Exodus Strength

So, I've been running a little LP with SSB 2x / week, and now that I'm 3 weeks into it, thought I'd see how badly I'm fucking things up.

This is the last of 8 sets of 4 at 280. I think that these are okay-ish for me not having done them that long, but things that I'm wondering about are (a) the slight knee kick back at the bottom and (b) not being upright enough. I'm consciously trying to cue a leg press rather than hip drive, and to stay upright, but I'm not sure it's really enough. I'm not consciously trying to push/pull the handles.

Sorry for the lack of shirt/underwear peeking out. It just got hot this week. (and yes, I know I need a smaller belt, lulz). I'd welcome any pointers, thanks

I'll bite. They look okay. The movement is a little disjointed and our transitions are the opposite of smooth, I think I can actually feel you fighting to not Goodmorning that last rep when your speed stalls out. Personally, I think your stance looks too narrow. I'm not saying you need a wide stance or going all Westside on you or anything, just saying it looks uncofortably narrow and it's making your legs and knees go in funny directions.

8 sets of 4?

@Hardartery, thanks. I did happen to note that my stance looked a bit narrower than it does for low bar squats. I'll try going a bit wider next time and see how they feel. They do *feel* a little disjointed at times; I wasn't sure if that was because of a technical issue or I just wasn't used to the movement (this is the 6th workout with an ssb)

@mbasic , yeah, I'm on Nuckols' programming. He calls it an LP (and I just did), but it's not really; sets of 4 until you hit a prescribed RPE and then you stop. Depending on where you stop, you increment/decrement your load.

Try to pull your chest through the handles.

Yeah, you’re rounding over a bit up top and there is just a bit of knee kick back. Maybe do some very light front squats first to drill avoiding both?

I’ve been working in the knee kick issue myself, trying to actively execute Max Aita’s cue of “knees foward as long as possible.” I’ve been doing 20s, and letting those even slightly good morning is a recipe for lower back murder.

@mgil, you think the cue of pulling the handles *apart* would do the same thing?

@DCR , that's what I kind of thought. Not sure about front squats... they are awful for me (rack is bad, crossed arms are bad, can't get used to straps) . I may try to drill them if the other things mentioned don't help.

rjharris wrote: ↑Fri May 21, 2021 7:59 am @mgil, you think the cue of pulling the handles *apart* would do the same thing?

@DCR , that's what I kind of thought. Not sure about front squats... they are awful for me (rack is bad, crossed arms are bad, can't get used to straps) . I may try to drill them if the other things mentioned don't help.

I use my SSB for FS. You use it backward and grip the pad in the front.

Got an an argument with a buddy the other week though who claimed it was not hitting the muscles the same way as a normal bar in the rack position. For me it feels like it is hitting the same muscles/movement and it feels a whole hell of a lot better on my wrists and elbows!

rjharris wrote: ↑Fri May 21, 2021 7:59 am mgil, you think the cue of pulling the handles *apart* would do the same thing?

Yeah, I mentioned it elsewhere. The "Superman pulling his shirt open" cue worked well for me getting my upper back set. I had to slide my hands up high on the handles as well.

They look fine to me. SSB squats are generally ugly and as long as you're not ingrainjng bad habits there's no issue with that.