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Thread: Today's Gym Session

  1. #331
    Master The devil's own's Avatar
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    Re: Today's Gym Session

    Quote Originally Posted by mattp View Post
    Ok here goes. So I use a standard squat rack and set the bar so it rests about shoulder height and in front of me. I also set the safety rests about waist height. I step forward with one foot slightly and under the bar before lifting and stepping back into a standard squat postion. I then try and perform the squat with a straight back and sticking my bum out as if sitting down. Probably don't go down far enough, to be honest. But the main reason for the towel is that the bar often seems to rest on the back of my neck which isn't comfortable. I feel a little tension in my lower back as well which tends to mean I don't lift as much as maybe I could/should.

    Any advice would be appreciated but don't worry if I'm a lost cause! Strange though because I don't have any problem with other free weight excercises, just squats!
    You're not a lost cause, to me there are a few problems that should be easily fixed.

    Right there are 2 types of back squat. The high bar squat (olympic), and the low bar squat (powerlifting). I won't go in to all the differences as it will just got confusing. We'll just go through how I squat. By all means look at the other styles as they may suit you better.

    First of all is your set up. I have a bit of a ritual I complete before each set, I do this as i know it helps me get in focus and be set up right. You might not do this, it's up to you.

    Right set the bar lower than you have been probably by one notch on the rack, and set the safety bars a hell of a lot lower. If there at waist height you aren't really squatting. When you squat the crease of your hip want to be at least parallel with the crease of your knee.
    Now grab the bar with what you feel will be as narrow grip as you can and still remain comfortable. Then step forward under the bar with both feet (ditch the towel). I have my feet slightly wider than shoulder width, my toes at about 35 degrees. Now push your shoulder blades together as hard as you can, as if your were going to trap a pencil between them. I position the bar on top of my rear deltoids (low bar), the other option is your upper traps (high bar). Keep this position, shoulders pinned, chest up arse out so the bottom of your back arches. Now pick a point in front of you at eye level a fix upon this. Take a deep breath in and lift the bar out of the rack like you mean it, then exhale. Now take one step back with your left leg, and one with your right keeping the earlier position, and eyes focused on the point in front of you.
    Now you want to push your feet out to the side as if you were trying to split the floor beneath you. Take a deep breath in, hold. Then arse back first, as you drop keep pushing your feet and your knees out to the side. Keep your sight fixed. When you hit parallel drive your elbow under the bar and drive up with your legs - keep pushing them feet and knees out. Once you reach the top exhale. And repeat for the next rep. Make sure you keep your head up and sight fixed as this should prevent you from going on to for toes. If your having trouble with depth try doing some box squats or put a large medicine ball underneath you.

    Hope this helps and I've managed to explain it so you understand it. it's automatic to me so getting it down on paper for someone to follow was harder than I thought. Give it a go, and let me know how you get on. If you've any questions just ask, and if you don't understand what i've put I'll point you in the direction of some clearer explanations.

    Other things to consider are what footwear you have on while squatting. Your choices are converse chucks, lifting shoes, or a specific squat shoe. If it's none of these go barefoot. Things like really minimal footwear such as new balance minimus, inov8 bare xf's will also be fine but not as good as the above 3. I wear Adidas power perfect 2's. Prior to this it was minimus then barefoot as things got heavier.

    Warm up and stretching is also very important with squats. Lots of roller work on itb and piriformis will do wonders. At least 30 reps each side. Also stretch your hamstrings using a band if you have one available and do numerous sets of air squats concentrating on depth and form.
    The warm up sets: Do 2x5 with an empty bar, 1x5 bit heavier, 1x3 heavier still and then 1x2 heavier still. Following this should be you work sets. I imagine your doing three sets of 10 at the minute. Try changing this to 5 sets of 5 and see how you get on.

    One last thing if you're struggling with depth and form reduce the weight and concentrate on getting things right and increase very slowly, no more than 2.5kg at a time.

    Hope this helps and I've managed to explain it so you understand it. it's automatic to me so getting it down on paper for someone to follow was harder than I thought. Give it a go, and let me know how you get on. If you've any questions just ask, and if you don't understand what i've put I'll point you in the direction of some clearer explanations.

