DanCR - Can you believe how much I am in heaven?

[DanCR]

I need a pair of vans. I wonder if they have size 15s though.

I dunno about in stores but, on the website - yes. Vans are one of the few articles of clothing that I order online because they're entirely consistent. Once you know your size, there's never a need to try a pair on.

[mouse]

I don't screw my feet into the floor, spread the floor, or do anything else that would result in external rotation, which - very unpopular opinion incoming - I think is a terrible squat cue. I guess it makes sense if one has a wide stance / otherwise wants to squat out of their hips, but for a quad-centric squat I strongly feel that internal rotation is what one wants. I don't mean to the point of one's knees caving of course, but that one should fight to keep the thighs in line in front, and against the urge to spread out and get into the hips.

Sooooo I read this when you wrote it, and I'm glad it got stuck in my brain. I noted in my log that my hip has been kind of pissy this week and it made my squat feel kind of dog ass. I think by definition since I exclusively squat SSB I have a quad dominant squat. I noticed on my first set I felt my hip the most as I hit bottom when my knees get out of the way (I guess you could say). Second set I actively worked in keeping them in and magically my hip discomfort went away.

[DanCR]

I don't screw my feet into the floor, spread the floor, or do anything else that would result in external rotation, which - very unpopular opinion incoming - I think is a terrible squat cue. I guess it makes sense if one has a wide stance / otherwise wants to squat out of their hips, but for a quad-centric squat I strongly feel that internal rotation is what one wants. I don't mean to the point of one's knees caving of course, but that one should fight to keep the thighs in line in front, and against the urge to spread out and get into the hips.

Sooooo I read this when you wrote it, and I'm glad it got stuck in my brain. I noted in my log that my hip has been kind of pissy this week and it made my squat feel kind of dog ass. I think by definition since I exclusively squat SSB I have a quad dominant squat. I noticed on my first set I felt my hip the most as I hit bottom when my knees get out of the way (I guess you could say). Second set I actively worked in keeping them in and magically my hip discomfort went away.

I'm really glad to hear that. It feels good to have been of some positive use.

I fully agree regarding the SSB.

The way that I look at it is, say that I ask you to squat down and look straight on at an object maybe three feet or so off the ground. You naturally would squat down, legs in front, almost like a catcher getting ready to accept a pitch. You also naturally would stand back up using your legs, pushing the floor away. Now say that I ask you to do it again, but this time once you've squatted down I hand you a very heavy object and tell you to stand back up with it. You naturally would do the same thing, except of course you'd have to brace your abdominals and flex your quads, hams, and adductors much harder to push the floor away and stand up. What you would not naturally do - unless you'd just spent a lot of time reading about powerlifting on the internet - is suddenly choose to twist your feet and rotate your hips and knees all the fuck out.

[DanCR]

4/26/24

Superset:
Bench Press 45,135,185,225x6 260x3 282.5x1 (misload) 285x0 235x4
DB Bent Rows 40s,50s x10 55s x10,10,10 60s x6,6

Superset:
Seated Arnold Presses 35s x10,10,11 40s x8
Standing Alternating DB Curls 35s x7,7,8,5

Goblet Squats 50x10,12

Notes:

Went to bed at 11, woke up at 2:30 and was wide awake until 6:30, as in at one point I did two hours of work because I didn’t know what else to do. Slept until 10:30 and felt like shit all day.

Was supposed to be a top bench single at 285, but I accidentally loaded a 2.5 lb plate on one side and a 5 lb plate on the other. Got the rep with the misloaded 282.5 but hit the j-hook on the heavier side and that fucked me. If I was smarter I’d have stopped there. On the bright side I’m not sure of the last time that I managed a triple with 260.

Everything else was cool despite my exhaustion. Figured out that if I’m careful to fully pronate my hands at the top of Arnold presses, I have no pain in the currently bad shoulder. Can’t fathom why but not questioning it.

Off for a weekend trip to Houston. Haven’t been before and am excited to check it out.

[SaviorSelf]

Enjoy the trip man, I'm sure you'll get the 285 next time

One way to think about it, either the left or right half of your body already got it today

[DanCR]

Enjoy the trip man, I'm sure you'll get the 285 next time

One way to think about it, either the left or right half of your body already got it today

Yeah it would have been no issue at all had I loaded it properly in the first place. I’m barely concentrating on bench and yet should be circling 300 again in a few weeks. There’s a lesson there.

[MailmanMuscle]

I’m glad that technique helped! Also, I’ve been thinking about adding a unilateral leg exercise to both quad and hamstring training coming out of my show. That seated leg press might be a good option. I don’t know if any of the gyms I normally go to has one like you describe, but I’m sure they have something that can work.

[DanCR]

4/28/24

Squats 45,135,186x6 235x3,3,6
Seated Leg Curls 90x8,9,10
One Leg Press sled + 60,80x10 100x5,3 each leg
Seated Calf Machine 55,60,65x13



Notes: Bar felt really heavy stepping out to squat. Seems like in the month since I hit the PR and started over, my body has forgotten what actual heavy weight feels like. I know that I could work up to a single and then do this shit as backoffs and they’d feel like a broomstick, but I hate that style of training. I just need to be patient over the next few weeks.

One leg presses done as an add set again, not even a second of rest.

Weekend in Houston was a dietary dumpster fire and I regret nothing. Tomorrow is a new day.

Soundtrack: Knoll / As Spoken

[DanCR]

4/30/24

Pause Squats 45,135x6 225x3 245,265,275x1 225x4





Notes: I was supposed to do one of my upper body days, felt pressed for time and have been aggravated with my programming so just did this instead. When in doubt, squat.

