Rippetoe Startuing strength

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Got mine on friday, left it at work which put me in a bad mood all weekend cos I couldn't read it!

Anyway, work has taken a back seat over the last few days as I've devoured it, it's amazing how many things there are to consider to get really good form and how far I am currently away from that, despite what I would consider having relatively good form already.

Really really annoyed I didn't know about this book about 8 years ago!!

Also suddenly become very interested in a much more abbreviated routine and squatting and deadlifting more often, bit like the Kortes programme that Sci and Steve are following although I'm not sure if I'll use that for progression.

Cheers

Rob
 
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(scientific muscle @ Feb. 15 2007,22:03)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">my hip flexibility is terrible.

I guess I should be doing yoga with my wife instead of typing on the internet so much!</div>
No you shouldn´t be doing yoga.

The best method to increase your flexibility for the squat IS the squat.

Drop the weight significantly and work the form.

FORM is almost everything in the squat.

You will get better results with correct form and lighter weight than crappy form and heavy weights.

aside: I remain unconvinced that yoga is actually healthy for the joints. I have seen some yoga masters with BAD, BAD, problems with their knees, they look almost crippled.
Plus I see no need to be able to look at my own butt from beneath and between my legs, unless I am sitting on the highway with my back to oncoming traffic.
 
funny you mention that, I actually got my wife learning how to squat deep with me instead of me doing yoga with her. We both started with just the bar and focused on form. Within a few days my hips opened up and I am now able to squat ATG with weight but it is still light. It really stretches the groin, (thigh adductors).
 
If you really want to stretch the adductors, do front squats with a wide stance.

Increase the weight over time slowly and NEVER go beyond the point where your form suffers.

When the form is lost, and towards heavy weights, you risk injury.
 
I can squat really deeply now and keep my back upright solely because I have done it a lot over the last year or so. I don't do any other stretching save for a few quad and ham stretching movements if I'm feeling really tight from the previous days session. There is no way I had the flexibility I have now when I started squatting.

I got the SS book at just the right time for me as it has helped me to iron out my remaining form issues before I push for some bigger poundages. My form definitely suffers on the last few reps of my heaviest sets of 5s but I still feel in control and not at the point where I might sustain an injury (although that's always a possibility when you are lifting a lot of weight).

I am always amazed that it is possible to go really deep with a heavy weight and just stand up again. The body is truly a wonderful thing, even if the brain in this particular one ain't so hot.  
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my flexibility is atrocious....when I was stretching alot and did about 200 lbs less on the squat I got to where I could do a one legged squat, but can't even get close to that now. I can't even do a real ATG squat unless I have at least 225 on the bar. It sucks
 
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