tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post9189565984714714061..comments2024-01-18T10:01:07.136-05:00Comments on Chaos and Pain: **Live Dangerously and You Live Right.Jamie Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16182869171233847161noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-18970422470606295692010-01-27T16:19:42.602-05:002010-01-27T16:19:42.602-05:00Great story, Glen!Great story, Glen!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-42349451329426238682010-01-26T12:56:20.114-05:002010-01-26T12:56:20.114-05:00Jamie,
I tried to post this as a comment on your &...Jamie,<br />I tried to post this as a comment on your "Live Dangerously" post, which I just got around to reading, but some stupid filter here at work won't let me use the comment box.<br /> <br />The reason I'm just reading it now is that I have been in Rhode Island for a week taking some courses at Charles Poliquin's strength and conditioning center. One of them was a two-day course on Olympic lifting, taught by Pierre Roy, former national coach of the Canadian national weightlifting team, and one of the best weightlifting coaches to come out of North America.<br /> <br />He brought two of his current trainees to demonstrate technique: a woman in her 20's and a guy who is just 18. Both are crazy strong. The kid was about 5' 10" and 170-175 lbs. If you saw him on the street, you would think, "That kid is too skinny, he needs to lift some weights." Well... he does! (He obviously has incredible neuro-muscular efficiency, plus perfect technique). He jerked 180 kilos (396 lbs) and cleaned 170 (374). But what was really impressive, and what your post reminded me of, was the squat. Pierre has this technique for working through your sticking point. It involves this contraption that attaches to the ends of the bar--similar to chains, but the weight increases all of a sudden, instead of gradually. Basically, you adjust it so that some plates, which are designed to hang flat on the ends of the rope, hit (and come off) the ground right when you reach your concentric sticking point. So, you go down, the plates touch the ground and the weight suddenly gets lighter. You go all the way into the hole, come back up, and just as you hit your non-sweet spot with the lighter weight, the extra weight comes off the ground--forcing you to get stronger where you need it most.<br /> <br />The kid had 180 kg (396) on the bar, plus 40 kg (88 kg) hanging from the ropes (484 lbs total), and was doing singles. On his third lift he hits his sticking point and is screaming bloody murder, but can't move the freaking weight. Rather than dump it, he takes his hands off the bar (no joke), puts them on his knees and forces himself up until he has enough knee/hip extension to keep moving, then grabs the bar again and completes the lift. <br /> <br />Everyone in the room was like, "Holy shit!" Pierre, however, was non-plussed. He just said (in his thick French-Canadian accent), "You see, he couldn't move the weight, but he found a way."<br /> <br />No shit.<br /> <br />Pierre wants him to put on 45 lbs of muscle over the next eight years, and compete at the world/Olympic level at 220 lbs. He definitely has the guts to get it done.<br /> <br />Feel free to post this in the comments, if you think others might find it interesting.<br /> <br />GlennGlenn Elmersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-16653243546620322812010-01-24T23:25:33.405-05:002010-01-24T23:25:33.405-05:00Noted and appreciated, Jack.
