No Crust Racing

As above, so many times I've gone OK I'm gonna up this weight and then I bust out more reps than expected only to fail to back it up next session. I see 'progress' as being a dynamic thing, in that you don't always have to hit and then maintain a number, you might hit it multiple times before you maintain it and that's fine too, it's still progress. Side bar: I watched Pain and Gain last night, it's not a great movie. The laughs are a little thin but there are some decently funny bits, it's just a little long. Astounding that it is or is based on a true story, scary shit.

Just trying to get comfy, I'd have to watch the vids again but from memory I don't think my feet move as much with the board. When I'm doing it in my session I don't think they move much. After reading some more of your stuff I'm going to drop a little weight and go for 2x 20 reps to build a foundation as I had no squat experience before feb and my mechanics continue to change as my ankle gets better. DL is much easier for me/the ankle.

The problem is Leesh is spending too much time lifting and not enough making sammiches.... AMIRITE?! Badoom tish

Just got back from the Myo about my hammy, she crushed my hammy, itb, quads, calves, lower back etc, was an hour session. She also did some dry needling which normally doesn't bother me but made me jump and giggle a few times. See how it pulls up tomorrow.

After reading a bit about the place I'm going to leave the board where it is but drop back to basics. I was never a good squatter and I had a poor foundation for it so I need to reset that with something like Markos beginner program where he has people squatting 2x 20 reps. That will mean a big drop in weight I'm guessing

They mean different things in each motion. In DL you drive forward for lock out in squat you drive up. and

Better show us a vid then...

You can't really hip drive without doing so, but it's a natural action.

That's a better way to explain it.

Hips move from back to forward which requires glute activation. As you lift the bar off the ground you will drive your hips forward to achieve lock out, after it clears the knees of course.

I know how you feel, I'm playing with Squat stuff at the moment and it's frustrating, but we'll get there. Don't worry about Birds, I heard he is actually transgender so I'd expect him to be a bit bitchy once a month.

I'm not doubting Birds as a coach, but there's a point where you go, NOPE. Not working for me, and step back and re-assess. Don't go and do 10 sets of bad DLs. Better off taking most of the weight off and just playing with form, once you get the form you will rocket up in weight. I was 'squat' deadlifting, standing too straight, massive knee bend and was flat out trying to do 60-70kg, I had that session with Matt, he video'd me and showed me that despite me thinking my back was mega rounded, it was only my upper back and to trust the back strength, and I went home and had a bit more of a play and low and behold have been increasing weight a bit at a time since then. When I was having a bad time of it, I took vids, showed the guys here, and just kept playing til I got it, Matt's session was good but I had then go home and apply that to my own equipment so it took some fiddling to get comfy but I got there.

Pro Tip, if you are smashing your knees that bad you stop, if need be take more weight off and focus purely on form. Just go through the motions trying all sorts of things until you sort your mechanics. Don't go and do 10 sets of knee smashing DL, who'd want to go back to DL after that sort of abuse. For some reason bruises on my quads/knees take ages to heal too.

OK posted here as per the suggestion. Since adding the board under my heels I've gone backwards, without it I had hit 6 reps on the final set of a 3x8 routine and was working towards getting the 7th and 8th. Then I added the board as my ankle still won't allow good form, have to have legs way out and feet angled to get down and it feels uncomfortable. The board allows a narrow stance and deeper squat but seems to have cost me power, I assume I'm now using slightly different muscles that aren't up to task. First attempt with the board was only 4 reps and failed the 5th, tonight it was only 3 reps and failed the 4th (may have been the jog I did yesterday that made it worse as I'm trying to get my ankle back to being able to handle jogging again). This video shows without the board ( this was the end of my session tonight, sorry it's slightly crooked). You can see wider stance needed and not heaps low. I add the board at the end but the next video shows it better. http://youtu.be/NSz35PrSg-8 This is with a board. http://youtu.be/ZQxTuEPXEkU With board, side on. No idea why this one won't embed. http://youtu.be/3Ad2UD18nkg If there's nothing overtly wrong with form I'll just knock some weight off the final set and get the rep count up. This is only 70kg on the bar, I usually start at 80, then go 90, then a bit over 100. Light I know but I'm not great at this yet.

Too much knee bend then, if you're like me, more leg than torso, you really have to bend at the hips,back to get down on it without bending the knees heaps. You can have some angle in your shins from knee bend but as you stand up you will straight your legs and that bend will go, allowing the bar to clear the knees. Are you standing up into the lift or keeping knees bent too much? I'm off to bed shortly so if I don't reply, that's why

I literally mean bend over and grab the bar without bending your knees too much, similar to as if you were touching your toes without bending your knees heaps. Slight bend only. Then once you have it and have set up (tries locked, bar close to shins etc) you sit into the position a little (drop the hips a little) and get that straightness in your lower back without raising your shoulders up, similar to how you sit into a squat but you're standing at the time if that makes sense. If you have no luck with online videos I will video myself on Friday's session to show you what I do, right or wrong, and we can all discuss that to help you with your cues.

Knees bent too much Leesh, bend the upper back more to get down there and keep your hips higher. Post video?

Euro Training!

I'm too scared of the squat thread Jangles.

DAMN, Matt only charged me $40 for the hour.

You're upper back WILL round and that's fine so long as the lower is good. There's on way I could get down to the bar without massive knee bending if I wasn't rouding over the top half of my back.

Squat question. Since adding the board under my heels I've gone backwards, without it I had hit 6 reps on the final set of a 3x8 routine and was working towards getting the 7th and 8th. Then I added the board as my ankle still won't allow good form, have to have legs way out and feet angled to get down and it feels uncomfortable. The board allows a narrow stance and deeper squat but seems to have cost me power, I assume I'm now using slightly different muscles that aren't up to task. First attempt with the board was only 4 reps and failed the 5th, tonight it was only 3 reps and failed the 4th (may have been the jog I did yesterday that made it worse as I'm trying to get my ankle back to being able to handle jogging again). This video shows without the board ( this was the end of my session tonight, sorry it's slightly crooked). You can see wider stance needed and not heaps low. I add the board at the end but the next video shows it better. http://youtu.be/NSz35PrSg-8 This video shows with the board from the front, this feels better but seems to cost me power? http://youtu.be/ZQxTuEPXEkU This is with the board from the side, sorry the video seems a little high, but you can see back, shoulder and hip position. http://youtu.be/3Ad2UD18nkg No idea why last one won't embed, SAU is gay.

Nah, it's 23gm per 3gm serve, so a 45gm server would be 34.5gm

I was doing that until I saw Matt and learned I had to actually bend over to grab the bar not squat down to it. Make it a back exercise etc

Oh my post workout shake I up'd to 45gms of BN WPC, like a boss. Dinner was Burrittos, lean mince with a 5 bean mix through it, lettuce, lite cheese, tomato, red capsicum, cucumber, avocado, some light sour cream and a little bit of salsa to taste, smashed 4 of those bad boys. IN MY BELLY!