Questions. Answers. Partying with BOSS... Dan Green

[BOSS]

Dan I saw a video of you doing behind the neck overhead presses...what is the benefit of doing the overhead press behind the neck? More medial delt activation?

I think you're overthinking it. Just try it if you haven't tried them. It's just a simple way to train the shoulders. I like some variation and I find these to be a good one. It's still primarily front delts and triceps.

[BOSS]

He says he used your Boss Barbell Strength Method. Here's the link: http://www.reddit.com/r/weightroom/comments/2b00hs/multicycle_program_reviewboss_barbell_strength/
Maybe this type of progression was specific to his case?

Yes he is a member at the gym. His program was a little different as he is not a competitive PLer but more interested in bodybuilding type results. The specific variation in programming he's referring to was likely unique to his program. Certain days in the training are competition lifts and other days--overhead pressing and front squatting--are obviously not PL lifts, but are done for strength and size and that's where some variation can come in as strength is best built with a degree of variation in the exercises and loading, where technique on the main lifts is built with variations in loading, but not in exercise selection--you can't master the low bar squat if you don't perform them consistently in other words.

I don't remember the specifics of his program, but when I do coach people they all receive different programs that are customized from a similar starting point based on my traininig. So there may be something just in his training that wouldn't be in everyone else's.

[micheldied]

Yes he is a member at the gym. His program was a little different as he is not a competitive PLer but more interested in bodybuilding type results. The specific variation in programming he's referring to was likely unique to his program. Certain days in the training are competition lifts and other days--overhead pressing and front squatting--are obviously not PL lifts, but are done for strength and size and that's where some variation can come in as strength is best built with a degree of variation in the exercises and loading, where technique on the main lifts is built with variations in loading, but not in exercise selection--you can't master the low bar squat if you don't perform them consistently in other words.

I don't remember the specifics of his program, but when I do coach people they all receive different programs that are customized from a similar starting point based on my traininig. So there may be something just in his training that wouldn't be in everyone else's.

So for someone interested in powerlifting, or someone who competes, you would recommend a regular linear progression(adding weight every week) on the big lifts?
Of course, I'm sure there's a lot of carry over from front squatting and overhead pressing. And variety is always fun, I do them both on separate days from the main lifts.

[szxl]

Sup BOSS,

I'm just wondering how do you achieve the above with all those poundages? Especially the shoulder point. I've been doing exercises to strengthen the rear delts and to balance the muscles in that area.

I did a search through your thread and you mentioned posture and scapular retraction when benching. Any other advice to prevent shoulder pain from benching?

Thanks!

[keembo]

Hey Dan,

I just wanted to know if you've ever experienced outer knee pain from squatting and how you were able to relieve it? It seems as if I've been pushing my knees out too far while low bar squatting and now no matter what type of squatting I do, pushing my knees out slightly brings pain to my outer knee. My knee just feels weak to the point where i feel like it could snap.

Thanks Dan

[DeadtillDead]

Hey dan I've been looking to get a pair of metal powerlifting shoes. They recommend a size down for a good fit, did you do this or get your normal size? How has your experience with the shoe been?

[Info Junkie]

Hi Dan ,
Just letting you know you have been a big motivation for me to get back in powerlifting , I competed twice as a teen as loved it but the crew got big and fat and arrogant and my da is a bodybuilder so I always grew up loving the shape to a bodybuilder but after seening you on YouTube only recently I am training for a meet again and know I don't have to become out of shape to thrive in powerlifting so big thanks to you dan

My question is where can I buy a animal powerlifting singlet for meet day ? I understand I'm not an animal athlete so if they do the purchased that's cool . Thanks

[thesecondrei]

Dan, my current programming only allows me to perform one rowing movement twice a week (don't ask haha) so I have a choice between chest supported rows or dumbbell rows...which one would you choose in order to build a strong thick upper back?

[dergrinch20]

Honestly, I'm familiar with 531 and SS but not the other 2. I would tend to recommend something more along the lines of 5x5 or just a standard bodybuilding routine. The main difference is that I would squat deeper than parallel, setup on bench with a powerlifting setup where the shoulder blades are stabilized and I would do all deadlifts from a dead stop each rep. I always liked the workouts in the Arnold Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding. That should get you plenty strong if you always strive to have progressive overload.

Hey:)

Tanks. I`ve read the book. The workouts are good. Would you begin with the Level 1 or Level 2 workout?

Do you know another great Program for a beginner? What`s wrong with Canditos Program?

Thanks a lot.

[Fry!]

Huh????
I meant the problem with Better Aesthetics Bodybuilding, i tried to make a joke about it.
Nothing to worry.

[Dbolguy16]

Halotestin or anadrol for strength gains?

[BOSS]

So for someone interested in powerlifting, or someone who competes, you would recommend a regular linear progression(adding weight every week) on the big lifts?
Of course, I'm sure there's a lot of carry over from front squatting and overhead pressing. And variety is always fun, I do them both on separate days from the main lifts.

Yes, definitely. A lot of the best lifters do this. THe key is technique for the main lifts and building overall strength through a good choice of secondary lifts and strength specific to improving technique on the secondary lifts. THings like paused squats, deficit deadlifts, close grip bench, etc...

[BOSS]

Hell ya. Ill certainly be following along and picking your brain from time to time. I follow my own sort of PL program and I compete in both BB and PL. You're an inspiration homie, keep doing what you do.

Thanks man. I remember we'd talked when I first hooked up with Animal. Hope you're doing good man

[BOSS]

Hey:)

Tanks. I`ve read the book. The workouts are good. Would you begin with the Level 1 or Level 2 workout?

Do you know another great Program for a beginner? What`s wrong with Canditos Program?

Thanks a lot.

I'm not really sure what the answer is to any of those questions would be! I don't know the first thing about canditos program and I didn't know there is a level 1 or 2 distinction. As for beginners... I train a lot of them but I design their programs myself

[BOSS]

Dan, my current programming only allows me to perform one rowing movement twice a week (don't ask haha) so I have a choice between chest supported rows or dumbbell rows...which one would you choose in order to build a strong thick upper back?

I guess I would never choose... Those are both good, but Chest Supported Rows if done right are my favorite

[BOSS]

Hi Dan ,
Just letting you know you have been a big motivation for me to get back in powerlifting , I competed twice as a teen as loved it but the crew got big and fat and arrogant and my da is a bodybuilder so I always grew up loving the shape to a bodybuilder but after seening you on YouTube only recently I am training for a meet again and know I don't have to become out of shape to thrive in powerlifting so big thanks to you dan

My question is where can I buy a animal powerlifting singlet for meet day ? I understand I'm not an animal athlete so if they do the purchased that's cool . Thanks

Yes, the animal singlets are not sold to the public only created to be worn by the guys they support. They look very good I'd have to say! Thanks for the message man... keep up the hard work

[BOSS]

Hey dan I've been looking to get a pair of metal powerlifting shoes. They recommend a size down for a good fit, did you do this or get your normal size? How has your experience with the shoe been?

I think they are awesome, by far the best shoe for deadlifting, but I don't remember how they are sized. Mine seems to fit perfectly, but I think I just got my standard size.

[BOSS]

Hey Dan,

I just wanted to know if you've ever experienced outer knee pain from squatting and how you were able to relieve it? It seems as if I've been pushing my knees out too far while low bar squatting and now no matter what type of squatting I do, pushing my knees out slightly brings pain to my outer knee. My knee just feels weak to the point where i feel like it could snap.

Thanks Dan

Well first off it'd probably be good to have a Dr look at it. Knowing what's wrong is probably not a bad thing. The big things I do to keep knee pain down, which for me has been patella pain not outer but dead center... tendinitis... is to stretch the calves on a regular basis so I don't push through the toes. Wearing solid shoes like squat shoes is also key for stability. I don't really recommend pushing out as much as just keeping the hips open on the way down. I try to squat by pushing straight ahead with the legs, not out. Sounds simple of course, but simply don't push out... Keep the knees straight in line with the direction your toes point.

[BOSS]

Sup BOSS,

I'm just wondering how do you achieve the above with all those poundages? Especially the shoulder point. I've been doing exercises to strengthen the rear delts and to balance the muscles in that area.

