Adarq.org

lol at raptor negging the pit bull posts.  So much estrogen in that boy smh. 


 

Are the quads really that active during pistols? I swear I get very little quad activity when I pistol squat on my left leg (using good technique) and a ton of quad activity when I pistol squat on my right leg, with bad technique.

try doing some RDL's to get that left quad active then.






 In all seriousness what youre saying is your left glute fires more during the pistol, and that gives the impression the quad isnt working that much (it is) only not as much as it would require had the glute not done its part.

 Try it and see how it goes.  Ive had the most luck using single leg pistols to a box when it came to quad issues with squatting, its usually a weakness in one leg at the root of the issue.  Use it one leg at a time for sure, if it feels like its healing stay with it.

Quote from: LanceSTS on November 17, 2012, 01:02:47 pm

  Looks good vag, very nice!  How did they feel?

Thanks Lance!!!
They felt great: Very natural and smooth, torso staying upright without having to cue it, achieving full depth very easy. Loved them!
On the other hand, at the last 2 sets ( 60 and 70 kg ) bar felt uncomfortable to stabilize on chest/shoulders.

I think i will replace Friday's back squats with front squats and see how it goes. That way i do backsquats monday, RDL wednesday, front squats friday, all with the 3-set-progress scheme.
Are you ok with that change?

I think its a good idea, that will make progress continue longer and you wouldve eventually had to add another squat variation anyhow.  Front squats are always a great exercise to add for people who can do them pain free, keeps the squat "true".

 Progress looking boss in here Vag, keep it up!@!

  Looks good vag, very nice!  How did they feel?

My new rhodesian ridgeback puppy 

Sup brosephs. I have a question about my calves specifically and p-chain more generally. It may just be Raptor getting to me, but I think that calf and hamstring strength are limiting my jumps. (And to a lesser extent, glutes...I'm quad dominant but that's a story for another day.) Hamstrings I can address with reverse hypers, RDLs/good mornings, etc. But calves are a tougher deal for me because of my toe issues.

Basically, my arthritis prevents me from fully supporting my weight across the ball of my foot with my foot plantar flexed. I have to either shift weight to the outside of the foot (which, when it doesn't work and I have to correct balance by shifting weight to one or the other big toe, hurts like crazy and limits me for the rest of the workout) or stand on a board or something so that I can plantar flex without extending my toes. Either way, balance is an issue. That makes calf raises pretty challenging even just at BW, but especially with any kind of loading.

Any thoughts about how to address that?

 A couple of things you can do, one is to move the foot plate further towards the rear of your foot, where its not so uncomfortable.  You will have a shorter lever arm that way, though you can still work the calves from that position.

 The other thing is isos in the stretch position.  be careful here and dont go lower than youre comfort level allows, but lowering to the end r.o.m. and holding a load in that position is pretty effective in improving lower leg strength.  You can actively pull down using the tibialis anterior for more tension, and let up when close to failure.  This is something I have used with athletes who had spurs or turf toe, and works well since the low end range of motion is not nearly as painful as the top end.

 Once you address the strength issue of the lower leg, you want to train it explosively with things like jump rope, low hurdles, ankle hops, etc. Really focus on dorsi to plantar flexion here, its very possible to do lots of these without much lower leg contribution, which defeats your purpose in doing them.  Get a good volume of these type drills, then progress into more intensive work.