Reply With QuoteI noticed that early on but as the difference between my weight for squats and for deadlifts has increased, I have noticed that feeling less and less.
Member
squat: getting the bar off the rack
hi guys,
56 yo novice here, 170lb. i am now up to squatting 155. it is weird, when i was with coach Adam, I did the 155 all right. Last night, it wasn't as easy. Maybe it was because it was near my bed time? (My shoulder was doing its usual best to mess me up as well).
It felt heavy to the extent that I wasn't sure I could get it off the rack. I did, for all three work sets, but de-racking it kind of felt like I was at my limit.
Is it normal to feel like de-racking is "uh, i don't know if i can do this, this feels seriously heavy," say, for us geezers?
I should add that I am pretty sure I am de-racking right. Bar over mid-foot, knees bent, bracing my upper body, valsalva. Then stand up.
steve
Last edited by sfischer; 01-29-2015 at 06:33 AM.
✓ Member
I noticed that early on but as the difference between my weight for squats and for deadlifts has increased, I have noticed that feeling less and less.
Member
I am larger than you and, to me, anything over 200 feels heavy off the rack but unracking 250 or 300 doesn't really feel any heavier than 200. What I think I am saying is that once I get comfortable with "heavy" , it becomes easier to throw that weight on your back ( not any easier to squat it, but not intimidating to unrack it ).
Member
I've unracked and reracked a bar more than once because something felt off. I've unracked a squat and immediately thought, "oh shit" and managed to get my sets anyway. It's supposed to be hard. Some days are harder than others.
I suspect it happens to everyone. Sessions like that are bound to occur sooner or later.
Member
At top weight I always have a split second of wondering if I can actually lift this let alone squat it. That's true with DLs as well. I just dismiss the feeling as a temptation from Satan himself and carry on. Most of the time it works.
Member
This may be redundant but Make sure your feet are under the bar when you unrack it. Setting up, get into good position, get tight in the upper back, set your entire back and get that torso tightbefore unracking, get air, and unrack every warmup set like it is your top set of the day. If you get super tight and prepare for a really heavy weight, it won't feel so bad.
Member
"After a certain poundage, all squats feel just about the same - heavy." -Bill Starr
Member
You know what makes 155 feel lighter, Steve? Squatting 215.Originally Posted by sfischer
On a serious note, this is exactly why programs are invaluable for novice lifters. Because how heavy it feels is just such a poor indicator of whether you can complete your sets.
I probably didn't use this analogy last weekend, Steve, but you should think of it as building up an immunity to heaviness. You need a slightly higher dose each time to build up the immunity. Some days it will be fun, and some days it might not be. But you gotta take your medicine. 157.5 lbs is your next dose.
Member
It felt the same way for me when I started. I'm 57 and use to weigh 160 now 170 and started at 155lb squats and now squatting 225. When I un-rack 225 it feels HEAVY.
✓ Member
Two thoughts to consider.
How high is the bar set in your rack? Too low or too high can make this more (or less) difficult both perceptually and actually.
Are you getting the bar settled low enough on your back and in the same place each time? Changes in this too can make the unracking and re-racking more (or less) difficult both perceptually and actually.
Posting Permissions
