Useful or not as either an assistence or ME exercise? Your opinions please.
Only people using steroids should even attempt them, due to their drain on your recovery.
Useful depending on your goals. I think it has some ab stabilization carryover to back squats. If you’re into strongman at all, I also think they’re good for holding heavy weights in the crook of your arms as in the conan’s wheel. Conclusion, I like 'em.
I throw them in every now and then and feel it has helped my deadlift. If you’ve got a weak core it can bring it up. I just did them this morning. I usually go up to 295x3. I don’t think you have to go super heavy, just enough to strain. I like to use it as a secondary exercise after a main max effort lift occasionally.
[quote]rniel wrote:
I throw them in every now and then and feel it has helped my deadlift. If you’ve got a weak core it can bring it up. I just did them this morning. I usually go up to 295x3. I don’t think you have to go super heavy, just enough to strain. I like to use it as a secondary exercise after a main max effort lift occasionally.[/quote]
I always thought of them more as a DL exercise as well… That’s a good ZS by the way. I think the most that I did was 305*1.
I’ve never maxed Zerchers but I think its about the same as my Front squat, is this about normal?
[quote]ExNole wrote:
I’ve never maxed Zerchers but I think its about the same as my Front squat, is this about normal?[/quote]
Not for me. My front squat is way less than my Zercher.
If you feel that you need more upper body stimulation then Zercher’s are for you. Other than that stick to back squats as you can do more weight with them.
[quote]Smitty88 wrote:
If you feel that you need more upper body stimulation then Zercher’s are for you. Other than that stick to back squats as you can do more weight with them.[/quote]
Huh?!?
[quote]malonetd wrote:
Useful depending on your goals. I think it has some ab stabilization carryover to back squats. If you’re into strongman at all, I also think they’re good for holding heavy weights in the crook of your arms as in the conan’s wheel. Conclusion, I like 'em.[/quote]
Agreed.
If you’re just a casual trainer, they’re good for a change of pace if you’re sick of squats.
-Dan
[quote]Smitty88 wrote:
If you feel that you need more upper body stimulation then Zercher’s are for you. Other than that stick to back squats as you can do more weight with them.[/quote]
As I posted on the other thread, the only thing I can think of that might “stimulate” my upper body is somebody rubbing my nipples.
Please elaborate on this. Specifically, what parts of a lifter’s upper body will it “stimulate?”
They would stimulate the mid upper back mostly, the core too could be considered upper body.
Zercher deadlifts are a bitch but if you’re smaller you should try them out. I would recommend higher reps though since the hardest part is keeping tight out of the bottom; plus its a pretty compromising position.
I really wouldn’t recommend zerchers for a ME lift since they’re really best for working the torso. Front squats would be a better choice; they increase the stress on the core but still allow for an appreciable load.
Good answer, Andy.
How’s training? Any meets coming up?
[quote]andy bumphren wrote:
They would stimulate the mid upper back mostly, the core too could be considered upper body.
Zercher deadlifts are a bitch but if you’re smaller you should try them out. I would recommend higher reps though since the hardest part is keeping tight out of the bottom; plus its a pretty compromising position.
I really wouldn’t recommend zerchers for a ME lift since they’re really best for working the torso. Front squats would be a better choice; they increase the stress on the core but still allow for an appreciable load.[/quote]
As someone with a nagging lower back the back squat does not seem to forgive (I’m not a powerlifter so specific backsquat number aren’t important), I make extensive use of the Zercher squat off the safety pins of a power rack. I have used it both as a ME exercise and supplementary, with great success in either. It is a tremendous thigh builder and strength improver, as long as you put towels in the crook of your forearm or something so that the load your forearms can take isn’t the limiting factor. Technique is huge here, my #'s in this lift started taking off when I began to focus more on technique. The key to it is keeping the bar close to you so it is sort of resting on your belly and descending with the hips. It fries the entire leg musculature and works the back and abs as well when done with good technique, which takes a few weeks to acquire. My personal best is 300 x 3.
Zercher squats, as they have been explained to me, are very useful in strongman training in attaining balance and stability. They teach you how to keep the weight over your hips instead of in front of your balance center.
I’ve found them useful as as sort of a warmup exercise to prepare my whole body(particularly my core) for heavy front squats.
I don’t like them for ME because the weight I can use is limited by what I can hold in my arms. Despite using towels and the pads that protect your neck when squatting (I’ve heard it called the pussy pad), I’m still limited. I’ve heard that some people use a 2 x 4 in the crook of their arms to disperse the load, but I’ve never tried it.
Anyway, for this reason, when I do zerchers, I do them 2nd or 3rd. Also, I usually do them for 3’s or 5’s because I’m really trying to stress my core, which I feel gets worked better when I do multiple reps and focus on squeezing the hell out of my abs.
[quote]cap’nsalty wrote:
Only people using steroids should even attempt them, due to their drain on your recovery.[/quote]
WTF?? I personaly use zerchers and know a few others who do as well and none of us a juicers!
First of all, BS on the steroids and recovery thing.
Second, There is an increasing amount of people that think steroids will help people recover quicker. Although they will help your muscles recover quicker, as far as I know, they don’t help your CNS recover quicker. As we are all aware, the CNS recovers at a much slower pace than the muscles. Therefore, if you are hoping to get a better net recovery, I hope you don’t think steroids will help.
[quote]Brawan wrote:
cap’nsalty wrote:
Only people using steroids should even attempt them, due to their drain on your recovery.
WTF?? I personaly use zerchers and know a few others who do as well and none of us a juicers![/quote]
He was joking, I hope.