Dec 21, 2014

 ** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 2 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Pull-up **
- 5 x 10 reps

Got back from NYC tonight and was quite tired, but couldn't resist squatting with the SBDs again.  Initially was going to do a top set of 5 with 255 again and then do drop down sets at 225, but after the first set of 255, I just decided to stick with it and do 3 sets of 5 with 255.  Was good too because it helped me make some necessary adjustments to my form which seemed to help a lot.

As mentioned in my previous post, I'm now squatting in flat chuck taylors instead of my oly shoes.  I find that this helps dramatically in terms of letting me push off my midfoot instead of just the heel, and also because of this (and the flatness of the shoes), I don't get pushed forward, which keeps the bar path quite straight, which I am happy with.  I also naturally squat wider (130% shoulder width) in these shoes with a moderate toe flare (~30 degrees).  With the SBDs, I can screw my feet into the ground and not worry about my knees dying from the torque, which did bother me somewhat last week.  I also feel very comfortable with this stance and the squatting in general.  Better than I ever have to be honest.  I feel very stable and powerful in this stance compared to the rest, and I also don't seem to have an issue with hip pain or impingement (so far).  I think part of it may be because the SBDs help limit my depth, and because squatting wider may just be better for my bone structure.  Also, my previous best was 275 for 4 reps, and the whole time working up beyond 255, it was when I was squatting barefoot with a wider stance.  However, squatting in the shoes is much more stable since it lets me screw my feet into the ground a lot more, whereas barefoot (esp. on carpet), I don't get much traction or stability.  I think with the wider stance, I'm also able to utilize the glutes a lot more, so I'm able to use a lot more power.  With this stance, I also don't need to worry or overthink about the eccentric (what to do with the glutes, flexed or relaxed, does my torso angle change, does the bar path move, do my hips rise early...etc.).  I just tighten everything and then screw my feet, opens up the knees to initiate, and drop straight down with the torso as upright and tight as possible.  I noticed in one of my first sets that my hip crease is only slightly below parallel, which, given current IPF standards, might be a problem, so in my later sets, I actually purposely do a controlled rebound in and out of the hole and upon watching the videos, this makes depth VERY convincing.  Plus, the rebound is helpful and builds confidence since I don't need to worry about whether depth was hit.  I also found that packing the neck and simultaneously cuing full upper back tightness at the same time makes for 1 solid cue to keep the upper back from rounding upon the ascent, and this was fantastic for keeping the bar path straight.