Competition Prep Archives - Tucson Strength

Deadlifting Dont’s

Danny — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 17:11:47 +0000

What not to do on the Deadlift

The Deadlift is one of the Big 3 in the sport of Powerlifting, something we take seriously at Tucson Strength. When I first shot this video the intent was to inform the powerlifting athlete of what NOT to do because it will disqualify you in in powerlifting competition. The more I think about, if you are going to deadlift with barbell you shouldn’t do any of these things regardless if you are competing in a sport or not.

Ramping

Ramping isn’t a powerlifting rule book term, but it’s the slang for letting the bar rest on your legs. Once that bar passes your knees, you should not let your knees shoot under the bar. This allows you to slide the bar up your legs and can create a mechanical advantage to getting the weight up. I’ve seen people do this quickly and get away with it, but when you do this you leave it up to the judges, you run the risk of getting DQ’d for the lift. I see people doing this in the gym on their training sets and the more you practice it, the more you will be prone to make it a part of your habit. STOP IT.

DESCENDING BAR

Once you break the ground with the bar, the bar must always be moving up. The bar can stop, but it can’t go back down then up again. If you are in a grind of a lift and fighting the weight and keep the bar moving up. Many times at a meet if the head ref sees the bar go down and back up they will give you the down command because they already know the lift has failed. Also your feet have to stay planted. If you step before the bar touches the mat its a red light.

DOnt drop the bar

DOn’t get in the habit of dropping your deadlifts in the gym. You will always revert to your training when things get heavy. When you lockout the deadlift and receive the “down” command keep your hands on the bar until the plates touch the mat. If you drop right before you will still get a red light.

shaking the bar

Many lifters have a prelift tradition of getting nuts and jerking on the bar. If you jerk on the bar so hard and the plates leave the ground, that is a red light. Once the plates leave the ground it is considered an attempt. Yes getting psyched up is part of the sport, but so is control.

Hope these tips help.

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Is it the Shoes?

Danny — Wed, 08 May 2024 19:35:40 +0000

QUICK guide to weightlifting shoes

We see so many lifters show up to the gym with the latest and greatest in equipment. Everything from the hottest new belt on the market, to the tightest knee sleeved ever made. Lifters want the edge and pay good money for the best equipment. So what about shoes? Shoes are the one part of your gear that can make or break your lifting performance and unfortunately we see a great shoe on the wrong lifter all the time. Shoes are one of the biggest parts of our fashion culture. Just ask any teenager that is waiting for the new Jordan to release. In the lifting world, the shoe is 100% about performance and the best looking shoe could be the one thing that kills your squat.

Types of Weightlifting shoes

Before we get into specific types of weightlifting shoes let’s get one thing out of the way. Do not lift in a running shoe, period. They have no place in the performance of the squat or deadlift. They are meant for running, which means they are made to have cushioning and “give” for your feet. These are the exactly the opposite of what you need in squat or deadlifting performance. You need stability. Moving on…..There are numerous types of shoes known as the squat shoe. Most have an elevated heel and a very firm rubber or if you go old school, a wooden base. These provide the foot the most stable base to lift from. Within the squat shoe category there are traditional Olympic Lifting shoes which have a more aggressive heel. These shoes usually have a 3/4″ elevation of the heel. These shoes work best for High Bar squatters since the high bar position needs a more vertical torso in the lift. Olympic Weightlifters also need to keep a very vertical torso through out the lift so the elevated heel will allow for this.

There is also another squat shoe that is made that only has a .60″ heel. This is less aggressive and is more suited for those squatting with a lower bar position.

Who needs an elevated heel to squat

INot everyone needs an elevated heel. If you are looking to improve your performance in the squat a show can help (some people). First, if you have poor ankle mobility a squat shoe may help with your squat especially if you are a high bar squatter. With the bar located high on the traps, you will need to maintain more upright torso since the bar will need to stay over your mid foot through out the lift. In the high bar position the knees will track forward more than a low bar squat..

Though the squat comes very natural to some people, there is a certain group of people that absolutely hate the squat, those with long femurs(thigh bone) and short tibia(lower leg). In order to squat to depth the femur has to sit back further . Even with great ankle mobility, long femurs can complicate the movement pattern. Finding a shoe with an elevated heel will increase the length of the lower leg which can help with squat mechanics. Finding the correct elevation is important. Many people with tight ankles and or long femurs tend to use a powerlifting shoe with a .60″ heel and usually choose a lower bar position since it allows the lifter to sit back further in the squat instead of being so upright.