I did a search through your thread and you mentioned posture and scapular retraction when benching. Any other advice to prevent shoulder pain from benching?

Thanks!

The key is not creating excess motion in the shoulder capsule. This is why creating scapular retraction is critical... so the shoulder socket doesn't have to go through excess ROM... Other than that don't touch too low on the chest as this places a lot of torque on the shoulders. Drive the weight toward the rack, flare, and then press... That's how I think about the bench

[BOSS]

I meant the problem with Better Aesthetics Bodybuilding, i tried to make a joke about it.
Nothing to worry.

Just a guy wanting to make a name for himself...

[marcus rhodes]

Dan, I''ll make this short and sweet.

-You are awesome

-Your most recent youtube vid...716x23 reps in 4 sets of deadlifting was beautiful to watch

-What are your 5 favorite songs ?

- Keep doing your thing !! :) #nobeastmode #justeverydaymode

[BOSS]

Nice... Any prominent PLers sportin a big beard with big hair???

Not really too sure. I can't think of any. The hair isn't too common for whatever reason

[BOSS]

Dan, I''ll make this short and sweet.

-You are awesome

-Your most recent youtube vid...716x23 reps in 4 sets of deadlifting was beautiful to watch

-What are your 5 favorite songs ?

- Keep doing your thing !! :) #nobeastmode #justeverydaymode

Thanks man, I don't know about 5 favorite songs, but I tend to listen to either rap or metal so here would be the 5 artists for either:

Megadeth, Pantera, Iron Maiden, Metallica, White Zombie
Too Short, Three 6 Mafia, Project Pat, Juicy J, Master P

[marcus rhodes]

Thanks man, I don't know about 5 favorite songs, but I tend to listen to either rap or metal so here would be the 5 artists for either:

Megadeth, Pantera, Iron Maiden, Metallica, White Zombie
Too Short, Three 6 Mafia, Project Pat, Juicy J, Master P

Thanks for responding Dan !... means a lot.

I'm the same :) metal or rap is what I go to during training.
Pantera & Three 6 mafia are my two favorites from that list. I remember big Evan C telling me a while back that Pantera is also what he tends to listen too during training... great minds think alike I guess !!

Most Known Unknown & Choices: The Album are my favorite releases from Three 6.

Today, during training I was actually listening to a youtube video .. "Dan Green Untouchable" the accompanying song by Seether is actually pretty good , I'm not usually a fan of their stuff.

Anyway!.. (I could discuss metal &rap forever haha) thanks again for taking the time to reply Dan, I look forward to seeing your progress in 2015

All the best.

[keembo]

Hey Dan,

Have you ever had groin injuries from squatting before? It seems as if I've aggravated my groin while squatting. Would you happen to know why this happened and how I could prevent this from happening again? Any tips on relieving the pain?

Thanks a lot Dan!

[Dbolguy16]

Dan do you think the adi powers are worth the investment?

[Alpha_]

Hey Dan,
I'm a big fan, you're such a huge inspiration for me and I would like to hear your thoughts about beginner (I'm feeling that I'm moving to intermediate stage though) training and programming.
There are so many programs out there but not a whole lot seems to suit. There are great programs but everything has too low frequency..

I built a program that I think suits my needs good but I'd like to have some critique (you really don't have to, an answer for the question above will be very helpful).
Mon: Squat 4X4-6
Pause Squat 3X5-8
Pause Conventional Deadlift 3X5-8

Tue: Bench 4X4-6
DB Shoulder Press 3X5-8
DB Inc Press 3X5-8
Curls, Extension and lateral raise 1X15-20

Wed: Conventional Deadlift 4X4-6
Front Squat 4X4-6
Sumo Deadlift 3X5-8

Thu: Military Press 4X4-6
Bench (maybe close grip) 3X5-8
DB Inc Press 3X5-8
Curls, Extension and lateral raise 1X15-20

Fri: like Mon

Sat: like Tue

All upper body pushing super-setted with pulling in the same plane of motion.

Answering the question above is more than enough but you're welcoming to critique as well.
Sorry for any English mistakes.

Thanks a lot in advance.

[NickPalumbo]

Hey Dan, Big fan of yours. I am fairly new to powerlifting and still trying to perfect my technique. I pull over 500lb with a conventional deadlift setup but I seem to always round my back. I don't get any pain from it but I want to prevent injury in the future. My question is, In your opinion does pulling sumo style allow you to keep your back straighter and take some pressure off your lower back? Also, what kind of accessory work do you utilize for sumo as opposed to conventional deadlifting?

Thanks Dan, Keep Killing It

[BOSS]

Dan do you think the adi powers are worth the investment?

as opposed to squatting in some inferior shoes?! If those are the olympic shoes that fit your feet, then it's totally worth it. I would never squat without my squat shoes. Never. Mine are the DO-Win 2013s. They fit my feet better than the nikes and adi-powers as I have wide, very flat feet. They were only $130 when I bought them. Find the best shoe and buy it.

[BOSS]

Hey Dan, Big fan of yours. I am fairly new to powerlifting and still trying to perfect my technique. I pull over 500lb with a conventional deadlift setup but I seem to always round my back. I don't get any pain from it but I want to prevent injury in the future. My question is, In your opinion does pulling sumo style allow you to keep your back straighter and take some pressure off your lower back? Also, what kind of accessory work do you utilize for sumo as opposed to conventional deadlifting?

Thanks Dan, Keep Killing It

The only specific extra thing I do is sumo block pulls to build hip strength and overall torso mass and thickness. These provide a nice carryover to a conventional pull as well. I don't do any hip accessory work or anything like that however. Rounding your back isn't necessarily wrong. It depends on a case by case basis because there are correct and incorrect ways to do it. A general rule of thumb though is to not round your lower back, only your mid and upper back.

[BOSS]

Hey Dan,
I'm a big fan, you're such a huge inspiration for me and I would like to hear your thoughts about beginner (I'm feeling that I'm moving to intermediate stage though) training and programming.
There are so many programs out there but not a whole lot seems to suit. There are great programs but everything has too low frequency..

I built a program that I think suits my needs good but I'd like to have some critique (you really don't have to, an answer for the question above will be very helpful).
Mon: Squat 4X4-6
Pause Squat 3X5-8
Pause Conventional Deadlift 3X5-8

Tue: Bench 4X4-6
DB Shoulder Press 3X5-8
DB Inc Press 3X5-8
Curls, Extension and lateral raise 1X15-20

Wed: Conventional Deadlift 4X4-6
Front Squat 4X4-6
Sumo Deadlift 3X5-8

Thu: Military Press 4X4-6
Bench (maybe close grip) 3X5-8
DB Inc Press 3X5-8
Curls, Extension and lateral raise 1X15-20

Fri: like Mon

Sat: like Tue

All upper body pushing super-setted with pulling in the same plane of motion.

Answering the question above is more than enough but you're welcoming to critique as well.
Sorry for any English mistakes.

Thanks a lot in advance.

My recommendations would be (1) you should do either conventional or sumo deads and do a second variation after. Switch each week to the other lift so you alternate a sumo week with a conv week. And (2) cycling back to squat day the day after deadlift day sounds like too much. There should be a rest day in there.

[BOSS]

Hey Dan,

Have you ever had groin injuries from squatting before? It seems as if I've aggravated my groin while squatting. Would you happen to know why this happened and how I could prevent this from happening again? Any tips on relieving the pain?

Thanks a lot Dan!

The adductors are heavily involved in the squat especially as you reverse the weight. Try to loosen it up and warm up thoroughly, so you can squat with good technique. Building the muscle's strength and flexibility will then be done best with some high rep squatting like 8-12 rep sets

[BOSS]

Thanks for responding Dan !... means a lot.

I'm the same :) metal or rap is what I go to during training.
Pantera & Three 6 mafia are my two favorites from that list. I remember big Evan C telling me a while back that Pantera is also what he tends to listen too during training... great minds think alike I guess !!

Most Known Unknown & Choices: The Album are my favorite releases from Three 6.

Today, during training I was actually listening to a youtube video .. "Dan Green Untouchable" the accompanying song by Seether is actually pretty good , I'm not usually a fan of their stuff.

