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MidwestBeast

MidwestBeast

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Prolly even ties his mullet back into a yuppie pony tail, pffft...
Ugh, does he have leather elbow patches on his blazers, now???
 
schizm

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Ugh, does he have leather elbow patches on his blazers, now???
(Sigh) I'm afraid so... And you know, statistically speaking, once that happens there is only like a 9.6% probability that he'll ever eat a candy bar with his hands again...pass the fork and knife his way..
 
MidwestBeast

MidwestBeast

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(Sigh) I'm afraid so... And you know, statistically speaking, once that happens there is only like a 9.6% probability that he'll ever eat a candy bar with his hands again...pass the fork and knife his way..
T-Bone??? errrr, Coco?!?!
 
MidwestBeast

MidwestBeast

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From this point forward all squat racks and cages shall be named/called/referred to as lawns.

Thus, anytime someone is doing curls your heart can be warmed by yelling, "GET OFF MY LAWN!"
 
The Solution

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I found a great tip with front squats from Kyle Hunt which was using an olympic clean grip with my index finger. basically using the collarbone to support the bar and the fingers just to guide it while deceending. It may take a bit to get use to that grip and flexible wrists, but i prefer it 100x more than a cross grip for front squats. helps keep the core activated and keep tension on my quads and tension off my low back (from back squats). Great change of pace.
 
Sean1332

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My tip? Follow all of kabuki 's videos..Done. Your glute activation videos have saved my hips tremendously.
 
The Solution

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My tip? Follow all of @<u><a href="http://anabolicminds.com/forum/member.php?u=18516" target="_blank">kabuki</a></u> 's videos..Done. Your glute activation videos have saved my hips tremendously.
Post them up?

Good Squat Video.

[video=youtube;GtPN-ftmxG8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtPN-ftmxG8[/video]
 
kbayne

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1.5 rep squats + pre-workout pop-tarts for maximal anabolism.
 
oyvind

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Don't squat on a bosu ball. Never!
 
oyvind

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Do not get all your cals from cakes and ice cream, and never pre-load gummy-bears.
 
oyvind

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Will I get any free stuff please?
 
The Solution

The Solution

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Do not get all your cals from cakes and ice cream, and never pre-load gummy-bears.
Jim Stoppani hates you. Go for pixie sticks.
but honestly the whole simple carbs post-workout has been debunked long ago.
Most people should focus on going home and eating a whole food meal. Most have food overlapping into the post-workout period, so the need for something instant is minimal

When are Carbs and Protein VERY Important Post-workout?

Carbs:
- During leg Training + HIIT Cardio or doing a 2-3 hour intense workout session
Protein:
-Resistance Training in a fasted state (no meal consumed at least 3-4 hours prior)

When are Carbs and Protein of lesser importance Post-workout?

Carbs:
- 1-2 hour training session after a pre-workout meal (Small or mixed 2-3 hours prior to session)
Protein:
- Training after a meal composed of 20-40g Protein at least 1-2 hours prior to a workout in a fed state.

Overall Cliffs:

- Nutrient Timing can be beneficial but window of opportunity is not as big as believed
- Provided protein rich meal 3-4 hours prior to training, there is no stress about immediate post-workout protein supplement or meal
- Consume .4-.5g/kg of LBM in a pre/post workout exercise window spaced 4-6 hours depending on meal size.
- Post workout carb intake does not meaningful increase aabolicsm unless doing a 2 a day workout session involving same muscle groups. Glycogen is not a limting factor if you can consume enough Carbohydrates daily in the 24 hour period.
 
THE MONSTAR

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Best tip I can offer is dont be a puzzy.

You can search high and low for however long you want to, read books, ask questions on forums etc and none of it will matter if you dont sack up and put in the work. Devise a plan, attack it in the gym with everything you have, eat a ton of food (if you say you eat alot and still cant grow you are lying to yourself and not eating enough) and get good sleep at night. It isnt rocket science, it just takes hard work. Dont be a puzzy, everyone will know if you are putting in the work or not, its that simple.
 
THE MONSTAR

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Weird that we cant say the P word on here...lol. added some z's to get my point accross
 
The Solution

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A great tip I have used on my training recently are static holds on Squats.
Set up a power rack where you are sitting in the hole and the bar is resting on the pins
Descend and try and hold the bottom pause for 35-40 second with the bar on the pins and focus on spreading the floor, weight on your heels, and squeezing the living hell out of your quads.

Caution: These hurt.. Mentally and Physically.
 
kabuki

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Chris Duffin, I would love to get your thoughts on technique specific for squatting with long femurs? I feel my femur makes up the most of my body length and for the longest time I have been struggling with squats because everyone tells me to sit back when I am already sitting back as far I can go without falling. I havebeen leaning forward to compensate which makes coming out from the hole very hard, and is tough on my lower back.

