I misspelled it. It's called butt wink. It happens at the moment I am breaking parallel. At this point my pelvic tucks under and the lower back loses its arc. I think it's normal to have a little butt wink, but mine looked really excessive. I am watching and reading some videos and articles right now for further info. Like this one http://bretcontreras.com/squat-biom...-is-it-what-causes-it-how-can-it-be-improved/ I will certainly consider that if I continue have problems. I'll try do it more slowly the next time. I hope so!! It's by far my favourite exercise! I hope I'll reach 60kgs again soon.
Back Squats 20kgs 2x10 42,5kgs 1x5 52,5kgs 1x4 62,5kgs 1x2 72,5kgs 3x5 I raised the weight and tried to correct a little my form, mainly to bend my ankles more and to tight my abdominals. Dips warm with machine assisted dips 4x4 Deadlift 40kgs 6x5 I used the smallest weight possible in order to show the exercise to my pal. I also haven't done it for ages. Barbell Shrugs 20kgs 1x10 35kgs 1x5 50kgs 1x5 60kgs 1x4 70kgs 1x2 80kgs 3x5 Plank 1:00 I also did a couple of sets with long lever posterior tilt position, but I only last a few seconds.
Back Squats 20kgs 2x10 45kgs 1x5 55kgs 1x2 65kgs 1x2 75kgs 3x5 Overhead Press 20kgs 1x10 32,5kgs 1x5 42,5kgs 1x2 52,5kgs 10x1 Deadlift 45kgs 1x5 55kgs 1x5 65kgs 1x2 75kgs 1x5 Pull Up 1x9 (more like 8,5) I did a set to failure when I got home from the gym. I used the rest paused method to squeeze out 3 more reps. I got only 2 but my forearms have never become so pumped from an exercise before.
Back Squats 20kgs 2x10 47,5kgs 1x5 57,5kgs 1x2 67,5kgs 1x2 77,5kgs 3x5 Dips 2x5, 1x6 Deadlift 40kgs 1x5 47,5kgs 1x5 57,5kgs 1x3 67,5kgs 1x2 77,5kgs 1x5
Back Squats 20kgs 2x10 50kgs 1x3 60kgs 1x3 70kgs 1x2 80kgs 3x5 Overhead Press 20kgs 1x10 35kgs 1x5 45kgs 1x3 55kgs 7x1 The first rep was atrocious. I had almost locked out the bar over my right side and on the left the bar hadn't even reached midway. On the rest sets I used just a little knee drive. It was very subtle though. Not enough to call it push press.:whistle: Deadlift 40kgs 2x5 50kgs 1x5 60kgs 1x4 70kgs 1x2 80kgs 1x5 Barbell Curls 20kgs 1x10 30kgs 3x5 A very badass session Sloth did with barbell curls a couple of weeks ago motivated me to do more of them. It's a great exercise too and much more fun to do when you do it with "heavy" weights. Plus, people respect you more if you have big guns and it'll make me look less skinny.
Back Squats 20kgs 2x10 52,5kgs 1x5 62,5kgs 1x3 72,5kgs 1x3 82,5kgs 3x5 Dips 2x7, 1x5 Barbell Curls 25kgs 5x5 Deadlift 40kgs 2x5 50kgs 1x5 60kgs 1x3 70kgs 1x2 82,5kgs 1x5
Back Squats 20kgs 2x10 55kgs 1x5 65kgs 1x3 75kgs 1x3 85kgs 3x5 I am considering if it would be better for my low back to hit just below power and stop going as deep as I do. I am getting a better bounce right now and I don't feel pain or discomfort, but it still doesn't feel right. Clean and Press 20kgs 1x10 25kgs 1x3 35kgs 1x3 45kgs 1x2 55kgs 7x1 3 of them were push presses. I am used to press thumbless so that made things harder. Overhead Press 55kgs 6x1 Felt easier than the last time even after doing clean and presses. It's great when I can add weight in the press every workout.. Barbell Curls 27,5kgs 5x5 Last set I cheated on the last 2 reps. Biceps - triceps circuit Dumbbell Curls with 5kgs - 7 partial reps on the bottom half of the movement then 7 reps on the upper half and then 7 reps full ROM. All without rest. With the same weight I did without rest triceps kickbacks for 10 reps both hands and then 10 reps each hand alone again without rest. I did it two times. A pal of mine got me to do that and it was more fun than I thought.
I can't quite pinpoint it, Fish. I'll post a video of me squatting when I get the chance. This is one of the times I wish I had a coach to looking after me. Today's workout Back Squat 20kgs 2x10 57,5kgs 1x5 67,5kgs 1x3 77,5kgs 1x2 87,5kgs 2x5, 1x7 I almost failed the 4rth rep of the first set. That scared the hell out of me and the second set was also really difficult. Then I manned up and took my revenge in the 3rd set. I have a mental block when it comes to squats and I can't understand what my RPE is.. I could lift 100 kgs and have the same difficulty. Dips 2x7, 1x5, 1x2 I wanted a 3x7 but I had the same performance with last time. I rested for 10 seconds and squeezed out a third set of 2. I'll get it next time. Deadlift 40kgs 2x5 57,5kgs 1x5 67,5kgs 1x3 77,5kgs 1x2 87,5kgs 1x5 Barbell Curls 32,5kgs 3x5 (3 minutes break)
squats are a mindscrew sometimes. pure psychological torture. i've recently determined that i can only squat well if i'm near homicidal, to the point where i'll have trouble with 80kg if i'm feeling anything less than highly energetic, only to pop my earphones in, blast some hatebreed or rebellion and crush 100 like it's a pink dumbbell biceps curl. try to see if it's a mindset issue for you as well. keep track of how you feel and what you think about before and during your next few squatting sessions and see if the good ones match, then try to induce it during sessions where your head is somewhere else, and see what happens.
