The ChillOut Log

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IMO a better title would be Chillen and Wes: the feeble old man and the young stud..lol. :jump1:
 
Actually i like the title.

Good job.

I think its okay. It will suffice. This is in fact what we are doing is it not?

I can shape my future destiny in how I look nearing 50, this is for sure.


So it shall be written. So it shall be done.


Best wishes,

Chillen
 
Holy mackerel. I need to brush up on my math. My daily caloric needs are approximately 2650. So, on low carb days I'd shoot for 80 grams carbs and 250 grams protein which will net me 1320 calories. I am in a funk on where I should be for fats. Doing the math it looks like optimum would be 3 grams of fat, so it all totals about half of my regular daily requirement. 3 g of fat just seems absolutely miniscule though. The fish oil pills I take now are a gram a piece. So,if I throw on more fat, I end up above the 50% threshold of my standard caloric needs. I really don't want to cut back on protein, because I'd hate to lose muscle. I could cut back even more on carbs, I guess, and just see if my body can handle it.

Recommendations?

Thanks
 
Holy mackerel. I need to brush up on my math. My daily caloric needs are approximately 2650. So, on low carb days I'd shoot for 80 grams carbs and 250 grams protein which will net me 1320 calories. I am in a funk on where I should be for fats. Doing the math it looks like optimum would be 3 grams of fat, so it all totals about half of my regular daily requirement. 3 g of fat just seems absolutely miniscule though. The fish oil pills I take now are a gram a piece. So,if I throw on more fat, I end up above the 50% threshold of my standard caloric needs. I really don't want to cut back on protein, because I'd hate to lose muscle. I could cut back even more on carbs, I guess, and just see if my body can handle it.

Recommendations?

Thanks

You can adjust the percentage from your MT-Line a tad and/or pull a tiny bit from your protein allotment, and carry some of it to your fats. But, yes, I am specifically telling/advising you to keep fats low with this sort of process we are speaking.

Since we do not know for certain how you are going to respond to a lower-carb diet that is "glucose depletion orientated", I would start at the higher end of the 100 grams, and you cab adjust your calorie allotment from 50 to 45/40 (somewhere in this neighborhood), and carry this over to your fats, and leave your carbohydrates around 80 grams (or thereabouts).

A bit of brief talk on response on low carb and the difference between out of weight room "feeling" and in weight room feeling.

Your depletion workouts are going to be an eye-opening experience. You think you worked hard in the past? uh......well, when sufficient energy processes become deficient, this is a another ball-game altogether, but...brings fantastic results. So, the experience in the weight room will bring you to new heights of mentality, I promise.

But, this experience is different than the one you can experience outside the weight room, though of course they are related to one another. If you get mild headaches (this is not unhealthy as most think, it is simply a side-effect of the brain not having enough glucose, and attempting to use other sources, etc, etc,), pop a few aspirins/Tylenol, etc. Drink plenty of water. On a side note: Do not misinterpret the high reps on the exercises during the glucose depletion phase of the process. They simply need to be higher than normal to heighten the process that is biologically happening.

The first three days are prime for fat loss, it is inherently Catabolic (as most deficits are, this is "one" of the reasons (among many), there is a macro nutrient and calorie re-feed. Again, I tell you, after the three days are completed, you will be absolutely amazed how much food you can eat without any fat accumulation (if you do it right), and just get your hydration back.

I want to see your calorie-nutrient set up for your training days and your off days according to the setup. I will then expand on training. This program is TOUGH, but it will get you lean--especially in your position.


Was I clear enough or do I need to expand further?



Best wishes,

Chillen
 
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On my glucose depletion schedule M/T I'll be going 80 grams carbs 250 grams protein and 12 grams of fat.

So, I am thinking 4 meals consisting of 20 grams carbs 60ish grams of Protein and 3 grams of fat. The protein seems a little high per meal. I may dial it back and toss in a protein shake before bed.

