Cowboy's Switch the Darkside

[Btcowboy]

ME Lower

Low Bar Squat to 85%
135x5
185x5
225x3
255x3
275x1
295x1
315x...... fuck it fail.. ...have video not sure what happened but fucking stupid

Deadlift to 90%
135x5
225x5
275x3
315x3
365x1
405x1
425x1

SSB Ultra wide stance 2 count pause... punishment for fucked up low bar. 60 sec between sets
135x3x8

Flutter Kicks
4x25 each leg

 

[Btcowboy]

So not sure I wanna post that video, almost embarassing.

Firstly I need to remember I am cutting and the weight on the bar is coming down... all my %s are being calculated off last 1RM, when I was eating and heavier. Energy is low, and fatigue is probably getting up there.

The squat was supposed to be a single at 85%, and was working up to it, this was the last set before 85% at 81% of old 1RM. I remember cueing in my head to come down faster, I did come down faster, to the point it looks like my brain said whoa....... I stopped about 2/3rds down and started to come back up, then went back down to depth and squatted it easy enough, it was the descent that messed up... may post later but for now pissed....

 

[Brandaddy]

Do you ever do any pin squats starting from the bottom or tempo squats with a slow concentric as well as eccentric? Watching your videos the biggest thing I notice is it seems like you're a bit unstable. I'm guessing it's a mixture of improper bracing and not engaging the right muscles the right way. I like dead start squats because it forces you to have to maximally brace at the bottom or you'll feel like you're going to shoot a disc across the room. Slow concentric squats are nice because it will actually allow you to feel each muscle individually firing which helps tremendously with proprioception.

 

[Btcowboy]

Do you ever do any pin squats starting from the bottom or tempo squats with a slow concentric as well as eccentric? Watching your videos the biggest thing I notice is it seems like you're a bit unstable. I'm guessing it's a mixture of improper bracing and not engaging the right muscles the right way. I like dead start squats because it forces you to have to maximally brace at the bottom or you'll feel like you're going to shoot a disc across the room. Slow concentric squats are nice because it will actually allow you to feel each muscle individually firing which helps tremendously with proprioception.

No to both but have been thinking about pin squats... your right I feel unstable especially with low bar... high bar not so much but with my mechanics I end up on my toes if I high bar.

 

[Btcowboy]

Damn squat is going to be the death of me... Of course first lift of meet and can bomb out so got to get this fixed....

 

[Brandaddy]

Damn squat is going to be the death of me... Of course first lift of meet and can bomb out so got to get this fixed....

Personally, I would just slow down the descent a little. Do something like a 2-1-2 tempo for a bit. Get used to how it's supposed to feel. Then start working on explosiveness afterwards. It'll probably do you a lot of justice to really get in tune with how the lift is supposed to feel. The added hypertrophy from the TUT definitely won't hurt with stability either.

 

[Btcowboy]

Personally, I would just slow down the descent a little. Do something like a 2-1-2 tempo for a bit. Get used to how it's supposed to feel. Then start working on explosiveness afterwards. It'll probably do you a lot of justice to really get in tune with how the lift is supposed to feel. The added hypertrophy from the TUT definitely won't hurt with stability either.

Thats kinda why I did the x8 SSB 2 ct holds after DL today. Yeah need to get it dialed in... will work on these...

 

[Btcowboy]

Personally, I would just slow down the descent a little. Do something like a 2-1-2 tempo for a bit. Get used to how it's supposed to feel. Then start working on explosiveness afterwards. It'll probably do you a lot of justice to really get in tune with how the lift is supposed to feel. The added hypertrophy from the TUT definitely won't hurt with stability either.

Half assed thinking hire you, @Worf, or @Perrin Aybara as a coach lol

 

[Brandaddy]

Thats kinda why I did the x8 SSB 2 ct holds after DL today. Yeah need to get it dialed in... will work on these...

You'll be fine man. Just gotta slow it down a bit and feel out the lift. Once you fix the minor technical issues you should be back to gains city. Temporarily slowing down the eccentric will probably be your biggest bang for your buck. It looks like you lose tightness on the way down. Probably because you dive bomb it. Pretty hard to not be tight with a 2-3 second eccentric though.

 

[Btcowboy]

You'll be fine man. Just gotta slow it down a bit and feel out the lift. Once you fix the minor technical issues you should be back to gains city. Temporarily slowing down the eccentric will probably be your biggest bang for your buck. It looks like you lose tightness on the way down. Probably because you dive bomb it. Pretty hard to not be tight with a 2-3 second eccentric though.