Back Squat 20kgs 2x10 60kgs 1x5 70kgs 1x3 80kgs 1x2 90kgs 3x5 My form felt pretty tight until the last warm up. Better than usual. In the main sets I had more difficulty than the previous workout and I was very anxious before and during them. Overhead Press usual warm up 50kgs 15x1 Shoulders felt tired so I pushed the intensity back. After the 4rth set I did pull ups in the between sets. Pull Ups 5/4/3/3/3/2/3/3/3/3/2/2 Back extensions 15/10/10 Hammer Curls 2kgs 1x100 I did them because my right forearm bothers me a little. A rehab kind of thing..
Back Squat 20kgs 2x10 60kgs 1x5 70kgs 1x3 80kgs 1x2 90kgs 3x5 A pal spotted every set I did this time. I think we might have found the solution to my form's problem. I tried leaning my upper body forward a lot more than I usually do and it kind of worked! In the 3 last sets I had no buttwink in the 3 first reps and a slight one in the 4rth and 5th probably due to the raised difficulty. I also did some singles afterwards with 90kgs and in the last one the weight seemed very light and controlled! Dips 3x7 Finally nailed it! Now I will shoot for 3x8.
Back Squat 20kgs 2x10 60kgs 1x5 70kgs 1x3 80kgs 1x2 92,5kgs 3x5 My lower back for the first time in a while got sore immediately after a set. I got all 3 sets, but I was very sore after each one. I'll experiment the following days. I'll try squatting just parallel and I'll use a belt that everyone use in the gym and see how it goes. Overhead Press 20kgs 1x10 32,5kgs 1x5 42,5kgs 1x3 52,5kgs 1x1 57,5kgs 6x1 40kgs 1x9 (failed the 10th rep) The six singles with 57,5 kgs were pretty slow, but as far grinders go they weren't as tiring as usual. About 9,5 RPE I believe.. I was still sore in my lower back till the first couple of singles. Deadlidt 20kgs 1x10 40kgs 2x5 62,5kgs 1x5 72,5kgs 1x3 82,5kgs 1x2 92,5kgs 1x5 I thought to leave deadlifts for another day in order not to tire my lower back even more, but I did them anyway. I tried to squeeze harder my upper back and it somehow made the lift more easy. Now 2 hours after the gym I don't feel any pain which is good.. On another note, I put the weight I lost back and became again 100kgs. I figured to log my current eating habits for a change.. I use myfitnesspal to calculate my macros. I have no faith in the damn thing, but it keeps me on track. I kinda follow the IIFYM approach.. My meal staples are: 2 pork/beef steaks in the bone or 1 chicken breast, 5-6 whole eggs, 1-3 cans of cottage cheese a bowl of 1 greek yogurt with 65 gr of cornflakes (more or less), 50-60 gr of oatmeal and 6 almonds seasoned with a lot of cinnamon and cocoa. I use these to fit my macros together with whatever my mother makes for the rest of a family. Usually it's grean peas, lentils and various kinds of different fishes. I also eat canned tunas when I don't have enough food. It's very cheap too (1,5 euros) but I generally avoid them because are completely unhealthy. I eat some green veggies and fruits 1-2 days a week (not nearly enough, I know). My daily caloric goal is 3754, 285 calories above my maintenance calories according to Benedict's equation. There a few days that I am a few dozens of calories short of that, but I reach it 3-4 times a week for sure. I keep my fat around 25% and my protein intake at 19%. Practically though, I eat more protein and fats because I almost never eat enough carbs to reach my caloric goal. I am still working on my diet of course. I want to make it more strict and healthier with exact portions and food for every day. If I manage to make it happen by next year I would be really happy. Last but not least, the amount of money I have to invest for eating properly is really discouraging. We are talking about at least 10 euros a day, which is 300 euros a month. At this rate I will have to find a job in order to continue working out properly.. Anyway, end of the log/rant.
1) You're making really good progress dude (thumbs up)! 2) Are you counting protein shakes in with that calorie total?
