Adarq.org

Nobody is focusing on the argument, how intelligent we are.

I made a revision to my argument; if you are squatting significantly below parallel, then it is good for thehips to go back, but above parallel, it is not since the quads become more involved.

And actually here is a more recent training video of mine:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_yOYQ1358c" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_yOYQ1358c</a>

My DL max has gone up around 100lbs in less than 2.5mos. I hit 425 a couple weeks ago pretty easily. Going for 3xbw.


Yes kingfish I like front squats, it's hard to lean forward but the same thing does apply. Your pelvis really should not be moving backwards once above parallel. Squatting to just below or exactly at parallel is definitely better for power development in the long run imo since the amortization is challenging the correct musculature in the correct way. In atg squats the amortization and muscle involvement is way different. I notice how atg or below parallel is almost easier than just parallel, or half-squats with the same weight, adarq talked about that before.

Edit: I'd like to congratulate Kingfish actually, good job. Squat form is heel-to-toe and you can see the difference in his knees, they don't move so much in the horizontal plane compared to the toe-to-heel squats, and the hips move forward above parallel. That's what I'm talking about. It feels better and works better.

Most people on this forum have a relgious belief that muscle mass hampers vertical jump. It does not significantly hamper SVJ, or RVJ off of two feet. Off of one foot, the ground reaction forces are higher, therefore more multiples of your bodyweight will be absorbed into the plant leg so it's going to place much greater stress on the tibia. In a long jump or triple jump, the GRFs are even greater and you certainly don't see muscular football players triple jumping that far. Dwight Phillips, the world champion in the long jump for the past 4 years or so used to havea lot of muscle mass, huge pecs, biceps, and still LGed 28+ ft. His SVJ was probably decent, but his long jump success was primarily due to his speed, which allowed him to create greater horizontal forces rather than vertical. I.e. he didn't get up much in the LJ but pushed forward.


I used to ignore my upperbody as well two-three years ago. It is a bad idea imo as of today because it's going to create muscular imbalances. Bench pressing and doing pullups are probably the only thing you need to do and they will make your spine feel healthier. The arm swing isn't important forcewise, but for creating the right posture/form in a vertical jump. Doing pullups and a good combo of pushing work will keep you upright and maintain integrity of the spine and do not have to add much muscle mass. DOing curls and tricep extensions can actually also improve posture but will take more time out of your day and won't contribute much to VJ. For overall health though I recommend upperbody training. The effect on vertical jump once again will primarily be impoved jumping mechanics.

Full title: THe right and wrong way to squat: most people reading this squat the wrong way.

I'm going to make this really short, but after a few responses I'll get more detailed.

Almost everyone I see in the gym does the useless type of squat for athleticism: you can call it the toe-to-heel squat. Weak glutes, laziness, ego and resultant desire to stack more plates on the bar, tight adductors/hipflexors, are all potential contributors to this calamity plaguing athletes every hour of the day.

When I teach people how to squat (as the bona fide personal trainer I am), most people will initially descend on toes and ascend shifting to heels, performing this evil toe-to-heel squat. As a result, I came up with (as plenty of other moderately intelligent men and women have), of teaching a heel-to-toe squat. Descend, focusing on heels, ascend, rising on toes. Works wonders.

It's important to understand the importance of this because many people who get interested in jumping higher subsequently become interested in weight lifting, and many waste their time due to incorrect form, and then lose interest in vertical jump and cease to see any gains so instead just focus on strength training. I've seen plenty of 'impressive' squat videos on this forum that are unfortunately toe-to-heel evil squats; and the athletes squatting this way usually have a poor vertical jump because this type of squatting won't transfer as well to VJ.

Here is a toe to heel squat:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTk7azSIAXQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTk7azSIAXQ</a>

at 00:11, she is on her toes, at 00:12, she shifts her weight back onto her entire foot, and then shifts back to toe.

Concomitant with toe-heel mechanics are the positions of the knee and hip joints; the knee and hip tend to move in directions that they would not during athletic events in a vertical (coronal), or horizontal (sagittal) planes.

Compare the way her hips and knees move in relation to her box jumping:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0hgELLBI08" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0hgELLBI08</a>

In weight lifting, since the planes are slightly more restricted, the knees of toe-to-heel (to be called toe squatters from now on) push back tremendously. Notice in the squat video, that while her knees move back, her hips also move back. THis would be good if the athlete wanted to improve her ability to jump backwards.

It's easier to lift more weight this way though for sure and that's why people do it.
Here is another example of toe squatting

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLnUDaxMmnU" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLnUDaxMmnU</a>

The video I was looking for though was when frank yang literally jumped backwards after a max squat, throwing the bar in front of him... That wouldn't be possible if he were heel squatting, and transferring the forces to the toes, and extending more at the hip, because HE would be moving forwards slightly with the bar. Toe squatters move backwards, and this creates a nice levrage to lift more weight up. THe clearest evidence is in the knees, they come forward, and move back exaggeratedly as I mentioned earlier. Of course the knees do that in a vertical jump as well because that is how knee extension works in the coronal plane, but not as much. And NOBODY vertical jumps descending on their toes and ascending on their heels or some part of the foot behind the toes.

Of coruse frank could jump high, but I am confident he'd be able to jump higher if he could squat the same numbers with the form I recommend... the same form everyone recommends in fact. It's natural to transfer weight forward whether it's walking, running, or jumping. I've taken videos of my deadlifts and noticed I fail to get back on my heels during the eccentric wth 70% of greater of 1rm. It's weakness.


The challenge then arises: who can jump the highest, with the weakest squat? (assuming you weren't naturally jumping freakishly high, also assuming the squat is the heel-to-toe correct squat of course). Those wth strong squat who cannot jump high are probably doing toe to heel squats.

Lastly, you'll immediately feel a difference in recruited musculature after doing it correctly.

darq I hope you bounce back on track soon man. Will we ever see you chasing a 57 inches vert again? I miss your videos bro

Those days seem to be over

OH SHIT..... HE ON DAT JUICEEEEE NIKKKKKK*****


Ok so you're just jealous.

You accused him of being a 'fat ass' and a steroid user when you said 'Don't compare yourselves to steroid users.'

But does anyone know how taking steroids (albeit there being differet types), improve STRENGTH rather than MASS? Is strength als increased by testosterone? You need strong ass tendons to be storng, but you can be huge and have weak ass tendons and weak ass explosion.

Sure he did gain mass, at 225 he was lifting 800 that's beast.. So I gess if he didn't gain any mass but just got stornger you can't accuse someone of steroids.


Jonathan Edwards WR holder for triple jump for instance. How can you accuse him of steroids? He's a skinny white dude who could powerclean 300.

So this needs to be cleared up. He's not overmusculed at all, his arms are small, back huge typical of a deadlifter,

but in all seriousness, how does steroids increase lat/trap/leg mass faster than grip/forearm strength? I'd think if you're DLing consistenyl they all go up. ANd not to repeat myself, but for someone who can deadlift 800, he's tiny

Haha, I cannot concentrate on counting while sprinting topspeed.

I have a mini stopwatch that fell out of what used to be a wristwatch and use that. I used to use an itouch, that worked but was unreliable because I would often fail to hit the start or end buttons.

Lmao, good rationale. I'm not the one arguing it so you can calm the fuck down. I'm just sharing it. The argument is that the tracks are shitty, and equipment is horrible, and that his form is far from optimal. Nevertheless, beast.

DL 425
BW 156.5