Weightlifting for Kiwis - Discussion and support regarding the art of swole

[Kormak]

Well, Im nearly 45, and my biggest issues are consistancy and form. I can't seem to get down low enough on my squats, and no matter what I do I can't seem to keep my back straight during deadlifts. But its still early days and I am making progress.

Getting low might be stance/mobility issue. Or maybe nature just didn't give you good leverages, who knows.
Keeping your back straight on DL is probably bracing/ overall back tightness issue or maybe your setup. Try to get your upper back really tight with a strong brace before your even pull the slack out of the bar.

 

[MS Paint Gigachad]

Getting low might be stance/mobility issue. Or maybe nature just didn't give you good leverages, who knows.

This, 101%

Give me conventional squat tips, like keeping your feet straight: I struggle getting low, knee cave, butt wink and all that
Let me put my feet at something approaching a 90 degree angle: MAXIMUM DEPTH ACHIEVED

Fuck around. Find out. You'll be experimenting with N=1, but that study will be the most relevant one to you.

 

[Kormak]

Give me conventional squat tips, like keeping your feet straight:

Any person who just gives someone tip like "keep your feet straight" or "use narrow stance" is automatically clueless in my book. Pretty much everyone's stance gonna be a tad bit different due to hip joint structure and hip/torso ratio. Gotta literally test various stance and see which one allows u to go deep without buttwink and knee caving.

Squat is probably the one excerise I would ask someone exprience to help you setup with a good look from the side. Otherwise I'd film a bunch of stances and see which one looks/feels the best.(my deepest for example is like 45 degree feet while keeping kinda narrow-ish stance, but I know plenty of guys who go super wide and feel really comfortable. Also a few folks that can squat perfectly with straight feet)

 

[Sumptinsfuckey]

Getting low might be stance/mobility issue. Or maybe nature just didn't give you good leverages, who knows.
Keeping your back straight on DL is probably bracing/ overall back tightness issue or maybe your setup. Try to get your upper back really tight with a strong brace before your even pull the slack out of the bar.

Yeah. I recently rewatchef the SS video on how to deadlift and think that might be an issue.

This, 101%

Give me conventional squat tips, like keeping your feet straight: I struggle getting low, knee cave, butt wink and all that
Let me put my feet at something approaching a 90 degree angle: MAXIMUM DEPTH ACHIEVED

Fuck around. Find out. You'll be experimenting with N=1, but that study will be the most relevant one to you.

I know how you feel, I have to turn my feet damn near perpindicular to the direction I'm facing to get my thighs even close to horizontal. I start with them at about 45 degrees but my toes have to turn outwards as I get lower.

Any person who just gives someone tip like "keep your feet straight" or "use narrow stance" is automatically clueless in my book. Pretty much everyone's stance gonna be a tad bit different due to hip joint structure and hip/torso ratio. Gotta literally test various stance and see which one allows u to go deep without buttwink and knee caving.

Squat is probably the one excerise I would ask someone exprience to help you setup with a good look from the side. Otherwise I'd film a bunch of stances and see which one looks/feels the best.(my deepest for example is like 45 degree feet while keeping kinda narrow-ish stance, but I know plenty of guys who go super wide and feel really comfortable. Also a few folks that can squat perfectly with straight feet)

Yeah, Im trying different things and I video my worksets on my phone. As I said I am making progress, just.. slowly.

 

[Jasper2K]

Any person who just gives someone tip like "keep your feet straight" or "use narrow stance" is automatically clueless in my book. Pretty much everyone's stance gonna be a tad bit different due to hip joint structure and hip/torso ratio.

100%. People are legitimately built different. Me squatting to proper depth is going to look a lot different than you most likely. Look at the world record squats their knees are NOT straight always pointed out and proper depth isn't as deep as dent heads at the gym think it is. Proper depth is hips passing knees or knee's passing hip grease. Difference between "parallel" and "too depth" is very small. You listen to these retards at the gym your just going to get yourself hurt.

 

[VeteranOfTheRetardWars]

I have been following some things from NH's videos on forearm training, and there's some things I really like now.
The Wrist Pronations feel really good, and the Hangman Curls is probably my favorite curl for the forearms now.
I'd recommend trying those two out.

 

[Kormak]

Look at the world record squats their knees are NOT straight always pointed out and proper depth isn't as deep as dent heads at the gym think it is. Proper depth is hips passing knees or knee's passing hip grease. Difference between "parallel" and "too depth" is very small. You listen to these retards at the gym your just going to get yourself hurt.