yeah, Doug- I've...Noted and appreciated, Jack.<br /><br />yeah, Doug- I've got a couple. I took a couple of Benadryl prior to my workout to counteract my allergic reaction to fabric on my upper extremities, haha.Jamie Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16182869171233847161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-3892581575360168802010-01-24T20:33:26.739-05:002010-01-24T20:33:26.739-05:00Wait a minute! You have a t-shirt with sleeves?!?...Wait a minute! You have a t-shirt with sleeves?!?Doug Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-52615500556414964862010-01-24T13:11:11.053-05:002010-01-24T13:11:11.053-05:00I think you've got "belie" confused ...I think you've got "belie" confused with "bespeaks". I think more people use "belie" the wrong way than the right way. But that doesn't make it right. I'm sure you understand.Jack Burtonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-61283382185652903362010-01-23T08:51:11.402-05:002010-01-23T08:51:11.402-05:00Justin's common sense wins out against the ...Justin's common sense wins out against the 'guru'. After I hurt my back I couldn't squat, so when I started training again I began with dumbbell lunge variations, then moved onto barbell lunges and finally squats. Its not ideal, but it makes more sense to me than loading up a leg press cause you want to feel like you're moving as much weight as you were, even though its obviously a different lift, and still dangerous to boot.Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02447957740720245964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-9859941152232306712010-01-22T15:20:53.862-05:002010-01-22T15:20:53.862-05:00The funny thing about that quote, is that I agree ...The funny thing about that quote, is that I agree with significant portions of it. Good input, bad output. Where his analysis falls apart is the assertion that leg press is a safe alternative to squat. A safe alternative to squats would be to find a squat variant which works around the injury. Belt squats take the back and arms out of the equation, for example. but the leg press is NOT a safe alternative to the squat, not by a long shot. I may not be some guru with a number of books to my credit, but all you have to do is spend some time under the weight in each exercise, and just *feel* your body. Where are the pressure points? Is the weight being focused on strong joints or week joints? Are joints loaded in a locked position? Are the joints under load in a position that they would not normally go into while going about your daily business?<br /><br />J.JaJustin Jameshttp://www.thesophist.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-7172366047195814662010-01-22T12:55:44.862-05:002010-01-22T12:55:44.862-05:00Google and I are currently at odds, it appears. E...Google and I are currently at odds, it appears. Error messages abound, and double posts follow in their wake.Jamie Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16182869171233847161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-66463856555170251932010-01-22T12:52:34.896-05:002010-01-22T12:52:34.896-05:00http://www.hardgainer.com/qna01.html
"If you...http://www.hardgainer.com/qna01.html<br /><br />"If you've had a major back injury, get the clearance of a chiropractor before you barbell squat. If you've had any minor back injuries, still get a chiropractor's clearance.<br /><br />No matter how effective an exercise may be for someone, if it doesn't suit YOU it will do you no good, and perhaps do you harm. When considering the preferences of a trainer, coach, or author, consider YOUR limitations and technical proficiency.<br /><br />How well you squat is heavily affected by your leverages -- your relative torso, thigh, and leg lengths, and relative femur (thighbone) and tibia (shinbone) lengths. And there are other important structural factors, including muscle insertion points (which vary from person to person, to some degree), which influence squatting efficiency.<br /><br />With correct technique (including NO ROUNDING OF THE BACK), controlled rep speed, and the right weight selection, the squat is safe and productive for many if not most trainees. For those who can't squat safely even when using correct technique and rep speed, they should use alternative exercises -- for example, the leg press. But even then, exercise technique and rep speed control need to be correct. All exercises will eventually produce injury if done incorrectly."<br /><br />This is amusing for two reasons: one, you're too fucking stupid to use google, and two, THE LEG PRESS NECESSARILY CAUSES YOU TO ROUND YOUR BACK.Jamie Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16182869171233847161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-90733785086687628612010-01-22T12:49:35.975-05:002010-01-22T12:49:35.975-05:00"If you've had a major back injury, get t..."If you've had a major back injury, get the clearance of a chiropractor before you barbell squat. If you've had any minor back injuries, still get a chiropractor's clearance.<br /><br />No matter how effective an exercise may be for someone, if it doesn't suit YOU it will do you no good, and perhaps do you harm. When considering the preferences of a trainer, coach, or author, consider YOUR limitations and technical proficiency.