.
Now I weight 74.5kg.... My heaviest since I was 18. When I was a tubby 82kg!!
Progress is unfortunately going to get interrupted tho. I'm going on holiday to Thailand over Xmas for 2 weeks. Good bye sweet gains.
And I've reached bw pullups now as well which was something I found very difficult to achieve.
Now I weight 74.5kg.... My heaviest since I was 18. When I was a tubby 82kg!!
Progress is unfortunately going to get interrupted tho. I'm going on holiday to Thailand over Xmas for 2 weeks. Good bye sweet gains.
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Right I've got a month off studying now so modifying my usual Weds/Sat routine. Does this sound too much, bearing in mind I'm going to do high intensity run on Sunday?
Monday
Deadlifts (8-10 working sets)
Wide-grip pull ups
Wednesday
Bench
Accessory Work
Fri
Squats
Shoulder Press
Parallel Dip
Chins
Core
Maybe I'm best off doing what I was doing before where the Monday and Wednesday session were combined into one.
Monday
Deadlifts (8-10 working sets)
Wide-grip pull ups
Wednesday
Bench
Accessory Work
Fri
Squats
Shoulder Press
Parallel Dip
Chins
Core
Maybe I'm best off doing what I was doing before where the Monday and Wednesday session were combined into one.
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- 24 Apr 2012
- Posts
- 1,317
Why so many?
I would attribute your progress more to consistent training then the creatine. It's great that your getting something out of it but don't think that the creatine is doing all the work for you, most of its you.Creatine has revolutionised my workouts. In the two months I have been using it my lifts have increased tremendously. My flat dumbell press has increased from 22kg to 28kg and my incline from 20kg to 24kg. Maybe not big numbers but for a notorious under lifter that's solid progress.
And I've reached bw pullups now as well which was something I found very difficult to achieve.
Now I weight 74.5kg.... My heaviest since I was 18. When I was a tubby 82kg!!
Progress is unfortunately going to get interrupted tho. I'm going on holiday to Thailand over Xmas for 2 weeks. Good bye sweet gains.
Well I used to do just three working sets e.g. x8,x7,x6.
Then I just started doing more like x6,x5,x4,x3,x3,x2,x1
I'm not sure which is best. In terms of effort they were roughly the same.
Soldato
this!
do pushups, pull ups etc during the hols! that's what I did to keep the muscles moist.Ha when I was in Thailand for a month I held my gf's suitcase above my head ad did squats as many reps as I could. This push-ups, tricep dips off the bed seem to do the job.
She wasn't impressed she thought I was obsessed
Soldato
You're not going to lose all your strength in two weeks. Just enjoy yourself and do some bodyweight stuff if you're paranoid.
Also +1 for the goodness of squats. Since I got my Adipowers and worked on my form I look forward to squat day every week and end up doing stuff for fun after my working sets just because I enjoy the lift so much; yesterday I did 3 sets of 3 paused squats (5 secs sat in the hole at the bottom) with around my bw on the bar just... because. I kind of regretted it when it came to doing DBSS though - legs complaining today!
Also +1 for the goodness of squats. Since I got my Adipowers and worked on my form I look forward to squat day every week and end up doing stuff for fun after my working sets just because I enjoy the lift so much; yesterday I did 3 sets of 3 paused squats (5 secs sat in the hole at the bottom) with around my bw on the bar just... because. I kind of regretted it when it came to doing DBSS though - legs complaining today!
Soldato
Guys, i need a bit of advice about recovery.
I'm in the gym twice a week on mondays and fridays. Each day is the same workout.
I find that i'm not recovering from the friday squats in time for cycling on sunday.
So, the options to fix this are:
1 - move the squats to a thursday and do the rest of the workout (upper body/abs stuff) on friday.
2 - move the whole workout to thursday
How does recovery work? Will i recover faster from the squats if they are the only exercise i have done (option1 preferable) or is it just a matter of time for each muscle group regardless of how many different groups are used?(option2 preferable).
I'm in the gym twice a week on mondays and fridays. Each day is the same workout.
I find that i'm not recovering from the friday squats in time for cycling on sunday.
So, the options to fix this are:
1 - move the squats to a thursday and do the rest of the workout (upper body/abs stuff) on friday.
2 - move the whole workout to thursday
How does recovery work? Will i recover faster from the squats if they are the only exercise i have done (option1 preferable) or is it just a matter of time for each muscle group regardless of how many different groups are used?(option2 preferable).
Deadlifting this morning and now I've got a really weird pain/pulled muscle literally right in the arse crack. I don't think it's anything serious my technique is reasonably sound and I wasn't lifting anything particularly heavy. Is this quite a common muscle to pull
Soldato
have you just started squatting? out of interest? I squat 3 times/week and cycle 6/7 days/week and recovery has never been a problem for me!
I train at 10pm to 00.30 AM the next day and I'm fine commuting the work the next morning.
Right, I've had a think... bear in mind this is me as a weightlifter, not a bodybuilder, but in the absence of anything else, here is my take on a quasi-mass routine...
MON
- Back squat (5*5);
- Barbell overhead press (standing/sitting/whatever) ss/w narrow grip chins (4*6);
- Dumbell row (3*8);
- Lat raise superset with reverse dumbell flys (4*10s...
);- Core work (planks, deadbugs, barbell roll-outs, candlesticks, dragon flags...) [2*5].
WEDS
- RDLs (3*5);
- Goblet squat (3*10);
- Wide grip chins (4*6);
- Dumbell bench (3*8);
- Core work (as above...)
FRI
- Dumbell thruster (miserable exercise!) or back squat (3*5);
- Barbell row (3*5);
- Incline bench (3*8);
- Plated-loaded pushups (3*10);
- Biceps (curlz) [millions... or 3*10] ss/w tricep pushdowns (as broceps),
My general take is getting your hormones buzzing at the start of each workout in a way that would theoretically help you get as big as you can. Supposedly.
The premise is for big compounds to start, followed by less interesting exercises. The above routine may be helpful, but also isn't for everybody (as I am almost completely obsessed with leg work).
Alternatively, look at Steedie's log as he has some thoroughly miserable exercise routines in there based alone a more typical bodybuilding split. However, as he never posts photos, I have no idea if his workouts actually achieve anything.
Feel free to use whatever you want or do not want.
What I would suggest - regardless of routine - is to hit it hard for 4-6 weeks and then have a think about what is or is not working. You also need to think carefully about your diet as it is pretty bad.
EDIT: Forgot you love your cables. Add these in after your incline and flat bench work. The alternative is to go for the whole explosive concentric and very slow eccentric compound lifts but these are much harder to manage.
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Man of Honour
However, as he never posts photos, I have no idea if his workouts actually achieve anything.