Anyway!.. (I could discuss metal &rap forever haha) thanks again for taking the time to reply Dan, I look forward to seeing your progress in 2015

All the best.

No doubt. The seether is something I'm not really a big fan of...

[John Grey]

Hey Dan, hope all is going well for you and yours!

I have a question about cycling in certain exercises. For example if I was doing safety bar squats in my training would 4 weeks be a good time frame for them to be effective towards other movements or would you recommend doing them longer? Same with front squats, is 4 weeks long enough in a training cycle to show improvements toward back squats?

[cwhiteley2]

Hey Dan,
I know that you have a back squat day and a front squat day along with a bench and an overhead day when you're more off season and as you begin to get closer to a meet you turn the front squat day into another back squat day and the overhead day to a bench day but for the new back squat day and the new bench day do you just do the exact same workout as the normal back squat day and bench day or do you lower the volume for better recovery? I know you talk a lot about building tolerance to high amounts of work so that's why i was curious. Thanks

[BOSS]

Hey Dan,
I know that you have a back squat day and a front squat day along with a bench and an overhead day when you're more off season and as you begin to get closer to a meet you turn the front squat day into another back squat day and the overhead day to a bench day but for the new back squat day and the new bench day do you just do the exact same workout as the normal back squat day and bench day or do you lower the volume for better recovery? I know you talk a lot about building tolerance to high amounts of work so that's why i was curious. Thanks

As I get closer and just hit back squats the volume is very low and the weights are very high

[BOSS]

Hey Dan, hope all is going well for you and yours!

I have a question about cycling in certain exercises. For example if I was doing safety bar squats in my training would 4 weeks be a good time frame for them to be effective towards other movements or would you recommend doing them longer? Same with front squats, is 4 weeks long enough in a training cycle to show improvements toward back squats?

Safety squats yes I think 3-5 weeks is good but front squats I'd do longer maybe 6-8 weeks

[Chopsor]

What exercises should i do for soulders ? So i know Overhead Press is important but what else ?

[BOSS]

What exercises should i do for soulders ? So i know Overhead Press is important but what else ?

Military - standing strict barbell press
seated OHP - seated barbell press
seated DB press - self explanatory
DB lateral and front raises. Keep these fairly strict. Raise DBs to eye level

[Drogo]

Hi Dan, apologies in advance if this is a stupid question. I tore my pec a couple months ago and during the healing process I found about all I could go heavy on was squat. I ended up making my best PR gains ever by squatting 3-4 days a week. I would like to now focus on bringing my bench back. My question: do you have any suggestion as to how best to focus on one of the lifts, while conserving relative energy/stress in the others but maintaining gains? I realize you are very well rounded and work on all the lifts simultaneously but I wondered if you had any thoughts/suggestions on the approach of focusing on one while not losing hard earned gains in the others. Thanks in advance.

[gopinto]

Military - standing strict barbell press
seated OHP - seated barbell press
seated DB press - self explanatory
DB lateral and front raises. Keep these fairly strict. Raise DBs to eye level

If my goal is t build really capped shoulders, what should I do ?
Just lots and lots of the above ? That simple ? :)

[Alpha_]

If my goal is t build really capped shoulders, what should I do ?
Just lots and lots of the above ? That simple ? :)
I'm not Dan Green but yee, do shit load of overhead presses and raises with fairly high volume and get stronger at them. Go heavy on the presses and afterward destroy the shoulders with shit load of reps and volume.

By the way, Dan, do you have any soldiers clients? How would you suggest for a someone who is training to be a soldier to weight train? (obviously doing a lot of cardio-running, swimming and rucking).

[BOSS]

If my goal is t build really capped shoulders, what should I do ?
Just lots and lots of the above ? That simple ? :)

Yes lot's of pressing overhead and lots of lateral raises

[BOSS]

I'm not Dan Green but yee, do shit load of overhead presses and raises with fairly high volume and get stronger at them. Go heavy on the presses and afterward destroy the shoulders with shit load of reps and volume.

By the way, Dan, do you have any soldiers clients? How would you suggest for a someone who is training to be a soldier to weight train? (obviously doing a lot of cardio-running, swimming and rucking).

In the end it comes down to what your goals are and what you can recover from. Running a lot and squatting a lot are pretty much the polar opposites. I'm not sure what sort of gains you'd hope to make squatting if you prioritize distance running. However, lots of deadlifts, rows, pullups, benching, shoulders and arms would be all good. The running vs squatting is the main factor that'll hinder your leg development, but training the upper body would be fine. It's all about what you can recover from and what you prioritize. If you're swimming more than you absolutely need to then you should expect to have a harder time reaching strength goals...

[BOSS]

Hi Dan, apologies in advance if this is a stupid question. I tore my pec a couple months ago and during the healing process I found about all I could go heavy on was squat. I ended up making my best PR gains ever by squatting 3-4 days a week. I would like to now focus on bringing my bench back. My question: do you have any suggestion as to how best to focus on one of the lifts, while conserving relative energy/stress in the others but maintaining gains? I realize you are very well rounded and work on all the lifts simultaneously but I wondered if you had any thoughts/suggestions on the approach of focusing on one while not losing hard earned gains in the others. Thanks in advance.

Not a stupid question, but as you can imagine, it doesn't really work that way. If you stop doing a lift, it's likely going to suffer. If you stop low bar squats and just front squat and high bar squat--as a lot of my lifters do--that's totally fine. But that's different. If you want to bench only your deads and squat will suffer

[jdw]

Not everyone has necessarily seen my bio, but I am a powerlifter. At a bodyweight of 220 and have squatted 760, benched 485 and deadlifted 821 in competition with a best total of 2030 without squatting in knee wraps. Despite these achievements, I am possibly most proud of the fact that I've been accused of looking like "the guy in The Program." Yes, that was an exciting compliment.

Aside from lifting for strength, I also am firmly opposed to skinniness and ILS.

Ask me anything--powerlifting technique, olympic lifting, eating, hair-growing or whatever.


Hey Dan Congratulations on your successes and best wishes going forward. You are a talented lifter man, and collected and commanding on the platform. Like the Russians except all the hair. Impressive at any rate.

Three questions:

1) Has a growing family and business compelled you to sacrifice hours for yourself in your gym? My second kid literally fucked with my program and forced me to shake up a pretty successful long-term routine. Wondering how you deal with it and still handle the big weight 4-5-6 days a week.

2) Favorite country to travel to for meets, promo shit or partying, whatever...?

3)burrito flavor? I'm a EastBay native stuck in the SoCal. It's weird here but the Mexican is off the hook.

[John Grey]

What knee wraps do you currently use?

[BOSS]

What knee wraps do you currently use?

Titan Signature Golds 2.5m knee wraps and 24" wrist wraps

[BOSS]

Hey Dan Congratulations on your successes and best wishes going forward. You are a talented lifter man, and collected and commanding on the platform. Like the Russians except all the hair. Impressive at any rate.

Three questions:

1) Has a growing family and business compelled you to sacrifice hours for yourself in your gym? My second kid literally fucked with my program and forced me to shake up a pretty successful long-term routine. Wondering how you deal with it and still handle the big weight 4-5-6 days a week.

2) Favorite country to travel to for meets, promo shit or partying, whatever...?

3)burrito flavor? I'm a EastBay native stuck in the SoCal. It's weird here but the Mexican is off the hook.

1. Yeah you just have to do the important shit and not all the accessory work. If you hone your technique you'll get more out of your heavy training
2. Australia's been my favorite having been there now 3 times. Good people everywhere we've went
3. Generally carnitas, but there's a really good authentic spot here that has chile colorado that's their best burrito plus pollo borracho (drunken chicken--beer battered chicken and sweet peppers) that's also excellent
basically each burrito spot that I frequent has their best burrito or two

[jdw]

1. Yeah you just have to do the important shit and not all the accessory work. If you hone your technique you'll get more out of your heavy training
2. Australia's been my favorite having been there now 3 times. Good people everywhere we've went
3. Generally carnitas, but there's a really good authentic spot here that has chile colorado that's their best burrito plus pollo borracho (drunken chicken--beer battered chicken and sweet peppers) that's also excellent
basically each burrito spot that I frequent has their best burrito or two

Thanks for responding man; Pork is definitely good in a burrito but I like al pastor a little better than the standard carnitas i guess.

