Hello everyone,
I am 24 years old, 171cm/5'7", 100kg/220 lbs. Been doing SS for 5 months. I wrote about how I progressed on my lifts and what went on during that time in this post if it's of any relevance.
Looking for advice on programming during a cut
Sorry that the videos are recorded from the floor and not in landscape mode, I hadn't recorded them with intent of posting here then. I figured posting them all in a single post instead of 5 separate ones made more sense since there wasn't anything against it in the guidelines. Hope it won't be of too much trouble.
•Squat:
132.5kg/292lbs x5
Squat 132.5kg/297lbs x5 - Google Photos
Here's a photo that shows the bar position on my back. When I'm actually squatting my wrists aren't extended like how they are in the photo. I can't get the bar lower because the height of the pins are fixed on this rack.
Squat position - Google Photos
•Press:
57.5kg/126lbs x5.
Overhead Press 57.5kg/127lbs x5 - Google Photos
The angle of the video might not do justice to my elbow position, but it is actually in front of the bar. Here's a photo of me holding 55kg/121lbs from the side angle.
Press position - Google Photos
•Deadlift:
150kg/330lbs x5
https://youtu.be/uLJM0Hm64VI
•Bench Press:
87.5kg/193lbs x5
https://youtu.be/9rsG1nYgxKc
And here's me failing the fifth rep of 90kg/200lbs. This was from the first set of that workout.
https://youtu.be/yWSSLKCXoxM
•Power Clean:
72.5kg/160lbs x2
https://photos.app.goo.gl/PCaj4gvgtqViVSeg6
I switched from 5x3 to 4x2 in the power clean at 67.5kg/149lbs. So fairly recently. Kept running out of gas and spent an entire month at that weight with work sets that looked like 3 3 3 3 1, 3 3 3 2 0 and so on.
I'd appreciate everyone's input on whether if there are major issues and how I can improve them.
Maybe the title and detailed post with all those videos gave the wrong message but I only posted to see if anyone here, a coach or not, cared to drop a comment on any of these lifts, I didn't really expect anything besides that. Thanks for the reply anyway, I didn't even know the directory existed.
Since it seems that you've used up your freebies allowance, I'm going to go ahead and lend my unprofessional and probably mediocre input.
Squat
You're not pushing your hips far back enough, look at at your knee movement. They should be more locked in place. Also, keep your head pointed at the floor a la SS technique.
OHP
I think they look alright.
Deadlifts
I would revise the entire set up and follow the SS steps to a tee. Ample videos on YouTube showcasing this. Problems I see are your hips dropping low before the pull, and the bar leaving your shins.
Bench
I'm not sure that your upper back is tight enough, and it seems like you're relying more on bouncing at this weight.
power cleans
I think you're initiating the explosion far too late, causing you to jump backwards. You also need to get under the bar quicker. I'm looking specifically at your elbows not really being in the full rack position by the time the bar is on your delts.
It looks like you are doing High Bar squats even though the bar placement is lower. However, it’s tough to tell given that the video is done is a really poor angle.
I am not an SSC but I have read the books and done my own NLP. The best advice I can offer is hire a vetted SSC. If you can't afford it, I highly recommend watching the SS YouTube videos for each lift. You need to learn the lifts correctly before you nitpick your technique.
That said, I am trying to get better myself so I will write what I think. Please do your own research and don't interpret my advice as bonified "everything I say is correct".
Squat:
You're dive bombing rather than making a controlled descent. You're crashing into the bottom so fast, that you're going past your benchmark for depth and your knees are shooting forward.
Suggestions: read the Blue Book, buy a weightlifting belt, and weightlifting shoes. Use the initial exercise in the Squat chapter to learn how to perform the movement pattern prior to using the bar. Learn the correct way your knees SHOULD move then implement it.
Descend into the hole 10% slower. This should make controlling your knees easier. The knees should be done traveling forward after the first 1/3 of the squat. Use your brain to keep your knees OUT instead of letting them collapse IN when driving out of the hole.
Press:
You're not bracing even close to hard enough. You look more akin to a wet noodle than a steel column. Getting a belt will help with this too. You need to be bracing EVERYTHING, this includes your LEGS. Stay tight from the second you take your breath until you exhale. While you’re at it, watch the SS video about using the Valsalva maneuver and be sure you’re doing it correctly. That is, exhaling against a closed glottis.
Your hip drive looks like two movements rather than one motion. You are driving your hips, then dropping the bar, then executing the lift.
The advice I was given is drop the bar a millisecond before you drive your hips, and WHIP THEM HARD. Drive the bar straight up like you want to hit yourself in the nose. STAY LOCKED DOWN and get the bar all the way up, finishing the rep behind your ears.
KEEP YOUR WRITSTS AND FOREARMS IN A STRAIGHT VERTICAL LINE.
Deadlift: Watch the SS “5 step deadlift setup”
Bench: Your grip is wide, and you're crashing into your chest. You want a controlled decent; PUSH UP AGAINST THE BAR as you descend like you're loading for a massive rebound. Touch the chest LIGHTLY, and probably a half inch lower.
You need to set your arch before you take the bar out of the rack, not after. Again, the video will explain this better than I can.
Thank you for taking the time to comment, you've been of great help, but I have to say I was surprised by some of the things you said. Does it actually look like I've never looked at SS related media before? I have actually read both books and watched the videos many times. Not saying I do everything right, but I didn't expect anyone to think I'm that far off.
I actually do make an effort not to divebomb without an essence of control when I squat. I just like going just a little bit deeper. Maybe it's the angle that makes it look like it's deeper than it is. The again, I have short legs, even my ass to grass squat isn't leagues deeper than parallel. That said, I see what you're saying especially about the knees. I'll work on fixing them.
I do know what the Valsalva maneuver is, I actually do it before all reps in the video. Maybe the looking akin to noodles thing because of all the fat I have wobbling rather than me not bracing hard enough. And of course, as the set progresses it gets harder to be akin to a steel column.
Also it is stated in the blue book that "hips-forward must occur before the press starts".
I can't believe I wasn't even aware my grip has been wider than it should be for all this time. Thanks for making me realise this. I see your point about crashing into my chest too, I'm aware that's a big problem for me. I'll work on fixing it.
About the arch, I tried it a lot when I started, sadly my arms aren't long enough to be able to unrack the bar when I set the arch before unrack, and the height of the pins are fixed.
It does.
Then you really need to re-read the material. The Blue Book has an in-depth analysis of why squatting below parallel is inefficient and unnecessary. You'll receive much better input from coaches and members if you're attempting to do the program as it's prescribed, not your version of it.
[QUOTE=balikati;1852671] Maybe the looking akin to noodles thing because of all the fat I have wobbling rather than me not bracing hard enough. And of course, as the set progresses it gets harder to be akin to a steel column.
No, you're not bracing hard enough. You are correct that its going to get harder; it simply means you have to brace EVEN harder.
I, like you, thought that when I started I was doing everything "correctly" and that it was "the programs" fault for not bending around me. Truth is I just sucked at lifting at that stage. It wasn't until I hired an SSC that I fixed all my issues.