If you don’t know what shoe is correct to you we highly recommend getting with strength coach that understands squat mechanics. More than likely it won’t be your personal trainer at LA Fitness. Get with a powerlifting or Olympic weightlifting coach to help you choose your shoe. If you are in Tucson, feel free to contact us!. If you are located else where feel free to reach out and we can see if we can help you find a qualified coach to help you out!

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YOUR PERSONAL TRAINER ISN’T A POWERLIFTING COACH

Danny — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 23:48:58 +0000

YOUR TRAINER ISN'T A POWERLIFTING COACH

Powerlifting is the definition of an inclusive sport. When you come to a competition you will see people ranging in age from 13-85. You will see monsters squatting 700lbs and a person stepping on the platform for the first time squatting 135lbs. The best part is the crowd loves them all. The sport involves 3 lifts: the squat, bench press, and deadlift. For those that can’t squat, you can do Bench Press and Deadlift only. Many people will see someone on the platform that they can resonate with and say “I can do that!” For the most part they are correct. They can. Powerlifting is in the reach of most people.

Hire a Coach, not a personal trainer

There are some people that show up to their first competition with no assistnance. They have watched a couple of YouTube Videos and have figured it all out. This usually doesn’t workout great, but I have seen some people succeed with this approach. The thing that will boil my blood is seeing someone that seeks out professional guidance and then they hire their friend’s grandson who is a certified personal trainer.. Trainers should know the basics of how to lift, but powerlifting is a sport. In sports you need to hire an experienced coach that not only understands the technical aspects of the three lifts, but also has a knowledge of how to prepare for a meet, teach you the rules of the meet, and how to prepare you for the long day that is awaiting you.

I can’t count the number of times I see lifters show up with a trainer and from the moment they start the weigh-ins they are already confused and stressed. They don’t make weight because they registered for the wrong division and weight class. Then they show up on meet day don’t time their warm ups appropriately. They then go to step on the platform and haven’t trained commands appropriately. They don’t understand how to get their net attempt in to the score table. All of these things add to an already stressful day. The worst part is, they paid someone good money to prepare them.

What to look for in a powerlifting coach

One of the key things to ask is have they competed in the sport and know the rules of the federation you plan to compete in. Experience varies but having a coach with at least 3-4 meets under their own belt should be a minimum requirement. Experience on the platform is crucial. This doesn’t mean they need to be a world class lifter and have super human strength themselves, but they should be able to guide you from where you the beginning until you finish that last deadlift on meet day.

Ask them what type of programming philosophy they follow. If it’s Starting Strength walk the other way.lol But seriously ask them about their training philosophy. If everyone they train is on the same program, it is not a good sign.

A good powerlifting coach should be able to set you up on a program that will prepare you and not over work you. If you are an adult with other responsibilities besides lifting heavy, they need to be able to make sure you are on a program that meets you where you are and doesn’t drive you into the ground before meet day.

Most of the time most trainers in a big box gym can’t help you. Seek out a locally owned gym that specializes in the sport.

Feel free to reach out with any questions. If you aren’t close to us we will help you find someone that can guide you in the right direction.

Check out some of our past blogs on Powerlifting!

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Thinking about Powerlifting Part 2

Admin — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 16:39:31 +0000

You train 4 days per week banging out the iron and love it. Now you want to put your hard work on the platform and focus on a goal. Having a history of being consistent in the gym is a great quality to have if you want give powerlifting a shot. Strength is built with incremental gains over a long period of time and it takes consistent practice. One of the biggest differences between training for strength and lifting for general fitness is being able to follow a program with discipline. As mentioned in the last blog(Thinking About Powerlifting? Part 1 ) in powerlifting you aren’t training to failure or training to chase the pump.

Training for bigger or toned(whatever that means) muscles involves using a very different energy system than training for pure strength. That burn you are feeling while grinding out higher reps and pushing to near failure is utilizing your anaerobic glycolitic system. When you are training for strength you are using your creatine phosphate system. This energy system is utilized in lower rep ranges and depletes rather quickly. The metabolic by products of the creatine system don’t cause burning muscles. You will need to learn to rest between sets instead of rushing through training sessions.

It takes a change in mindset, because a bulk of your strength work will be working in lower rep ranges and not pushing to failure. You will be building volume by executing multiple sets with

lower reps. Reps which should remain faster and non fatiguing. In strength work, it is more optimal to do 80% of your 1RM for 5 sets of 3 than grinding out 3 sets of 8 with the same weight.