Wednesday is non training so I will scrub the meals back to 15g carbs, 50g protein 2 g fat per meal and skip the nightly shake.

Thursday: Same deal except I will time things to take in 40g Carbs and 25 g Protein before my full body big day. Also 20 grams creatine mono..:action14: After workout 175 grams carbs :) 55g Protein
Total carbs for Thurs around 1050 grams...good golly Miss Molly!! Not sure on total protein or fats though for Thursday :11doh: (Cardio first thing in AM)

Friday: Cardio. Continue pigfest from Thursday

Saturday: 400 g carbs 165g P (seems low) 44 g Fat. 30g/15g carb protein ratio before and after workout.

Sunday: 200g P 150g Carbs 30 g fat this lands me about 75% of non training MT.

This is gonna take a bit of pre-planning to lay this out. I would bet I made errors above, feel free to break out the red pen.
 
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March 13th, 2009: "Thoughts for the day" (1)

(Minor) Research Review: Front or Back Squats - What’s Better for Your Knees?
by Helen Kollias, March 13th, 2009.

The squat is arguably one of the best exercises for the lower body. When you squat you use pretty much every muscle from the waist down. The big kahunas — the gluteus group and deep hip muscles, quadriceps, and hamstrings — provide the drive. Other muscle groups, such as the abdominals, spinal musculature, and calves kick in to stabilize things and keep you from falling over.

Sounds like a great exercise to be doing! Right? It is a fantastic exercise, but it’s also one of the most challenging and controversial. People have loads of questions about it. Should I squat or will squatting make my thighs too big? How deep should I go? Which type of squat is best for me?
Well, I’ll try to answer at least one question with this week’s review, which compares the biomechanics of the back and front squats.

Before we get into the study there are a few things you need to know. In particular, you’ll need to be familiar with two very basic biomechanics terms: compression forces and shear forces (see figure below).

Compression forces, as their name implies, are forces that flatten or squeeze a material. In the case of the knee, compression forces squeeze cartilage.

Shear forces (stresses) are forces that run perpendicular (90°) from the material — in this case the knee. Imagine a stack of books. Now imagine trying to remove one book from the middle of the pile without disturbing the others. You probably wouldn’t try to retrieve that book by grabbing its edge and pulling it upwards; you’d probably push the book sideways and try to slide it out, right? That’s shear force.

Gullett JC, Tillman MD, Gutierrez GM, Chow JW. A biomechanical comparison of back and front squats in healthy trained individuals. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2009 Jan;23(1):284-92.

Methods

The usual suspects were used for this study: nine men and six women, all young (about 22 years old), healthy, and most likely university students. But here’s a cool thing: All participants were required to have at least one year’s experience with front and back squatting at least once a week. Yup, everybody in the study had been back and front squatting once a week for at least 52 weeks. I’m surprised they found 15 people!

While the lifters were “experienced” (unlike the commonly used untrained subjects), they weren’t huge people. Their average height was 171.2 cm (5’7”ish) and average weight was 69.7 kg (149.25 lb). Nor were they unusually strong people. On average the lifters’ 1 repetition maximum was 90% of their mass (61.8 kg -136.2 lb) for the back squat and 70% of their mass (48.5 kg - 106.9 lb) for the front squat. Not exactly world class but hey, we all have to begin somewhere, right? At least these folks were squatting, which is a great start!


Procedure for back and front squats


For this study the procedure or technique for back squatting involved “…the barbell being positioned across the shoulder on the trapezius slightly above the posterior aspect of the deltoids, and allowing the hips and knees to slowly flex until the thighs are parallel to the floor. The individual then extends the hips and knees until reaching the beginning, with emphasis with keeping the back flat, the heels on the floor, and the knees aligned over the feet”.1 In other words, lifters had the barbell in a “high bar position” and squatted until parallel with “good technique.”