Couple other questions than I will leave you to it...

Has your take on nutrition changed over the past few years or just generally an "eat it if it looks good" philosophy?

Also I read way earlier that you don't do any cardio but any conditioning work at all? Or GPP type shit or just chasing the family around and running the gym takes care of that possibly?

Thanks again, great thread and very informative. I'm sure everyone lurking in here appreciates you taking the time.

[RustyMetal]

Hey Dan, couple questions here.

1. So I´ve tried the sumo block pulls for assisting my normal sumo deadlift. I was expecting to be stronger on those since the ROM is not as great, but I could barely grind out the weights I normally pull from the floor (My 1RM is around 170-180kg). Is this normal for someone just starting to do block pulls and should I just keep doing those until I get stronger at them or is this probably a technique issue? Also I noticed your speed of the blocks is incredible, while I had to grind the weight off the blocks. Tips for increasing the speed off the blocks?

2. When I bench, my wrists often start shaking and the bar rolls toward my fingers when I have to grind. I know wrist wraps will probably help, but my worksets are still below 2 plates and I don´t want to start using those too early. Any tips or cues for fixing this? (I already try to drive my thumb into the bar)

3. Is it okay to grind heavy LB squats with a round lower back if you reach failure on a set? My hips don´t shoot up, but I feel my lower back getting rounded up after a long set. I didn´t have pain from this yet but I feel this issue is not supposed to be there.

Hope you kill it at RUM! Greets from germany.

[BOSS]

Hey Dan, couple questions here.

1. So I´ve tried the sumo block pulls for assisting my normal sumo deadlift. I was expecting to be stronger on those since the ROM is not as great, but I could barely grind out the weights I normally pull from the floor (My 1RM is around 170-180kg). Is this normal for someone just starting to do block pulls and should I just keep doing those until I get stronger at them or is this probably a technique issue? Also I noticed your speed of the blocks is incredible, while I had to grind the weight off the blocks. Tips for increasing the speed off the blocks?

2. When I bench, my wrists often start shaking and the bar rolls toward my fingers when I have to grind. I know wrist wraps will probably help, but my worksets are still below 2 plates and I don´t want to start using those too early. Any tips or cues for fixing this? (I already try to drive my thumb into the bar)

3. Is it okay to grind heavy LB squats with a round lower back if you reach failure on a set? My hips don´t shoot up, but I feel my lower back getting rounded up after a long set. I didn´t have pain from this yet but I feel this issue is not supposed to be there.

Hope you kill it at RUM! Greets from germany.

ok these are all reasonable questions.
1. For the block pulls stick to sets of 5 in the beginning and later sets of 3 reps. The idea is to find the starting point with greater consistency and efficiency by doing multiple reps. The key to utilizing the leverage of the shorter ROM is to engage the hips. At the moment you attempt to pull or stand up with the weight you must press your knees as wide as possible to engage the hips. The block pulls will allow you to master this technique and strengthen it directly. Just keep practicing. Also wrapping a resistance band around your legs just below the knee caps and pressing out against it for reps and holding the widest position is very good also for isolating that hip strength. Sit on the edge of a normal bench or moderately high bench to do these.
2. at your level of strength you'll still be able to gain a lot of strength by doing weighted pushups either with the hands on the floor or on a bar or dumbells or handles. This will build benching strength as well as the wrists. As for wrapping I've arrived at the conclusion that if you wait until you "need" the wrist wraps, you may have already done some irreversible damage to the ligaments of the hand/wrist. It's good to support the wrists at top weights but not on weights below 80 or 90%. Also do you put your thumbs along the bar? That's an acceptable technique, but I'd recommend fully grasping the bar. It definitely shouldn't roll back on bench.
3.You should definitely work on your flexibility and core strength if you are rounding the low back. That's not good for long term progress and it's risky. Doing some bulgarian split-stance squats during your warmup should be very helpful in creating better hip mobility and glute activation along with some goblet squats to really practice proper mobility. If you aren't strong enough to execute the technique after a certain weight then do sets below that weight and bolster your leg training with lots of walking lunges

[BOSS]

Thanks for responding man; Pork is definitely good in a burrito but I like al pastor a little better than the standard carnitas i guess.

Couple other questions than I will leave you to it...

Has your take on nutrition changed over the past few years or just generally an "eat it if it looks good" philosophy?

Also I read way earlier that you don't do any cardio but any conditioning work at all? Or GPP type shit or just chasing the family around and running the gym takes care of that possibly?

Thanks again, great thread and very informative. I'm sure everyone lurking in here appreciates you taking the time.

I used to perform some 5-20 minute HIIT stuff at the ends of workouts, but now prefer to use the high volume rows, pullups and lateral raises to keep an elevated heart rate during training so I don't have to disgrace myself with actual cardio. I do like the occasional hike for some easy steady state cardio but it's been quite a while now so...
For the HIIT stuff here are some old workouts:

100-110 lb DB snatches
5 each arrm X 5 rounds with 60 sec between rounds followed by a few heavy attempts

Hang Snatches w/ straps
185 x 8 x 5 rounds with 90 sec between rounds
5 min rest
Hang Cleans w/ straps
225 x 8 x 5 rounds with 90 sec between rounds
optional 3rd round
Hang Clean and Push Jerk (w/ straps)
275 x 3 x 5 rounds with 90 sec between rounds

5 minutes on a stairmill with an 85 lb vest... that's it

Double KB sequence
24kg KBs in each hand
Double Swing to Double Clean and Press to Double Snatch x 10 x 4 rounds 3 minutes rest between rounds.
Only ever completed all 4 rounds without having to set them down once
Usually It would be 2 x 10 then2 x 7+3 or so as grip is brutal on these

I used this sequence in preparation for the 2009 and 2010 Tactical Strength Challenge
in which I deadlifted 740@218 did 14 weighted pullups (10kg) and 115 KB snatches in 5 minutes (32kg KB)
Good enough for 1st across all competitors in the world)

[jdw]

I used to perform some 5-20 minute HIIT stuff at the ends of workouts, but now prefer to use the high volume rows, pullups and lateral raises to keep an elevated heart rate during training so I don't have to disgrace myself with actual cardio. I do like the occasional hike for some easy steady state cardio but it's been quite a while now so...
For the HIIT stuff here are some old workouts:

100-110 lb DB snatches
5 each arrm X 5 rounds with 60 sec between rounds followed by a few heavy attempts

Hang Snatches w/ straps
185 x 8 x 5 rounds with 90 sec between rounds
5 min rest
Hang Cleans w/ straps
225 x 8 x 5 rounds with 90 sec between rounds
optional 3rd round
Hang Clean and Push Jerk (w/ straps)
275 x 3 x 5 rounds with 90 sec between rounds

5 minutes on a stairmill with an 85 lb vest... that's it

Double KB sequence
24kg KBs in each hand
Double Swing to Double Clean and Press to Double Snatch x 10 x 4 rounds 3 minutes rest between rounds.
Only ever completed all 4 rounds without having to set them down once
Usually It would be 2 x 10 then2 x 7+3 or so as grip is brutal on these

I used this sequence in preparation for the 2009 and 2010 Tactical Strength Challenge
in which I deadlifted 740@218 did 14 weighted pullups (10kg) and 115 KB snatches in 5 minutes (32kg KB)
Good enough for 1st across all competitors in the world)



All impressive including manly stairmill walking. That HIIT setup would build a shitload of burrito credit.

Thanks again.

[BOSS]

All impressive including manly stairmill walking. That HIIT setup would build a shitload of burrito credit.

Thanks again.

i just figure all that builds my traps anyway so doubling cardio w/ traps is all good. You'll never see me running

[GunRock]

Hey Dan,

Just wondering if your book had ever been completed? I know that you take on clients and give them access to a private Facebook group but I was wondering if you had done the BBSM book to go along with it?

