Mary Peck and Tom D Interview

[MBasic]

Should probably be a thread on this.

...or move it down below.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Excellent video, produced by Alan Thrall. Mary is a great lifter.

[Michael Wolf]

Rip, you'll be pleased to know that some helpful people in comments on this video pointed out some things we never considered, namely:
1. No medal winning Olympic lifters use the low bar squat
2. The back angle doesn't resemble the catch position at the bottom of the clean

I wish we had thought about this more carefully, maybe even anticipated such arguments. They've really shaken my conviction about this whole low bar thing.

[blandrick]

Rip, you'll be pleased to know that some helpful people in comments on this video pointed out some things we never considered, namely:
1. No medal winning Olympic lifters use the low bar squat
2. The back angle doesn't resemble the catch position at the bottom of the clean

I wish we had thought about this more carefully, maybe even anticipated such arguments. They've really shaken my conviction about this whole low bar thing.

I've never understood the second argument. Isn't this the exact reason why they front squat? If you're front squatting as assistance for the bottom of the clean, why does it matter what back angle you have in the back squat? Never mind that the low bar squat produces a back angle closely resembling what happens out of the hole in a snatch, which means that if you train both the front and low bar squat, you're getting extra specificity, which seems to be what they're looking for when they argue these things.

[Michael Wolf]

I've never understood the second argument. Isn't this the exact reason why they front squat? If you're front squatting as assistance for the bottom of the clean, why does it matter what back angle you have in the back squat? Never mind that the low bar squat produces a back angle closely resembling what happens out of the hole in a snatch, which means that if you train both the front and low bar squat, you're getting extra specificity, which seems to be what they're looking for when they argue these things.

[mr55]

The argument that the LBS trains the lifter to use a more horizontal back angle in all situations has always seemed weak to me (even if we accept that an extremely vertical position is always desirable in weightlifting). The back angle is only one feature of the exercise. Couldn't one just as easily argue that the LBS trains the lifter to keep the bar balanced over the midfoot, which is good?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Couldn't one just as easily argue that the LBS trains the lifter to keep the bar balanced over the midfoot, which is good?

One can argue anything one wishes to argue, with perfect logic and analysis, and they will ignore you, because they have decided that they are right. Let's not rehash this again.

[Jay Mund]

Awesome! Great work Tom Distasio and Mary Peck! So good to see you guys doing it this way. Whatever they may claim, the haters are already eating their humble pie.

[Jeff Illingworth]

I'm just chiming in to give kudos to Tom. He's one hell of a coach (I and my wife have had a few training sessions with him) who is very, very good at articulating the ins and outs of strength training.