For front squatting the technique was described by the authors as involving “the lifter positioning the barbell across the anterior deltoids and clavicles and fully flexing the elbows to position the upper arms parallel to the floor,” using what some might describe a “clean grip” (as opposed to the crossed-wrist style grip used by some bodybuilders).

The rest of the technique was the same as the back squat.1
PN members can view videos of both techniques in our Member Zone Exercise Database!

Front squat |* Back squat

When comparing the back and front squat in this experiment it all comes down to barbell placement. In the back squat, the barbell is behind the neck, across the trapezius. In the front squat the barbell is in front of the neck, across the front of the shoulders.

The measurements

This experiment measured two things: muscle activity and forces placed on the knee. Muscle activity was measured by electromyography (EMG). In particular, researchers observed the muscles of the quadriceps (rectus femoris, vastus lateralis and vastus medialis), the hamstrings (biceps femoris and semitendinosus), and the lower back (erector spinae).
To determine the forces on the knee, researchers performed a biomechanical analysis of the squats using video recordings. To make analysis possible, they placed (aka stuck) spherical reflective markers (aka shiny balls) over the greater tochanter (hip), midthigh, lateral knee, midshank (mid-shin), second metatarsal head (second toe knuckle –- if toes have knuckles), lateral malleolus (outside ankle bone) and calcaneus (heel) on each lifter’s right leg. Participants were then asked to lift “normally” with six shiny balls stuck to their right leg while being video recorded. Oh, they also had one foot on a force plate.

I’m not picking on the experimenters, but I always find it funny how in a lab setting experimental subjects have a bunch of things stuck to them; they get poked, prodded, and starved; and then they’re asked to exercise “normally” or the results are interpreted as such. So far though, this is the best we’ve got, but be careful how you interpret some of these results and their application to the real world.

One last thing about the measurements: before the day of EMG and biomechanical testing the lifters’ 1 repetition maximum (1RM) was figured out. For the testing the lifter did 70% of their 1RM.

Results

Interestingly (aka weirdly), EMG data showed no difference between front and back squats in any of the activities of muscles measured. That’s right, no difference in any of the quadriceps, hamstring or back muscles –- at least from a statistics standpoint. If you look at the data closely, there are some differences that in a larger group might be statistically significant. In cases with small differences between measures, statistics usually requires more samples –- in this case lifters -– to determine a difference. (But good luck finding more people with such desirable squat histories!)

Comparing just the averages, we find the back squat had higher hamstring activity (biceps femoris and semitendinous) compared to the front squat. The back squat also had lower quadriceps activity in two of the three muscles measured (vastus lateralis and rectus femoris), while vastus medialis activity was nearly identical in both squats. Last, front squats had higher back muscle (erector spinae) activity compared to back squats.
Analysis of biomechanical data found there were higher compressive and knee extensor moments in the back squat compared to the front squat. However there was no difference in shear stress on the knee, which was actually fairly low -– a lot lower than, say, knee extensions.

Back squat-----------Front squat

EMG data: muscle activation

Hamstring Higher/Lower

(biceps femoris and semitendinosus)

Quadriceps:

Vastus lateralis Lower/Higher
Rectus femoris Lower/Higher
Vastus medialis Similar/Similar

Low back (erector spinae) Lower /Higher

Biomechanical analysis


Compressive force Higher/Lower

Knee extensor moments: Higher/Lower
Shear stress Similar/Similar

Conclusion

There are two ways of looking at the EMG data:

1. There is no difference in muscle activation between front and back squats.
2. Or, front squatting less weight results in the same activation as back squatting more weight.

While front squats showed no difference, or marginally less muscle activation, you have to remember that lifters also used less weight. So it really isn’t a surprise that compressive forces on the knee during front squats are lower.

The authors suggest that if you have knee problems, such as ligament damage or meniscus tears, or if you have problems with osteoarthritis, then you may want to stick with the front squat since compressive forces can damage knee cartilage.

