Any good tips for these? I'll definitely be doing these BW only for awhile.
I'm wondering how exactly you tell when you have enough extension in the back leg.
It's hard for me to judge since I'm so wobbly doing these.
__________________ It all starts with the mind, but the thoughts, the intention aren't enough. Action needs to come next. Dream it, believe it, plan it, execute it, celebrate it. - Wendy
Do them like they show in the book But maybe after you get the wobble under control- if you do Actually at the beginning I put the bench against the wall, so I could put my foot against the wall to help balance, esp. with weights. I'm doing FL for the second time, and yesterday I did not lose balance once. May be a PR
I also pick a spot on the wall across from me to focus on while I do the exercise. It helps me keep my balance a bit. Otherwise, these are just plain hard!!! But, keep at it...it will come.
__________________
On Krista mistressing the chin-up, "It's amazing", said one gym source, "considering that for months she just hung there like a dead fish."
I used to pull my bench over so i faced a wall, then i put my hands out and touched the wall with just a few fingertips, and slid them up and down the wall as i went, and progressively took fingers off the wall til i only needed it to stabilize myself occasionally, and now i rarely lose my balance
Any good tips for these? I'll definitely be doing these BW only for awhile.
I'm wondering how exactly you tell when you have enough extension in the back leg.
Lower your body until your forward leg is at least parallel to the floor, then you will have enough extension in the back leg.
Quote:
It's hard for me to judge since I'm so wobbly doing these.
Assist your balance with breath control. Before you move, inhale deeply and lock your rib cage onto your pelvis with a tight contraction of your whole core. Maintain that pressure throughout the movement. Exhale after the point of greatest exertion on the way back up.
Any time your spine bends you'll change your center of gravity and lose your balance. You have to stay tight, chest up, eyes forward. Having a wall or other structure close by to touch if you need to is always helpful.
I have a question regarding BSS. When I'm doing a set, it seems like the back leg gets almost as tired as the front leg, and when I go to switch legs, it's already fatigued somewhat. Is this normal, or am I doing something wrong? (Actually, it's much worse in my right leg, where I still have some healing nerve damage from pregnancy.)
I have a question regarding BSS. When I'm doing a set, it seems like the back leg gets almost as tired as the front leg, and when I go to switch legs, it's already fatigued somewhat. Is this normal, or am I doing something wrong? (Actually, it's much worse in my right leg, where I still have some healing nerve damage from pregnancy.)
I have that same question, Michelle... I always just took a few extra seconds (like, sometimes 60 of 'em!) before I set up for the opposite leg, but I'm not sure if that is really the *right* way to do it.
Both legs are working, but the stronger your forward leg the less you'll tend to push with the back leg. So make it your goal to push less and less with the back leg. Your (lack of) flexibility in the back leg will affect what you feel in that quad too.
A few months ago I asked Mike Robertson a few questions about the BSS. In part, I asked: Is the quad of the back leg supposed to contract to return you to standing or should you make an effort to relax the back quad and drive upward with the glutes of the forward leg only? How does lengthening the distance from the foot on the ground to the support bench change the muscles that are recruited? Do you always want to spread out as far as possible?
Here's a portion of Mike's answer:
Quote:
In my opinion, you shouldn’t be using the back leg at all in a BSS; if you do, that means your glutes/posterior chain/working leg aren’t strong enough with the load that you are using. As with any single-leg exercise, the greater the stride out, the greater the emphasis on the posterior chain. The short-stroke versions all put more of a premium on ankle mobility and quad strength.
He also suggested that I was overthinking it--paralysis by analysis. So, just do it.
To add to what has already been said, keep the Dumbbells as close to your body as possible and descend into the squat as a unit trying not to move the DBs.
__________________ In Fitness & Friendship, MAHLER
______________________________ __________________________ There is no light at the end of the tunnel. You carry the light with you.
Along with the long stride out with the front foot as Mike Boyle suggests, I really focus on keeping the weight on the heel of my front foot. If my weight gets out on my toe, not only does it seem to fatigue the quad quickly, but it also seems to tire out the back leg as it holds me back from tipping forward.
If I keep the weight on my heel, it feels like the entire posterior chain is firing, and my back leg can hang and be relaxed. It may not work for you, but my BSS changed dramatically after this small shift in where my weight was coming through the foot.
__________________ Megaloi -- My Blog
"Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers."
- Mignon McLaughlin
Good point RL. The weight should always be on the "7" (imagine a 7 on the bottom of your right foot), but err to the heel and never shift fully to your toes. That's true for any exercise that requires you to stand planted on your feet (or foot as the case may be).
