Wednesday, January 14, 2009

1/14/09

Medium squats, heavy bench today.



Warm-up:
Neck and shoulder mobility
OHS 2x5
Hip rehab/prehab
Back bridge
65lbs short fat bar TGU 2x1


Low bar back squat:
135x5, 135x5, 165x5, 165x5, 165x5


Bench press:
135x5, 165x5, 195x4, 195x4, 195x4


25lbs weighted pull-ups:
7x4


On 60 seconds rest


2 hands pinch:
120x2, 110x3, 110x3, 110x3


Notes-
Colin asked a couple of days ago about my current bwt. I have not weighed in since leaving my old job at the end of November, but I would suspect I have held steady at just below 165.

Franklin asked about the low bar back squat. It is my understanding that the low bar position enables the lifter to push the glutes back and better take advantage of the hamstrings when squatting. The higher bar position will allow (enforce) a more upright posture as the lifter descends into the hole, and will thus be more like a front squat albeit with a slightly higher emphasis on the glutes compared to the quads. Most people will be able to use more weight with a low bar position, because more of the posterior chain is involved and because of the stretch reflex in the hamstrings at the bottom position. Rippetoe teaches and preaches low bar in his books and articles, though he does keep the bar higher than some PL coaches. I place the bar on the spine of the scapula so that it is supported just below the traps.

3 comments:

Colin said...

You appear to have really kicked it up a notch or two lately - great stuff!! I fancy those DL and red nail goals will surely tumble this year.

Martin Schap said...

Thanks Colin. I lately feel a renewed focus that just wasn't there for a while. I think partly it has come with switching jobs and getting back to training in the early morning most of the time. Less stress combined with working out at the beginning of the day before life has a chance to make me lazy are the keys.

Franklin said...

Aha! You answered my question in this post instead of a follow up comment .. thanks!

Interesting that in Starting Strength the bar looks pretty high in some of the photos but not as high as we train back squats at the Oly club. I will say that even with the bar high, my quads are toast after back squats whereas I feel it more in my hip flexors with clean racked front squats.