After watching videos from Candito where he suggested squatting hybrid/high bar and also taking a wider stance, I decided to give it a try. I took a screenshot from my log for reference, I am squatting high bar for the first time here. Any tips to help me dominate this will be much appreciate!

View attachment 124474
Positions look good. Keep trying to drive back towards the bar at the clavicle but be able to do so without reaching/craning back at the neck. high bar vs low bar... whatever more comfortable.

With a lower bar you can still get the bar close to the spine by working the muscle back out of the way pushing them out of the way by 'working' in with the bar. And then DON'T create a shelf be rolling forward a bit at the top. I see this where people go wrong with low bar position and make it a different lift. Drive back into the bar right were the clavicle is in the front... kind of the base of the neck but still keeping neck neutral. Then it isn't a 'different' lift as a lot of people think.
 
kabuki

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i have noticed that with squats, the wider the stance the more it works the glutes and takes away from isolating the quads....so keeping the legs shoulder width apart and feet forward instead of canted works best for me. if you have trouble with your form, go lower weight until you perfect it and adopt front squats into your routine as well.

never skip legs day. the bigger and stronger your legs the better because the rest of your body should try to catch up with them with proper training and diet of course. working out legs helps up your test levels as well from what i have read. please correct me if i am wrong.

my 2 cents: just cuz you can push up a ton of weight on squats doesnt mean you can skip your calves. i see too many people skipping calves and saying oh its just genetics that i have small calves.
everyone's optimal squat width is different when it comes to hitting depth. Many people think there is a one size fits all answer. We do a hip assessment ALA dr. Stuart McGill where we find each persons hip structure and depth they can hit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxAVJkbTf0M

That said training different widths is beneficial as long as your not going into loaded flexion.
 
kabuki

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Can you imagine if we would have had ModernBCAA+ when Mullet wrote that original script? Game changer...
So True!!!

I don't do the fasted training anymore due to my current goals and sheer size i have to support now. But this was a STAPLE of my training regimen for 5-6 years doing the USPlabs FTP.
 
kabuki

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Here is my tip for squatting:

Work on flexibility and mobility. I would really work on foam rolling and doing static stretching post workout and on off days. One stretch I like is for my hips. Stand in front of a pec deck machine. Put the seat up as high as possible. Put the outside portion of one foot onto the seat, your leg should form an L shape. Take one hand and push down on your knee, resetting your hips.

This next stretch will open up your hips, help you with depth, and help you push your knees out. Take a kettlebell and hold it in front of you. Squat down and put your elbows in between your legs. Push your elbows against your thighs, to spread them apart even more.
If you have never seen any of my work I highly recommend not stretching ANY of the squat prime movers before squatting.

Remember that decreases in mobility are a result of protective patterns from poor movement - fix the main issue and DO NOT pre-stretch the muscles you are going to load. If you need to, then do it the day prior to your squat session or after training.

Here is an article I have written on this.

http://www.elitefts.com/education/using-your-bodys-mobility-and-stability-mechanisms-to-drive-performance/

firing pattern drills to shorten warmup and groove patterns before training can be very good idea.

I've lectured a few times on this subject in PHD level curriculum. I'll also reference Dr. Stuart McGill with the research to support this.

Here is some more interesting related reads.

http://www.elitefts.com/education/watch-the-meathead-mobility-series/
 
kabuki

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A great tip I have used on my training recently are static holds on Squats.
Set up a power rack where you are sitting in the hole and the bar is resting on the pins
Descend and try and hold the bottom pause for 35-40 second with the bar on the pins and focus on spreading the floor, weight on your heels, and squeezing the living hell out of your quads.

Caution: These hurt.. Mentally and Physically.
These are great.

We do 5 reps with no rest at the top a full 5 count (to a timer) in the hole. Usually 40% of max... 50% is pretty advanced.

No belt, no rest at the top, and no sitting on legs in the whole. Must maintain rigidity and then fire from that.

Huge developer for Squats AND Deads!
 
deedeez

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Ok....so while following all the rules as stated above....I also like to grab a nice beefy set of dumbells and stand on the end of an aerobic step and do Dumbell squats. I find this particularly helpful when finishing off a drop set and you can just drop the weights to your side without doing that chicken shuffle back to the rack to drop the bar. Also helps with balancing everything out nicely. As for caloric intake, I try and consume about 4 to 5 hundred more calories over and above just on leg day...oh and don't forget to breathe...don't want u passing out on us
 
kbayne

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If building quads is the main focus, stop just above parallel and try not to pause at the top. Keep constant tension on the quads throughout the motion. Done correctly, quads will be on fire, especially if using a closer stance.
 