Thanks

[Drogo]

Not a stupid question, but as you can imagine, it doesn't really work that way. If you stop doing a lift, it's likely going to suffer. If you stop low bar squats and just front squat and high bar squat--as a lot of my lifters do--that's totally fine. But that's different. If you want to bench only your deads and squat will suffer

I think maybe I was a bit vague with my question. I'm very much looking forward to doing all 3 lifts again, not planning on stopping any of them, but I just wondered if there is a way to regulate intensity that makes sense so that you can focus on one lift while not losing ground (or minimizing the loss) in the others. In the context of my recent experience, I put about 50lbs on my squat in 10 weeks during my pec tear recovery. I did this by squatting 3-4x a week heavy (for me). I don't believe I can keep up that same protocol while putting similar intensity into bring my bench up. The time and physical stress commitment would just be too great for recovery. So I wondered if you had any thoughts about how best to conserve energy/central nervous system stress in the squat while staying at or near my new peak, but also focus harder on bench.

Seeing my own question in print, I think it might be one for mere mortals like myself rather than someone who is always working on new WR totals. I guess a simpler way to ask might be: is there any value to dividing up energy/stress commitment among the 3 lifts according to your relative strengths/weaknesses, or does it simply not work and you should just go 33.3%/33.3%/33.3% intensity in all of them despite where you are strong or weak.

[John Grey]

Saw the post on instagram of all the steak... Do you season it with anything/use a dry rub or just cook it straight up??

[Dimitry]

Hi Dan, I saw that you follow a block periodization, I desire ask you how do you manage the intensity during the various blocks? If sometimes you lead sets to failure, or do you leave a few reps in the tank? . I see from the video that usually you leave a reps in the tanks . What do you think of the Russian powerlifting systems that work much more in buffer with more reps in the tank, with classical schemes such as: 5x70%, 4x75%, 3x80%, 2x85%, 1x90%.

[sacrut]

Hey Dan!
First of all I want to say, that you are a big influence to my and my day-to-day life. Thank you for that! Especially this thread is very helpful for me and I have read all the pages^^

Also I have a question to you: at the moment I'm pulling conventional on a weekly base with a linear progression, but I want to switch to sumo. Do you have any suggestions for me how to switch? I don't want to stop my progression, so I need to do the sumo pulls after conv or on a separate day. Or do you think that I should pull conventional, till I can't progress anymore and after that I switch to sumo?

Hope hearing from you and sorry for that bad english lol

[IronLion23]

Boss,

Hope prep for RUM is going well for you. 2 Questions:

1) In off-season training, what is your training frequency like? (Dead-lift, Squat, Bench sessions) I'm really trying to build power and muscle size in this phase and find that my lower body training has taken off but my upper body training is lagging behind. I'm currently running Beyond 5/3/1 with a four day split as follows:
Monday - Squat
Tuesday- Bench Press
Thurday- Deadlift
Friday - Overhead Press

I'm more than fine with adding training days/week as recovery with four day splits and four week mesocycles isn't too taxing.

2) With all the dense muscle that you have on your frame and the intensity and frequency you train, do you get deep tissue work done? I've found that my upper back especially (mid/lower traps/rhomboids) are in need of some work beyond rolling on a baseball.

[BOSS]

Saw the post on instagram of all the steak... Do you season it with anything/use a dry rub or just cook it straight up??

The only time I'll cook it unseasoned is the last couple of days before a meet when I'm cutting salt. This week I cooked 7 lbs of Tri-Tip with a morton's steak seasoning marinade, Last week I cooked two tri-tips with Santa Maria seasoning and a flank steak with a pepper dry rub plus some chicken with something on it but my wife seasoned those

[BOSS]

Boss,

Hope prep for RUM is going well for you. 2 Questions:

1) In off-season training, what is your training frequency like? (Dead-lift, Squat, Bench sessions) I'm really trying to build power and muscle size in this phase and find that my lower body training has taken off but my upper body training is lagging behind. I'm currently running Beyond 5/3/1 with a four day split as follows:
Monday - Squat
Tuesday- Bench Press
Thurday- Deadlift
Friday - Overhead Press

I'm more than fine with adding training days/week as recovery with four day splits and four week mesocycles isn't too taxing.

2) With all the dense muscle that you have on your frame and the intensity and frequency you train, do you get deep tissue work done? I've found that my upper back especially (mid/lower traps/rhomboids) are in need of some work beyond rolling on a baseball.

Ok so several questions here...
FIrst, I have no idea what that version of 531 is like. I've done off-season training where i train lower body one day and bench another day and that's it. It worked very well likely because I was eating a lot and the recovery was warranted after 8 months of comp prep and competing so the elbow, forearm, knee, and hip pains all reduced and that felt great. Ive also trained off season phases where I squat 4 days per week out of 5 training days. These programs work great for most of my clients and athletes too. As for programming around the 531 template I really don't know what to recomend... maybe just follow what he suggests?

Second, for the deep tissue work no i have never gone for any massage or body work. Too much going on and so many other priorities.... just have to do the best I can. Maybe if I were a full time lifter and paid to lift lol. Seems like it would be great tho!

[BOSS]

Hey Dan!
First of all I want to say, that you are a big influence to my and my day-to-day life. Thank you for that! Especially this thread is very helpful for me and I have read all the pages^^

Also I have a question to you: at the moment I'm pulling conventional on a weekly base with a linear progression, but I want to switch to sumo. Do you have any suggestions for me how to switch? I don't want to stop my progression, so I need to do the sumo pulls after conv or on a separate day. Or do you think that I should pull conventional, till I can't progress anymore and after that I switch to sumo?

Hope hearing from you and sorry for that bad english lol

Don't over think things! The best way to learn sumo is by performing sets of 3-5 reps with the weights elevated on 3-4" blocks to really build the hip strength. You can pull both lifts the same days, alternate days one conv one sumo... there isn't really a wrong way

[BOSS]

Hi Dan, I saw that you follow a block periodization, I desire ask you how do you manage the intensity during the various blocks? If sometimes you lead sets to failure, or do you leave a few reps in the tank? . I see from the video that usually you leave a reps in the tanks . What do you think of the Russian powerlifting systems that work much more in buffer with more reps in the tank, with classical schemes such as: 5x70%, 4x75%, 3x80%, 2x85%, 1x90%.

I think technique is king for powerlifters. So if you lift to failure that's very stressful on the body, AND generally before you fail your technique also breaks down. For most people I want them to lift to the limit of their technique. For a novice lifter their technique may break down at 70% of their max, so lifting above that percentage would be reinforcing bad technique. An international lifter may have perfect techniqe and can ONLY lift their 100% max if the technique is perfect. For this lifter to lift light percentages they can gain very little benefit. However an intermediate lifter who's technique starts to break down at 85 or 90% of their max can do really well with a program like smolov that has percents like 70 80 and 90 as it will challenge their technique to improve in efficiency.
As for the Russians I don't know that much about the way they train so it's hard to say much.

For me it's very important to train multiple sets short of failure as that builds technique and maximizes the training stimulus while minimizing wear and tear on the body (recovery). There are certain lifts that I consider secondary lifts that I will plan to use for about 6 weeks only and then discontinue. I know that that way I can spend 4 weeks regaining the strength I had on them last time and sometimes out-repping my old numbers and then spend the last 2-3 weeks hitting new PRs. I also know that trying to force it to happen faster won't work hence the 4 week build up and I know that longer will just lead to plateau no matter how much you try to fight that. So I'm patient and just strive for a moderate gain from each training cycle. This is what I'd do with front squats of seated DB presses or stiff leg deadlifts for example. THe big lifts are complex enough to provide enough of a stimulus to build them up over 12 weeks or more even

[gopinto]

I think technique is king for powerlifters. So if you lift to failure that's very stressful on the body, AND generally before you fail your technique also breaks down. For most people I want them to lift to the limit of their technique. For a novice lifter their technique may break down at 70% of their max, so lifting above that percentage would be reinforcing bad technique. An international lifter may have perfect techniqe and can ONLY lift their 100% max if the technique is perfect. For this lifter to lift light percentages they can gain very little benefit. However an intermediate lifter who's technique starts to break down at 85 or 90% of their max can do really well with a program like smolov that has percents like 70 80 and 90 as it will challenge their technique to improve in efficiency.
As for the Russians I don't know that much about the way they train so it's hard to say much.