Another thing: if you look just at squats in general, both front and back, forces on the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) (as measured by posterior shear forces) are low.* Shear forces are so low, in fact, that many experimenters suggest that squats are safe for patients with ACL damage.2 So much for squats being bad for your knees! Oh, and machine squats were found to have 30-40% higher shear forces than free weight squats.3
Now isn’t it time you went and worked on that squat?



Maybe the experimenters will be looking for more participants and you’ll want to be ready…


:)


Best wishes

Chillen
 
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March 13th, 2009: "Thoughts for the day" (2)

Wind Shield Wiper Fluid as Cool-Aide at a Day Care....anyone?





No comment........but......WTF?



Best wishes

Chillen
 
March 15th, 2009: "thoughts for the day" (1)

“You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.”

(Rabindranath Tagore)

Courtesy of Precision Nutrition, by Dr. John Berardi:

Weight Training Progressions


Now, most people oversimplify the idea of progression. They assume that to “make it harder” from one week to the next, they need to spend more time exercising. However, that’s not always the case. Sure, this type of volume progression is one method to progress your program. Yet it’s not the only way.

In our weight training arsenals there are several ways to design programs to ensure progress toward a variety of goals, including increased strength, increased power, increased muscle mass, etc.

Here are a few examples of ways to design a proper progression in the weight room.

#1 Simple Load Progression


Classic progressive resistance training (or simple load progression as I call it) relies on the necessity of increasing our load lifted over time, assuming the same repetition range.

Like Milo, the Greek wrestler who purportedly jogged around the perimeter of the Coliseum with a calf on his back, getting stronger and stronger as the calf slowly grew into a bull, we try to increase the weight lifted from one week to the next in order to continue to progress.

#2 Complex Load Progression


Periodization models have introduced the idea of systematically increasing our load lifted while decreasing our repetitions. This model uses gradually increasing loads (or intensities, defined as a percentage of 1 rep max) while using gradually decreasing volume (measured by the total number of repetitions performed during a workout). These types of sessions are called intensification sessions.

Of course, even within an overall periodized program that’s focusing on intensification (heavier loads and fewer reps during a workout), the idea of simple load progression still stands. Obviously, if you’re using a similar repetition range from week to week during an intensification phase, you should be increasing your load used, even if you’re only using the same rep range during two consecutive training sessions for that movement.

#3 Simple Volume Progression


Compared to the simple load progression above, simple volume progression is pretty much the opposite. Instead of increasing the load from week to week, you keep the load the same while increasing the volume (measured by the total number of repetitions performed during a workout, whether that’s adding a few reps to each set or adding a few total sets).

So, instead of doing 6 reps at 200lbs, as you did during week one, you’d be doing 7 reps at 200lbs during week two. Alternatively, instead of doing 3 sets of 6 reps at 200lbs, you might do 4 sets of 6 reps at 200lbs. Either way, volume progresses, load stays the same.

#4 Complex Volume Progression


Converse to the complex load progression above, complex volume progression is also pretty much the opposite. Instead of progressively increasing load lifted while decreasing the number of repetitions (intensification), you’d increase the volume (number of repetitions and/or sets) while decreasing the intensity (measured as a percentage of 1RM, otherwise known as load). This is commonly called accumulation.

#5 Other Progression Methods

These are just a few of the progression methods out there that vary load and volume systematically in order to stimulate progress. And, of course, when the time factors are introduced (time between sets, total workout duration, etc.), we have another set of variables ripe for manipulation.

Some other examples, of varying utility, based on your goals, include:

* Decreasing rest time from week to week in order to improve between-set recovery.
* Increase rest time from week to week in order to handle heavier loads on subsequent sets.

Another example of using time as a variable is Charles Staley’s EDT. This style of training demands that, from one week to the next, you increase the number of reps you perform while keeping the total exercise time constant.
Cardio Progressions

So, now that we’ve reviewed some of the possible weight training progressions, got any ideas on how to progress your cardio work in order to best stimulate progress and prevent stagnation?

