Adarq.org

Week 43

Saturday - 01/24/14
191.4lbs | 14.5% bf | 62.2% H20

-= Workout Log =-

ATG Squat
135 x 8
135 x 8
135 x 5
185 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 2
315 x 1
345 x 1
375 x 1
405 x 20sec unrack
455 x 20sec unrack
405 x 1 PR

Bench Press
45 x 15                                   >> 2min rests.
95 x 8                                 >> Was too dead after squatting. Don't care much that I dopped; it's expected.
135 x 5
155 x 3
195 x 2
235 x 1
200 x 10
200 x 6
200 x 5

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

So let me explain. I get to the gym and I'm in a pretty good mood. Then I start squatting, and the weights feel pretty light. Reps are explosive. I think to myself, "today might be the day."
The 345 was harder than expected. I said whatever, I'll push through. The 375 was pretty tough. I was doubting myself, but then I realized with music and getting hyped up, I can definitely get 405lbs.

I listened to music and got EXTREMELY hyped up. In fact, I had an adrenaline rush. After unracking the bar, I stood for like 15 seconds straight (the vid doesn't show it all). My legs were shaking from the adrenaline. Pretty crazy. I felt a little unstable. I knew that I had the strength to lift 405, however, I didn't feel stable enough to do it. I was about to back out. I didn't want to get injured.

Then, as I'm standing there, the bar literally starts to feel lighter on my back, mid set. That has never happened to me before in my life! It was pretty damn cool to ACTUALLY FEEL the effects of adrenaline AS it's happening! So the weight feels light and then I get my confidence to squat even though my legs feel very shaky.

Personally I felt like I could have gotten an inch lower and really mash my hams to my calves like I usually do, but whatever. It' still ATG. I also feel like I could have hit 425lbs to be honest. I'll take the 405 though.

Last workout I squatted 360x3. So knowing that, my max is 405. That's a 45lb difference. I'll use my 3RM to gauge my max from now on. eg, 385x3 will give me a 435lb max. Actually a little more than that, but I like to take conservative figures for maxes. Not that it matters anyway; I'm not competing. I don't have to TEST my max. I just need to GET STRONGER so i can jump higher. But it's just cool to know my max.

Beautiful!

Thank you!

Did you always had that much available dorsiflexion or...? That's pretty crazy.

Did you always had that much available dorsiflexion or...? That's pretty crazy.

I'm pretty sure I did. When I used to squat parallel and/or with a wider stance and toes pointed out more, i didnt dorsiflex as much. Thats because mechanically it wasnt necessary. but i COULD have had the same dorsiflexion had i went atg and narrow.

my dorsiflexion isnt limited by my calf flexibility at all. its limited by.... my foot?
analogy: how much can you flex your elbow? why cant you go any further, is it because the tricep is tight? no, its because your bicep is in the way.

same thing with my ankles. i cant dorsiflex more than i already do unless i change the structure of my feet and ankles.

Quote from: Raptor on January 25, 2015, 10:34:01 am

Did you always had that much available dorsiflexion or...? That's pretty crazy.

I'm pretty sure I did. When I used to squat parallel and/or with a wider stance and toes pointed out more, i didnt dorsiflex as much. Thats because mechanically it wasnt necessary. but i COULD have had the same dorsiflexion had i went atg and narrow.

my dorsiflexion isnt limited by my calf flexibility at all. its limited by.... my foot?
analogy: how much can you flex your elbow? why cant you go any further, is it because the tricep is tight? no, its because your bicep is in the way.

same thing with my ankles. i cant dorsiflex more than i already do unless i change the structure of my feet and ankles.

Hm... yeah but in my case, the difference of dorsiflexion between my left and right ankles is tremendous.

wrong analogy, dreyth. ankle isn't like your elbow, it's like your wrist. dorsiflexion can definitely be limited by stiffness on the back side of your leg, and while your foot gets in the way of extreme end-ROM, the limiting factor for most people is soft tissue. the classic illustration of this is people from places where chairs are not common, who spend their whole lives moving in and out of deep squats and are capable of a lot of dorsiflexion with minimal effort. e.g., this guy



similarly, wrist dorsiflexion can be limited (and often is) by forearm muscle/tendon tightness and immobility.

wrong analogy, dreyth. ankle isn't like your elbow, it's like your wrist. dorsiflexion can definitely be limited by stiffness on the back side of your leg, and while your foot gets in the way of extreme end-ROM, the limiting factor for most people is soft tissue. the classic illustration of this is people from places where chairs are not common, who spend their whole lives moving in and out of deep squats and are capable of a lot of dorsiflexion with minimal effort. e.g., this guy



similarly, wrist dorsiflexion can be limited (and often is) by forearm muscle/tendon tightness and immobility.

I was talking about my own ankles. The back sides of my legs arent stiff. I can "stretch" my calves on the edge of a block and go as far as possible and not feel a stretch like I used to.

Whats limiting me there? What are the ways to continue increasing my dorsiflexion at this point?