For me it's very important to train multiple sets short of failure as that builds technique and maximizes the training stimulus while minimizing wear and tear on the body (recovery). There are certain lifts that I consider secondary lifts that I will plan to use for about 6 weeks only and then discontinue. I know that that way I can spend 4 weeks regaining the strength I had on them last time and sometimes out-repping my old numbers and then spend the last 2-3 weeks hitting new PRs. I also know that trying to force it to happen faster won't work hence the 4 week build up and I know that longer will just lead to plateau no matter how much you try to fight that. So I'm patient and just strive for a moderate gain from each training cycle. This is what I'd do with front squats of seated DB presses or stiff leg deadlifts for example. THe big lifts are complex enough to provide enough of a stimulus to build them up over 12 weeks or more even


Daniel, I really like your deep insights into training. Your thread is full of them.
Most of the lifters and ebooks just cover the surface of sets and reps.
You have a really good system and thought process about training.

I hope that you write an ebook someday. Please, make sure to make the book big and long because
your training insights are gold !!

Thanks a lot !

[sgerwel1985]

Dan, several questions. For the last 4 weeks i've been doing a very linear progression powerlifting program (12 week program.) Currently I'm doing the following; Sunday- Shoulders, Monday-legs, Wednesday- Chest, Friday- Back. So far the program has been working well for me, i'm rather pleased with the results i'm seeing.

on my current routine i'm doing triceps after shoulders and biceps after back. I was wondering. is this an OK move? Or should i be adding another day to strictly address arms?

When i do triceps i do; close grip, pushdowsn, skull crushers.
When i do biceps i do; Alternating curl, preacher curl and concentration curl

Do you feel that's adequate, or do you feel there are better movements i can be doing to help with the main lifts? Also I've heard some people say instead of close grip go with a reverse grip press on tricep. Is that something worth exploring or do you not see that benefiting me in my overall development?

If anything i'd rather add another leg day in (thursday) and primarily work on front squat and quads, then keep my monday legs at back squat and hams. Thoughts?

Sorry for the scatter-brain rant/questions.

[keembo]

Hey Dan,

I was wondering if you could go over hand and elbow positioning for the low-bar squat? I hear all types of different cues for them and it gets rather confusing. I've also been experiencing elbow pain and was hoping you could clear this whole thing up.

Thanks

[BOSS]

Hey Dan,

I was wondering if you could go over hand and elbow positioning for the low-bar squat? I hear all types of different cues for them and it gets rather confusing. I've also been experiencing elbow pain and was hoping you could clear this whole thing up.

Thanks

If your grip is too narrow then that can compress the elbows a bit too much. Maybe widen your grip if it's inside the rings or barely on the rings. I prefer a full grip but others like a false grip (thumbless). The elbows should be pulled down so they are in line with the torso not sticking backward. You also want to make sure the bar is firmly supported by the rear delts. If is too low then it won't be totally stable and you can put a lot of pressure on the elbows if you have to then muscle the bar into place

[BOSS]

Dan, several questions. For the last 4 weeks i've been doing a very linear progression powerlifting program (12 week program.) Currently I'm doing the following; Sunday- Shoulders, Monday-legs, Wednesday- Chest, Friday- Back. So far the program has been working well for me, i'm rather pleased with the results i'm seeing.

on my current routine i'm doing triceps after shoulders and biceps after back. I was wondering. is this an OK move? Or should i be adding another day to strictly address arms?

When i do triceps i do; close grip, pushdowsn, skull crushers.
When i do biceps i do; Alternating curl, preacher curl and concentration curl

Do you feel that's adequate, or do you feel there are better movements i can be doing to help with the main lifts? Also I've heard some people say instead of close grip go with a reverse grip press on tricep. Is that something worth exploring or do you not see that benefiting me in my overall development?

If anything i'd rather add another leg day in (thursday) and primarily work on front squat and quads, then keep my monday legs at back squat and hams. Thoughts?

Sorry for the scatter-brain rant/questions.

No problem. As for the biceps I think that's a good setup. As for Tris I would start with skulls, then do close grip and then pressdowns. Something overhead first was always king for me simply because of the stretched position of the triceps long head. That illicits greater recruitment and therefore more getting jacked.
As for legs I highly recommend adding a front squat day. They are gold and are worth prioritizing (doing them first on their own day). It'll change your recovery at first so just be patient and progress them with reps first before you really try to go too heavy with them.

[BOSS]

Daniel, I really like your deep insights into training. Your thread is full of them.
Most of the lifters and ebooks just cover the surface of sets and reps.
You have a really good system and thought process about training.

I hope that you write an ebook someday. Please, make sure to make the book big and long because
your training insights are gold !!

Thanks a lot !

Thanks Pinto!

[Dimitry]

Daniel, I really like your deep insights into training. Your thread is full of them.
Most of the lifters and ebooks just cover the surface of sets and reps.
You have a really good system and thought process about training.

I hope that you write an ebook someday. Please, make sure to make the book big and long because
your training insights are gold !!

Thanks a lot !

I join the congratulations. I train so also, as Mark Thuruscherer does, forcing a little more than the russians do, who have copied from weigthlifting , but they are different movements, the movements of weighlifting are split in the different parts and they need a lot more explosiveness. This probably is the reason.

[micheldied]

Hey Dan, do you take any intra-workout supplements during your workouts? I tend to get fatigued after doing the main working sets, and just can't put as much into the secondary lifts. Any suggestions? All I take is preworkout at the beginning of the session.

Also, did you chop the hair off??

[Fry!]

As long as there's no ebook i still riddle on your periodization, and the training.
When you do squats and deadlifts how do you adjust the intensity? Or on bench.
Could you lay out a example?


btw: Good luck for RUM.

[BOSS]

Hey Dan, do you take any intra-workout supplements during your workouts? I tend to get fatigued after doing the main working sets, and just can't put as much into the secondary lifts. Any suggestions? All I take is preworkout at the beginning of the session.

Also, did you chop the hair off??

For intra workout mixing gatorade powder into water is good plus whey. I'll even mix them together... smells like gasoline but it tastes ok... gatorade powder can be used to make the drink very sweet
and no, no hair cuts

[BOSS]

As long as there's no ebook i still riddle on your periodization, and the training.
When you do squats and deadlifts how do you adjust the intensity? Or on bench.
Could you lay out a example?



btw: Good luck for RUM.

pretty straightforwrd. For bench I just increase the working weight 1-2 percent from one workout to the next.
so if today is 440 next day could be 445-451. FOr lower it's more like 2-3 percent
But I also peak differently for squats. It is a little tricky to explain quickly unfortunately

[micheldied]

For intra workout mixing gatorade powder into water is good plus whey. I'll even mix them together... smells like gasoline but it tastes ok... gatorade powder can be used to make the drink very sweet
and no, no hair cuts

Great, sounds good. Would you mix the preworkout in as well, or just finish it before getting into the gym?
And thank god lol. Looked like you'd cut it from the Instagram videos.

[thesecondrei]

Dan do you foam roll or stretch? Also which SBD wrist wraps did you get, the flexible or the stiff? How does it compare to the titan signature golds?

[John Grey]

How do you go about water loading and then cutting right before a meet?

[BOSS]

Dan do you foam roll or stretch? Also which SBD wrist wraps did you get, the flexible or the stiff? How does it compare to the titan signature golds?

I do a bit of stretching in the hips, legs and calves and some upper back foam rolling once in a while. I don't have any wraps from SBD. Not sure what you're referring to

[thesecondrei]

I do a bit of stretching in the hips, legs and calves and some upper back foam rolling once in a while. I don't have any wraps from SBD. Not sure what you're referring to

Oh, I thought the black and red wrist wraps you wore in your latest benching video (the one where you have short hair I think) was from SBD...

[Fry!]

Oh, I thought the black and red wrist wraps you wore in your latest benching video (the one where you have short hair I think) was from SBD...
I think they are from Harris Support Systems.