    Happy squatting.
    Last edited by The devil's own; 11-03-2012 at 03:39 AM.
    "That was the night everything changed"

  2. #332
    Senior Member mattp's Avatar
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    Re: Today's Gym Session

    Luckily, I have 24/7 access to a gym so I can read from my labtop without being stared at!

    Thanks very much for taking the time to explain all that. There are loads of pointers there and I will give it a go over the weekend and let you know how I get on. I read somewhere that squats help prevent running injuries so was surprised to hear what you were saying about the ITB and piriformis? Will have to keep an eye on that.

    Thanks again.

  3. #333
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    Re: Today's Gym Session

    Quote Originally Posted by mattp View Post
    Luckily, I have 24/7 access to a gym so I can read from my labtop without being stared at!

    Thanks very much for taking the time to explain all that. There are loads of pointers there and I will give it a go over the weekend and let you know how I get on. I read somewhere that squats help prevent running injuries so was surprised to hear what you were saying about the ITB and piriformis? Will have to keep an eye on that.

    Thanks again.
    You have to remember prevention is better than cure. Your piriformis will get strained if your technique is off and your hamstrings aren't firing correctly. This is why its important to spread the floor with your feet and push those knees out. And rolling your itb is just good practice to keep everything in working order. It'll also help with injury prevention for both squatting and running. I do 30 rolls per side, some do up to a 100! What I would say is if you don't already have access to a roller don't scrimp and buy a good one. Get a grid roller. Twice as expensive as the normal foam rollers but will easily last twice as long. Another cheap alternative is a pvc pipe. Some hardcore lifters use wooden pipe which would have me in tears after 5 roles. You'll probably find rolling quite painful at first but keep with it and as your itb loosens off you'll notice the pain subside. A good hard pet ball is also good for working the piriformis.
    "That was the night everything changed"

  4. #334
    Great Uncle Bulgaria
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    Re: Today's Gym Session

    0830 this morning 30 of us on the artificial football pitch outside the gym doing a sweatbox session:
    In pairs, one runs 400m whilst the other does sit ups, press ups, squats, tricep dips, burpees, plank and and something i have forgotten.
    2 min rest
    Again in pairs, 200m run now with exercises in reverse order.
    All done at best effort.
    That is quite a lot of sprinting (clearly 7 x 400m and 7 x 200m) with no rest except for 'plank' which is just a rest exercise.

    Hard morning session straight after breakfast.

  5. #335
    Orange Pony Hanneke's Avatar
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    Re: Today's Gym Session

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    Quote Originally Posted by Great Uncle Bulgaria View Post
    0830 this morning 30 of us on the artificial football pitch outside the gym doing a sweatbox session:
    In pairs, one runs 400m whilst the other does sit ups, press ups, squats, tricep dips, burpees, plank and and something i have forgotten.
    2 min rest
    Again in pairs, 200m run now with exercises in reverse order.
    All done at best effort.
    That is quite a lot of sprinting (clearly 7 x 400m and 7 x 200m) with no rest except for 'plank' which is just a rest exercise.

    Hard morning session straight after breakfast.
    “the cause of my pain, was the cause of my cure” Rumi

  6. #336
    I need to run more. southernsoftie's Avatar
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    Re: Today's Gym Session

    Long time no post. Picked up a chest infection, which became a heavy cold, during which (and nowhere near a gym, as it was in the middle of my illness) I seem to have strained a muscle in my lower back.