The Solution

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For those who have trouble sitting on your heels during a squat. Place 2.5/5lb plates on your heels when you are warming up. This will help you sit back into the motion.
 
borobulker

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For those who have trouble sitting on your heels during a squat. Place 2.5/5lb plates on your heels when you are warming up. This will help you sit back into the motion.
Have you ever tried oly shoes?
 
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Have you ever tried oly shoes?
Can't justify the price for the expensive nike Romaleo's or adidas powerlifters (200$ a pair)
i just wear flat soled shoes and have found better hamstring/glute recruitment doing so.
I know many top Pro's/Coaches would recommend them , but I just don't have the funds.
 
borobulker

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innovo's have a good line
I personally have Reebok and Adidas oly shoes. Each a little different and I only occasionally use them. I actually wore the Adidas' squatting this morning.
 
MidwestBeast

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I personally have Reebok and Adidas oly shoes. Each a little different and I only occasionally use them. I actually wore the Adidas' squatting this morning.
 
MidwestBeast

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Thanks burnfire for your squat tips! Best advice on here thus far!
 
The Solution

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Importance of Calories
Meet a protein minimum of at least 1g/lb
Meet at least 20% of your dietary needs from fat
Put the rest for carbs
if you feel you are carb sensative add more fat and drop your fat intake.
Aim to gain at least .5lb-1lb a week, adjust based off the mirror and the weight room (adding weight to the bar)
The scale is the least valuable tool in a gaining phase, while you need to add weight to add size/strength. Sometimes you wont gain a pound but still get stronger in the gym.

Do not be afraid to eat to grow. Sometimes a meal off your diet or calories can do you good from a mental and physical standpoint.
 
kbayne

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To go off the solution, too many people believe they are insulin resistant which in turn they are scared to eat. I'll admit, I once believed it was insulin resistant and was scared of carbs. Always kept them low and fats higher. Didn't do me any good but slow my progress.

If you think you're insulin resistant, go see a physician to be diagnosed. If not, get those carbs in to fuel your workouts, especially on leg day.
 
KingLeonidas9

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I think that the best thing to do when it comes to squats and this is what this huge dude told me when I first started working out in 2004 was. Always warm up your legs. What he told me was eat carbs at least an hour and half before. Than when get to the gym do 10mins on the stationary bike on heavy level to get he legs fully warmed up and ready to squat.

I always did that since and I enjoy it. Because I don't have to do so many warm up sets before hand. I usually do 2 warm up sets and I'm set to start my working sets.And it has always worked for me. If it ain't broken, don't fix it!
 
kbayne

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One good tip, perform lying leg curls, seated leg curls, or any other hamstring movement prior to your squats. Personally feel much better once I get under the bar in the rack with the hammies fired up already.
 
schizm

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One good tip, perform lying leg curls, seated leg curls, or any other hamstring movement prior to your squats. Personally feel much better once I get under the bar in the rack with the hammies fired up already.
Definitely agree with this... Also found by doing some calf work as well, it helps with flexibility and depth on any squat movements...
 
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I think that the best thing to do when it comes to squats and this is what this huge dude told me when I first started working out in 2004 was. Always warm up your legs. What he told me was eat carbs at least an hour and half before. Than when get to the gym do 10mins on the stationary bike on heavy level to get he legs fully warmed up and ready to squat.

I always did that since and I enjoy it. Because I don't have to do so many warm up sets before hand. I usually do 2 warm up sets and I'm set to start my working sets.And it has always worked for me. If it ain't broken, don't fix it!
Going off of this.
Dynamic stretching till help release the hip girdle and make flexibility easier.
I also am a huge advocate of rumble rolling 5-10 minutes on your IT Bands, hamstrings, Glutes, and Calves prior to doing legs. This will help release those muscles for a better workout

NOBODY wants to go into a squat with a tight low back, legs. which will take away from performance. we want to set ourself up for the best possible workout
 

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One good tip, perform lying leg curls, seated leg curls, or any other hamstring movement prior to your squats. Personally feel much better once I get under the bar in the rack with the hammies fired up already.
properly done Band walks (around ankles) are great for this...they target the glutes.
 
MidwestBeast

MidwestBeast

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properly done Band walks (around ankles) are great for this...they target the glutes.
Good call.

And no wonder I always felt like I was doing them wrong...






(but seriously, a very good recommendation in band walks)
 

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Good call.

And no wonder I always felt like I was doing them wrong...






(but seriously, a very good recommendation in band walks)
Functional meets functional.....

I was a pro at that game.
 

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