You are 100% on it with that. Just going back through every squat video I have taken and on all the videos with slow or slower eccentrics much tighter and a better looking squat...

 

[Worf]

Pause squats I think are a good accessory for this. Forced bracing in the hole , makes one initiate more muscle recruitment in the most difficult part of the movement. Long term pause squats can cause bad habits but short term can fix them(complicated I know)

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Half assed thinking hire you, @Worf, or @Perrin Aybara as a coach lol

I'd be happy to program a training cycle or two for you sometime in the future, just let me know. No charge of course.

 

[Worf]

You are 100% on it with that. Just going back through every squat video I have taken and on all the videos with slow or slower eccentrics much tighter and a better looking squat...

Also what are you doing with your feet? Everything?
1. How far apart are they?
2. Toe angle?
3. The knee should follow the toe, “open the taint” is a decent cue. Are you doing this?
4. Squat shoes?

 

[Btcowboy]

I'd be happy to program a training cycle or two for you sometime in the future, just let me know. No charge of course.

Well lol.... I am starting to second guess myself, today was absolutely the shittiest squatting I have done and not even the heaviest. I am sure the cut is part of it but I am missing a lot of things I am sure of it. I want to do my best at this meet and starting to think I shouldnt have signed up... i know its temporary feeling, and a lot to do with low cal..... Feb 28 I start prep for 13 weeks and this cut is over. Definately need to lean on you 3 hard for prep

 

[Btcowboy]

Also what are you doing with your feet? Everything?
1. How far apart are they?
2. Toe angle?
3. The knee should follow the toe, “open the taint” is a decent cue. Are you doing this?
4. Squat shoes?

Here is a pic of my normal stance. I will add video as well to show knee travel. I have squat shoes but been using my chucks

 

[Btcowboy]

Knee travel, about 225 so light and quick to 11 inch box

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Well lol.... I am starting to second guess myself, today was absolutely the shittiest squatting I have done and not even the heaviest. I am sure the cut is part of it but I am missing a lot of things I am sure of it. I want to do my best at this meet and starting to think I shouldnt have signed up... i know its temporary feeling, and a lot to do with low cal..... Feb 28 I start prep for 13 weeks and this cut is over. Definately need to lean on you 3 hard for prep

Well the simple solution is don't cut lol. Or do like I do and focus on higher reps or alternative lifts during your cut to help with the mental aspect of not watching your lifts go down.

 

[Worf]

From that angle it looks fine.Are your feet stable? On heavier sets with a belt bracing real an make or break the movement. Also it’s probably time to yank that box out from under you for a while. You should know where depth is now. You can always use the box later for overload or if you’re having depth problems

 

[Brandaddy]

Knee travel, about 225 so light and quick to 11 inch box

Typically you need a little heavier % weight to check for knee valgus. Mine isn't noticable until I get to 500lbs+.

I 2nd getting rid of the box. Personally, I think they're really only good for noobs or geared lifters. Regular pause squats are superior for a raw lifter IMO. I personally have never done box squats and even with my shitty build for squats I've been almost to 600lbs in wraps before and can hit 500+ in sleeves basically any day.

How do you descend? Do you just kind of drop down and try to stay balanced? Or do you root your feet into the ground, fill your belly with air, lock in your lats and then pull your chest into your knees while opening up your taint and keeping your knees tracking over your toes and your neck driven back into the bar?

 

[Btcowboy]

Typically you need a little heavier % weight to check for knee valgus. Mine isn't noticable until I get to 500lbs+.

I 2nd getting rid of the box. Personally, I think they're really only good for noobs or geared lifters. Regular pause squats are superior for a raw lifter IMO. I personally have never done box squats and even with my shitty build for squats I've been almost to 600lbs in wraps before and can hit 500+ in sleeves basically any day.

How do you descend? Do you just kind of drop down and try to stay balanced? Or do you root your feet into the ground, fill your belly with air, lock in your lats and then pull your chest into your knees while opening up your taint and keeping your knees tracking over your toes and your neck driven back into the bar?

I will edit a few different vids over some time... show my normal, and with some weight. I only recently started some front video.... today was a train wreck squat wise looks like I was dive bombing, loose, shakey, all then way through.... only saving crazy deads were smooth today.