Yikes, I might be recomping!

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Replies

  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 2,029 Member

    Also your bar should have gaps or notches in the knurling, to make it easier to line up your hands.

  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 9,240 Member

    my old trainer had me bench with a bamboo bar, using either plates or kettlebells, attached, dangling, by heavy rubber workout bands.

    The object was to do it with as little wobble as possible, in a smooth benching motion

    It was like benching a couple sacks full of angry wet cats. But that was my #1 favorite thing to do in the gym. The concentration it took was ferocious, and for some reason I excelled at that. I guess that’s why I enjoyed it so much. 😂


    I was just thinking about how much I missed it a couple of days ago, and that it would be a complete No Go at the Cocoon Gym. (As in the movie. Clientele is 80% senior, but a lot of kick *kitten* seniors.)

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 10,383 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48555148#Comment_48555148

    Sure, but I was so fighting with the lifting straps that I missed this. Remember my hands are too small for my current bar when it comes to deadlifts and rows.

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 10,383 Member

    Well, getting somewhere. I think the lift percentage groupings are based on age, weight and gender. Still very weak with some things, but others are improving. I could do without biceps curls if one biceps didn't have one tendon less and is substantially weaker, which I also notice with overhead presses. Squats are mostly so low because of safety concerns: I don't have a squat rack and improvise a lot here.

    image.png
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 2,029 Member
    edited April 10

    Nice! How do you get that graph btw, what site/app is that?

    For squats without rack (that's me too), I do and also recommend:

    1. Barbell hack squat. A "forgotten" exercise. Also called reverse deadlift. Bar behind your heels, raise and lower to squat depth, repeat. You'll feel it in your quads, not your lower back. And you'll feel some lats probably. Even better, elevate your heels on a wedge (I got a pair for under $30 on Amazon) or on plates.
    2. Bulgarian split squats, with 1 or 2 db's. Planting foot farther and leaning forward more will work the glutes more. Planting foot closer and being more vertical will work quads more. If you've never done these before you might need to use one arm to hold on to something for balance.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 10,383 Member

    Hi Retro! I'm logging my progress on strengthlevel.com. Felt better than using yet another spreadsheet :D And seriously, every lift that gets above 'novice' is a super win for me. Looks like I need these kind of charts for motivation.

    I have a bench with dip bars (far too wide apart for me) on the back of the weight holders. For squats I maneuver the barbell from the holders onto the dip bars, load the weights, then sit on the edge of the bench and stand up with the bar. Problem: I don't have any safety measure should I lose the balance. And my landlord would not be amused should I drop the weight onto the ground 😣 I'll certainly experiment with other squat variants, and the hack squat sounds exactly like what I might need. With a mat.

  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 13,583 Member

    You can also try doing goblet squats which involve holding DBs in front of your face/upper chest rather than a BB going across the shoulders.

    I've visited the strengthlevel.com website numerous times over the years, but only ever for a one-time "how did today's lift stack up" kind of thing, didn't know you could get graphs like you've posted.

  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 2,029 Member

    I use that site often, but I've never made an account. Maybe I should.

    I just have crappy foam squares that I put down as needed. They're better than nothing, and probably the least desirable option. Decent rubber mats would be better for sure. Thing is, if you're doing things properly, you shouldn't ever need to drop the bar when doing the likes of barbell row, RDL, barbell hack squat. And even if you did, it would probably only fall a few inches. At the hardest point of the lift, squat depth, the bar is around calf level, so the plates are almost at the floor anyway. Try it now with no bar, hands at your sides holding an imaginary bar behind you and squat down.

  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 2,029 Member
    edited April 10

    Here's a good example. I've no clue who this guy is, but it's a YT short I quickly found that shows it well. If you can lower the weight (slowly) to the floor, fine. Maybe my flexibility and height works against me for that depth, plus my bar is slightly elevated from the floor by the mats I mentioned (and I also put a 10 pound plate down on each side too, to 'catch' the barbell in the right spot (so I don't need to line up the wedges again). So for me, I lower to almost floor and go up. You can really feel it in the quads.

    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/eGnRvkDnZNo

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 10,383 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48561837#Comment_48561837

    You're welcome.
    Goblet squats are not for me. My muscle condition kicks in from holding a weight this way, and then my arms are dead. But thanks. I'm sure other people will find this useful 😘

  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 2,029 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48561837#Comment_48561837

    Goblet squat is fantastic for beginners, but for beyond that I feel most people are phoning it in with the low db weight they have available. At that point, switch to Bulgarian maybe.

    I often use the strengthlevel site for their 1RM estimate. Not that I care about 1RM, but to give me an idea I'm on track with the rep count I get after increasing the weight.

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