TheKidd
I want to take the month of May off from squatting but I am worried I will lose too much strength after the amount of work that I’ve put in. I just hit a big 45lb PR with a 515 lb squat. I’m 37 years old, 5’10”, and weigh the heaviest I ever have at 218 lb. My question is what would you recommend for me to maintain as much of my squat strength as possible while focusing on cutting weight and working on cardio in the short term (4-5 weeks). I think that if I can work up to a heavy single once a week in the 90% - 95% range that would be good enough to keep me feeling strong and like I’m not backsliding too much. Do you have any specific advice?
Mark Rippetoe
What makes it necessary to take a month off?
Basically I just want to spend a month on GPP and cardio because although I know that I’m objectively pretty strong I feel like I’m out of shape. I’m stiff and sore most of the time, and getting down on the floor and playing with my kids is pretty uncomfortable. I’m also a fireman so I feel like I owe it to myself and my crew to be able to go on air and do some work without immediately becoming exhausted. My plan is to take the month of May off from drinking, do some calisthenics/running and ring in the summer with a Murph workout on Memorial Day, before jumping back into strength training. I know that I will not come back after that and be able to squat 515 lbs again. I’m ok with that, but I do want to minimize my losses.
It would make a lot more sense to start doing a conditioning workout every two weeks during your regular strength training schedule.
Bigredbull
Rip, I’m currently embroiled in an argument in a pub with a cocky D1 strength coach. He’s saying if you object to the risky sagittal plane movement in the trap bar deadlift, why don’t you object to it in the squat?
I told him that sagittal plane movement in the squat does exist but not to anywhere near the same level of risk as it does in the trap bar deadlift at heavy poundages.
Does that suffice or would you add anything?
Ps. I think I might buy this strength coach a cocktail with a pink umbrella in it at the next round at the bar.
The sagittal freedom in a squat has a lot more muscle mass to control it than the arms swinging around at the top of a trap bar "deadlift." Ask him if he knows what muscles control it in the trap bar version.
He’d left the bar before I saw your reply. I texted him your question and his reply was:
“Enough muscles to control it and have it as a useful lift to get some of my guys deadlifting 600 for sets across for the last 2 years injury free”
My response was: “Imagine how strong they’d be if they conventional deadlifted”
His reply: “Yet there they are, deadlifting 600 for sets across. What do you deadlift for your sets across?”
I know I made a good point to him but his last response has left me feeling a bit less manly after the citation of his bull strong athletes. I shall carry on with my 15th beer…
Aerospace Science Part 2 with Scott Davison | Starting Strength Radio #93 –Mark Rippetoe
The Reset: Why and How –Rori Alter DPT, SSC
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