[DanCR]

4/30/24

Superset:
Low Incline DB Bench Press 45s x8 70s x6,6,6
Neutral Grip Pullups x4,5,5,5

Superset:
Lateral Raises 35s x9,9,9
Incline DB Curls 35s x4,5,6

Preset EZ Bar French Press 70x7,7,7
Paused DB Squats 10s x12,12,12

Notes: What I was supposed to do yesterday.

Still super deep on the DB bench, “pulling” lower.

Didn’t superset the French presses and squats because my knee was killing me and I wasn’t sure what type of squats I wanted to do. Settled on just holding 10s on my shoulders and trying to move some blood around. First set hurt bad but it got much better on the follow ups.

[DanCR]

5/3/24

Squats 45x12,12 135x6 225x3 250x3,3,6
DB RDLs x10,10,11
One Leg Press sled +80x10 100,6,6 each leg
Seated Calf Raises 70,75x13 80x7,7



Notes:

RDLs with a pause. One leg presses an add set, no rest at all.

I had very lengthy notes from during this session, regarding squat stuff. Shorter (really):

- Lean, brace, foot pressure, pull up the floor. There is no need to consider anything else.
- That said, for good measure: initiating with a hip break, even if slight, does not work for you at all. You knew that. That needs to go in the same pile where you threw skull crushers: never again.
- Pulling up the floor prevents collapse in the hole and provides just as much control as pausing.
- The last set was very close to @10. That sucks, given where recently I was, but I think building back up with the assistance that I’ve been doing is gonna pay dividends.

Soundtrack: Serpent of Old / Ensemble Under the Dark Sun

[SaviorSelf]

Yeah the "break at hips" vs "break at knees" thing is the biggest phrase that I can work with squat form. Pretty much everything else follows from that

If you want a good morning looking powerlifting style squat where your knees don't go past toes, break at hips first. If you want a deep quad dominant olympic style squat, break at the knees first. I think there's value in sometimes doing the former, cause it should strengthen your posterior muscles a lot more than the latter


Another mental cue to try, if you look up towards the ceiling on your way up, its like a guaranteed way to keep your back straight and maybe complete a rep your about to fail. Srs, its like a cheat code

[DanCR]

If you want a good morning looking powerlifting style squat where your knees don't go past toes, break at hips first. If you want a deep quad dominant olympic style squat, break at the knees first.

What I was trying to do was a bit of a hybrid - break juuuuuust slightly at the hips to take a bit of pressure off the knees, because my right one’s been a bitch lately, but then immediately transition to squatting down rather than back, knee dominant. Bottom line, it didn’t work. Even just the smallest hip break to start throws everything into a hip dominant squat and you can’t stop it, or at least I couldn’t.

Another mental cue to try, if you look up towards the ceiling on your way up, its like a guaranteed way to keep your back straight and maybe complete a rep your about to fail. Srs, its like a cheat code

I’ve done that in a pinch and for sure it can work out of a jam. That said, generally I prefer to avoid it. Even with a knee dominant squat, I want my back angle to remain fixed and my chest not to lift.

[DanCR]

5/5/24

Superset:
Bench Press 45,135,185,225x6 265x3 285x1 235x5
DB Bent Rows 45s,55s x10 60s x7,8,7 65s x5,6

Superset:
Seated Arnold Presses 40s x10,10 45s x6,8
Standing Alternating DB Curls 35s x10,10 40s x5,6

Notes:

Changed my handle because after all these years and shirtless videos, just being a set of initials seemed silly.

Top bench single disappointed by being an awful grind but then again the triple almost for sure was a PR so fine.

I’m focusing on taking sets to @10. Not getting there on all of them (especially the Arnolds due to the bitchy shoulder) but overall this was a balls deep session.

For once in my life I resisted the urge to do any kind of squat, even light goblets. My quads and fucked adductor have continued to constantly be sore and the justification of “I’m just getting some blood flow” was ringing hollow. Rest is the only thing that I haven’t tried. What I did do, fml, was foam roll the shit out of everything.

Soundtrack: Darkthrone / It Beckons Us All. This is getting panned and I know it probably isn’t good but it’s Darkthrone and so I’m enjoying it.

[SaviorSelf]

Knew you'd be good for 285 next time

Regarding the @10 sets, do you use preworkouts (stimulant based or not) or anything?

[DanCR]

Knew you'd be good for 285 next time

Were I smarter, after the warm ups I’d have gone 245,265,285x1 and smoked it, instead of preceding it with a triple @11. I’ve just been curious about how high I can push a triple.

Regarding the @10 sets, do you use preworkouts (stimulant based or not) or anything?

No - right around when I turned 40, caffeine and all of the other fun stimulants that I’d enjoyed suddenly started giving me anxiety attacks. I miss slamming a Red Bull as I walked into the gym.

[Clearwater47]

Good stuff. Unless you're peaking for a PR I'd prioritize the heavy triple over a single every time.

[Bolder]

I would say a heavy single (RPE 9-9.5) with two back sets of 3 at 80% (of that top heavy single) worked well for me over a certain period, but you'd have to be careful with that protocol (probably deload every four to six weeks, depending on how you feel). You probably want to couple it with another quad exercise (that makes you feel good), so you can still continue building a bit of the muscle while "peaking."

[slowmotion]

I think it varies from person to person. I can do single reps @9 all the time with no problems, but if I do triples @9 I have to be much more careful with recovery over time.

[cole]

No - right around when I turned 40, caffeine and all of the other fun stimulants that I’d enjoyed suddenly started giving me anxiety attacks. I miss slamming a Red Bull as I walked into the gym.

I've noticed the same thing. All the fun things I used to do....drinking beer, chewing tobacco, staying up late, having more than one cup of coffee - all those things give me anxiety now so I just act like a boring dad instead