I should have asked, you do wear a flat sole shoe such as chuck taylors or nike frees, right?
Else, you do it bare/socked foot.
That was a key for me. Having started at a new gym I was a bit wary of walking in with my Chuck Taylors on. Probably worrying a bit too much about how I looked or building my "gym cred" at the new place. I noticed that squats were hurting my low back, and lunges were very wobbly. Switched back to my Chuck's this week. It's amazing how different (better) squats feel and how more stable my lunges and even those BSS's are.
You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your f---ing khakis.-Tyler Durden
Balance is better maintained with the eyes open and focused on some point outside the body, like the floor in front of you... where your gaze easily, naturally falls. Maintain that focus on your gaze, it'll help.
(That's what usually helps with my balance in yoga... and standing on one leg with the other high in the air behind you and your arms out while twisting your torso definitely requires balance.)
That was a key for me. Having started at a new gym I was a bit wary of walking in with my Chuck Taylors on. Probably worrying a bit too much about how I looked or building my "gym cred" at the new place. I noticed that squats were hurting my low back, and lunges were very wobbly. Switched back to my Chuck's this week. It's amazing how different (better) squats feel and how more stable my lunges and even those BSS's are.
I'm still getting my IH8BSS license plate.
Interesting. I would think that anyone who would take "gym cred" away from you for wearing chucks isn't someone you would want gym cred from anyhow.
Og.
__________________ 2009: No races, No times. Slow year. So, now you're 96 cals short. You're now in starvation mode. Doomed. - LostDog
Blog entry: November 1, 2009, Pancakes LiveSTRONG daily plate log
Great idea. BTW - I renamed these the Bulgarian Death Squats long ago.
Really good advice from everyone here. As hated as this move is, I believe it's effectiveness can't be underestimated.
__________________ “I have always done my duty. I am ready to die. My only regret is for the friends I leave behind me.”
-- Zachary Taylor, 12th U.S. President, 1849-1850
You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your f---ing khakis.-Tyler Durden
As hated as this move is, I believe it's effectiveness can't be underestimated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RedLefty
Uhhh.... I think you meant the opposite?
Haha! I had a nagging feeling there was something wrong with that sentence, but couldn't put my finger on it!
__________________ “I have always done my duty. I am ready to die. My only regret is for the friends I leave behind me.”
-- Zachary Taylor, 12th U.S. President, 1849-1850
I've never done squats of any kind in anything except for my running shoes. Not for fear of being made fun of, but from lack of knowing otherwise.
How big of a deal is shoe type in regard to these types of movements? Am I hurting my ability to improve by not changing my shoes?
I can't imagine running in a pair of chucks. Seems unnatural, though I might be suprised. Do you all have multiple pairs of shoes for different exercises?
I have chucks.. Never use them though. I perfer my nike frees. I can run in them, do anything really. Highly recomend them. I know quite a few people on here use them.
The only thing I find chucks better for is wide stance squatting if you wear a squat suit.. and not many people do that haha.
I've never done squats of any kind in anything except for my running shoes. Not for fear of being made fun of, but from lack of knowing otherwise.
How big of a deal is shoe type in regard to these types of movements? Am I hurting my ability to improve by not changing my shoes?
I can't imagine running in a pair of chucks. Seems unnatural, though I might be suprised. Do you all have multiple pairs of shoes for different exercises?
This is the thread that got me to wear my Chucks...
I never really had a problem lifting in running shoes. I just felt more stable after switching. When I went back recently after a long lay off I noticed pain in my low back which has stopped since swithing back to my Chucks.
You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your f---ing khakis.-Tyler Durden
To add to what has already been said, keep the Dumbbells as close to your body as possible and descend into the squat as a unit trying not to move the DBs.
Not even to the point of using DBs yet.
__________________ It all starts with the mind, but the thoughts, the intention aren't enough. Action needs to come next. Dream it, believe it, plan it, execute it, celebrate it. - Wendy
I've never done squats of any kind in anything except for my running shoes. Not for fear of being made fun of, but from lack of knowing otherwise.
How big of a deal is shoe type in regard to these types of movements? Am I hurting my ability to improve by not changing my shoes?
I can't imagine running in a pair of chucks. Seems unnatural, though I might be suprised. Do you all have multiple pairs of shoes for different exercises?
