If you’re wondering why there wasn’t a post yesterday, it’s because my ISP took a shit. Today, I had to use internet at a public location. I had a nice “Toe Angle when Squatting” post lined up, but the upload speed for the accompanying video is abysmal. Instead, here are some videos to wet your whistle.
Ask questions for tomorrow’s Q&A in today’s comments. I’ll gather up the good ones and use them tomorrow. Also, feel free to post interesting articles for me and other readers (if they are solid, I’ll add them to the weekly reading list).
Oh! I nearly forgot. Klokov was in my dream last night. We sat on a bench in Soviet Russia and had a conversation.. He was wearing a tank top. He talked about life and training. I came.
Here’s Norik Vardanian cleaning, then front squatting, then jerking 210kg (no big deal):
Here’s another of him hitting a really solid snatch at 170kg. He also CJ’d 215. Norik used to lift for USA Weightlifting but tested positive for marijuana. He now lifts for Armenia and is a 94kg lifter.
Here’s Konstantinovs doing his max effort squatting day:
His recent “deadlift training day” vid is even more impressive.
And lastly, here’s Hysen Pulaku CJing 200kg at a 77kg body weight. He’s an Albanian lifter who is rumored to get US citizenship…
Here are a few articles I’ve enjoyed this week:
I finally found out what all those Alabama people mean when they say “Roll Tide”: http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/thieves-rolling-tide-detergent-1385220.html
My health insurance company sent me a link to this database of information on supplaments and herbs. I searched for a couple things and it seems to have a wide library, but it’s sort of biased in favor of phara vs natural stuff:
http://naturaldatabaseconsumer.therapeuticresearch.com/nd/search.aspx?referer=kaiserpermanenteconsumer&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
There was a ton of bullshit circulating this week on meat being deadly. Here’s the best ass kicking of those news reports I’ve read: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/will-eating-red-meat-kill-you/#axzz1p79tlFy9
Interesting re: Norik and the Pot positive.
I guess because it was an international level meet, he got busted for it vs. a USADA tested meet (considering one of the top female lifters tested positive for pot a while back and it was supposedly “swept under the rug”)
The dream about Klokov is slightly weird, like 3/10 weirdness units. The fact that you needed to let a couple thousand (?) people know bumps it up to an 8, though.
Q: Good blender for protein shakes? Seems simple enough, but I’ve had cheapo ones that died quickly.
Magic bullet is magic, gumbo.
Cool vids. Watching the bar look so springy with all that weight on it is impressive.
Two part N00b’ish question about lifting belts…
Is there value in getting used to wearing one now when I’m not lifting super-heavy so that I’m used to it, or should I just wait until my numbers really start to go up?
And if so, what type would you recommend? The kind with the clamp that snaps or the kind that’s more like a traditional belt? Thanks.
Q&A question
Still looking for a good ascent/up cue for the sumo deadlift.
Middle foot through floor doesn’t really work with such a wide stance, sumo DL feels like more of a squat than a push against the floor.
@meangene
The 10mm thick Inzer single prong belt is the gold standard for most
http://www.inzernet.com/detail_belt.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FOREVERBELTS_BUCKLE10MM
Q&A question
Do you see much utility to much utility (in terms of crossover strength) to doing Glute Ham curls ?http://youtu.be/Y7ndeehIOhU
Perhaps instead of RDLs from time to time.
Get a Vitamix. You can find refurbs on their site that are as good as new. It might seem expensive now but in the long run it’s cheaper since you don’t have to buy a new one every couple of years. It’ll last a lifetime. Plus, it works so much better than any regular blender.
Question: whenever I overhead press frequently, my T-spine starts getting all misaligned and poppy. Seriously, like rice krispies. Anyone dealt with this? How about any tips?
(Some for details are: grip width is thumbs in front of the shoulders, I aim for external rotation throughout the movement, and minimal layback, though it will happen on heavier loads…All I can think of.)
And, yes, been using the Lacrosse ball back there, and it works, but I don’t remembering having this problem before a few months ago, so I figure I should be able to prevent it, not just treat it…
Q&A Questions: 1. For someone with essentially zero conditioning base, how would you have them start conditioning on the Prowler?
2. What are your thoughts on the utility of dumbbell pullovers (or barbell)?
@Gumbo: Anything good enough to put on your wedding registry will be good enough for normal shake use.
@jamesinottawa – I’ve heard great things about Vitamix, but even the refurbished is out of my budget now. I’ll keep that in my backpocket for the future.
@meangene – belts strengthen your trunk over time, so couldn’t hurt using them early. I’d probably save them for your last warm-up and your work sets. Also, check out Justin’s old articles on belts (scroll down): http://www.70sbig.com/blog/2011/04/gear/
Q: What is the GD point of hanging out in the hole with 250kg in your rack?
Besides making me feel inferior.
Nice vids Justin.
Before you have mentioned, with regard to diet, to get carbs from potatoes. Why not rice or good bread. I don’t mean that wonder bread crap or most anything else you get it the store. I’m talking good sourdough or heavy german style bread. That stuff kicks a bland potatoes ass any day of the week.
Thoughts?