@TheBoss: He refers to the Wristwraps you're using now:
http://instagram.com/p/yk6jx8trZB/?modal=true

[GunRock]

Dan I read somewhere that the bench technique you use is supposed to help protect your shoulders. I am interested if that's the case because I'm not eager to have another shoulder injury but I still want to get stronger and continue to compete. Do you mind checking out my form in this video to tell me if I am doing it right? thanks and good luck at RUM! http://instagram.com/p/yw1H-yi7bQ/

[Keosawa]

Hi Dan--just wanted to say congrats on the performance at RUM. You and I were competing in NASA a few years ago and it's been interesting watching you progress over that time; what you're doing now is amazing. I ended up having to take care of my fiancee, who came down with a migraine during the Sat. pm session, but my friends said you and your wife were real cool. Congrats again and best of luck in the future.

[jdw]

Hi Dan--just wanted to say congrats on the performance at RUM. You and I were competing in NASA a few years ago and it's been interesting watching you progress over that time; what you're doing now is amazing. I ended up having to take care of my fiancee, who came down with a migraine during the Sat. pm session, but my friends said you and your wife were real cool. Congrats again and best of luck in the future.



I agree with this dude. Holy shit you had a good meet man. Flowing locks and everything, and that cut looked like it was fucking MISERABLE, but no matter. Congrats.

[Altered Beast]

I agree with this dude. Holy shit you had a good meet man. Flowing locks and everything, and that cut looked like it was fucking MISERABLE, but no matter. Congrats.

He went 5/9 and STILL set an All-Time World Record! That is rather legendary if you ask me....

[NorthStrong]

Hey Dan - congratulations on another WR. Which weight class are you looking at for Boss of Bosses 2, and are you planning on squatting in wraps or raw squatting?

On that note, I am training for my third meet overall, and it's my first with knee wraps. It's going to be another 6 weeks of training until the meet, and I am starting to work wraps into the mix now. Do you have any advice one how to get used to them, or is it simply a matter of doing the work in them?

My squat / DL training looks like this right now, any adjustments you'd make as far as where to put the wraps, etc?

Squat w/wraps (heavy)
Front Squat w/o wraps
Deadlift (lighter rep work)

Squat w/o wraps (lighter rep work)
Deadlift (heavy)
Stiff Leg DL

Sorry for having a few questions - thanks.

[jdw]

He went 5/9 and STILL set an All-Time World Record! That is rather legendary if you ask me....


Clash of the Titans legend-status if you ask pretty much anyone- the real question now is how is the BOSS partying after said legendary performance? Even that water cut looked worthy of a fiesta. God he looked fucking miserable. Still stomped.

[sgerwel1985]

Congrats on your accomplishment at RUM, Dan! You're the man.

[BOSS]

Congrats on your accomplishment at RUM, Dan! You're the man.

Thanks man, it wasn't my best day number's wise, but it was exciting to compete against some other worthy competitors in head to head battle

[BOSS]

Clash of the Titans legend-status if you ask pretty much anyone- the real question now is how is the BOSS partying after said legendary performance? Even that water cut looked worthy of a fiesta. God he looked fucking miserable. Still stomped.

Not really much partying just a little free rein over all the foods i've been avoiding for the last two months.

[BOSS]

Hey Dan - congratulations on another WR. Which weight class are you looking at for Boss of Bosses 2, and are you planning on squatting in wraps or raw squatting?

On that note, I am training for my third meet overall, and it's my first with knee wraps. It's going to be another 6 weeks of training until the meet, and I am starting to work wraps into the mix now. Do you have any advice one how to get used to them, or is it simply a matter of doing the work in them?

My squat / DL training looks like this right now, any adjustments you'd make as far as where to put the wraps, etc?

Squat w/wraps (heavy)
Front Squat w/o wraps
Deadlift (lighter rep work)

Squat w/o wraps (lighter rep work)
Deadlift (heavy)
Stiff Leg DL

Sorry for having a few questions - thanks.

Probably 220 with wraps for Boss of Bosses 2 but not sure yet
Just start using them and then as you get the feel for them you can wrap them tighter and tighter. I'd recommend doing that deadlift rep work from a deficit of 3-4" and I would squat in wraps twice heavy and forget about the no wrap squatting for now. except the front squats should be ok

[sgerwel1985]

Thanks man, it wasn't my best day number's wise, but it was exciting to compete against some other worthy competitors in head to head battle

Dan, best day or not, it's still a record and 2x more than what us mere mortals can do!

I saw maybe a few weeks ago you in some mens health top 50 fittest athletes, i forget exactly. What was it like being listed in something like that, in a sport that for the most part is overlooked by the masses? That had to be surreal moment.

[micheldied]

Congrats on breaking the record, again, Dan!

[NorthStrong]

Probably 220 with wraps for Boss of Bosses 2 but not sure yet
Just start using them and then as you get the feel for them you can wrap them tighter and tighter. I'd recommend doing that deadlift rep work from a deficit of 3-4" and I would squat in wraps twice heavy and forget about the no wrap squatting for now. except the front squats should be ok

Right on - thanks a lot! I should've mentioned that my light DL will be conventional and the heavy deadlifts will be sumo, not sure if that'd change your recommendations for the deadlifting or not.

I will do the other day with wraps too: makes sense just getting more practice in them. Really appreciate it Dan!

[jdw]

Not really much partying just a little free rein over all the foods i've been avoiding for the last two months.

Burritos probably feel like Vegas after dieting down. Congratulations again. If you feel like it let us know what you may have done differently leading up to RUM and what you think 2015 holds for you (goals, numbers, whatever). Awesome performance. Especially considering travel, food, cutting- all that shit seems like it would adversely affect strength performance.

[David LaMartina]

How big a difference do you find that competition discs make vs. iron gym plates in your sumo range of motion? I've only ever pulled with discs at meets and don't have them at my gym, so it's hard to directly compare. Since my sumo pull is already so short, I'm thinking of doing them standing on one or two mats to make up for the extra bar bend and smaller ROM.

[J Wong]

Congrats on your performance at RUM. It's always cool to see you lift in person. See you next month!

[Dmitry]

Hey Dan, hi from Belgium !

I've just read the whole topic and it was very interesting, thank you for that.

I have two question I'd like to ask you.


#1 is about arching the back and bench press.
As arching the back too much can be deleterious for the back, and specifically for the low back, I was wondering if you arch as much as possible everytime
or if you don't in order to protect the back, and if so, how do you manage it ?

#2 is about weightlifting and Olympic movements
My main goal is PL and improving my maxes on the main three lifts, but like two months ago I discovered weightlifting and I like it so I'd like to incorporate
it a bit more in my workouts.
I do not wish to add a specific weightlifting day for now, so I was thinking about using the olympic moves as an assistance for the main lifts,
and so starting the workouts by the main lifts and then doing a bit of olympic movements.
For example, is cleaning (and so front squatting) a good assistance lift after heavy back squat ? (or wide grip snatch after deadlift for example)

Would you incorporate it that way ?

Thank you Dan.
Dmitry(not Klokov haha)

[The Untamed]

Hey man, my trainee (prepping for european champ. ipf) had a big pain around the collarbone after a max attempt (more like a heavy single) on sumo block pulls, it was the only time we went for a heavy single, usually it's 3-5 reps (we gradually bumped up the weight in a linear fashion).
Any tips on how to heal it ? it would save our live man!!
I ask you 'cause I saw that after your 1004lbs pull it hurt for you too (but it's been a week now and it still hurt a lot), we've tried a lot of things but it doesn't seem to work..
Thanks a lot boss

[thesecondrei]

Dan what is your opinion on doing Front squats and deadlifts on the same day?

[micheldied]

Hey Dan, you mentioned you do barbell rows with your thumbs over the bar instead of a full grip. Just wondering what the reason for this is?

Also, for someone with a really weak core, what exercises would you recommend and what set and rep scheme? Right now I'm doing bodyweight situps on a decline bench after deadlifts(very strict, bending only at the hip), and even that feels tough to get 15 reps with.

[BOSS]

Hey Dan, you mentioned you do barbell rows with your thumbs over the bar instead of a full grip. Just wondering what the reason for this is?

Also, for someone with a really weak core, what exercises would you recommend and what set and rep scheme? Right now I'm doing bodyweight situps on a decline bench after deadlifts(very strict, bending only at the hip), and even that feels tough to get 15 reps with.

That should be a good one. I also like straight leg situps only bending at the waist. I use my GHR and hold weight behind the head. This makes it very hard. Ab wheel is reasonable and if you can get those elbow-hangers then I like hanging leg raises with those... also done strict with the lats heavily engaged.