I don't disagree, at least if your goal is max weight+safety. If you practicing some of the olympic lift then you kinda want really deep one since it translates to the other lifts. If you just training recreationally - screw going past parallel even

 

[William Tyndale]

I can't seem to get down low enough on my squats, and no matter what I do I can't seem to keep my back straight during deadlifts

Wall squats nigga. Put your toes 4 inches from the wall and squat down while trying to keep your face from hitting said wall. That should, over time, give you the back strength required to keep you upper body upright during squats and DLs.

 

[Sumptinsfuckey]

Well

Wall squats nigga. Put your toes 4 inches from the wall and squat down while trying to keep your face from hitting said wall. That should, over time, give you the back strength required to keep you upper body upright during squats and DLs.

Keeping my back straight during squats isn't an issue, its keeping it straight during deadlifts, not due to back strength though. I judt cant get the form right, my hips and ankles aren't as flexible as I need them to be. Getting there though.

 

[Jasper2K]

I don't disagree, at least if your goal is max weight+safety. If you practicing some of the olympic lift then you kinda want really deep one since it translates to the other lifts. If you just training recreationally - screw going past parallel even

I always squat just past parallel because I'm interesting in competing in power lifting someday. Good to practice and I find going past parallel activates my glutes and hamstrings more. I do "ass to grass" when warming up though good for your hips and mobility.

 

[Kormak]

I always squat just past parallel because I'm interesting in competing in power lifting someday. Good to practice and I find going past parallel activates my glutes and hamstrings more. I do "ass to grass" when warming up though good for your hips and mobility.

Pretty much same story, I do ass to grass with 3-4 sec stop at the bottom for warmups(and sometimes 1 set after my top sets with smth like 50% 1RPM) and all of my heavy sets are just below to get that nice hms stretch reflex

 

[Bassomatic]

New work out plan as Rugby is starting again soon.

Want to REALLY fucking hate life? When your holding up your dead lift, calf raises. I want to punch kittens. But i'm pretty sure I could kick down an active volcano now.

 

[Ahriman]

Going back to forearms, grip and wrist straps, Alex Leonidas dropped a pretty insightful video.

In my case, when I do (body weight) pull-ups, or (moderately heavy) rows, grip is not the limiting factor. It's just on deadlifts, which could mean that I just need to re-learn how to do the thumb grip for deadlifts.

Having said that, I don't think we have a fat grip pull-up bar at my gym - or a rope, I'd definitely love to try those.

Also, what he says about fat dumbbells and just fat grip overall... I definitely agree.

EDIT: https://www.amazon.com/Fat-Gripz-Forearms-Diameter-Soldiers/dp/B07TVVBPP2

Ah shit, here I go again.

New work out plan as Rugby is starting again soon.

Want to REALLY fucking hate life? When your holding up your dead lift, calf raises. I want to punch kittens. But i'm pretty sure I could kick down an active volcano now.

To add to this - squeeze your traps up top, when you're fully straight.

 

[Autistic Monkey]

Anybody got tips not throwing up when having a leg day? Lately after every leg day half way through the workout I start to feel like I'm going to die.

 

[MS Paint Gigachad]

Anybody got tips not throwing up when having a leg day? Lately after every leg day half way through the workout I start to feel like I'm going to die.

Hypoglycaemia does have nausea as an effect sometimes, so i'd recommend some carbs before working out, perhaps some bread with jam/honey or a banana or something about 30-60min before. Try to avoid an excessive amount of fat or fibre, those slow your digestion and working out full isnt much better (so if you go with my bread and jam rec do not add butter or cream cheese).

But otherwise, in terms of not dying during leg day:

You do not.

 

[Barry McKockner]

Worked out for the first time in over a month today without caffinated preworkout. Idk if it was because it's a routine I hate, too much on my mind, or no caffiene, but it fucking suuuucked. Took me forever, and just couldn't find the energy or willpower. I'll chalk it up to just having a bad day.

 

[Jasper2K]

Hit 405 on the bench press. Very clean, no bounce, butt on bench.

 

[DSP's Tax Lawyer]

Hit 405 on the bench press. Very clean, no bounce, butt on bench.

I am jealous of your strong tits. Nice job man

 

[Jasper2K]

Worked out for the first time in over a month today without caffinated preworkout. Idk if it was because it's a routine I hate, too much on my mind, or no caffiene, but it fucking suuuucked. Took me forever, and just couldn't find the energy or willpower. I'll chalk it up to just having a bad day.

Nothing wrong with preworkout or caffeine. Makes working out more enjoyable right. I try to drink coffee at the very least. Your case though a month off is always tough getting back into things,

 

[CharlesBarkley]

If you can’t reach depth on your squat, box squat instead.

problem solved.