There are numerous training philosophies out there, but many of the top programs share a similar philosophy. When thinking about training cycles for strength, here are few different phases I consider depending on the lifter we are working with. Are you a first time competitor? Do you have a long history with training? Are you newer to training (less than 3 years). Do you want to do 1 meet per year or do you want to switch your focus entirely to Powerlifting for the long haul? Have you recently maxed out?

Here is a basic breakdown of how to cycle programming throughout the year. Length of each phase will vary based on the lifter.

Base Building

This is the phase where you are building your foundation of giving your body the volume needed at the right percentages to build the base of your strength. Think of it like a Pyramid. The pyramid can only be as stable and strong as the width of its base. The bigger that base the more solid the structure. The base building phase focuses on technique, bar speed, and building volume. This should be a larger block for the strength focused lifter. If executed correctly you will be able to train for longer periods of time without being beat up and having to de-load every 3-4 weeks.

Peaking Phase

Peaking is Meet Prep. Depending on your base, this phase can be anywhere between 9 to 4 weeks before the meet. Before peaking you should have a base of strength and fitness built up. You should now be prepared to progressively load the movements with more weight each week. This is where things start to get heavy. In doing so you will start to cut your training volume down. Instead of doing 5 sets of 5 reps you will end up working up to hitting heavy doubles and singles on your competition lifts. Your assistance exercises will be tapered considerably over this period. The goal is express your strength by loading the body with more weight while keeping the nervous system fresh and decreasing fatigue. A big mistake that is very common is seeing lifters doing high volume sets and reps to chase a burn weeks before a meet. When you are peaking there should be almost no burn being felt in the muscles. It will be heavy and it can get intense, but burning exhausted muscles are counter productive while peaking. Another important point is you don’t test your meet max before competition day.

Hypertrophy Phase

This phase is usually done post meet for most lifters. After coming off a program where you have decreased volume and increased weight, it is time to build the volume back up and get the joints moving with more repititons and moderate loads. In other words, it’s time to get your fitness back up. A big mistake many people make is jumping from peaking cycle to peaking cycle. It’s a great way to burn out, hit a plateau, or injure yourself. This phase the burn and muscle soreness will return. It is still important to have a plan with this hypertrophy blocks and not just wing it. Crushing yourself with random acts of exercise and ridiculous volume doesn’t make you a better athlete.

GPP (General Physical Preparedness)

GPP may mean different things for different lifters. In general, we want to have the best of all worlds in this phase. Maintain a base of strength, improve cardiovascular conditioning, build some strength endurance, and most importantly keep your muscles and tendons healthy and mobile. This phase can include Aerobic conditioning (this actually should be involved in some form in each phase), Anaerobic conditioning or higher intensity cardio training should also be involved with more focus than in previous phases. Incorporating multi-directional movements, loaded carries, and calisthenics can also a part of this phase. You can still incorporate the Big 3 lifts in this phase but its a good idea to utilize specialized variety lifts in this phase. Not many lifters work this into their program, but for longevity and health it is highly advisable.

Rather than just searching the web for template programs, it is a good ideas to start with a coach that get a good understanding of where you are and help plan out your training cycles to get you where you want to be.

PART 3 Coming soon: What Prepping for your first Meet Looks like

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Thinking About Powerlifting? Part 1

Admin — Sun, 16 Jan 2022 18:00:16 +0000

I speak with many gym regulars asking me about wanting to train for their first powerlifting meet. The sport has become more accessible over the past decade and everyday gym goers are peaking in interest to compete. Powerlifting is a great way to train with a purpose and go after goals.

Competitive lifting is different than recreational lifting, no matter how serious you train.

Before you start putting in the work. Here are some things to consider.

Technique Is Paramount

Though you may have some years behind you with the big 3 lifts (squat, bench, deadlift), competition lifting has many rules. It is crucial to practice as you would compete when training towards the goal. It is important you know the lifting standards of the federation you are competing in so you can practice to competition standards. Though I won’t go into every rule here are some important things to focus on with each lift when you begin training.

Squat

Nearly all credible federations will require a below parallel squat, which means the top surface of the legs at the hip joint is lower than the top of the knees. All of your training reps should be at this standard. Video tape yourself and make sure your reps meet this standard. When the bar gets heavy you will revert to your training. This means treating light weights like they are heavy. Each and every training rep is prep for your meet. It isn’t just about putting more weight on the bar each to prep your body to lift heavy. You are prepping your nervous system to do the same thing every lift. Treat you warm up sets with focus and attention.

