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Not sure how to upload the vid, but this is the lowest point for my air squats. I like the sound of that 40 day program. Looks pretty simple and it will be easy to monitor progress. Can I do it while I'm on CNS or should I flip to CBL?
The bottom of your squat looks good to me. You're pretty much right at parallel and your upper body isn't pitched too far forward. I think I read the program by Pavel and that's probably a good place to start I would just replace the squat with a goblet squat (holding the dumbbell at your chest) until you can get access to a squat rack.Also, seeing as your relative intensity will be low (you'll have more strength than what you initially be able to display) you can likely stay on CNS. The only change I would make is to add another carb nite during the week (try every 4th or 5th day) if you start to feel really lethargic or run down.Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!
Thanks Acarnovale, I videoed myself doing an air squat just now. Looks like the main issue is my hips won't go down to parallel. If I force them to, I have to lean forward making my back nearly parallel to the floor. Just had a look at Starting Strength's squat chapter and I think my squat looks comparable to this:
Would you be able to post the video by chance? If you're having trouble with your hips clearing it could be that you need some soft tissue work on your hip flexors, glutes, and piriformis (I think that's how you spell it). Also, you might not be shoving your knees out.Also, try this warm-up before squatting. Pretty sure you can find a youtube video by seaching Defranco Agile 8.
I agree here. Your squat depth is probably just a flexibility issue because it's a movement pattern you're not used to. It will come to you relatively easily with practice and repetition. I recently came across the Agile 8 and already better for it. You can also try sitting in a full squat (ass on your heals) for extended periods of time (this is recommended by Kelly Starrett of MobilityWOD). It will give your squatting muscles a good workout with added flexibility work.
Anyone hear of Pavel's 40 program? It's a low volume whole body workout.I think if you're just starting out this would be a good routine for you.4-5 days a week after warming up you would do 2 sets of bench press x5 reps, 2 sets of dead lifts x 5 reps,2 sets of squats for 5 reps,2 sets of pull ups or assisted pull ups for 5 reps. You will do this every workout for 40 days. It's only 10 sets so with 1:30- 2 minute rest periods you'll be in and out fast. You will learn the basics very quickly and develop a solid base of strength for when you're ready for more. Make sure you get someone with experience or a trainer that knows something to get you started if any of these excercies are unfamiliar to you.
Also, I think even this program is redundant if you can't even perform the basic movements properly. It is relatively simple to do a body-weight squat but once a bar is across your back, the mechanics are different. I would recommend doing something like a total of 50 push-ups, 50 body-weight squats, maybe some jumping, and whatever ab work your feel like. You can do this at home and don't require any equipment. If possible, I would also do a total of 10-20 chin-ups/pull-ups (these can be done in sets of 1 or 2, if you'd like) and some inverted rows along with the other exercises. Do this 5-6 times per week until you can perform everything with relative ease, THEN start working on the weights.This is simple GPP (general physical preparedness) work that is not overly taxing and will prepare your body for lifting weights. If I could go back in time, this is exactly how I would have started.
Thanks Benjamin. I guess I should do all of this body weight exercise while on CNS, not CBL?
On second thoughts, I don't think going for endurance body weight exercises is going to help me with my goals here Check out these max rep ranges for female athletes (attached). 35 pushups is considered world class! I can already do 15 with excellent form, so I don't see why I shouldn't hit the bench press and work on strength rather than endurance
Thanks Benjamin. I guess I should do all of this body weight exercise while on CNS, not CBL?
I guess it really depends on your goals. My only consideration here is getting you prepared for lifting weights; the diet/nutrition stuff is up to you 🙂
I'm working on decreasing body fat percentage from 27—>20% and putting on 10lb of muscle
Also, seeing as your relative intensity will be low (you'll have more strength than what you initially be able to display) you can likely stay on CNS. The only change I would make is to add another carb nite during the week (try every 4th or 5th day) if you start to feel really lethargic or run down.Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!
Thanks Acarnovale. Okay, today I did Day 1 of this programme:(2 sets of each)55 kg x5 Deadlift (hard)25 kg x 5 Bench Presss (very hard)22/26 kg x 5 Goblet Squat (okay)x5 Pullups (green band was too easy so will use blue one next time)6/4 kg x7/10 Tricep extension (hard/easy)I'll look into adding another carb night, though I'm not sure if this might slow/stop fatloss?
Also, seeing as your relative intensity will be low (you'll have more strength than what you initially be able to display) you can likely stay on CNS. The only change I would make is to add another carb nite during the week (try every 4th or 5th day) if you start to feel really lethargic or run down.Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!
Thanks Acarnovale. Okay, today I did Day 1 of this programme:(2 sets of each)55 kg x5 Deadlift (hard)25 kg x 5 Bench Presss (very hard)22/26 kg x 5 Goblet Squat (okay)x5 Pullups (green band was too easy so will use blue one next time)6/4 kg x7/10 Tricep extension (hard/easy)I'll look into adding another carb night, though I'm not sure if this might slow/stop fatloss?
Everything looks good there. The only thing that concerns me is how tough the deadlifts and bench press were. Just be sure your form is spot on and the weight will come. If necessary start those a bit lighter and once they're moving fast and easy, then up the weight.As for the diet. I'd stick with one Carb Nite for now, but if you start to feel like a bag of shit then add another one in during the week. Don't rush the process and be sure to listen to your body. I'm confident if you do those two things you'll achieve the 20% body fat you're looking for.