Because those items create inflammation in the gut, which will require some arbitrary amount of systemic recovery credits to heal which will mean those recovery credits aren’t spent on training recovery. For more, look up any Paleo diet website.
I regularly eat sweet potatoes and consider them more tasty than white potatoes.
–Justin
Can you dunk?
Probably not. I haven’t tested in a while, but I can routinely get the middle of my hand on the rim. When I was doing a linear progression in Texas in 2009, I did 32″ on the Vertec after training (including heavy squats). In high school I was at 32″ on a foot pad test. I’ve probably never been over 34″.
–Justin
I just saw on facebook that 90% of people don’t know the opposites to 1) Always 2) Coming 3) From 4) Take 5) Me 6) Down
That’s hard to believe, so I challenge anyone to try.
@pickle – try playing with Nutrition Data for info on nutrient balance, protein quality, and glycemic load. Compare sweet potatoes (http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2667/2) to white rice (http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5712/2). Lots more nutrients in the sweet potato.
Sensei I sent you my Q&A question in an email yesterday, but I’ll ask the group too, what’s your pre-workout snack/meal/supplement? I go to the gym right from work and don’t have time to eat a real meal, but typically have a protein shake and a cup of coffee. I’m up for trying anything to help have more energy.
@chris2004 I do the same. I try to save a few bites from my lunch for this. So 1 hour before leaving I usually have like 2-4 oz meat and then something like an apple for a few carbs, and then the all important cup of coffee 30 min before leaving. There may be a more perfect food but I find this to be practical. Fat can slow the absorbtion of carbs, so it’s better if the meat is chicken.
QA Question:
I’m tired of squatting and deadlifting ~ 500 but benching under 300. I think most of my issues are set-up related but there seems to be a lot of conflicting advice on the interwebz. How do you teach your trainees how to set up under the bar for the bench press? I am especially struggling with recruiting leg drive so any advice on foot placement would be key. Also, any advice on programming the slingshot into one’s training?
Q&A Question-
I’ve really been struggling lately to keep my knees out. I really noticed it this past weekend at my first meet on my heavy attempts, however I looked back and I’ve been doing it regularly for close to a year. I couch stretch/table stretch/foam roll regularly and cue knees out in my head, but it feels more like a muscular imbalance or something.
(this one is the worst but it was there on the lighter ones as well.
I wanna ask a question, but I don’t have a good one so I’ll leave it to someone else
I asked a Q last week but seeing as there are a thousand Q’s here already, it’ll keep.
Have been enjoying that Klokov front squat this week and I always get excited about new KK vids.
I was surprised there was no post yesterday, but then I serious’d and realised it’s amazing that Justin posts every day on here! What an effort! Hope you feel appreciated mate.
If you’re already about to cover toe angles perhaps you could cover squat stance as well. I usually went for mid-wide (rip-stance) but am curious about the ultra wide stance a lot of powerlifters use. Which benefits/tradeoffs will it entail and so on. I started out with general fitness in mind but inspired by you guys I might start competing in PL soon.
Keep up the good work, cheers!
whatever klokov, get outta here with that.
That Pulaku vid is sweet. I can’t wait to see him move up to the 105 class soon.
Q regarding belt use and Olifts?? When to introduce, what type, pros and cons. That’d be excellent
Another question for all you people. Have any of you had your wisdom teeth pulled in the middle of a linear progression? I get all four pulled tomorrow, and I’m wondering if it’ll affect my progress a lot…
@Wo Bist Du.
fuck that shit.
Hah, I know, right? And I was looking forwards to doing, for 3×5, the weight of my previous best single tomorrow… The drugs say “No!”
Squatting*
(Why can’t you edit comments on here?)
Because I’m an egomaniac.
–Justin
“He was wearing a tank top. He talked about life and training. I came.”
Day= made.
Since I’ve started to read this site daily, I’ve developed an unhealthy man-crush for Klokov, is this normal?
It is normal. When you dream about him, repeat your question.
–Justin
Question- if when I do the olympic lifts I only wear a floppy velcro belt, would it be detrimental to my lifts to use a thicker powerlifting belt for back squats and front squats? I can definitely lift more in the thicker belt. What are some good exercises to improve trunk strength as I feel that it is my main weakness that shows especially on the jerk? How do you improve forward lean in the snatch catch? I just got a camera and have been recording myself and my recovery in the snatch and clean is forward and it is a result of not being able to maintain a relatively perpendicular back. Any good mobs for this or suggestions?
What do you mean by “improve forward lean in the snatch?” Do you mean that you lean forward and you want/need to lessen that forward inclination? If so, mob your ankles, knees, anterior hips, external hip rotators, lumbar, lats, and shoulders.
–Justin
I saw someone else post a question a long time ago about long forearms and trouble getting into a good rack position for cleans and front squats. I have a similar problem. When I put my arms into a good elbows up rack position, my knuckles are resting on my shoulders up almost past my delts. My shoulder ROM is actually fairly decent (I do a lot of MWOD stuff for it), so I’m not really sure what to do. Right now I simply don’t clean (I snatch) and I do the crossed-arm thing for front squats, but for weights over about 275 that hurts like hell. Does anyone have a suggestion on what, if anything, I can do to get a decent rack position?
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