<br /><br />How well you squat is heavily affected by your leverages -- your relative torso, thigh, and leg lengths, and relative femur (thighbone) and tibia (shinbone) lengths. And there are other important structural factors, including muscle insertion points (which vary from person to person, to some degree), which influence squatting efficiency.<br /><br />With correct technique (including NO ROUNDING OF THE BACK), controlled rep speed, and the right weight selection, the squat is safe and productive for many if not most trainees. For those who can't squat safely even when using correct technique and rep speed, they should use alternative exercises -- for example, the leg press. But even then, exercise technique and rep speed control need to be correct. All exercises will eventually produce injury if done incorrectly."<br /><br />This is amusing for several reasons, beginning with the fact that you're too fucking stupid to use google, and ending with the fact that THE LEG PRESS AUTOMATICALLY ROUNDS YOUR BACK. It's horrible for your back.Jamie Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16182869171233847161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-71928858633066620802010-01-22T12:41:23.057-05:002010-01-22T12:41:23.057-05:00Q: "where the heck has Stuart McRobert EVER p...Q: "where the heck has Stuart McRobert EVER promoted the leg press?"<br /><br />In his book "Build muscle, Lose fat, Feel great", which you obviously have not read. He advocates doing "safe" exercises. Safe = useless at best. "Perfect form" is the form with which a given individual can lift the most weight without injury. Everyone has different leverages, so advocating a universal perfect form, or perfect exercise, is absurd. McRobert is very nearly retarded, and most certainly a useless trainer.<br /><br />J- Log presses are the shit, and were the only thing I could do for OHP for some time after my elbow surgery. You are correct, sir.Jamie Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16182869171233847161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-5769804380300699792010-01-22T12:00:47.281-05:002010-01-22T12:00:47.281-05:00Anon -
Another one of the common arguments agains...Anon -<br /><br />Another one of the common arguments against the BTN Push Press is a rehash of the "BTN presses wreck the rotator cuff" item, which is a perfectly valid statement. However, because the BTN Push Press begins the motion with leg drive, the rotator cuff is under very little tension until the weight clears the danger zone and the shoulder is at a much safer angle for pressing.<br /><br />Likewise, I've done (in the past) BTN lat pulldowns, and frankly, they didn't feel great, but BTN chin ups feel fine.<br /><br />The more I think about it, the less I like the bench press. Look at the lengths that the powerlifters go to in their stance and form in order to engage the body in a way that is natural "as a system", in order to overcome the fact that they are pinned to an immovable object. It does NOT help in the slightest that it involves driving hundreds of pounds through the wrists while they are in a supinated position, either. Log presses should be much better for the wrists/forearms, probably the elbows, and possibly the shoulders as well. I would love to swap out bench press in favor of log presses.<br /><br />Yesterday, I was knocking a guy for doing pushups. The more I think about it, the more mistaken I was. I think pushups, if you use the bars (*not* the "Perfect Pushup" things, just the little handles to let you get depth and get your wrist position straight), are most likely much, much safer in so many ways than the bench press. It's just a matter of finding a way to get the weight on there. I used to try stacking plates on my back, but they were always shifting around and didn't work out so well. If there was a good, safe way to load weight on a pushup, I might prefer that to the BP.<br /><br />J.JaJustin Jameshttp://www.thesophist.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-58380664955051838612010-01-22T11:07:05.233-05:002010-01-22T11:07:05.233-05:00Cheat a lot of weight??? It's caled a push pre...Cheat a lot of weight??? It's caled a push press fool.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-71449166103897674462010-01-22T10:19:49.499-05:002010-01-22T10:19:49.499-05:00one point: where the heck has Stuart McRobert EVER...one point: where the heck has Stuart McRobert EVER promoted the leg press?<br />That guy gets bashed left and right, and all he is promoting is good form, primarily with free weights, hit it hard, and recover, and do it again.<br />In other words, don't put yourself in a position to cheat a lot of weight up, and have it drop on your neck.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-42395263643996895792010-01-22T10:08:17.982-05:002010-01-22T10:08:17.982-05:00J. Ja. They typically play dance music in there, ...J. Ja. They typically play dance music in there, because they train tons of high school athletes, but we put on Sirius Lithium after they left. I, of course, was listening to the Hoods on my mp3 player.<br /><br />As for the retard- there is no "cervical spine destruction", because your legs serve as shock absorbers. Enjoy your knee destroying leg machines and your shoulder impingement from countless sets of bench presses, fuckface.Jamie Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16182869171233847161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-84632247728361615262010-01-22T08:56:38.299-05:002010-01-22T08:56:38.299-05:00YEAH BUDDAY BEING A QUADRAPELIGIC IS HARD_CORE_
