Bourbonboy: I think Chek’s research was based on cadavers or some such thing. Everybody who powerlifts will tell you that study in horseshit. It lacks a merge with the real world. Not that I don’t advocate some periodic training of the TA, just not that method for stabilizing heavy weight. Your comments relative to pelvic tilt are appropriate.
ColJ: I don’t think preexhausting your abs and low back before heavy squats is the answer…but that’s just me.
Mule: I usually experience the pain I think you are describing when I first get under the blue bands in my speed workouts. I have found that if my elbows are not as close to perpendicular to my body as possible and I am not actively pulling the bar into my back and squeezing my shoulder blades together, this is a problem. Are you doing face pulls at all? If you are not, your upper back is probably getting very little training in the horizontal plane which I think is important and can contribute to what you are experiencing. In other words, barring any pathology, I think you are not tight enough in your upper back and as you get heavier your elbows are probably tending to raise. You may even start right, and this may happen when you are moving through the transition point. Train your upper back in the horizontal plane if you are not already, and the next time you squat have your training partners watch elbow position…this can be easy to miss if you are not watching. Of course, I am only guessing b/c I have not seen you squat in person. To answer your other question, I have zerchered up to 385 raw with no back problems…(was trying to think of something with the potential to be particularly hard on your back b/c i don’t view free squats as that risky if you are set up right and have good sequence…)
I agree with coolcolj on the back work and ab work before heavy squats. I use it as GPP to warm up my muscles nicely. I do either pullthroughs, hanging leg raises, ab pulldowns, and back extensions. Normally one back and one ab exercise for 3 sets of 15 reps but no where near to failure.
Creed, I warm up this way sometimes, too. However, in Mule’s case, his low back and core are probably pretty strong as I have never met anybody who pulls 6+ that doesn’t have a strong core. The last thing in the world you want to do in this case is introduce a new variable on the front end of his workout. IMHO. You need to address form and likely weaknesses first.
Thanks for the information on this thread. It seems that the best advice is a combination. Train WITHOUT the belt for a long time but obviously as one gets close to competition he/she needs to incorporate the belt into workouts and learn how to use it.
Probably good advice to not RELY on the belt but incorporate it into workouts/meets when nearing maximums.
Apwsearch
I agree the mule is a strong guy with obviously good core strength. I wasn’t suggesting the ab and back warmup for strengthening any perceived weakness but just as a general warm up to get the joints articulting better and some blood flowing.
What has he got to lose? He could just try it once before the main movement and find out pretty soon whether it has any positive or negative effect.
Everyone is an individual, what works for one might not work for someone else. That is why i like Westside.
That’s cool, Creed. I’m not trying to be argumentative. I am just cranky right now b/c we have been changing things in our training and I am constantly sore and beat up…ahh the things we do to get better.
It’s good to hear that you like “Westside” b/c of the ability to tweak it for yourself. You get the point. I have had too many conversations with people who say the template didn’t work for them b/c blah blah blah, realizing half way into the conversation that they used it as a cookie cutter program and were probably doing very little, if anything, correctly…duh.
Mule: If your back is hurting all the time you should seek a specialist and take care of it. I trained with pain and am now sidelined for almost half a year already. If you dont know youre problem dont overtrain abs or lower back, maybe your just aggrevating. listen to your body. I think training beltless is the best lower back and ab training there is, you just need to be concious and know how to activate your core muscles, a good a.r.t or sport phisyo guy can show you that
I use a belt every few weeks to make sure I’m pushing my abs out hard enough. I do it during speed workouts.
I’m the same way.
Agreed. I always start off my Sq/DL days with a few supersets of hanging leg raises and 45 degree hypers.
The most helpfull core training article I’ve ever read was Mike Robertsons. I think it was called ‘21st century core training,’ or something like that. Very well written piece; if you haven’t read it, I urge anyone to do so.
Also, the TA is certainly critical, but IMHO, concern for it has gone a little overboard by some and left other imortant muscles like the obliques in it’s shadow. It’s too bad really, because the obliques are 1. just as imortant funtionally as the TA, and 2. badass looking if you’re lean enough.
Bottom line: A belt is a very useful tool that should not be relied on; rather, used appropriately.