Bench Press

Powerlifting requires a pause on the chest and at the finish of each lift. I have seen people that can “gym bench” 315lbs with a bounce, but they get stuck under 285lbs with the required pause on the chest. In your training you don’t have to pause every single rep of your program, but you should become very comfortable pausing your bench working up to heavier sets in your training cycle. It is also crucial to practice controlling the weight at the top before racking. Nothing is more frustrating than hitting a huge PR at a meet, immediately racking the weight and get 3 red lights because you didn’t wait for the “rack” command.

As you get closer to meet day you should practice the commands with someone knowledgeable calling them out. On meet day you will have some jitters and adrenaline, so you will need to depend on your practice to have a successful meet. Again, it is imperative to know the rules of the federation. Some feds allow you to have your heels off the ground others don’t. Some feds allow the head to come off on the bench, others don’t. All federations make sure your butt stays on the bench. Practice practice practice all these things.

Deadlift

The simplest of all the lifts. Pick it up and put it down. Right? Though this is mostly true, there are many lifters that have bad habits with the deadlift that earn them red lights at a meet. I see lifters all the time getting called for soft knees at the lockout and then flip out when they see the reds show up at the end of the lift. Your knees have to lock out at the end. If the knees are soft or shaking, you will get caught. Another common error is letting the knees shoot forward and letting the bar use the thighs to ramp the weight up. Video tape your deadlifts and make sure your warm up sets are to competition standards. If you rush your light warm up reps, you set yourself up for these mistakes to happen on the platform.

Stop Training to Failure

If you have been training for awhile and focusing on aesthetics, it is common to push hard every training session and feel the burn with each workout. We have all walked out of the gym with shaking legs and feeling exhausted after a session. Training for strength is a different beast.

When strength is the goal we rarely ever push to failure. Doing grindy reps that push to near failure are used less in a strength program than you would imagine. A base cycle of strength programming is usually in the intensity range of 70-85% of your 1 rep max. Reps are usually programmed at around 50% of your max rep range. This means if you can bench 225lbs for 10 reps, most of your sets will be made up of rep ranges between 3-5 reps.

Get on A Program Sooner Than Later

There are tons of programs out there, but depending on where YOU are at in your development, choosing the right program is important. A newer powerlifter jumping on Sheiko, Conjugate, or Smolov makes me cringe. Just because that strong Instagram influencer says it’s the way to go doesn’t mean it’s great for you. I have always focused on different phases of programming and playing with the variables to get the desired results. There are many different phases of a strength programming which we will discuss in Part 2.

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Let’s Talk About Practice

Admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 22:39:26 +0000

Alan Iverson, arguably one of the most talented stars to ever play in the NBA will be immortalized for the video above talking about practice. I have heard numerous stories as to how and why this video went down as it did, but regardless I couldn’t resist using it for this blog. For long term success in most things, there are few things that guarantee it except consistent and mindful practice. The goal of practice is to master the fundamentals and train on a program that focuses on incremental gains over a long period of time. Regardless of what Instagram shows you, it isn’t about going beast mode every session or setting PRs in training every week.

I have spoken to Olympians, world class coaches, and numerous professional athletes, each of them has re-iterated the same thing to me in our discussions, it’s about the fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. Some of the greatest athletes of all time seem to have one thing in common, unbreakable habits, and the drive to practice the fundamentals no matter how advanced they were in their career. Kobe, Larry Bird, Jordan and others all have amazing stories of how their practice habits made them the best. I’ll move on from basketball to strength training. It drives me crazy seeing decent lifters that want crazy rep schemes, bands, and chains without mastering the fundamentals. They still struggle with leg drive on the bench but somehow think adding bands or an advanced programs are going to fix it.

I see way too many powerlifters these days get sucked into so many different programs and methods that the fundamentals are lost. They are training consistently which is great, but fundamentals seem to get lost because they want to lift like that one beast they saw on their IG feed. They chase complexity rather than simplicity and consistency. Complexity has it’s place, but if you lack mastering the fundamentals those tools will not be impactful anyway.

