The squat is comin’ back!
Might be a little early to start proclaiming that...as much as Id love to. The last two sessions have definitely been a step in the right direction, ill give ya that!
He lives! Glad you had such a good break after slogging through the finals brochacho. Kinda resets things a bit
Sounds like an awesome trip, hopefully a lot of little annoying overuse issues you might have had cleared up with the rest too.
Yeah I mean you do need to learn to brace without it - to rehab my back, I had to learn to brace for every single movement I do around the house every single day. When I bend over to pick up something off the floor, or lean forward when brushing my teeth, when I get up or roll over in bed - I brace every single time. Those are the spinal hygiene habits you must build. If you can do that, you have earned the right to use a belt in lifting. You will always be able to lift in the belt, but you will never have it for your day to day movement - so that daily healthy movement must be a priority if you’re not there yet.
Agreed on the belt stuff, and if truly bracing against the belt you are strengthening the core regardless. It is the people who tighten the belt too tight and rely on that tension to give them the extra support that end up hurt when not using a belt because they are relying on the belt for support and not their core. If you are used to bracing and expanding your core into the belt to create the tension you are not creating a weakness there but are instead ingraining the need to brace the core creating stability and support whether a belt is there or not.
Consume the meat, spit out the bone, as Swede himself says about learning from others. You take it in, decide what’s useful to you, and discard what you can’t use - this is how you grow.
5th Set, the actual 4x2 then a 5th AMRAP set, worked very well for my bench and deadlift. Jessica hit her best circus dumbbell using it, and we coincidentally applied it today for her logpress to great effect. Her first doubles at 152 were sketch, but her set of 5 could have kept going she was so in the groove.
Dynamic work only has payout beyond active recovery if using chains or bands. Swede’s template is the better option without accommodating resistance. That’s a good change if you aren’t using either.
The day you just did seems like too little to me as well. You should add some more compound work in however you see fit (RDL, GMs, slingshot bench, Military Press, whatever)
I do the same exact thing with practicing bracing throughout the day, and do feel that I am able to brace without the belt in just about EVERYTHING EXCEPT a barbell back squat.
I always went along with this same line of thought, which is why I never felt the need to take off my belt. But then I never took off my belt and I ended up getting hurt sporadically. I understand the view of why and how one should still get a stronger core while wearing the belt as long as they're bracing properly, and I do believe that it does happen. But after fcking up my back multiple times I definitely think that there is merit to dedicated core work and doing movements that may not be the most "dangerous" without a belt on. I cant explain why but I think that it does either psychology create a crutch or without that external object cueing you make it more difficult to brace without it.
With that said, I think my best bet is to listen to you guys' advice and back squat with my belt on going forward. I can do beltless work in other areas if i feel the need or desire to do so.
It really comes down to whether you want more days off or you’d like to be in the gym a little more often but keep the session size from growing any.
The benefit to the 4th day is it can be an optional thing without having to rearrange anything if you have to miss it.
It really comes down to whether you want more days off or you’d like to be in the gym a little more often but keep the session size from growing any.
The benefit to the 4th day is it can be an optional thing without having to rearrange anything if you have to miss it.
Oh I agree there too. I often don't use a belt until I get into what I consider real work sets regardless.
I do like the 3 main and 1 optional approach as well. I have used this with a good bit of my performance based stuff. Specify on the first 3 days then hit accessories with hypertrophy or pump work on that 4rth day if I felt good enough, or take it off if I was feeling a little run down. Seems to work pretty well for me.
the people that follow my log know what they're talking about.
Kipping pull-ups is the secret
Kipping pull-ups is the secret
SHhhhh... don't tell anyone...
I actually want to learn the correct way to do a Kipping Pull Up, IE a gymnastics / crossfit pull up. I know how to kip when I am trying to squeeze out some extra reps on regular pull ups. However I would like to learn the correct form for kipping pull ups too. They are a good exercise that incorporate a lot of muscle and are good for strength endurance, and metabolic training as well.


You really killed the joke there, Kleen![]()
I’ve been trying to get back into the habit of working in some sort of carry (front rack kb or plate loaded farmers on treadmill thing) besides my core work.
Oh, and that’s a lot of reps on your NG incline lol
I’ve been trying to get back into the habit of working in some sort of carry (front rack kb or plate loaded farmers on treadmill thing) besides my core work.
Oh, and that’s a lot of reps on your NG incline lol
Lol, i will likely never buy in to kipping pull ups. They cannot do more good than harm than jerking your shoulders repetitively like that and essentially using momentum and whip from your lower half to propel yourself back up to the bar. You do you Kleen, but you wont catch me doing them!
It took me quite a while to get the kipping pullup down. I worked out at a crossfit box that wouldnt let you do kipping pullups until you could do 10 (i think it was 10. Cant remember exactly) strict. When done properly its a great workout. It took even longer to get the butterfly pull up down. The butterfly pullup just feels so unnatural when you first do it. And you learn kipping first which makes it harder because the butterfly the motion is alot like kipping but in reverse which is weirdYou big scaredy cat!!!
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Kipping pullups should be done with control, they may not look controlled but there is no jerking of shoulders or anything there. The upper body does the exact same thing as normal. You just produce a little momentum from bringing your knees up quickly, but your form should still be locked in. It looks like there is a big jerk from the shoulders but it is just the speed you move when already pulling hard with your hands and then adding momentum via the leg movement. You bump up a few inches quickly.
Yes you can do the wrong too, like anything else but a kipping pull up should be the same from as a regular one you are just using the kip to generate a little assistance. Same as a cheat curl. You can do it correctly and use a little momentum during the concentric contraction, then lower under control, or you can lean slightly forward then go into triple extension using only momentum to get the weight up over and over and call it a rep. However, that doesn't benefit anything and risks injury. A cheat curl done correctly is a great tool. Same with a proper kip up with a pull up or chin.
However I totally get your reasoning for not doing them and having pull downs as options to get more volume when proper pull ups become too hard, I don't really see a need mess with them unless you want too.
It took me quite a while to get the kipping pullup down. I worked out at a crossfit box that wouldnt let you do kipping pullups until you could do 10 (i think it was 10. Cant remember exactly) strict. When done properly its a great workout. It took even longer to get the butterfly pull up down. The butterfly pullup just feels so unnatural when you first do it. And you learn kipping first which makes it harder because the butterfly the motion is alot like kipping but in reverse which is weird
No its definitely far from cheap unless you pick up a deal for a local box thats like 10 sessions for a certain price. I hear you can find em on groupon from time to timeYes, the true gymnastic move of a kipping pull up is very technical. I understand the mechanics of it but haven't had the chance to work out in a box and get taught in person. It ain't cheap...
No its definitely far from cheap unless you pick up a deal for a local box thats like 10 sessions for a certain price. I hear you can find em on groupon from time to time
. (Feel free to converse about whatever in here lol, it at least keeps the log moving along). I never think about pulling - I think about wedging my hips through, bending the bar around me with lats, and legpressing back through my heels as hard as I can (for conventional).
But pulling is never a great activator like you are saying. Getting the hips moving through is the shared key.
How did the 5x5 squat feel?