Refresh my memory: what did I tell you last time?
Member
Last squat video from me... maybe...
Hey Rip, I have another squat video for you to scrutinize.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUMQ_pnt-q8
This is my second set of the five today at 295.5 pounds
Today my left anterior portion of the deltoid was causing some fairly significant discomfort on the ascension during the squat, by the 5th set after some adjustments I realized I may not have been keeping my should blades pulled back and the muscles tight so my deltoid was being strained. Oh well, next week it should be fixed.
By the way, Mondays on the Texas method are absurdly brutal... whoever thought this program up is very sick... I like it though...
TMPHBITEU
Refresh my memory: what did I tell you last time?
Member
Last time you said that the basic squat mechanics were good but I was losing lumbar extension fairly early in the set.
Im going to deduce the fact that since your asking me this I still haven't fixed my lumbar extension... I feel as though I am trying to throughout the set. Forgive me for being so dense but what exactly do you look for with sufficient lumbar extension, are you expecting a more pronounced lumbar curve ?
TMPHBITEU
Why don't you reread the Active Hip article and fix your stance so that you can shove your knees out? This will address both your low back and your depth.
Starting Strength Coach
Rip - Here is his original post, and the resulting thread.
This is a classic example as to why some people need to have either a training partner who knows his shit, or a coach in the gym with them, at least occasionally.
Here's the original video from 4 months ago:
Compare and contrast with the most recent:
danimal -
Now, I'm not trying to embarrass you or anything, but can you honestly not see the difference in these two squats?
This is why having a training partner or a coach, as I stated above, is important. Or to at least be able to analyze your own video. And if you are going to be using video to look at your technique, to do it often.
This would also be why, to the chagrin of many in the Technique section of the forum, we point out picky shit - because danimal's squat has devolved over a long period of time into what it is now - this did not just happen in one session. It is the result of a bunch of little errors along the way.
Luckily, it could be fixed in one session as long as the coach knows what he's about.
And the other thing I would question is why were you doing 285x9 in September, but are only doing 295.5 x 5 x 5 now? What happened or went wrong with the programming?
Member
Will do. Definitely not the last video from me.. hopefully next week I will get it right.
Member
I appreciate your attempt at useful criticism, but I seriously question your knowledge when it comes to training and form. 5x5 across at 295.5 is not a digression in any way from a MAX EFFORT single set at 285 of 9 reps, In the other video I was doing 5/3/1 where the last set is max effort, now I am doing the Texas Method where I am doing 5 sets across making slow and steady gains, not maxing out on my volume days, I'm certain I could do more than 9 reps at 285 in my current state. The Texas Method is a smarter program; I was over trained after 7 months of 5/3/1.Originally Posted by Steve in ATL
Also, you think there has been a digression in my form since the set of 9 at 285 ? You'll notice in that video as the set goes on my back begins to round out and the bar path gets all out of whack and I still do not have any degree of lumbar extension. So since then I have shortened my depth a bit to keep my back in a better position which has kept my bar path more vertical, so I would say this is an improvement, now all I need to do is fix my lumbar extension and stance as well shove my damn knees out more and I should be looking pretty good with an extra inch or so of depth.
As far as my coaching, I have knowledgeable people around me that take a look at my stuff; they are just not followers of Rips style of squatting, so they do not know the intricacies of this style. I've actually had many compliments on that set, but I come here to see what Rip has to say because he is a fucking genius when it comes to squatting though it stings to realize I still suck.
This was 11 months ago or so and Rip asked if I had read the book,
http://www.vimeo.com/7929484
This was me a month ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfBzXIHj2H8
What did your squat look like when you were 19? Give me a fucking break; I'm doing my best here.
Starting Strength Coach
Your questioning is in error. Since, as you state, Rip knows his shit, then maybe it would help to understand that I am a certified (by Rip) as a Starting Strength coach. And since Rip knows his shit, I take it on face value when he expresses the opinion that I'm moderately more educated than an slightly-more-than-adolescent forum poster. You might wish to consider doing so as well. I'm 99.9% sure that if I had posted anything that Rip disagreed with vigorously, then the post would have never been approved, you never would have seen it, and Rip would have asked me just what in the hell I was thinking (or not).
You did a set of 9 at 285 4 months ago. This is your SECOND set of 5 NOW. You should in no way be near as tired, and yet your form is poor (compared to the first video). Given that it's at a weight that's only 10 pounds heavier that what you were doing maximally 4 months ago, and since most people progress 5# per week on the TM, and since even if you backed off 50# off of 285 to establish your working weight for the volume day, then yeah, I think you fucked up something on the programming, which is why I asked what your programming looked like in the first damn place. Notice the use of the word "or," in my original post. That's a conditional that I threw in there on the off chance that something went wrong, or life just intervened, or whatever, to cause you to be behind where I think you could have been. But I've been doing TM since you were worrying about who was going to stuff you in a locker your freshman year of HS (assuming that your crack about what my squat looked like at 19 means that you are indeed 19). In addition to the aforementioned certification, so yeah, I understand TM a little bit.
Hell, I'm wondering if you were following or even tried the Novice progression (which you should have if you hadn't) when you came off of 5/3/1. I think you could have gotten farther than where you are now ON THAT, had you done it properly. Like most people, you probably said to yourself "I'm not a novice! I've been on the 5/3/1 for 11 months!" and didn't even give it a go. Which, again, you should have.
Yes, I do, and so does Rip - something you apparently missed. The first set (the single set of 9) that I quoted shows a degrading lumbar position, sure, but we expect stuff to break down when doing maximal efforts. And so Rip pointed out what wrong. I quote: "The squat mechanics are basically good, but you lose your lumbar extension pretty early in the set." What you apparently missed was that he said that the squats were basically good. Now, Rip is pointing out something different: that your mechanics are NOT good on this set, namely, your depth is lacking, you need to get your knees shoved out, and that your knees are sliding forward noticeably on several of the reps. Since Rip already covered all of that, I saw no need to repeat it.
Yeah, we noticed. YOU will notice that the basic squat mechanics were OK - your back lost extension due to weakness in your back, not because of bad form. Your form was (except for the back rounding) good.
I like it when someone tells me that they doubt my coaching ability then flat out admits to giving up good form to attempt to fix a weakness. And then admit that they failed to fix the original problem in the first place.
So they're knowledgeable, but they don't know how to coach a low-bar back squat? Are they really "knowledgeable" in a way that is useful to you then? I think not.
Irrelevant. We are talking about YOUR squat NOW. Although a better question would be "What did your squat look like after 'X' months of SS:BBT?"
So exactly how would you like to be given a break? Would you like us to talk to you like you're in HS, and not damage Mommy's Precious Little Snowflake's ego? You don't want criticism? What do you think coaching is?
We understand that you are doing your best - and we're pointing out how you can do better. Don't shoot the messenger because you don't like the message. I was very mild with you. I don't think I said anything that deserved your attitude that I got back. You're here (allegedly) to learn. I would suggest not pissing off the people who are trying to help you do so.
Member
Could you be any more condescending? Your tone pisses me off.
Member
I would love to type a long huge rebuttal, but I really don't feel like wasting my time, the internet is very bad for these purposes. I'm sorry for the questioning the random guy on a forum, I forgot everyone on the internet is a professional.
Since you are the omnipotent Steve in ATL, how do these look ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4jWs9WEkpo
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