PR Friday — Post your training updates, PR’s, and questions to the comments and the 70′s Big crew will respond.
Weekly Q&A gives you a chance to ask anyone from the 70′s Big Crew a question in the comments, on Facebook, or Twitter. Follow 70’s Big on Instagram.
Don’t forget to check out the first episode of Chalk Talk. Hopefully Mike and I can match up for a podcast this weekend.
Misha Koklyaev is such an awesome strength athlete and has an awesome personality. He needs to tour the states like Klokov has been.
Really like the idea for the Youtube show, and hope to see more (and longer!) episodes in the future.
I have had to give up low bar squats for the moment due to a wicked case of elbow/shoulder tendinitis. Moving to high bar squats, I had a question regarding form which I haven’t seen addressed on the site.
For general strength athletes (i.e., not Olympic weightlifters), is it recommended to go ATG if possible, or should you stop at some point slightly below parallel to try and utilize a stretch reflex off the hams, similar but less pronounced than experienced in low bar? I would think that the hamstrings reach a point of maximum tension at some point below parallel, and as the knee continues to close they slacken. Obviously they are not as stretched as in a low bar squat, but there is still some tension.
Part of the reason I ask is because I can go ATG in static conditions like a pause squat or if I’m just stretching, but during an actual set with a rebound out of hole I find I have to relax too much to get down to rock bottom.
You are correct in thinking that as the knee angle gets too acute (by getting “ass to grass” in the squat) that the hamstrings will slacken. I am not a fan of ATG style squatting, though it can have utility in Olympic weightlifting. Personally I do not do it, and I wouldn’t even have a weightlifter do them all of the time (Note: I am not a high caliber weightlifting coach, it’s just how I would do it with beginner/intermediate caliber lifters).
The reasoning is the same as you have laid out: I want there to be tension about the hip, and that goes for hamstring, adductors, external rotators, and the anterior chain, and this is accomplished by not falling into the bottom but controlling (Note: hip external rotation is critical in accomplishing the aforementioned tension, and the first Chalk Talk has to do with that).
Good question, good thinking.
36 y/o Male 6’2″ 215 lbs, Can see my abs if I flex.
No PRs, but for 2 weeks I have been experiencing a tingle/pull sensation from my right buttocks on down the lateral hamstring. Not sure if I pulled something or if I’ve got mild sciatica. Regardless, it’s time to lighten up for a couple weeks to let it clear. When it does I think I’m going to give DeFranco’s WSFSB 3 program an honest run. For now I’ll do my DDP Yoga and work some beach muscles.
Tuesday I ate 30 wings and washed it down with a pitcher of Miller. Not quite a PR.
I’d say you need to free up the soft tissue in and around that hip, and so far it sounds like a bit of nerve irritation.
+1 for 30 wings. -1 for Miller.
I don’t believe in coincidence, but I find it interesting that I came to this same realization today. Set a PR of 230×12 on High Bar Squats. First 5 reps were ATG with a bounce out of the hole, next 7 were cut short of ass to ankles. As I was performing rep 6, I realized that, while awkward because the movement had not been practiced as such, I was able to maintain tension throughout the lift.
Set all 4 new PRs last saturday at the 2014 APF North Dakota Powerlifting Champion. Went 617/451/601 for a 1669 lb total.
Video of all attempts
Nice. You are not small.
1. Why do you think you missed the second attempt 617 squat? Looks like you got off balance. Nice recovery to make the third attempt.
2. In your squat and bench it looks like you still have potential to clean up the excess movement (like your hands and a little bit of the back angle on the squat and your feet on the bench). Still, your squats have good depth despite that wider stance, so that’s pretty sweet.
3. You smoked your deadlifts. What’s your gym PR?
4. I think it’s kinda cool the APF plays music at the meet. Some times they do it a little bit at USAPL, but it’s often at a low volume.
1. I didn’t like where I had to place my hands because of where the hooks were so I had them widen that out I think that and the fact that I couldn’t wear sleeves contributed to my failed 2nd attempt. I went all in on my last attempt do or die situation and grinder it out.
2. Yes I agree I need to clean that up. I’m shooting for USAPL raw nationals next year I figure a solid year of training will help put me over the hump into elite territory.