@AcarnovaleThank you 🙂 Hmm... I'm really confused whether to do CNS or CBL now. Big Tex said CBL because of how much exercise I do during the week. What I'm thinking of at the moment:m - Climb, 3 hrst - Gymw - Climb, 3 hrsth - Gymfri - Gymsat - HIITsun - HIITI also walk for two hours each day. So then carbload M/W/F?
Also, seeing as your relative intensity will be low (you'll have more strength than what you initially be able to display) you can likely stay on CNS. The only change I would make is to add another carb nite during the week (try every 4th or 5th day) if you start to feel really lethargic or run down.Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!
Thanks Acarnovale. Okay, today I did Day 1 of this programme:(2 sets of each)55 kg x5 Deadlift (hard)25 kg x 5 Bench Presss (very hard)22/26 kg x 5 Goblet Squat (okay)x5 Pullups (green band was too easy so will use blue one next time)6/4 kg x7/10 Tricep extension (hard/easy)I'll look into adding another carb night, though I'm not sure if this might slow/stop fatloss?
Everything looks good there. The only thing that concerns me is how tough the deadlifts and bench press were. Just be sure your form is spot on and the weight will come. If necessary start those a bit lighter and once they're moving fast and easy, then up the weight.As for the diet. I'd stick with one Carb Nite for now, but if you start to feel like a bag of shit then add another one in during the week. Don't rush the process and be sure to listen to your body. I'm confident if you do those two things you'll achieve the 20% body fat you're looking for.
I agree with keeping the weights a little lighter then progressively adding weight. The lifts should be difficult but smooth and you should not miss any reps.
By Dave Tate (The final section of his 9-part series on his entire life in powerlifting):http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/iron_evolution_phase_9_________________________________________________________________________________________What would I do if I had access to a 13 year-old Dave Tate who wanted to be the ultimate bad ass? How would I train him to make him among the strongest men on the planet, yet jacked and muscular, with outstanding health as well?Next to Westside, what I'm doing now with Meadows is the most productive training I've ever experienced. But neither of these systems is appropriate for a novice.Most raw novices are too weak for either method. Hell, most are too weak for weight training period.A raw novice's time would be better spent doing bodyweight training. You should be able to perform 100 push-ups, minimum, before even approaching a bench press. Add in pull-ups, lunges, and the other bodyweight staples to complete the program.After a decent base of bodyweight strength has been developed, I'd next perform a sensible linear progression routine until respectable strength levels are achieved. 5/3/1 by my friend Jim Wendler and Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe would fit the bill perfectly, with assistance work programmed to target any emerging weak points in size and strength.However, after a certain threshold of development – say a 1.5 x bodyweight bench press, a 2 x bodyweight squat, and a 2.5 x bodyweight deadlift – it's time to step it up.I'd follow a Meadows-type hypertrophy routine for about 7 months of the year. If the primary goal was bodybuilding, the programming would be designed to bring up any lagging body parts (delts, biceps, etc.).If powerlifting was the main goal, the programming would try to stabilize any weak points such as the hamstrings and lower back. I'd also perform more sets of 5 reps or below.After this 7 month phase was complete, I'd do 4-6 weeks of transition work in which I'd slowly scale the reps down while working in the traditional powerlifts.Then, it's strength time. I'd do 12-16 weeks of Westside training, ideally leading into a powerlifting meet if that was the end goal. If not, the assistance work could shift to address any aesthetic weak points that might benefit from heavy, basic loading.After this 12-16 week phase, I'd take 2-3 weeks to do absolutely nothing before reassessing my physique and identifying any weak points again. Then I'd start the whole system over.Would such a system create the absolute best powerlifter or bodybuilder? No, some coveted muscle fullness would be lost in the Westside phase, and some strength would surely go during the long bodybuilding phases.It would, however, create an athlete that's truly the best of both worlds – muscular, strong, and well rounded.And with that, my evolution is complete. I hope you've enjoyed reading this series as much as I've enjoyed revisiting it. It's brought back a lot of memories; some painful, some cherished, but all a part of my evolution as a man of iron. I know my training will continue to evolve, and I look forward to sharing it with T Nation readers in future articles.In strength,Dave Tate
@BenjaminThanks, that's a good rule of thumb guide for me to use
@AcarnovaleThank you 🙂 Hmm... I'm really confused whether to do CNS or CBL now. Big Tex said CBL because of how much exercise I do during the week. What I'm thinking of at the moment:m - Climb, 3 hrst - Gymw - Climb, 3 hrsth - Gymfri - Gymsat - HIITsun - HIITI also walk for two hours each day. So then carbload M/W/F?
I think it depends on how intense the climbing is. I find I can go low carb through my hockey games without any ill effects (same thing for HIIT). I assume you would carb-load Monday night because you work out in the PM? And in the morning on Thursday? I'd try one week of this on Carb-nite and see how you feel leading up to your carb nite. Also, you might be able to ditch the two days of HIIT if the climbing is fairly intense.Let us know how it goes. And if you do go with a more CBL SA set up I think you'll still do well.
@AdamThanks for sharing that. It was an interesting article. I'm still not convinced by the idea that I'm supposed to be able to do 100 push ups before I can start using a bench press!Doing endurance work isn't going to help me put on muscle mass.
@AcarnovaleWhy would you carb load in the morning (on Thurs)...?
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