    Anyway, getting back into it. Up to level 4, week 4 day 2 in the 50 pull ups programme (10/10/9/7/5). Week off this week and back from the gym today:

    - Row warm up
    - Deadlift & shrug pyramid (10@60/8@70/6@80/8@70/10@60) back still not right
    - Single arm barbell shoulder press/hammer curl superset
    - Forearm roll/bench press superset
    - Core mini-circuit

    While I've been away, I've started some altitude testing, and yesterday completed my second VO2 Max test at altitude ahead of a 90min run at 60-70% VO2 Max immediately followed by a 5k time trial at the same altitude, to be done on Friday. All altitudes, VO2 Max results and 5k times are undisclosed until the end of the study. 2 more altitudes to do after this one. Tough sessions. Discovered a new max HR en route: 192.
    "The best shield is to accept the pain, then what can really destroy me?"

    http://garyufm.blogspot.co.uk

  7. #337
    Master The devil's own's Avatar
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    Re: Today's Gym Session

    300m row warm up, usual stretching and roller work.

    Working sets:

    Squat 5x5 @ 90kg
    Bench 5x5 @ 50kg
    Bent over row 5x5 @ 50kg
    Back extension 5x10
    Leg raise 5x10

    Took it easy and dropped weight as I haven't done much for the past 2-3 weeks due to numerous physical/social issues. All pretty easy though so maybe I cut too much. Still it's a new starting point and I'll just raise 2.5kg per session from here on in. Shouldn't be long till I'm back to were I was. Better to be safe than sorry, last thing I want is having to take time off due to injury.

    Good to see you back SS :thumbup:
    "That was the night everything changed"

  8. #338
    I need to run more. southernsoftie's Avatar
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    Re: Today's Gym Session

    Quote Originally Posted by Conan187 View Post
    Took it easy and dropped weight as I haven't done much for the past 2-3 weeks due to numerous physical/social issues. All pretty easy though so maybe I cut too much. Still it's a new starting point and I'll just raise 2.5kg per session from here on in. Shouldn't be long till I'm back to were I was. Better to be safe than sorry, last thing I want is having to take time off due to injury.

    Good to see you back SS :thumbup:
    Cheers Eavesy...or Conan now? I have been away for a while! See you also have had to step back a bit. Happens from time to time I s'pose. Both better knuckle down then
    "The best shield is to accept the pain, then what can really destroy me?"

    http://garyufm.blogspot.co.uk

  9. #339
    Master The devil's own's Avatar
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    Re: Today's Gym Session

    Quote Originally Posted by southernsoftie View Post
    Cheers Eavesy...or Conan now? I have been away for a while! See you also have had to step back a bit. Happens from time to time I s'pose. Both better knuckle down then
    Ha yeah changed it for a laugh. Yeah definitely took a step back, as far as i'm back at my old gym for the time being. Whilst the new one was amazing I was struggling to get the most out of it. When i first started i was off work so it was great, but when I'm at work and the fact that I've got a 1 year old daughter makes it difficult to put the time into it. It was also costing me a fortune. Was spending £150 a month just on going to the gym, not including all the food and supplements. Costs were so high as i was still having to pay my old gym membership, the new gym monthly charge plus 1 pt session was £105 a month, then it was across town so you have to factor in petrol and you have to pay for parking in that part of manchester so it all adds up.

    Old gym is just round the corner. Whilst it doesn't have stones, ropes etc it does have a squat rack. And all those toys and the met-con workouts on top of the lifting made it very easy to fall into the trap of over training which I feel has contributed to my recent health issues.

    So i'm going to concentrate on getting strong, maybe make use of the track down the road to do some sprints for conditioning and a once a week run in the hills. Well thats the plan anyway!
    Last edited by The devil's own; 21-03-2012 at 02:19 PM.
    "That was the night everything changed"

  10. #340
    I need to run more. southernsoftie's Avatar
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    Re: Today's Gym Session

    Yup, that is a lot of money!

    I suppose you can replicate a lot of that stuff yourself, either in another (normal) gym or at home, once you're familiar with each move and technique. E.g. Corner press is pretty much the same movement as a tyre flip. I've got some large (and v heavy) concrete slabs dug out of the garden last year. Hefting these up and down, I imagine, would be similar to the stones.

    If you fancy some hill work, I'm planning a hill session on Pendle hill this Sunday. 8am from Barley car park. 2,500ft in 6.5mi. Let me know.

    Anyway, off to the gym myself now...
    "The best shield is to accept the pain, then what can really destroy me?"

    http://garyufm.blogspot.co.uk

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