PRACTICE HOW YOU COMPETE

I watch lifters warm up sometimes, and all I can do is shrug my shoulders. I have never understood the sense of someone bouncing a 225lb or 315lb deadlift off the ground like a trampoline and then not complete a lockout at the top while they are warming up. I watched a guy once bounce 405 off the ground (with bumpers) for 12 repetitions. The reality was, he couldn’t even deadlift 475 x 1. All that bouncing didn’t carryover to lifting more weight.

The same goes for rushed / shortened range of motion warm up reps on the bench press that look like you are having a seizure. Im not sure if it is an act to show strong they are or if it is just being in a hurry to warm up. The reality is, you always revert to your training. When you are tired, exhausted, and stressed your body will revert to what it knows best. That is why at the end of a long meet day you see a lifter shoot their hips up in the air, the bar gets away from them, and they totally miss a deadlift they should have made. They reverted back to their training even though they don’t want to think so. It wasn’t a fluke or a misgroove, that is a representation of how you lift. There is a way to miss a lift like a pro and a novice.

If you are strong, you spend a considerable amount of training time warming up to your working sets. Those warm up sets add up to a good amount of training volume and should be considered practice for heavier working weights. Use those sets to create habits or traditions of each lift. When warming up with the bar, practice how you place your hands in the same position every single time you set up. Practice foot position and how you place your feet. Master breathing timing and lifting mechanics with each rep. Sure, you won’t be applying the same amount of force and tension to a bare bar as you would a max load, but the focus and intention is the same.

I remember hearing Eddy Coan, one of the greatest powerlifters of all time talk about warming up in an interview .. He said

“I treated light weights like I did heavy weights. So, it was always the same weight done. I could walk out a weight. I could walk up to a deadlift, set up for a bench. Everything was exactly the same, all the time. So, that variable was already gone. So, there was no negative thought walking up to the bar. I didn’t need to be slapped, or need ammonia, or anything like that, ’cause I was confident.”

Unfortunately our Instagram feed only shows the things that appear to be exciting.

INJURY PREVENTION

The other aspect that smart practice brings is that of injury prevention. I can’t count the times I have heard lifters tell me about an injury and the story goes something like….”It wasn’t even heavy, but I tweaked my shoulder re-reacking the weight” Again this is many times not focusing on the fundamentals. How we un-rack and rack the bar are all part of our practice. One of my most aggravating back injuries happened when rushing to walk in 50% of my max squat back into the rack. I rushed and slammed the bar into the rack and the rebound caused me to twist with a heavy enough loaded bar. I knew better and it taught me a valuable lesson into smart practice.

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Meet Day Preparation: Setting up your Attempts

Admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 07:00:29 +0000

There are numerous things to plan out on meet day. Failing to have a realistic and sound plan can be a recipe for ruining months of hard work leading up to a meet. I can’t count the number of lifters I have seen over the years bomb out of meets because they didn’t have a good plan on meet day. They were strong, just not prepared. A very important part of this process is understanding how to set up your attempts. There are lots of different strategies, but here are some things to consider.

YOU ARE COMPETING IN KILOS NOT POUNDS

If you have been training hard for that 135lb bench press, understand that on meet day you are either going to be lifting 132lbs or 137.8. In most powerlifting federations you must take 2.5kg jumps or roughly 5.5lb jumps between attempts. Understanding this will help you set up your strategy on taking the appropriate jumps and organizing your day. Most federations will have their kilogram conversion chart on their website like USPA Powerlifting does.

SET UP YOUR OPENERS APPROPRIATELY

This is one of the most avoidable mistakes I see new lifters make. They start out too heavy and get themselves into trouble. You have 3 attempts to hit each lift. If your goal is to go 9 for 9, that would mean you would hit your heaviest/goal attempt on 3rd attempt on each lift. How you get there is important. You need to make sure you warm up appropriately in the warm up room. Usually openers are around a 4-5RM which is about 87-90% of your goal. I have seen countless people get crushed on an opener, and I scratch my head wondering what the thought process was. You want to know you have your opener in your back pocket. If you miss your opening attempt you CANNOT go back and ask the table to lower your attempt the weight can stay the same or move up.

As to why people miss the opener? Either they over trained leading up to the meet, cut too much weight before the meet and it hurt their performance, or they lifted from ego instead of knowing what they are capable of.

