My attempts to stimulate glute and hamstring growth

[EatMyShorts]

Dude, take a big breath when you squat. You're definitely not tightening up. Also, you should just do box squats. Set up a box below parallel and squat to it. I'm sure you can take a shit on a toilet so your mobility issues are not really an issue. get used to squatting low to a box. Then eventually remove the box.

Man - 1000x thank you's for noticing and commenting on this.

I did this this morning, and that issue I was having in terms of collapsing forward - gone.
Given that I was collapsing forward, I wasn't reaching my full potential depth, but having tightened up, that dangers is gone and....



It took me a little bit to get used to taking a depth breath, holding it - and getting comfortable with it.
But I'm pretty sure that's better depth.




So - this "tightening up".

Does that apply to all of the lifts?
Cause I was doing romanian deads after, and for the lighter sets, I just did the usual, but found myself going to that deep breath/tighten up routine, on the heavier sets.

Does it apply to other exercises - bench? Deads etc?
Or more so just for squats?

 

[Cmart]

...To give an example of how poor mine is, I can't front squat at all...

Yet. You can't do fronts squats YET.

You need to do mobility work if that's your main limitation. Have you done the band squats yet?

 

[EatMyShorts]

Yet. You can't do fronts squats YET.

You need to do mobility work if that's your main limitation. Have you done the band squats yet?

Yup, did them this morning.
Working side to side, really working the ankle flexion as well.
It actually felt great to hit a stretch I had never hit before - gets right in their on my ankles.

Front squats.... yeah, who knows.

For the moment at least, I'm delighted with that tighter squat posture, no more forward collapse.

Is the band squat stretch the primary mobility stretch for front squats?

 

[Cmart]

Yup, did them this morning.
Working side to side, really working the ankle flexion as well.
It actually felt great to hit a stretch I had never hit before - gets right in their on my ankles.

Front squats.... yeah, who knows.

For the moment at least, I'm delighted with that tighter squat posture, no more forward collapse.

Is the band squat stretch the primary mobility stretch for front squats?

I don't know if it's the best one, but it's a good one, and I think they work. I recommend them.

 

[EatMyShorts]

I just watched one of them Alan Thrall vids on squats.

Whilst I'm not collapsing forward as bad as I was before, it is still happening at the bottom.

His recommendation was, straight line down, straight line up - in terms of the bar path.
So I do see the deviation in what I'm doing.

Deep breath and hold improved - but he seems to think the other part is, tighten the abs in addition to that, to keep the core stable and avoid that deviation from the straight.

So - next session - deep breath and hold, + tense the abs, then squat.

 

[EatMyShorts]

Just watching that recent vid again - the bar path deviation isn't massive, but still clear.

Hopefully with pinched abs also, this will alleviate that, and who knows - maybe get that little bit extra depth - so I can hit an undisputable parallel.

 

[TehWeak1]

Im willing to bet, if you tighten up, and put 5lb plates under your heels, that forward lean AND depth will improve.

 

[EatMyShorts]

Im willing to bet, if you tighten up, and put 5lb plates under your heels, that forward lean AND depth will improve.

Does that plate under heals trick work for low bar position also?

I thought that was just high bar, where the position is MEANT to be more upright...?

 

[TehWeak1]

I honestly can't tell where your bar placement is. You're tall and long, like me. I use the low bar placement but squat like a high bar. Works for me. try to plates and see. BUT to be honest, your squat is really unstable, uncomfortable looking and needs to be tightened up before you can start adding weight. If I was there with you, I'd likely strip the weight off, put you on a box and start from there.

 

[EatMyShorts]

Sumo deads.
I need to get a front shot so I can see if it's too much of a SLDL.


170 kgs
First time going that heavy on sumo.
200 kgs is my highest on trap bar.
180 is highest, conventional (slightly elevated)



Squats - deep breath, hold - and chest up.
That's the focus.
I'm still getting slight forward lean at the bottom - but it's a work in progress.

140 kgs



130 kgs




PS - fuck the box.
I tend to "plop".
Fuck plopping.
I'm doing this shit old school.

 

[EatMyShorts]

That fucking bar kept rolling down my back from the LB position.

I seem just slightly shy of parallel on some of the reps.

When I get to the bottom, I feel a SERIOUS stretch on the upper part of my hamstrings.

 

[TehWeak1]

The last vid looks better. Not sitting back enough, IMO. If you're committing to Low Bar, then your sitting back movement needs to be more pronounced. This will help the bar from traveling forward, which it looks like its doing right now.

 

[EatMyShorts]

The last vid looks better. Not sitting back enough, IMO. If you're committing to Low Bar, then your sitting back movement needs to be more pronounced. This will help the bar from traveling forward, which it looks like its doing right now.

Can you link a video of someone doing this?
Sitting back more?
Cause I try and focus on getting my hips back - but then, flexion problem again.

But in any case - perhaps a vid for comparisons sake?

 

[EatMyShorts]

And is it normal to feel that insane stretch at the bottom?

 

[EatMyShorts]

I started the hold-breath/tightening technique for romanian DL's.

Added 10 kgs on straight away - probably more if I wanted to push it.

I wasn't conscious of doing that for sumo DL's - though I must try next session.

Fucking woke wide awake at 4 am last night, and that was a wrap.
Barely made the gym.
Two body weight circuits to start off:

15 angled dips.
10 hand stand press ups
6 muscle ups on rings.

Sumo DL's

170 kgs x 3
160 x3
etc
to 110kgs

Romanian DL's
130 kgs x 2
140 kgs x 2
150 kgs x 3

Then I haul my weak carcass from the gym.
Spent the evening sat on bed.

Hoping I have enough energy to hit up the discotheque in a few hours.

 

[EatMyShorts]

What is it with lifts from the ground up - the tightening technique seems to happen naturally.

From the top down though - like squats and RDL's - I need to apply it consciously.

Does anyone else find that?

Same for bench etc - it happens naturally.

 

[EatMyShorts]

I've given up on sumo's.
Body doesn't like them, despite the technique being okay.

Back to trap bar.

200 kgs - not bad for myself.
Then leg press, then RDL's - damn legs are roasted.

Deep breath and hold technique working well on DL's also - wonder what other lifts I can apply it to?

 

[EatMyShorts]

Man I just watched a vid with Mary Peck, that lifter from Stockton.

She can squat more than me - hilarious.
She's like, 67 kilos.
She can C and J more than me - for which I max out at 95 kilos.

I'm 92 kgs and male.

I'm going to take solace is assuming she can't muscle up on rings for reps, or pull a human flag.

Brilliant vid though:

 

[pliftkl]

How low can you squat without weight? How much would you have to put under your heels to get down below parallel? Sorry if I missed it in the logs.

 

[Bloodhy]

How is the squatting going mate, have you figured a way to hit better depth?
Quick question, are those lifting shoes i.e. raised heel?

Here is my 2 cents on the video labelled TRIM_20170406_123249[2], which I believe is the most recent one:
-Are you pushing the knees out? It's hard to say from the side view, but I wonder if the knees are caving in on the way up. If I had your proportions I'd probably use a wide stance and push the knees out.
-Bar Placement, have you tried settling the bar higher on your back? Seems like a low bar from this angle; I'd give high bar a shot.
-Where is the weight on your feet throughout the lift? It should be center of the foot and outward. Not all on the heel, not all on the toes, and not rocking back and forth.
-I think your main challenge is ankle mobility. As soon as you hit your depth the heel raises because the knees can't push forward anymore.

I hope this helps.