If you're in the O-lifting area, can you use bumpers in case you have to dump it behind you? I'm not a fan of that either but maybe it's better than not lifting heavy.
Otherwise tempo squats with a pause will definitely make submaximal reps harder.
Hello,
There have been some Covid-era changes to the gym I attend for the short-term. As the lone non-Crossfit lifter, I've been relegated to the oly lifting area which has a squat stand, but no safeties that I could locate last week. Squatting near-max loads here without a spotter is the wrong choice.
For squat intensity day, I'm thinking to do either dynamic effort, maybe 10 doubles, or some variation of a paused squat with submaximal loads. What do you recommend in my situation? I need something that will be challenging but with submaximal loads.
The gym owners have been very good to me and I anticipate that the old setup will return. In a way, this is a welcome rest of max loads, as I've been a bit beaten up lately and my bar tilt asymmetry (form creep) needs to be addressed.
Thanks for your suggestions. I loaned out my edition of PPST3 pre-Covid, but I've been perusing PPPST2 for now.
If you're in the O-lifting area, can you use bumpers in case you have to dump it behind you? I'm not a fan of that either but maybe it's better than not lifting heavy.
Otherwise tempo squats with a pause will definitely make submaximal reps harder.
Thanks for the suggestion, Matt. I'm used to using the method shown on p. 64 of the Blue Book to fail a squat rep. It's true that we have bumpers, but I don't quite trust myself to safely dump it that way if a failure were imminent. I'm leaning toward the pause with submaximal loads, but remain open to other strategies.
I have on many occasions recommended against dumping the bar when a squat gets hard. If you give yourself permission to do this, you will find a way to do it in lieu of finishing a hard rep. Make better plans with equipment of spotters, but dumping the bar is for histrionic pussies.
Thanks for the reminder, Rip. True that it’s particularly satisfying to finish rep 5 when rep 4 was a real grinder. It definitely teaches you something to stay tight under a slow-moving bar. I’d only do that with the right equipment or spotters.
As an additional qualifier to the situation, there won’t be any spotters available.