On the recommendation of Bip and others, I tried the squat and deadlift barefooted last week (one of the advantages of working out at home!) Both lifts felt much more stable when I did them, because my feet were well and truly planted and I wasn't trying to "drive" the heel down through the spongy material of the soles of my cross-trainers (which I had purchased so I wouldn't train with my running shoes).
I wouldn't run in Chuck's. But I do have multiple pairs of exercise related shoes.
__________________ It all starts with the mind, but the thoughts, the intention aren't enough. Action needs to come next. Dream it, believe it, plan it, execute it, celebrate it. - Wendy
How big of a deal is shoe type in regard to these types of movements? Am I hurting my ability to improve by not changing my shoes?
Here's a little more info on shoes from Eric Cressey's The Ten Best Ways to Improve Your Squat (reprinted from Ryan Lee’s SportSpecific.com Training Journal so no link available):
Quote:
Tip #6: Grip the Floor!
This quote might be a bit hackneyed by now, but “You can’t shoot a cannon from a canoe.”
Your base is incredibly important to generating optimal force; if you don’t have solid footing, you’ll never reach your squatting potential. The best squatters don’t just stand on the floor; they push down into it and grip it in the process. Sprinters and ballerinas want to be light on their feet; squatters want to be rock solid. Grip the floor!
This leads us to Tip #7…
Tip #7: Check Your Footwear.
I cannot overstate the importance of appropriate footwear. The best squatting shoes will have you as close to the floor as possible; most successful powerlifters actually squat in Chuck Taylors (Converse All-Stars) or wrestling shoes, as these sneakers keep their feet as close to the floor as possible. Sneakers with exaggerated heel-lifts should be discouraged, as they shift an athlete too far forward and really just offer an “out” for individuals with poor ankle flexibility (lack of dorsiflexion range of motion). Plus, if there is too much cushioning, the force we’re looking to exert into the ground is “muffled.”
I can't imagine running in a pair of chucks. Seems unnatural, though I might be suprised. Do you all have multiple pairs of shoes for different exercises?
1. Separate Set of Sneakers — I list this one first because it obviously is related to the aforementioned wet sock problem, but it actually has some biomechanical implications, too. Ideally, you'll have two pairs of sneakers in your training bag. The first pair will have flat soles that enable you to be as closely in contact with the floor as possible on posterior chain exercises like deadlifts, good mornings and power squats. The ol' Converse Chuck Taylors are great, as are most wrestling shoes. Some guys favor deadlifting in ballet slippers or barefoot, but good luck with getting those two options to fly in your gym! The second pair of shoes in your arsenal should be a regular cross-trainer with a slight heel lift; this heel lift is important for exercises such as Olympic squats, lunges and step-ups that require deep knee flexion (and, in turn, extra dorsiflexion range of motion). Olympic lifting shoes are pricey, but ask anyone who has owned a pair and they'll tell you that these shoes are pretty damn sweet!
Although I believe that Eric now prefers Nike Frees rather than cross-trainers. He mentions them often, as he did in this recent deadlifting tip: Deadlifting Footwear
Dr. Stuart McGill also had some interesting comments about how the feet affect back health. This is from his interview at T-Nation, Back to McGill:
Quote:
T-Nation: Last weekend, you touched on the topic of "powerful feet" in elite athletes, noting that everything starts from the ground up. Can you go into a bit more detail on this topic? How does it relate to back health and performance? And I'm sure that our audience would love some training tips in this regard.
Dr. McGill: It depends on the athlete. In the lifter, optimal hip extensor power requires hip external rotation and abduction. To do this, the lifter needs to grip the floor isometrically, try and externally rotate the hips, and also "spread the floor."
The floor grip is accomplished with the toes and the heels actually gripping the floor inside the shoe. This also widens the base of support and gives the lifter more stability, which ultimately creates the conditions for optimal hip drive and the steerage of load through the linkage.
Sometimes we start shoeless foot gripping exercises with the lifter to develop this type of essential foot athleticism. We'd also do this with golfers and strongman competitors who have to grip the ground when pulling/pushing, etc.
On the other hand, a runner or jumper needs to stiffen the foot and optimize the short-range spring. This would constitute an entirely different type of training that would probably include rapid foot "ricochet" exercises, for example.
I must also mention that I claim no expertise beyond the back; however, if the issue relates to the back, I want to investigate it. Foot athleticism is very important for back performance!
Eric also had a blog post not too long ago that discussed the negatives of wearing a higher heel: Nike Shox and High Heels
Bulgarian Split Squats
But maybe after you get the wobble under control- if you do 
Linear Mode