1) Same as Slothy's #1 2) Great work with tweaking your eating habits (I don't like the word 'diet', it has associations of being a temporary behaviour!) 3) Most importantly: How do you feel? 4) back squats/low back pain I have questions, and I also have rambling ideas: Questions Are you doing low bar or high bar? How wide is your foot placement? Do you point your toes out or forward? How far below parallel are you going? Can you upload/post the video your friend took? Ramble If you are experiencing lumbar flexion at the bottom of your squat ('butt wink') leading to irritation/inflamation/pain, then there are a number of things you could try: quadruped rocking to isolate that hip flexion without any load due to gravity. You can also use this to train yourself to recognise the point at which lumbar flexion occurs, so that when you go back to squatting normally you can stop just beforehand, you can also experiment with different amounts of space between your knees (knees wide, knees narrow) and see what happens. The 'right' width depends on the way your hips are built. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ecdkXfxQUA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ecdkXfxQUA[/ame] Paused goblet squats as a warm up (dumbell, KB, 10kg plate, sandbag, whatever), again, find that bottom position of your squat, try to feel the point at which your low back starts to round, try to control it, hold yourself just above that position to ingrain that motor pattern. You can also use the above two movements to... ...adjust your foot positioning This really depends on how YOU are built - feet closer together (e.g. just inside shoulder width) suits some people, feet super wide (e.g. 2x shoulder width) suits some people, in between suits others. Likewise with whether your toes point forwards or out a little bit, or out a lot - use the goblet squats to find a comfortable bottom positioning with no lumbar flexion and remember where your feet are. There will be a slight adjustment when translating to back squats due to your torso leaning forward more when back squatting (the load is on your back = you have to lean forward a bit for the load to be over your feet) compared to goblet squats (the load is at the front, so your torso can be more upright), but you'll also go a little deeper with goblet squats so the two (sort of) cancel out. You could also try busting out some hardstyle planks to 'wake up' your own natural weight belt before back squatting. Personally, I have no experience of using a belt, other people on the internet seem to make it work for them, but I have seen many people in the gym I go to have crappy motor patterns (e.g. 'buttwink' squats, or 'dog pooping on a lawn' deadlifts) with light weight, slap on a belt for their heavy sets and repeat those same crappy patterns irrespective of the belt. So personally I would save the belt until later and fix your pattern first... Show us that video!
Thanks guys for the responses and for the kind words. Sloth, I don't drink protein shakes or any other supplement. Not that I am against them. I aim for 140-180 gr of protein from eggs, meat, diary and fish, which according to myftnesspal's calculations (which I don't trust very much as I 've said) shoots up to 220 together with other stuff like peas, rice, oatmeals and lentils. Harry, with the way I eat lately, I feel like I have more energy. I am less sleepy after working out. I also feel, psychologically speaking, more confident and have the desire to train more often. Regarding my squat stance, I do the low bar version just below parallel or at least parallel most of the times. My foot placement is shoulder width and my toes are pointing out roughly at 45 degrees. I had always been walking like a duck if you know what I mean.. I will upload in the few next days, the videos I took 3 weeks ago together with 3 new I shoot today. I had seen this video of Gentilcore before, but I forgot to try it. I'll do it today. To be honest, I was hoping that my form just sucked and that I wouldn't have to do extra work like goblet squats, but it appears I will have to. I will be sure of what to do as soon as you guys watch my videos. Today I experimented with my upperbody's forward leaning using only the oly bar. I will use this week to experiment more with my foot placement and the other things you suggested. Today's log Back Squat 70-80 reps in total with the bar Almost all of them were paused with really slow concentric and eccentric phases. My form was horrible until I did them sideways on a mirror. That helped a lot. I did a couple of them right and I felt my glutes contracting for the first timesince.. ever. Then I digressed again. Abductors and Adductors machine 15kgs 1x12 25kgs 1x12 Machine standing calf raises 60kgs 1x12 70kgs 10/12/12/12 Planks 1 minute, 30 sec, 35 sec (fail) In the last 2 I felt more my lower back than my abs.. dumbbell curls and triceps kickbacks the same workout I did at 23/10 but with 12 reps instead of 7 on the curls. Low back extensions 15/12
That's cool. I'm taking the odd protein shake because it works out longer term as a cheaper source of protein and calories than buying the extra food. But that's pretty cool that you're managing to keep up your calorie levels without them.
Thursday's workout Machine dips 45kgs 2x15 Dips 8/7/5 Back Squat 50kgs 1x10 60kgs 1x5 70kgs 1x3 85kgs 1x2 95kgs 3x5 Very good workout. No discomfort at all. I am very optimistic! BTN Press 30kgs 3x8 Really hard! Deadlift 40kgs 1x10 60kgs 1x5 70kgs 1x3 80kgs 1x2 85kgs 1x1 95kgs 1x5 Today's workout Hang Power Clean a ton of reps with the bar 30kgs 1x10 40kgs 1x5 50kgs 1x5 52,5kgs 1x3 55kgs 1x3 57,5kgs 1x3 60kgs 3/2 (failed the third rep) First time I clean 60kgs. It was hard, but it was really fun! I need to dip more after shrugging the bar. Overhead Press 30kgs 1x5 40kgs 1x3 50kgs 1x1 55kgs 1x1 57,5kgs 1x1 60kgs 1/failed/1 At last I got to the 60s again. I also did 3-4 reps of power clean and press with 45kgs and left it at that. Dumbbell Curls 15kgs 1x3 10kgs 1x15 And a few pull ups till it was time for the gym to close.