HAVE A MEET DAY PLAN

When you show up for weigh-ins they will ask you for your openers, have them ready to go. I also set meet day plans for all my lifters. We have a card that has openers, planned 2nd and 3rd attempts. Sometimes we have a plan A and plan B. When you are done with your attempt you have 1 minute to give the expeditor your next attempt. I see lifters all the time frantically scanning the kilo chart trying to figure out their next attempt and going back and forth. There are enough nerves on meet day as it is, stressing out about getting your numbers in shouldn’t be one of them. If you don’t get your numbers in on time the table will bump your next attempt up 2.5kg and move on. They will not slow down the meet because your lack of preparation. Again, get a coach, set a plan, execute the plan.

In terms of taking jumps between attempts, I have heard numerous strategies. One general way of breaking it down could be as follows for a goal of 137.5kg (303lb)

Attempt 1: 88% 120kg/266.4lbs

Attempt 2 93%. 127.5kg/281lbs

Attempt 3: 100% Goal. 137.5kg/303lbs

I have seen successful lifters take bigger or smaller attempts. I do know that as the meet day goes on the body becomes tired. I know it is common for lifters to take bigger jumps to avoid wearing themselves out. I have seen lifters in the above scenario just go from 120kg to 137.5kg because 127.5 is just one more lift to tire them out enough to distract them from the goal. Much of this will have to be learned from experience and knowing yourself as a lifter.

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So You want to Focus on Strength?

Admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 22:21:39 +0000

Focusing on improving maximal strength is trending. Putting up impressive numbers has become popularized on social media. Seeing 140lb women deadlifting 300+lbs is a common occurrence nowadays if you are following along on Instagram. Though we are seeing a lot of newcomers wanting to improve strength, many are making the cross-over from general fitness, bodybuilding, and Crossfit to focus on strength and the strength sports. Olympic weightlifting and Powerlifting have seen a boom over the past decade, primarily due to the influence Crossfit has had on the industry. It got people off the machines and put the bar back in their hands.

Here are a few important things to know, before deciding to make the switch to focus on strength goals.

STRENGTH TRAINING FEELS SLOWER PACED… BECAUSE IT IS

When coming from the energized environment of training for time, AMRAPS and pushing your intensity to the limits, it can be a bit of a buzz kill when starting your journey in strength. Rest is your friend, and its important to understand that 2-3 minutes of rest between sets is part of your training. Strength training utilizes the creatine phosphate energy system. Even though you’re not breathing heavy and your muscles aren’t burning, you may not be recovered for your next set. Creatine is used for short bursts of work and can take anywhere from 2-5 minutes to fully recover, depending on the loads you are using. Set a timer and practice resting. You can push faster paces when doing your accessory work.

VIEW TRAINING AS PRACTICE, NOT EXERCISE

Gains in strength are achieved by focused your attention on practicing the skills of each lift, and increasing volume of training over an extended period of time. If you want to improve your squat or bench press it will take practice. Workouts are no longer about solely getting “exercise” in. You are showing up to practice your technique and build training volume. We are focusing on training specificity, not variety and intensity. The skills involved in the barbell movements take time master, and building up good habits will pay off in the long run. It’s easier to build good habits than breaking old ones, so making this distinction early on is key. In the beginning, workouts may not feel as challenging, but over time the intensity will increase and you will be looking forward to your recovery days.

SETTING PERSONAL RECORDS ISN’T THE GOAL OF EACH SESSION

Hitting a new personal record is awesome, but it can’t be done all the time. Strength building is achieved primarily in the range of 70-85% of your 1 rep max. We rarely go maximal in training. Strength is built by increasing training volume up over time. The most successful trainees show up consistently, keep a journal, and put in work over long periods of time. There are numerous ways to get strong, and though we love seeing more weight on the bar each session, it isn’t the case all the time.

It is common to keep the same weight on the bar for multiple weeks and simply add sets or reps weekly to build base strength. There is a time where weight gets heavier each week, but there is a time and place for everything. There is a process to building strength and you have to trust it. Lying in a pool of sweat exhausted isn’t the outcome we are looking for. You should walk out of your session knowing you put in work, but not wiped out. Having said that, there are times where pushing to near exhaustion is involved, it just isn’t the goal of every session.

