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Old 01-14-2007, 09:08 PM
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II. The Exercises
**A. The Main Exercises
*****1. The Squat, Part 2
*****2. The Bench Press
*****3. The Deadlift
*****4. The Power Clean
*****5. The Press
*****6. The Row
**B. Accessory Exercises
**C. Other Questions


1. The Squat, Part 2

Question – Where are some other videos of the different squats?

Medium-stance "athletic" squat - the squat of choice:
Tom Platz rips 500+ for 23
Technique Notes
1) Notice how tight he gets under the bar before he lifts it out.
2) Note stance width and knee tracking - stance is just beyond shoulder width, knees track over the toes
3) Note depth of squats
4) Note how he has a slight forward lean, but he keeps his chest and shoulders "square", i.e. they are elevated and pointed forward at all times

Powerlifting squats
Sam Byrd takes 1-grand for a ride at a BW of 198.
Mike Miller's 1220-lb record powerlifting squat.
Technique Notes
1) Note how wide his stance is. I don't provide this as a demonstration of how you should do them, I provide this as a demonstration of a very wide stance.
2) Yes, the depth is rather questionable
3) 1220-lbs would crush me before I even tried bending my knees, so who am I to complain?

Olympic Squat
Here is bb.com's own Hola Bola performing them.
A few technique points:
1) Notice that his heels are close together, and his knees track inline with his toes
2) He goes to parallel and slightly beyond on a few of the reps, but doesn't stop above parallel (don't be afraid to hit depth)
3) His first 7 reps are the perfect example of how the hips begin the motion out of the hole a split second before the shoulders drive upward. On his eighth, he fatigues (imagine that, fatiguing after 8x405!) and he has to fight hard to drive his shoulders upward

ATG Squatting
Here is some insanely deep and heavy "ATG" style squatting.
A few technique points
1) Deep...deep...deep! Note that his heels are approximately shoulder width. This could pass for "classic" Olympic style, although it is somewhat wider than typical for a straight Olympic squat. I'd be inclined to lean toward "medium/athletic" stance.
2) At the very bottom his knees track inward slightly. This is very typical when the weights get heavy, as well as very typical in the untrained athlete. It's not because the thigh adductors are too strong for the thigh abductors, either. In the untrained newb, it's typically because the adductors aren't strong enough as compared with the glutes, and the quad ends up taking over thigh adductor function, which tracks the knees inward. With heavy weights, it is insanely difficult NOT to do this, unless you take a very wide stance.
3) Don't end your set like he ends his 3rd set...the gym owner will get pissed.
4) Ignore the good mornings, he does them differently than you need to

Front squat
Here is a video of Hossein Rezazadeh front squatting 617 for 2 easy reps.
Check it at 54 seconds for some sweet front squats
Here is bb.com's own W8isGR8 demonstrating a front squat to incredible depth.
Technique notes:
1) Deep as heck and perfectly balanced
2) At bottom of motion, sacrum area looks like it "tucks" underneath and forward. Most people aren't going to be flexible enough to perform them so deep without serious pain in their lower backs. When you go this deep, your hamstrings tend to pull hard at your sacrum, causing it to tilt posterior and also causing your spinal erectors to go into a fit trying to keep your lower back in its natural lordotic arch.
3) Bar didn't travel forward or back, it remained over the midfoot
4) Despite incredible depth, the heels stayed down

Box squats
Good description, guy sits back too fast during the video[/quote]


Question - Do I really need to squat if my legs are already big?

First off, 3/4 of the people who ask this question are pussies. Don't be afraid of the squat. Learn to embrace it.

Having said that, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and we'll assume you are part of the 1/4 that isn't afraid of the squat. Determine what your goals are. If you want to get as big as possible, all over, then you will most definitely want to become a master of the squat. Your physical structure might not be ideal for the squat. You may have zero aspirations of becoming a powerlifting squat champion. You might not really give a flying fig how much you squat.

But if you SERIOUSLY want to be as large as you possibly can, all over, then yes, you will squat, even if you already have big legs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe, pg. 19, Starting Strength
There is simply no other exercise, and certainly no machine, that produces th elevel o fcentral nervous system activity, improved balance and coordination, skeletal loading and bone density, muscular stimulation and growth, connective tissue stress and strength, psychological demand nd toughness, and overall systemic conditioning as the correctly performed full squat.

Squats spur full body growth when combined with full body training much better than full body training without squats.

If you want to look like some Abercrombie model, then find another program and enjoy your nice, easy training style. If you are serious about adding muscle to your frame, then get under the damn bar and make it happen.

Question – What about the leg press?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe, pg. 61, Starting Strength
...(the leg press) restrict(s) movement in body segments that normally adjust position during the squat, thus restricting the expression of normal biomechanics...(it) is particularly heinous in that it allows the use of huge weights, and therefore facilitates unwarranted bragging. Please slap the next person that tells you he leg-pressed a thousand pounds. A 1000-lb. leg press is as irrelevant as a 500 lb. quarter-squat.

The leg press is an excellent tool for an intermediate or advanced physique athlete to use for quad and/or glute and/or hamstring development. However, it has NO place in the routine of a novice trainee, and it has no place in this program, despite its uses and advantages.

Question - Can I use a manta ray when squatting?

If you have had shoulder problems, the manta ray can be a pretty useful piece of equipment. It's use is certainly not advised unless absolutely necessary, because it lengthens the lever arm between the weight and the rotation point (i.e. the barbell and the hips), which can cause problems with the lower back. It can also "wobble around" atop the shoulders causing a load shift affect, which also can cause problems with the lower back.

However, if you are experienced enough with the weights to know you NEED a manta ray, then by all means, it is better to squat with one than to NOT squat without one.

If, however, you simply want to use a manta ray for comfort's sake, then don't bother squatting at all. The amount of pain tolerance from a hard, heavy set of squats will be too much for you if you can't take a little bar sitting across your shoulders. Perhaps you should take up a different hobby...knitting, for example.

Question - Can I use a safety squat bar or a buffalo bar while squatting?

Assuming you have had an injury of some sort, or you have shoulder joint flexibility problems for whatever reason, then absolutely. The buffalo bar and safety squat bar both are outstanding pieces of equipment, especially for the lifter who has had shoulder problems *raises hand and points to self*. They certainly can create a different training affect than squatting with a conventional bar setup, but the training affect can be quite beneficial, especially for those with shoulder injuries who cannot squat otherwise.

Understand, however, that the novice trainee should NOT choose these devices over the basic barbell back squat. Their use should be limited to those who have injuries and cannot perform a barbell squat.

EDITOR'S NOTE - Both the buffalo bar and the Safety Squat bar are used by knowledgeable powerlifters as assistance lifting devices. Obviously my statements do not apply to them, as they would have no reason to read a "novice training program description" for anything other than mild curiosity's sake.
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