Date: Thu, 2 Jul 1998 23:08:08 -0500 (CDT) From: lylemcd@onr.com (Lyle McDonald) Subject: Strength_List: Bottom position of squats >Date: Thu, 2 Jul 1998 17:58:41 -0400 >From: "Dale Lambert" >Subject: Strength_List: Typical Newbie blather >Squats - I'm getting completely stuck at the bottom of the squat. I mean >GLUED, even at pretty light weights (around 245 lbs). If I do 'em halfway I >can handle nearly three times the weight... a dramatic improvement from when >I started. But deep squats don't seem to be improving much for me. > >I've been doing a lot of leg extensions on my leg days and have seen >excellent gains there. As I'm sure other lifters will offer, leg extensions are a useless 'accessory' exercise for powerlifting. I don't even consider it a particularly good bodybuilding movement. Too hard on the knees. You might try pause squats (great article in the most recent Milo) to build strength in the bottom. Cut your weights back, lower down, pause for 1 second at the bottom position and then drive out. By having to start your ascent from a dead stop, you'll build strength in that position. Alternately, work squats by starting off safety pins set to your parallel position. You should set the bar on the pins, squeeze under it, get set REALLY tight, and then squat it up. You will NOT be able to squat this way explosively or you will lose your groove. Lower down, rest the bar on the pins, pause at the bottom, and hten squat it up again. Be sure to lower your training weights when you start this type of training. I'm sure some of the Louie Simmons afficionados can offer a dozen other specific exercises to build strength out of hte bottom. Lyle McDonald, CSCS Saw boy 2 wrote in message <1998083011184601.HAA00930@ladder03.news.aol.com>... >Just make sure you go through the full movement. I see alot of guys doing calf >raised half way with a ton of weight. On Friday I was in the gym for squats. Between sets while I waited for the ringing in my ears to stop, my attention was attracted by two young men training calves. Or, whatever was between their knees and ankles cause there were no apparent calf muscles there, just sort of a straight line from top to bottom. They loaded up the donkey calf with weight and proceeded to do the tiniest reps I have ever seen. I can't even properly call it bouncing; it was more like jiggling. I don't think that ankle flexed more than two degrees. Between sets one of them imparted his knowledge to the other about calf training, while pointing out the location of apparently soon-to-be-huge muscles. I giggled to myself. Then they walked over to the standing calf and did the same thing. Only this time they threw a soundtrack into it. We're not talking grunting or even mumbling. We're talking growling and yelling. By the time I'd watched 4 sets of growling calf jiggling, this time with knee bends/squatting assists to raise the weight for an inch, I was in stitches. I felt like screaming, "No calf muscles were harmed in the making of this workout!" I wonder how long it will take them to figure out why their legs still look like sticks. Krista ---------------------- NEW EMAIL: krust@interlog.com NEW URL: http://krista.tico.com/weights.html Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 08:41:41 -0600 From: Keith Hobman Subject: Strength_List: Re: One legged PL movements >>Does anyone else out there have a problem with a right to left difference >>in leg strength? Any good PL-type exercises for fixing it? >> The difference between a bodybuilding exercise and a powerlifting is often in the execution. I've tried various one-legged exercises due to my 'Hobbled Man' knees. Lunges on a smith machine are great, but should be done *explosively*. Don't go for the pump or a really heavy weight - especially on exercises which bear the weight on the spinal column through one limb. Instead stay in the 50-60% range of your estimated one rep max and do them explosively. One legged press' also work. Same idea - explosive. Doing a side lunge squat is a great way of working the legs and hips on one side while stretching the other side. It can be used to stretch the hips and make a wide-legged squat or sumo deadlift easier out of the hole. A variation on the lunge is a deadlift lunge. Warning - don't straighten out all the way unless you have Lamar Gant length arms! Both leg extensions and curls can be done one legged. Personally I feel both are of limited value and the extensions are potentially dangerous. But if performed correctly they can be done. Lastly, sled work - dragging a weighted sled - is inherently 'one-legged' in that one side of the body works and then the other. I haven't done this, but because of my torn bicep limiting my exercise selection will be adding it to my list of exercises. - - Keith Hobman Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1998 13:14:53 -0500 (EST) From: jcmassey@bsuvc.bsu.edu Subject: Re: Strengthening the knee Denilson... Dave gave you some great advice on treatment. The exercise he described was used in a master's thesis last spring in the biomechanics lab that I work in. It is often refered to as the Muncie Method. It is currently one of the rehabilitation exercises of an anterior knee pain study that I am involved in now. The goal of performing this exercise is to increase the strength of the VMO (the little muscle above and inside of the knee) in relation to the VL ( the big one on the outside of the leg). The VMO is the last muscle in the leg to be activated by exercise and the first to be exhausted. This can cause tracking problems with the pattela and lead to extra stress on the tendons. By strenghtening the VMO you can alleviate some of these problems. Problems are incured in regards to strengthening the VMO without stressing the tendon. The exercise should be performed while sitting, with one leg at a time. Keeping the leg staight, raise the heel appoximately 3-4 inches off of the ground, and rotate the toes slightly outward (this increases the activation of the VMO). Hold the position for 3-4 seconds and lower the leg (gently so you don't bruise the back of your heel). You should do 20-30 reps like Dave instructed. This will be tireing on your hip flexors but keep at it. Stretching is a must. Also when you squat (boxes) try not to let yourself rock forward as you come off of the box. Forward lean of the upper body helps here. Make all attempts to avoid the forward placement of weight on your toes as you come out of the bottom, try to keep it evenly dispersered over the foot. Please don't take my word as gospel, but to the best of my knowlegde it is accurate. Good luck. Jay Massey