C...YEAH BUDDAY BEING A QUADRAPELIGIC IS HARD_CORE_<br /><br />COMPLETE CERVICAL SPINE DESTRUCTION YEAHHHHHBUDDAYYYYYAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-27886536777311257862010-01-22T06:09:24.143-05:002010-01-22T06:09:24.143-05:00Justin: I agree 200% with your comments on the leg...Justin: I agree 200% with your comments on the leg press vs squat. well said.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-74529134811207467352010-01-22T01:53:22.615-05:002010-01-22T01:53:22.615-05:00I love the background music. Very ennervating. Sad...I love the background music. Very ennervating. Sad to say, it's better than the Mariah Carey and Chris Brown they play at my gym, might as well inject myself with estrogen and eat a pile of sugar coated soybeans...<br /><br />J.JaJustin Jameshttp://www.thesophist.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-2519355057912756252010-01-22T01:41:37.493-05:002010-01-22T01:41:37.493-05:00This may be your best one yet. Now, please stop tr...This may be your best one yet. Now, please stop trying to off yourself with after hours death-wish sets and possibly causing concussions biweekly. Some of us would at least like you around into your 40's.<br />~You-Know-WhoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-87878678809669773362010-01-22T00:52:00.518-05:002010-01-22T00:52:00.518-05:00Personally, I am with J.Ja
-- PratikPersonally, I am with J.Ja<br /><br />-- PratikAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-34819974782932482912010-01-22T00:21:45.365-05:002010-01-22T00:21:45.365-05:00Man that had to suck, i remember a while back i wa...Man that had to suck, i remember a while back i was racking my first warm up with 135 n the squat, and while i was ducking back out under the bar the damn thing rolled off one side and the plates cracked me at the base of the skull... that shit sucked.Grim83https://www.blogger.com/profile/15156512315668043175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-72792562771355457212010-01-21T21:45:25.011-05:002010-01-21T21:45:25.011-05:00I beleive that leg presses are much, much more ris...I beleive that leg presses are much, much more risky and injury prone than squats. The simple fact is, the body works as a *system*. The leg press eliminates nearly every part of the *system* and reduces it to a combination of the strongest link in the chain (the quadriceps) and the 3rd or 4th strongest link in the chain (the knee, which is one of the most, if not the most, complex joint in the body). In a squat, you are limited by a huge number of factors... your back strength, abs/obliques, hamstrings, knees, ankles, even your wrists, traps, lats, and triceps to a degree. It's a total body exercize, which is why it builds test levels like nobody's business.<br /><br />But the leg press allows you to far exceed the limits of the rest of the system. That's why you can leg press hundreds of pounds more than you can raw squat, often DOUBLE or even TRIPLE what you can raw squat. Problem is, by taking out all of the limiting factors, it is a cinch to exceed to limits of the KNEE.<br /><br />It amazes me to talk to so many people who consider the squat to be a "knee killer" but will grind out the "safe" leg presses. Never mind the fact that they could 1RM squat 400 lbs., but are banging out sets of 8 or 10 reps with 1,000 lbs. on the leg press (due to the mechanical advantage of the incline, probably more like 600 - 800 lbs. of actual upwards force, depending on the angle and quality of the bearings). All while locked into a position that sends it DIRECTLY through the knees with no wiggle, no adjustments to the rest of the position to shift the weight better, no correcting the angles because once you are under load THAT IS IT, straight to the quads, in a position that if something goes wrong, there is no dumping the sled; if you get stapled on a leg press, you are SCREWED compared to getting stapled in a squat cage, ducking out and having a good laugh once the adrenalin flows through.<br /><br />People tell me I'm nuts because I don't do leg press or leg extensions, I say they're nuts because they DO.<br /><br />J.JaJustin Jameshttp://www.thesophist.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-22339909477027825352010-01-21T21:21:09.821-05:002010-01-21T21:21:09.821-05:00We need more of this - Great post.We need more of this - Great post.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-11835907667702305922010-01-21T09:15:22.618-05:002010-01-21T09:15:22.618-05:00wheres the video?wheres the video?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5835524249360195666.post-88380370195545743762010-01-21T08:31:12.387-05:002010-01-21T08:31:12.387-05:00I don't know if any of the Blogger videos are ...I don't know if any of the Blogger videos are working.Isaachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09326537098211698438noreply@blogger.com