3. I’ll be honest I have never deadlifted over 500 in training. All my Deadlift PRs have come in competition. Deadlifts are my worst lift and I’m terrible at them. I find the less I do them, the better I get. Makes no sense.
I’m in my second cycle of 531 by Wendler. None of my weights are in PR territory yet, but I’ve been getting extra reps in on the last set, as prescribed. Here’s what I’ve got this week.
Squat 390 for 8, this was excellent but rocked me
Deadlift 410 for 7, from last week (which is 3×5 so a little lighter)
I’m benching tonight, and then deadlifting tomorrow.
84 kg bodyweight here, just hit:
150×5 squats – the last one was such a grinder, left me really prowd of myself
62.5×5 ohp, but my friend noticed me doing cheating with knees, so will repeat next week
160×5 deadlift – sumo, fixed form and felt it really hard in my hamstrings.
here is the deadlift, just in case someone is bored and wants to critique form
(left hand was injured so it’s grip is weakened and you’ll notice that)
Last several months doing GSLP. Getting nice PRs in high rep ranges on last sets.
Squat: 280lb x 10
Bench: 230lb x 9
Deadlift: 360lb x 9
Press: 157lb x 6
Justin, along the lines of a training while traveling topic request I saw the other day, what about nutrition. On road trips, I’ve often wondered what the best meal is at fast food restaurants for protein intake, quantity, cost affective, and not too high in calories. Even if it means piecing items off the value menu together (i.e. 4 value menu double cheese burgers minus condiments and throwing out most of the buns). A list of 70s Big meals under $10 at several of the top fast food restaurants would be sweet! Maybe a collection of ideas from readers would work.
AC’s “Goon Hall Special” meal is a pretty amazing feat of fast food wizardry, albeit not particularly “healthy.”
PRs:
Beltless High Bar Squat: 500 x 1 (1RM)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fcsw6zbuCxE
Overhead Press: 280 x 1 (1RM)
Fucking nice.
So I was eating outside at Chipotle and some older lady who’s son was tying up their dog outside drives her electric wheelchair right off the sidewalk. I rushed over and helped pick her up and move the wheelchair (those things are heavier than they look as I discovered…wheelchairs, not old ladies). It helps to not be weak, I guess. And I guess if you eat lunch at the same place pretty much every day something different is bound to happen eventually.
Question, though, how can I solve the golfer’s elbow that I’ve had (in varying degrees) since late February? I’ve tried everything: mashing, compression, icing, not icing, more fish oil, but the only thing that seems to help is anti-inflammatories. But when I go off of the NSAIDs the pain comes back. I don’t know how it got irritated, but I haven’t been able to deadlift for a while now and have just been doing tons of banded goodmornings. Grasping things irritates it, particularly with flat fingers, and the middle finger, in particular. It doesn’t hurt unless my elbow is extended, though, or moving between flexion and extension.
Yeah, ditto sort of. I’ve got some tendonitis where my patellar tendon attaches to my tibia. I’ve been trying to take time off but that only helps until I go and start squatting again. Any ideas?
I egt it on and off as well and there are two things that I added recently that made it go away. The first is DeFranco’s Simple Six warm up (youtube it), the second is elbow flossing. I believe it’s the later that has really helped solve my issue as I know 2-3 other guys who have fixed their tendonitis with it. I do it once before pressing workouts, but the others find it’s even better if you add another round after. Video below.
PR in the past couple weeks:
Snatch 235
Jerk 300
End of first 5/3/1 cycle so no PRs due to deload week. I have seen SIGNIFICANT changes in my recovery due to easing off the intense volume that comes with The Texas Method.
Witch brings me to my question. I had compression fractures in T6-T10 and a TBI while gettin my Marine on! I’ve tried your band method verses good mornings to try strengthen my thoracic extensors with no results, I’m still left with A LOT of upper back pain/weakness and a really bad kyphotic posture. Do you know of any other exercises i.e. neck harness and such that might be beneficial?
Thanks
6’3″ 245lbs
415 squat
435 DL
285 bench :(
205 MP
No prs. Tried to front squat heavy after two days of pretty much just riding in a car and pulled some tiny muscle in my butt, about a week ago. Seems to be getting better. Should have rolled out or something beforehand, and just ease into it.