CONDITIONING IS IMPORTANT, IT’S JUST SEPARATE FROM YOUR STRENGTH WORK

Keeping a base of conditioning is important, even when focusing on maximal strength. Too many powerlifters and strength athletes are lazy when it comes to keeping an aerobic base. Let’s be honest, unless you are making tons of money being a strength athlete, our health is more important than anything else. An aerobic base is also crucial for optimal recovery in strength training. If you think cardio is getting your heart rate up by doing sets of 5 on squats you are lying to yourself. Cardio should be kept separate from strength work. What does this mean? Doing a squat session, then deciding to do a finisher of bodyweight Squat/Burpee AMRAP is counter productive for optimal strength. Getting on that boring elliptical for 30-40 minutes keeping your HR at 130bpm after you session is more effective. On an off day doing a HIIT session that focuses on cardio is also fine. Just realize that it should be cardio, not lifting weights faster. Using Rowers, Ski Ergs, or bikes are a great way to include effective intervals without trashing your body. If you are squatting and deadlifting a few times per week you don’t need to do ineffective conditioning involving those movements.

GET ON THE RIGHT PROGRAM

Doing a Google search of powerlifting or strength programs can leave your head spinning. There are hundreds of programs out there. Many are awesome and some are just trash. Finding a solid coach to help you get on the right program is important in building a successful strength plan. I love seeing someone that has no base strength tell me they are running Sheiko. Sheiko is a great program for experienced lifters, but if you can’t squat your body weight you are better off starting off on a basic linear progression.

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Is a tight Chest Messing Up Your Squat?

Admin — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 23:05:15 +0000

Enough with the squat posts already!!! These are the thoughts in my head as I am once again blasting out a blog on squats. How many tips and pointers could I possibly give on one exercise? Well, I could probably write an entire book on it if I wanted to. I had to stop squatting at 24 years old because I kept hurting my back squatting like a fool. I had no guidance and just did what I remembered from high school. which was complete sh**. I might as well not learned anything from my coaches. At 33 I started squatting again and even with a previously horrible back injury I was able to build my squat up to well over 500lbs at 40 years old. I wasn’t an amazing squatter in my youth nor was I born with tons of strength. I had to put in consistent practice for years to build my squat into something I was proud of. I know that these principles can help you as well.

Upper back tightness is one of the most important aspects of a safe and strong squat. Without it, light weights feel heavy and heavy weights will crush you. Most people think they need to do assistance work for their legs to become stronger. The truth is they need to improve mechanics. If your upper back cannot get tight enough in the correct position you will not be able to manage the load safely through a full range of motion. Since the bar is on your back you have to make that bar one with your body. The problem I see with many lifters is they are squeezing the hell out of the bar and creating a ton of tension, but the stability isn’t there. Without stability, there is no mobility..(this means depth will suck) So many times I see people trying to fix squat depth with hip stretching drills when the problem is the bar and back are not in the best relationship with each other.

Some common Symptoms of having a locked up chest are:

Dumping Forward on the descent
Bar feeling like it is sliding down the back on low bar
Elbow/bicep pain after squatting

Many powerlifters have dominant chest muscles. Years of benching, pressing, and pushups with little to no soft tissue work and lack of aggressive mobility of the thoracic cage leads to shoulder issues and lack of the ability to get under the bar. Many powerlifters I know can barely do low bar squats anymore because they are so locked up and can’t get the bar behind them. Others force themselves into position, and though the bar is in the right place and they are squeezing every muscle in their back and biceps to keep it there. Each rep, the dominant chest muscles slowly take over and bar tension is lost. This is why reps 1 and 2 are awesome and rep 3+ feels like everything falls apart.

Just getting tighter or squeezing harder isn’t the answer….

Mobilizing the thoracic cage first is..

When you just focus on squeezing without fixing the issue of why it is so hard to squeeze in the first place you are missing the mark.

There are numerous ways to attack poor thoracic mobility. In my honest opinion most people need to get to a great massage therapist that knows how to target the soft tissue correctly. Unfortunately I see most people will wait till the last minute to have anyone work on them or till an injury or “set back” occurs. So here are a few things I believe should be part of any program. First, mobilize the tissue, then work on mobility. The videos below will show a Self Myofascial Release (SMFR)Technique for the pecs with a soft ball, the 2nd is a thoracic mobility/shoulder stability drill called the arm bar. Before jumping in to either of these exercises here are some key points.

SMFR of the pecs should be done in the musculature of the pecs. Women should stay away from the breast tissue. Keeping the target area just below the collar bone and working from the sternum to the arm attachment is safe. You can go slightly lower but proceed with caution. Another important point is to breath and relax when a hot spot is found. The tendency is to push harder into the ball but less can be more. When a hot spot is found practicing some light shoulder retraction and neck movements help.