Let’s discuss some of the variables available to you, whether your goals are improving overall fitness, improving your aerobic and/or anaerobic conditioning, and/or losing body fat.

#1 Volume Progression for Cardio


Volume progression is the most commonly used method with recreational exercisers. Time to get lean? Well then, it’s time to start walking, jogging, or riding bike a few times a week. Results stagnating? Time to do more.

Here’s an example of what your cardio volume progression might look like:

Weeks 1 and 2 — 60 total minutes cardio
(1 x 60 minutes or 2 x 30 minutes or 3 x 20 minutes)

Weeks 3 and 4 — 90 total minutes cardio
(2 x 45 minutes or 3 x 30 minutes or 4 x 22.5 minutes)

Week 5 and 6 — 120 total minutes cardio
(2 x 60 minutes or 3 x 40 minutes or 4 x 30 minutes)

Weeks 7 and 8 — 150 total minutes cardio
(3 x 50 minutes or 4 x 37.5 minutes or 5 x 30 minutes)

So what if you’re doing HIIT? Does the same type of volume progression work? Of course it does.

Note: As discussed throughout the Precision Nutrition System, you’re should be using outcome-based decision making to help you decide what to do with your food and your exercise. In other words, you progression should be dictated by results. If you’re losing too fast or starting to feel run-down, slow down the progression. If you’re not losing fast enough or not adapting as quickly, speed up the progression.

#2 Intensity Progression for Cardio

So what if you’ve used a volume progression and simply can’t afford any more time? Or what if you just want to use an intensity progression instead of a volume progression? Or what if you want a combination of both?

Well, let’s start with intensity progression alone. Rather than increasing the number of minutes spent exercising, when targeting intensity progression you’d increase the average intensity of those same minutes.

In this case, during steady state cardio, you’ll want to gradually increase the intensity of your efforts by speeding up. For example, if you’re getting comfortable biking three times a week for 30 minutes at level 5 on the stationary bike, you can pick up the intensity of your ride by increasing the level to 6. And, as discussed above, the progression should be systematic. Here’s an example:

Week 1 — 3 x 30 minutes at level 5

Week 2 — 3 x 30 minutes at level 6

Week 3 — 3 x 30 minutes at level 7

Week 4 — 3 x 30 minutes at level 8

Note: Again, progression is dictated by results — if you’re losing too fast or starting to feel run-down, slow down the progression. If you’re not losing fast enough or not adapting as quickly, speed up the progression.

And don’t be afraid to mix progression techniques. If, during week 3 you can’t get 3 x 30 minutes at level 7, perhaps starting at 3 x 20 minutes at level 7 and working your way up to 3 x 30 minutes at this level is the best strategy.

And, again, does this work for HIIT training? Can you use these intensity progressions for this type of cardio? Yes again!

With HIIT you can increase the intensity of your workouts one of two ways. First, you can keep your work-to-rest ratios the same and boost the intensity of the work interval. Secondly, you can reduce your rest interval while keeping your work interval at the same intensity. Either way, your average intensity for the session will be higher and you’ll be using a cardio progression to ensure steady results.

#3 Load Progression for Cardio

Another relatively unheralded way of progressing is to increase your cardio load. Cardio load? Yep, that’s the amount of weight you’re carrying around when you’re doing weight-bearing cardio.

I use an X-vest (a weighted vest) for this purpose. To use a load progression for cardio, you’d simply add small amounts of weight to the vest over time while walking, stair-climbing, etc. in order to provide more total resistance. This is the whole Milo thing discussed above.

This strategy is especially useful during periods of weight loss. Technically, rather than actually loading your cardio, you’re actually replacing the load that you’ve lost. And this is a huge asset as the same amount of cardio, once you’ve lost weight, is much less effective.

