No more flat bench...no more squats.

[NWinters]

After seeing what some guys in here can OHP (Cuthbert a good example) Im gonna stop flat bench an do steep incline movements, and emphasize on foward power. Im gonna lay off olympic squats and start hiting the fronts hard. I believe that fronts are for me anyway since my quads overpower my hams anyway. Flat bench looks prettier but incline seperates the best from the rest. I think incline and fronts would be tools of the trade for foward power.

I may do flat for CG bench, but Im gonna un-prioritize it for now.

Nick

 

[slobberknocker]

If your quads are stronger than your hams, it seems like you'd want to focus more on back squats off a box in order to bring up your weakness. Why cater to your strengths?

 

[b fold the truth]

If your quads are stronger than your hams, it seems like you'd want to focus more on back squats off a box in order to bring up your weakness. Why cater to your strengths?

That was what I was about to post.

B True

 

[NWinters]

Nothoing really seems to be working for my hams.....

 

[Cuthbert]

I agree with these guys.

I do wide stance box squats, WSB style... I think there is no comparison between these and oly squats. I also train front squats as well.

I agree with the incline bench though... I have never liked the flat bench.

 

[Debaser]

Nothoing really seems to be working for my hams.....

How much do you stiff-legged deadlift (and I mean perfectly strict with lower back arched throughout)?

 

[NWinters]

Stiff legged dead for a 1rm is about 405.

 

[Ish]

Squat really wide and really deep. Front squats won't do much for you hams.

 

[Cuthbert]

Glute-ham raises..... LOVE them.

 

[NWinters]

the only accessory move i can do is stiff leg deads for hams and box squats.


Should I do low box squats?

 

[Debaser]

How many reps do you usually perform with SLDLs? Perhaps there is simply not enough volume of work (for example doing a few singles) for hypertrophy.

 

[NWinters]

I can do 215 for 20 pretty easy.....but I usually do 3x5, or 5x3 for a weight range that is pretty easy.

 

[Cuthbert]

Good mornings? They will make your hammies strong as well.

 

[Debaser]

That's strange to me as usually SLDLs provide awesome growth...if those don't work for you I'm not sure what would. I'm not the best person to ask either because my hams would grow like wildfire from doing leg curls with no weight

 

[Cuthbert]

Also Nick... you might want to try the SLDLs Zercher style.. you will probably get a better stretch and ROM

 

[NWinters]

That's strange to me as usually SLDLs provide awesome growth...if those don't work for you I'm not sure what would. I'm not the best person to ask either because my hams would grow like wildfire from doing leg curls with no weight

thanx anyways....I almost reverted back to leg curls, but I hated it cause the damn apparatus tore the hair off my legs. I will start doing heavy GMS and deads too, and I will try harder on the box squats.

 

[NWinters]

Also Nick... you might want to try the SLDLs Zercher style.. you will probably get a better stretch and ROM

I did those once and really like them...Ive just been trying new things and havent gotten around to doing them again.


Nick


PS: Ive been doing them on a box to, to get a better ROM. I relly feel those the next day.

 

[Ish]

Do you have a pic of your squat stance?

 

[NWinters]

Do you have a pic of your squat stance?

no....just a vid

http://briefcase.yahoo.com/winters19

 

[Ish]

To me, it looks like you are too narrow to really get much out of your hams. And you could be sitting back into it more than you are. You look like you are just sitting down, while you should start the squat with your ass going back, then down.

 

[louden_swain]

Winters. .

The key is to find out what works best for you. With this in mind, you should have no troubles building your body and strength.

Good luck.

 

[JOKER47]

my hams would grow like wildfire from doing leg curls with no weight

I hate you............



NWinters> Very wide, chain-suspended GM's starting low (36" feels low for me, and I am 5'9") really hit my hams and glutes hard.


Just a thought,
Joker

 

[NWinters]

I have been seeking out that philosophy for a long time. I did benifit from Front Squats. I did Fronts for 4 weeks straight and gained 25 lbs on my back squat.

 

[NWinters]

I hate you............



NWinters> Very wide, chain-suspended GM's starting low (36" feels low for me, and I am 5'9") really hit my hams and glutes hard.


Just a thought,
Joker

I like the chain idea, but I have nohwere to put them...I have a half assed rack.

 

[JOKER47]

I like the chain idea, but I have nohwere to put them...I have a half assed rack.

Just looked at your video.

You could also to wide stance, free standingGM's. They also hit my glutes and hams well.



Joker

 

[Backlash]

I'd like to throw in another vote for GHRs off the floor... these kill my hams.

 

[slobberknocker]

All GM variations, SLDLs, RDLs, ghr's from the floor, wide box squats. Can you do pullthroughs? That's my new favorite hamstring isolation exercise. If you don't have the machine, you could just do it with bands.

 

[kingc_79]

would u guys do pull thrus stiff leg or bent

 

[slobberknocker]

I do mine stiff legged.

 

[wlhosch]

Stiff-legged pullthroughs work your erectors more, bent-legged pullthroughs involve the hams and glutes more.

 

[rbrown]

no....just a vid

http://briefcase.yahoo.com/winters19

Nick:

After watching your video, I can see why your hams are not being activated. Your shins are going way far forward of vertical. This means that you are not sitting back and that you are relying heavily on your quads.

I would suggest taking a wider stance, initiating the movement with your hips (i.e. stick your butt back) and sit way back on the box. This means that when you are sitting on the box, your shins will be vertical, or ideally, actually angled such that your knees are behind your ankles. It takes practice, but this will really overload your glut ham tie in if you do not simply fall onto the box.

I suggest doing these wide stance for the posterior chain and doing front squats for your quads. Both are important for strongman.

I also find picking up atlas stones to be a good hamstring worker since the lapping involves essentially a stiff leg dead, and the loading requires extending the hams in a way that I feel translates well to many strongman events.

Whatever you do, I wouldn't dump back squats. They are the core exercise where you get your body used to handling big weight.

Ryan

 

[Cuthbert]

Whatever you do, I wouldn't dump back squats. They are the core exercise where you get your body used to handling big weight.

Great advice here man. Work the back squats hard, but do them in a way that recruits your hams. Throw in another ham exercise or two, plus front squats, and you will be golden.

To have a lot of 'forward power' ... I feel you need to be very strong in the back. That is the approach I take, anyways.

Keep at it bro.

 

[IronLion]

start doing ghr's, even if it means off the floor....

widen your stance and sit back on your balls when you squat

try using the rdl variation I videoed the other day

start doing more olympic lifting if you are training for mma like you talked about

 

[delldell2]

Yes, I like RDL's alot, but I still don't see why you want to do front squats for forward power. Wouldn't you want to find a jammer?

 

[coolcolj]

Squat really wide and really deep. Front squats won't do much for you hams.

I disagree, the hams are heavily involved, do you really think the quads pull the thighs back?

There is less glute and erector involvemnet, because you are bolt upright, but they are still working.