New Article at the Blog

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

First installment of Q&A type of format I"m playing with. With permission I'm taking email exchanges I've had with some of my private clients and formalizing them into relevant useful articles.

Hopefully it's helpful.

Client Q&A #1: Bars, Belts, & Bodyweight - Baker Strength Coaching

[quad]

Is it ok to discuss the article here?

I'm currently working with cheap barbells and I use more than 315 for squat and deadlift. The bars weight like 30ish lbs and they bend a little, would a better bar that doesn't bend make a difference in my lifts or it wouldn't be a big deal?

Are there also good and bad plates? My gym replaced standard plates with bumpers for the squat rack, they are much thicker, I think a 20 kg plate is as thick as a 50 kg Ivanko and they appear to bend the bar more. Do you think using bumpers instead of standard plates changes the mechanics of the lift?

[Eric Larousse]

I was hoping I could get your input on my personal goals after reading this blog.
I play 3 different sports (basketball during the winter, baseball summer, and year round MMA i have done 3 fights and am 4-1).
I am 180 pounds 5'9" 15% BF and I do feel great energy wise and vitality wise and the reason I stay relatively light is because of speed/endurance reasons for basketball and so that I can make the 2 hour weight cut to 170 for MMA as well as not be ridiculously light for the baseball season. But if you were to give me a recommendation would you say that I should let my body weight and strength increase or would you just have me stay at my bodyweight and still try to increase my strength as a intermediate.(i asked about this the other day and you said it was possible if your levers werent too poor)?

I know that you dont set goals for us but I was just wondering what you would recommend to somebody in my position on what you think is optimal. Thanks a lot

[Sool]

Hopefully it's helpful.

Very helpful, great new format!

[Walter Palmer]

Excellent post Andy. It really should answer this question for everyone in the future who is thinking about asking it. Maybe a sticky?

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Is it ok to discuss the article here?

I'm currently working with cheap barbells and I use more than 315 for squat and deadlift. The bars weight like 30ish lbs and they bend a little, would a better bar that doesn't bend make a difference in my lifts or it wouldn't be a big deal?

Are there also good and bad plates? My gym replaced standard plates with bumpers for the squat rack, they are much thicker, I think a 20 kg plate is as thick as a 50 kg Ivanko and they appear to bend the bar more. Do you think using bumpers instead of standard plates changes the mechanics of the lift?

I certainly feel like the further out on the bar the plates extend the more effort it takes to squat it. Not a massive difference, but a little bit. If they are cheap bumpers they are often underweight too. I wouldn't fret about it though.

A slight bow in the bar isn't a huge deal on a squat or deadlift, but I think it hurts you on bench and press. Just depends on the degree of the bend. And I'm talking about a permanent bend, not a little bit of flex at heavy loads.

And yes, we can discuss the article here

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

I was hoping I could get your input on my personal goals after reading this blog.
I play 3 different sports (basketball during the winter, baseball summer, and year round MMA i have done 3 fights and am 4-1).
I am 180 pounds 5'9" 15% BF and I do feel great energy wise and vitality wise and the reason I stay relatively light is because of speed/endurance reasons for basketball and so that I can make the 2 hour weight cut to 170 for MMA as well as not be ridiculously light for the baseball season. But if you were to give me a recommendation would you say that I should let my body weight and strength increase or would you just have me stay at my bodyweight and still try to increase my strength as a intermediate.(i asked about this the other day and you said it was possible if your levers werent too poor)?

I know that you dont set goals for us but I was just wondering what you would recommend to somebody in my position on what you think is optimal. Thanks a lot

All I can really tell you is this.....at the higher levels of MMA a guy that is 5'9 will probably be a little undersized at 185. There are exceptions, but most of those guys a taller and therefore have larger frames and longer reaches. 5'9 and 170 is probably more competitive. But that is a VERY general statement and I don't know enough about you to say with certainty that you are in the right weight class.

[StevenB]

I liked the question/answer format. Enjoyable read and I'm already looking forward to the "how do I make muzzle X blow up?" questions lol.