After all, 30 minutes of walking done four times per week at 200 pounds is more calorie-costly vs. 30 minutes of walking done four times per week at 185 dieted-down pounds. So why not walk at 200 pounds for a few weeks, then 210 pounds, and so on — regardless of how much body weight you’re carrying?

(Interestingly, the same goes for body weight exercises when losing weight — unweighted chin ups at 185 pounds are much less of a challenge than unweighted chins at 200 pounds.)

Be careful with high-impact activities, however. You don’t want to tear up your joints with heavy loads strapped to you during activities like running. Also, athletes shouldn’t use this type of load progression during most agility drills or top-end speed work as they’re likely to teach themselves to be slower.

And again, rather than using the example above as gospel, the point here is that you can alter your cardio load just like you can alter your cardio intensity and duration.

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“So many of our DREAMS at first seem Impossible, then they seem Improbable, and then when we Summon the Will, they soon become Inevitable.”

(Chris Reeve)

=========================================================

“Hence arose the saying, "If I love you, what is that to you?" We say so, because we feel that what we love is not in your will, but above it. It is not you, but your radiance. It is that which you know not in yourself, and can never know.”

Do you know?


=========================================================


He who is firm in will molds and crafts there personal goals within diet and fitness to the likeness of the self.

(Chillen)

Stay firm. Stay tough.

You want your goal. Never say die.


Best wishes

Chillen
 
March 18th, 2009: "Thoughts for the day" (1)

Good afternoon everyone. Hope this day finds you well, and personally prosperous.

:)

This is an article from Lyle McDonald. Its sure has some rather interesting information reference: Squats (alone) are not required to get decent legs....

Let the rumble begin. :) :)



Squat vs. Leg Press for Big Legs - Q&A

Question:

I was wondering if, for hypertrophy purposes, there is any real advantage using bar bell squats instead of leg presses. Looking at things from perhaps an oversimplified perspective, the leg press seems to have the same joint movements and muscle lengthening/stretching as the squat - plus it’s a lot safer for the lower back.

I’m guessing it may come down to maximum load that can be moved. But can people squat more than they can leg press? Also, I’d be surprised if it were practical to use loads >1RM (negatives) for a squat, whereas on a leg press machine with a partner or two it is quite easily done.

I’m thinking the squat just ‘feels’ harder because of all the stabilizers that are used and there is more need for proper technique to make it safe. I know a lot of power lifting purists will scream that the squat is the king of exercises, yada yada yada, but for leg/glute hypertrophy, what is the advantage? Some people also seem to think squatting causes more testosterone and or GH release but is there any solid evidence of this? I would doubt it.


Answer:

First and foremost, while I’m sure my answer will offend the hardcore/hardheaded lifters, there is no requirement to perform squats (back or front) to build big legs (or even build leg strength).


I know that this contradicts everything that has ever been written on the Internet but the idea that someone must squat to get big is mainly a lot of macho nonsense.

Historically, the reason that squats probably became popular was that, early in the days of weight training, that’s all there was to do. Leg presses didn’t exist (at least not in any form that wouldn’t cripple you) and if you wanted to train your legs that pretty much meant squatting.

Which isn’t to say that squatting isn’t an excellent exercise. It has arguably been responsible for more gains in strength and size than almost anything else. But it’s not the right exercise for all people; and it’s certainly not required to get big or strong legs (it’s worth mentioning in this vein that the Australian track cycling team, which absolutely dominated the world scene for a few years there, used the one leg leg press as their primary leg training exercise).

Quite simply, the only people who must squat are powerlifters, for whom it’s a competition lift (except in the push/pull meets where it’s not), and Olympic lifters where it’s a key assistance exercise (and there is even some theorizing that modern Olympic lifting will get rid of the back squat with only the front squat being used to support recovery from the clean).

Nobody else has to squat.

