Becoming a Squat Freak

[Alcoholiday]

My hip's feeling better thanks to lisa and bill. I'm still going to continue to do a lot of hip mobility, and glute activation, as well as unilateral stuff to keep my hips feeling good.

Title says it all. I want to get comfortable squatting, and to squat a lot per week. Squats are the king of all exercises, and i need to be good at them if i want to become better in any sort of strength sport.

Hopefully, as the next school semester starts, i'll get a group together to train at Chad's Strongman gym in kokomo (2 hrs away), and i'll make a weekly drive to go there. There's nothing like lifting w/ dedicated people. A guy from maurande's board said he may be interested, and a guy i know from ND who does some PLing said he'd be interested as well. So, if all pans through, i'll be pretty damn psyched about this.

So, i want to:
improve push press
improve squats (front AND back!)
improve deadlifts

i'll be working in the range of triples and doubles, and 5s, and heavy singles. I'm going to avoid going to failure. I've had good results avoiding failure lifts, and just lifting to heavy lifts.

[Alcoholiday]

6-19-07:

Sled Drags:
1 plate: 1 trip
2 plates: 3 trips

Hip Mobility

Full Back Squats
(first time back squatting in over 2 months):
....
165x3
170x3x2
175x2
185x2
190x2
200x2 (pr)
185x1 (wanted more reps, but toasted)

DB Step Ups: 3x6
BS Rows: 3 sets

VERY happy w/ how back squats felt. My hips felt tight at the beginning of the workout, but got better as i got some sets in w/ weight.

[John Izzo]

Good luck. I think you'll find that the more mobile the hips become, the easier it gets to go down lower in the squat.

[Lost Dog]

Good job putting in the effort to get yourself right. More people (myself included) need to follow your example.

[Alcoholiday]

thanks guys!

[Alcoholiday]

6-22-07:

Sled Pulls:
2 plates: 3 trips
2 plates+ quarter: 2 trips

Push Presses:
115x2x2
120x2x2
125x2

BS Pushups:
bwx13
bwx10
bwx13 (pr for reps)

DB Extensions: 2 sets

DB Rows:
85x10x2
75x12

conditioning getting better.

[pjb923]

Looks like you have a solid plan in place, and the squats are looking good already. Keep it up!

One question... What is a BS pushup?

[Matthew]

blast strap pushup

dammit alco, there aren't enough threads floating around already?
Good to see your hips are getting better. Keep up with your hard work, it will all pay off soon enough.

[Alcoholiday]

thanks guys

[Alcoholiday]

6-29-07:

Deadlifts:
...
285x3x2
300x3

DB Walking Lunges:
25x6x2
30x6

bar complex to punish myself for no sled work:
clean/front squat/military press/row/good morning, each for 10 reps

[Chiron]

Sweet. I love squats. Good luck with your hip strength man.

[Alcoholiday]

Originally Posted by Chiron

Sweet. I love squats. Good luck with your hip strength man.

thanks man. i'm starting to like squats, and i used to hate them.

[gobbla]

Looks like you're doing awesome. Just wanted to say "good job" and I like your new goal.

[Alcoholiday]

thanks gob

[Alcoholiday]

just ordered a yoke from alan. hopefully, i'll get it in around a week.

[Matthew]

How do you afford all this stuff working at starbucks? What are you making, 20 dollars an hour?

[Alcoholiday]

i work a lot, and live at home. the only thing i really have to pay for is my car payment 200.00 a month, occassionally food, and school,, but i'm getting a loan this semester b/c it's too hard to pay for school and car at the same time. Basically, i work a lot in the summer, and save.

[Alcoholiday]

6-27-07:

Squats:
...
185x2
195x2

One Legged Squats: bwx6x2
Staggered hand pushups: bwx10x2

taking it easy this week. extremely humid.