The Arm Bar; This movement is awesome and feels amazing when you do it right. I absolutely love it for shoulder health. It is extremely important to understand that this is not a pec stretch with a kettlebell. This would be a really dumb idea. It is crucial that the arm is vertical and 90 degrees to the ground. The shoulder blades should be stacked on one another. It is best to do this with a spotter in the beginning to make sure the arm doesn’t fall behind the body. The other important thing to understand is the weight doesn’t have to be heavy. Most guys I start with a 16kg kettlebell and women with a 10-12kg. It is more important to be in the right position rather than muscling out a weight that is too heavy.

IF you are wanting to learn these drills and other ways to improve your squat, feel free to register for my upcoming squat clinic on May 11th, at Tucson Strength!

The post Is a tight Chest Messing Up Your Squat? appeared first on Tucson Strength.

Things I Wish I Knew about the Squat Sooner

Admin — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 21:29:22 +0000

The squat is one of my favorite exercises. It is a full body exercise that develops full body strength and power. Unfortunately, it is one of the most poorly executed movements in strength training. I can’t count the times someone has watched me squat and says things like, “My knees hurt just watching that!” or “My back would be out for days if I tried that.” Well that is probably true, but for the most part it is because just about everyone that has come to me for squat instruction is doing…… Not a squat… Well, they are putting a bar on their back and going up and down, but that’s about it. It doesn’t matter if you are training for general strength, Crossfit, or powerlifting, the fundamentals of the squat are the same.

In my early 20s I suffered a severe back injury while squatting which I still feel the remnants of today. It kept the bar off my back for over a decade. The good news is, I was able to make corrections in my 30s that allowed me to break my all time PRs of my 20s at 40 years old.

Here are some key points of the squat that can make all the difference.

MASTER THE SETUP AND WALKOUT

The setup is your first rep (I stole this from someone, I just don’t remember who). It is crucially important for a successful and safe lift. Set the bar height so you don’t have to tippy toe the bar off the rack (this is a great way to crank your back and a true sign of the novice). Get both feet underneath you. Keep your lower back in a neutral position; a lower back arch on the squat is a great way to injure your back. Wedge yourself underneath the bar. Some people like to think about pulling the bar into their body, I always think about pulling my body up into the bar. Pulling anything down into me while trying to stand up never resonated with me. When un-racking the bar, take it seriously. Maintain upper back tension, inhale, and walk it out with 2 short steps. Don’t fidget with the bar. This only works with light weight. Which leads me to my next point.

TREAT LIGHT WEIGHTS AS IF THEY ARE HEAVY

Too many people unrack the bar mindlessly, and do crazy looking high speed reps that resemble a seizure. This continues until the weights become heavy and then they get pissed because they get pitched forward on heavier sets. They then say stupid things like It wasn’t heavy, I just lost my groove. No, Stupid, you didn’t have a groove to begin with. Each warm-up set should be treated like a working set. Many strong people get injured with weights that are way less than their maximum.

STAY TIGHT

I believe Dave Tate said “if you think you are tight enough, you’re not.” This is the most under applied aspect of the squat. From wedging underneath the bar, walking it out with calculated steps, the active descent, and the way up, your upper back should be engaged throughout. Not for one second should you lose upper back tightness. Working with lighter weights and pause squats is a great way to practice this.

ACTIVELY CONTROL THE DESCENT; ACCELERATE ON THE ASCENT

Actively pull yourself into the bottom of the squat. The downward movement of the squat isn’t about you losing to gravity. As the weight gets heavier you will need to be in charge of that weight from the time you place your hands on the bar at your set up till you rack it after completion. Pulling yourself into the bottom is crucial for a big squat. When coming out of the bottom driving hard and explosively is a must. This doesn’t mean reckless movement, but maintaining control and thinking about getting faster as you get up. Powerlifting isn’t about moving everything slowly and feeling the burn. Grinding out lighter weights is a sure way to miss the heavier weights.

SLOW REPS ARE A SIGN TO STOP

This piggy backs on the last section. If your squat reps are slowing down and you are fighting to get the next rep, just rack it. There is a time and place for a good widow maker 20 rep squat routine, but those programs shouldn’t be the staple of your training. Ninety percent of your training should be between 70-80% of your 1RM lifted in smaller reps broken into multiple sets. If you are grinding out your squat every week you may get a little stronger in the short term, but it is nearly a 100% guarantee that an injury, strain, burnout, or really long plateau is right around the corner.

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