And, again, for people with certain types of mechanics (usually very long femurs), back squatting can be a very non-productive exercise for strength or size. They’ll end up so bent over that their low back will give out long before their legs get a training stimulus or they’ll wreck their knees because the only way to remain upright is to push the knees so far forwards that the shear is massive.

Beyond that, let’s take a quick look at reality: Anyone reading this can go into any gym in the world and see the following

* A guy squatting who never adds weight to the bar: His legs will not be growing.
* A guy doing leg presses who is adding weight to the machine: His legs will be growing.

The exercise clearly isn’t the determinant of growth here. Because exercise selection per se isn’t the primary determinant of growth; rather as I’ve discussed in recent articles such as Reps Per Set for Optimal Growth, progressive tension overload is the primary stimulus for growth.

Exercise selection is purely secondary outside of a given exercise allowing someone to apply progressive overload safely and effectively. You can build strength or mass with almost any exercise if the loading parameters and progression are there (which isn’t to say that exercises don’t vary in how well or how poorly they lend themselves to progression).

Put differently, if someone has really horrible mechanics for squatting, they won’t be able to add weight effectively and or will get injured. That makes squatting a poor exercise choice for them. If in contrast, someone has good mechanics for squatting, meaning that they can add weight progressively in good form, that will make squatting a good exercise choice for them.

Tangentially, it’s worth noting that usually when people say things like “Exercise XXX is the best for growth” what that usually means is “I’m built to do exercise XXX effectively.” People assume that since an exercise is good for them (since they are built well to do it), it must be the best for everyone.

For some people, or in some specific situations, the leg press might actually be superior to the squat (yes, I know heresy) for training the legs. Some of those situations include what I mentioned above, people who have terribly levers for squatting for whom things like low back will be limiting long before legs are trained. By taking the low back out of the movement, the legs may get a better training effect in that situation.

Related to this, leg presses can often be used as a secondary leg exercise after back squats (assuming the person is built to back squat in the first place); to get a greater leg stimulus after the low/upper back is fatigued from squats. Again, hardhead lifters/coaches tend to **** on this approach but enough athletes (including some very strong powerlifters) do this to make me think that the hardheads are full of it.

It’s worth noting that your comment about the leg press being safer on the low back isn’t automatically true. Done incorrectly, the leg press can be a low back death trap. People with poor flexibility and/or who try to bring the sled too far back will round their low back terribly; under heavy compression load this is an excellent way to herniate a disk.

It’s worth mentioning that doing leg presses one leg at a time (with the other leg on the floor) makes it nearly impossible to round the low back and this may be the safest way of all to do them. It also saves you a lot of time loading the machine since you won’t have to put as many plates on.

As far as comparing loads between the two movements, this isn’t really accurate. The leverages on the leg press will allow almost anyone to move more weight (in absolute terms) than squatting. But what we are concerned with in terms of the growth and strength response is not just the absolute load on the bar, we are interested in the tension in the muscle. The mechanics of the leg press will let folks move more weight (in terms of plates on the machine) but that doesn’t automatically mean more tension on the target muscles.

It’s also worth noting that people who get on the leg press and move a ton of weight through a tiny range of motion aren’t doing themselves any favors either. Not only is it much more stressful on the joints, by working only in the strong range, they are actually decreasing the amount of tension that their muscles are being exposed to.

Assuming the flexibility is there, I want people taking their leg presses to at least parallel (e.g. the angle between upper leg and shin should be a minimum of 90 degrees). For most macho leg pressers, this will mean stripping about half the weight off the machine to get depth.

As to the hormonal response, who cares. Nobody has ever shown that the small hormonal spikes to training mean a thing and recent research is starting to show that it is simply meaningless. Whether squats or GH raises hormones a little bit more simply isn’t relevant as far as I’m concerned.

Summing up, the fact is that the leg press is a compound movement that works a large number of muscles through a decent range of motion. Trainees can apply progressive tension overload on a leg press as safely and effectively as in squatting.

