“Go balls deep.”
–Spence
Here are some vintage pictures that some of you new folk may not have seen.
My training partner Chris pulling 625.
Our favorite mastadon, Doug Young
AC spends an average morning eating breakfast
Johnny Spuke. BAMF.
For the ladies...Pisarenko bench pulling what appears to be 220 kilos
For the fellas...Gayla Crain
Some large people fitting in a very tiny hybrid car.
The funniest part of the Pisarenko bench pull is the guy just in front of him staring intently at Piz”s crotch.
I seriously dig Gayla Crain
OH NO !!!!! Flashbacks Already??
Is this the beginning of the end?!
No. I did not have much time to post.
–Justin
Ms. Crain is really killing her hip drive looking up like that. And still squatting more than me.
It is best not to assume things about other lifters and their form and cues, especially if they are stronger than you.
–Justin
This is something I struggle with often – keeping my neck in line with my back and looking down. The gym where I squat has a mirror in front of the rack and looking forward is oh-so-tempting. Also, I always feel like I often drive my hips up too quick and then have to do a good morning to finish out the squat when I look down. That usually only happens towards the ends of sets, especially my third. Brian””s set yesterday made me think of this too, because it seems like he looks down the entire time, except maybe a little bit coming up on the last rep. Any thoughts?
This site is so inspiring. I have nothing on my mind anymore but getting 70”s big. My girlfriend says I”m obsessed with it. I”ve got a problem though. I live in Tampa and am currently looking for a gym that is 70”s big friendly. All the gyms around here seem to be big corporate gyms or crossfit gyms that don”t have any open gym times. I really want to start SS full time and I want to do it somewhere that would be accepting of what I”m doing and will hopefully inspire me to work harder. Somewhere that someone might give me advice and not dirty looks. If anyone lives in or around Tampa and might have a suggestion I would really appreciate it.
TMo- When I lifted where there were mirrors, I”d just drop my log book or something right at the base of the mirror-you don”t really look at it, but it gives you a peripheral visual to keep your eyes down.
I notice a lot of the squat videos, everyone looks down. Why is that? The harder i look up the higher my chest stays and my lower back archs.
Also been taught if you look up you go up.
Just want to know why some people look down.
Also if you have a mirror in your gym, take some duct tape and a 3XL t-shit. Tape it to the mirror infront of you. Win.
Justin,
I am very happy to report that I have a friend who attended the seminar this last weekend and was inspired to start the SS program yesterday. There will now be two of us walking around the office drinking milk…good stuff.
Excellent.
–Justin
My gf rips on my buddies and I who all follow this site and the ss program..its great…”What are you guys doin..like gettin 70s Big n shit?” <~~Spoken in her best 70s man tone.
Ha.
–Justin
Phrak,
Are you familiar at all with the low bar back squat that Rippetoe teaches? If not I would recommend picking up a copy of his Starting Strength book…
Phrak, the reason why Rip and Justin advocate looking down is that it facilitates better hip drive out of the hole. When you look up, unless you have a well developed kinesthetic sense where your hips are from many years of a hip-driven squat you will inadvertently shift to a more quad-driven squat. That is why Olympic lifters have very well developed quads at the expense of less developed posterior chain. It””s a small but not-at-all minor difference that will transfer to increases in the deadlift leading to a more balanced strength development. For beginners it of utmost importance, as you become more and more advanced, which I presume Ms. Crain in that picture, the cueing you use may change.
Kinesthetic sense is irrelevant. Even if you are experienced with the hip drive, looking up will still kill it because doing so makes the torso more vertical, which closes the knee angle, which makes the hamstrings slack, and thus not tight in order to drive the hips up.
But you are on the right track.
–Justin
Justin please correct my .02.
Ahh,
Different strokes for different folks.
Was just wondering the reason.
Not really. It’s the difference between using more muscles to get strong or not.
–Justin
Bed564,
I”m at Bayside CrossFit here in Tampa. We are very friendly to 70”s Big athletes and Oly lifters as well. I own it… All of our members are on a linear progression since October… They have no choice if they want to train here. Our entire program now revolves around strength training. We should be starting an Oly club towards the first of the year. We have a lot of changes coming up in the next couple of months. My number is on our website, give me a shout.
Body weight PR today of 220, up from 193 on 10/20/09
Interesting,
I might have to try it. I know ill get yelled at for doing so. My coach is very strict on keeping the head up. “Head up you go up”
“Not really. It’s the difference between using more muscles to get strong or not.” That comment is very strong considering the majority of elite lifters still keep their heads up.
Don’t piss off your coach cause some jackass on the internet said so. We don’t coach elite lifters, but are concerned with getting people strong albeit unconventionally. It is noteworthy to say that some elite lifters are gear lifters, which will change their emphasis of certain mechanics and cues.
–Justin
I””m not well versed on powerlifting, but might this be due to the difference between training to become strong and striving to achieve a meet PR? As when advanced PLers will turn their toes in from their knees to create more stored energy.
Loyalty to petrified opinion is another possibility…curious to hear this discussed further.
Stored energy in what? The squat suit?
–Justin