Monday, January 15, 2007

Squats and stuff...

This squat cycle is going very well. I hit 445 for 3 reps today - this is a good PR considering I had never attempted this weight before. Deep and strong for the reps and looking forward to a couple of lower intensity days then a stab at a 1rm.

Squats are very different from the DL - the prep to put the bar low on your back - wedge in tight with the upper body - un-rack and step back are different from setting up to go down for the DL to begin the pull.
Then once in the hole for the squat to stay tight - hit depth - and reverse out with power is different from squeezing the weight off the floor then accelerating to the top.

Squats are in my routine to stay even after I hit my goal of raw elite.

Single leg deadlift - I cannot believe the continued impact of this exercise as I begin to expose more and more people to it.
If you are not performing SLDL - start and if you are not teaching the SLDL to clients - start. I posted a blog some time back with a tip for teaching the SLDL with a broom stick.

Reading - having just finished Starting Strength and beginning Practical Programming and having another fitness book on the way and reading articles on T-nation.com + my own twisted mental "lifting" + the time I spend working with clients and learning from every interaction - I just wonder how much other trainers and "lifters" spend continuing their education.
BTW - my own lifting and goals are a big part of my continuing Ed.

7 comments:

Randy Hauer said...

"Single leg deadlift - I cannot believe the continued impact of this exercise as I begin to expose more and more people to it." Agreed...the stronger my hammies get the better I get at pulls and squats..especially explosive phase of snatch...big difference.

"BTW - my own lifting and goals are a big part of my continuing Ed."
True for me too. I am my own lab rat...everybody is different I know, but I take the position that I am near the bottom end of the talent spectrum (for age and past sports experience reasons) so if it works for me I will try it out on my athletes/trainees. If it doesn't work for me, I will implement but with caution if it seems an appropriate alternative.

Randy Hauer

Geoff Neupert said...

Nice job on the squat, Brett. Sans belt? Or with it?

Really glad to see your training going well. How do you integrate the SLDL into your training program?

David Weck said...

Learning by doing. Brett, really enjoyed reading your blog just now. You describe the differences between squating and dead lifting very well. Obviously coming from one who has an experiential understanding of the subject. KUTGW!

Mark Reifkind said...

awesome dude! thats a big jump from 405 last time. excellent. and yes the sldl is a fantastic exercise. just wish my left knee could handle it. does so much with so little. just like the rest of the rkc drills eh?
well done. do you go up another week in squats?

Brett Jones said...

Randy, SLDL is a foundational movement IMO - good info on the impact on the Snatch. We are an experiment of one.
Geoff, The squats above 315 are with a belt - one back surgery is enough - a little insurance is a good thing. When my squat cycle is over I will be hitting a new cycle and one day of the week my lower body pull will be the SLDL.
Thanks David.
Rif - a couple of back off sessions and then a max day. Should be fun! Bang for your buck is the term for the SLDL. This squat cycle has been very good to me!

Anonymous said...

I must thank you once again for starting me on the SLDL. Even though I'd seen the lift on Pavel's videos, I'd never considered it a "must do" lift -- on first blush, it's simply not as "sexy" as, say, snatches or even presses.

However, once I began practicing the SLDL I became hooked. I progressed from barely managing a single 16 kg KB to now doing multiple reps with a 24kg in one hand and a 32 kg in the other.

I'm finding that the lift is teaching me a wonderful combination of balance and strength. Without your coaching I probably never would have tried this lift.

Mark Reifkind said...

brett

this sentence

"BTW - my own lifting and goals are a big part of my continuing Ed."

is SO key to being a great coach and trainer.good stuff

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