And for some people, usually those with mechanics that make squatting a problem, the leg press may actually be a superior choice because it takes limiting muscle groups (low-back is the common issue) out of the equation. In a related vein, it is often the upper body that fails during squatting (especially higher repetition sets); if the goal is to train the legs, it makes little sense to me to let an ancillary muscle group limit that goal.

Finally, since I can only imagine the comments that this article will generate, I’m in no way anti-squatting. I happen to love squatting, I’m also built well for it (short with short femurs). For people who can squat progressively and effectively, it’s an excellent exercise; and for those with poor mechanics it’s often not worth the time and effort because the results simply won’t be there.

The leg press, properly performed (meaning keeping your ego in check, taking the sled to parallel or slightly below) in a progressive fashion is an excellent way to train the lower body while avoiding some issues that can make squatting problematic for some trainees.

Oh yeah, keeping with my comment way above about the historical development of squatting, I wanted to show you how guys used to ‘leg press’ back in the day (this picture originally appeared on the cover of Hardgainer, just for the record). You either had to have two guys lift the bar to put it on your feet or do it yourself (use your imagination).


legpress001-300x288.jpg




Given the choice, you’d have squatted too.

(Lyle McDonald)

Best wishes

Chillen
 
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Hey Chillen, how you doing these days?? Have you finished moving house yet??
sorry i havent been on here much, ive been quite busy lately. Ive got myself back into running and im progressing which is great!! Im doing about 17 minutes 3 or 4 times a week at the moment, and want to get it up to 20 minutes by may, so not long now lol.

My diet is going quite well also, and ive cut down a bit on drinking, i only had 2 pints last week.

Do you have any knowledge on sleeping, i havent been sleeping great lately and im always getting up to pee lol, i will look around more on here for answers also.

ROCK ON DOC!!! haha

Lots of love
Jackie x
 
Hey Chillen whats up wit u?? where r u?? haha

Mr Chill gone away over the hill,
me thinks hes been taken up the mill,
time to make does and pay the bill,
dont take chillen outta the pill.

next time i come there better be words, so spill!!!

HAHA sorry this is so random haha
 
maybe this needs to be carried on while Chillen is being all shhh shhhhhhh quiet haha

well im gonna give it a go:

The key to success is running and reading:



will smith's words not mine

Jackie x
 
OK...I'll contribute. There are few workout must haves on my MP3, and this one never fails to motivate. :cool:

Right Now by Van Halen.

Don't wanna wait 'til tomorrow
Why put it off another day?
One by one, little problems
Build up, and stand in our way.

One step ahead, one step behind it
Now ya gotta run to get even
Make future plans don't dream about yesterday, hey!
Come on turn, turn this thing around

(Right now) Hey! It's your tomorrow
(Right now) Come on, it's everything
(Right now) Catch your magic moment
Do it right here and now
It means everything

Miss a beat, you lose a rhythm
An nothin' falls into place.
Only missed by a fraction
Slipped a little off your pace.

The more things you get, the more you want
Just trade in one for another
Workin' so hard to make it easy
Whoa, got to turn. Come on, turn this thing around

(Right now) Hey, it's your tomorrow
(Right now) Come on, it's everything
(Right now) catch that magic moment
Do it right here and now
It means everything

(Right now) Hey! It's your tomorrow
(Right now) Come on, it's everything
(Right now) Catch that magic moment
And do it right, right now (Right now)

Oh, right now!
It's what's happening
Right here and now
Right now, it's right now
Tell me, what are ya waitin' for?
Turn this thing around
 
Milestone

If anybody is interested, I hit a personal milestone this past week. It has been one year since I started regularly working out and eating healthier.

This beats my previous record by about 11 months. :yelrotflmao:
 
Hope everything is well with you, Chillen.




Congrats Wojo, I need to beat my own milestone right now which is about 3 months :yelrotflmao:

What's your secret for keeping it up? :)
 
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