[BOSS]

Dan what is your opinion on doing Front squats and deadlifts on the same day?

I like to sometimes follow front squats with conventional block pulls or the other way would be to deadlift first then front squat... it'll just have to be lighter which is why I prefer squatting first

[BOSS]

Hey man, my trainee (prepping for european champ. ipf) had a big pain around the collarbone after a max attempt (more like a heavy single) on sumo block pulls, it was the only time we went for a heavy single, usually it's 3-5 reps (we gradually bumped up the weight in a linear fashion).
Any tips on how to heal it ? it would save our live man!!
I ask you 'cause I saw that after your 1004lbs pull it hurt for you too (but it's been a week now and it still hurt a lot), we've tried a lot of things but it doesn't seem to work..
Thanks a lot boss

Yes, this is the main reason I stay away from maxing on the block pulls usually, but I would just suggest some dumbell shrugs to see if pumping up the traps won't alleviate some of that. Otherwise I'm not really sure.

[BOSS]

Hey Dan, you mentioned you do barbell rows with your thumbs over the bar instead of a full grip. Just wondering what the reason for this is?

Also, for someone with a really weak core, what exercises would you recommend and what set and rep scheme? Right now I'm doing bodyweight situps on a decline bench after deadlifts(very strict, bending only at the hip), and even that feels tough to get 15 reps with.

So as for the rowing, I like to flip the thumbs in front as this points my elbows back more vs out to the side. Squeezing the elbows back and in at the top is how rowing feels best for me, not pulling the elbows wide

[Fry!]

Stupid question, but as you dabbled in weightlifting, how did you managed your training?
Did you still do the 3 big powerlifting exercises? Also did you still benchpress, and sumodeadlifts?

Because i often have the problem that my legs are sore and when that happens, i have a bad training session at the olympic lifts.
Bench is about 125kg, Squat: 175-180, Deadlift: 185

My current Plan is:
Monday: Squat following a squat cycle
Tuesday: Olympiclifts
Wednesday: Fronsquat Olympiclifts
Thursday: Jerks, jerks.,
Friday: Sumodeadlift following a deadlift cycle
Saturday: Benchpress following a bench cycle



by the way: stunning perfomance at RUM, its always exciting to watch you lift.

[micheldied]

That should be a good one. I also like straight leg situps only bending at the waist. I use my GHR and hold weight behind the head. This makes it very hard. Ab wheel is reasonable and if you can get those elbow-hangers then I like hanging leg raises with those... also done strict with the lats heavily engaged.

So as for the rowing, I like to flip the thumbs in front as this points my elbows back more vs out to the side. Squeezing the elbows back and in at the top is how rowing feels best for me, not pulling the elbows wide


Should I be working the abs several times a week, or would it not be productive? I've never been an ab training kinda guy. Seems like a big mistake now.
Interesting, I'm going to have to try a false grip next time I row.

[wyolifter]

Not everyone has necessarily seen my bio, but I am a powerlifter. At a bodyweight of 220 and have squatted 760, benched 485 and deadlifted 821 in competition with a best total of 2030 without squatting in knee wraps. Despite these achievements, I am possibly most proud of the fact that I've been accused of looking like "the guy in The Program." Yes, that was an exciting compliment.

Aside from lifting for strength, I also am firmly opposed to skinniness and ILS.

Ask me anything--powerlifting technique, olympic lifting, eating, hair-growing or whatever.

watching videos of your lifting, especially the deadlift, i notice you pull sumo more often than not in competition. i used to pull sumo, but ive noticed it seems to strain the insides of my knees quite a bit, and makes walking painful for a few days. ive since switched to conventional pulling, am i missing out by pulling conventional? or could the pain have to do with my form?
huge fan by the way. you're a true animal

[BOSS]

watching videos of your lifting, especially the deadlift, i notice you pull sumo more often than not in competition. i used to pull sumo, but ive noticed it seems to strain the insides of my knees quite a bit, and makes walking painful for a few days. ive since switched to conventional pulling, am i missing out by pulling conventional? or could the pain have to do with my form?
huge fan by the way. you're a true animal

Thanks for that! First, I've competed using only sumo for the last 5 years and competed conventional my first 3 years. I always include both in my training as they each have slightly different effects. They are highly synergistic in my opinion if trained effectively. You're not missing out by striving to master the conventional dead but you'll want to give the sumo a proper chance as well. What is likely happening is your knees feel pressure due to (a) tight inner thighs which can be addressed via stretching, (b) weak glute medius (to press the hips open wide with strength) which can be strengthened by sumo deads for reps and sumo deads from blocks (I recommend 4") as well as some isolation moves for them and/or (c) if your feet are either too far apart or your feet are angled open at too great an angle (45 degrees is a good amount, more takes practice to use effectively). All these potential issues would cause the knees to pull inward and thus hurt the inner portion of the knees. Just some basic fixes! Everyone needs to build that hip strength for sumo even if they're already flexible.

[BOSS]

Should I be working the abs several times a week, or would it not be productive? I've never been an ab training kinda guy. Seems like a big mistake now.
Interesting, I'm going to have to try a false grip next time I row.

My thing was this: If I could do 2x15 strict straight leg situps on the GHR with a plate held behind my head then that was "enough" ab strength. More wasn't going to help as this would be enough strength to ensure the abs arent' limiting. So basically if you cave on your belt during squats or pulls then your abs need work. If not then I don't "know" that there's a need to isolate them

[BOSS]

Stupid question, but as you dabbled in weightlifting, how did you managed your training?
Did you still do the 3 big powerlifting exercises? Also did you still benchpress, and sumodeadlifts?

Because i often have the problem that my legs are sore and when that happens, i have a bad training session at the olympic lifts.
Bench is about 125kg, Squat: 175-180, Deadlift: 185

My current Plan is:
Monday: Squat following a squat cycle
Tuesday: Olympiclifts
Wednesday: Fronsquat Olympiclifts
Thursday: Jerks, jerks.,
Friday: Sumodeadlift following a deadlift cycle
Saturday: Benchpress following a bench cycle



by the way: stunning perfomance at RUM, its always exciting to watch you lift.

Thanks man. All I can say was that I didn't dial back my 6 sessions/week PL training at all, but would simply just add 3-4 Oly lifting sessions on top as well as 1-2 gymnastics workouts per week during that time. There wasn't any sort of logic other than just that I didn't want to reduce my training other than recognizing that sometimes the squatting didn't have to overlap. I was never polished as a weightlifter just strong and athletic.

Having a better understanding of things now, I'd say that there's no way to really train deads or cleans very hard if you're following an intense squat program. Snatches yes as that's more about speed, but if you're going to tax your back more then the squat program won't work. If the squatting is based on 1-3 rep maxes that's different, but if it's based on volume then no, you should do the squat cycle and THEN focus on building the Oly lifts. Benching shouldn't be a factor IMO

[BOSS]

How big a difference do you find that competition discs make vs. iron gym plates in your sumo range of motion? I've only ever pulled with discs at meets and don't have them at my gym, so it's hard to directly compare. Since my sumo pull is already so short, I'm thinking of doing them standing on one or two mats to make up for the extra bar bend and smaller ROM.

The ROM is drastically different AND the stiffness requires much more strength to overcome. Training with a power bar is a great alternative. You can also load a 25 first to give a tiny bit of extra flex as well as some breathing room for your toes (safety) if needed. Hitting reps off the floor and blocks will build the leverages properly so you'll get a massive carryover when you switch to a DL bar even with the kg discs. It'll hurt the ego in the gym but it's a better way to approach it as using an easier setup in training is always going to lead to some frustration at meets when it's suddenly much stiffer. My 3RM with a power bar from a 4" blocks was a great indicator of my max from the floor with a DL bar. The first time I'd used one my max on a power bar was 700 and I'd pulled 740x3 from blocks. I did a meet that had a DL bar and opened 700 then 725 then hit 740 for a 40 lb carryover

[BOSS]

Congrats on your performance at RUM. It's always cool to see you lift in person. See you next month!

see you soon homie

[BOSS]

Hey Dan, hi from Belgium !

I've just read the whole topic and it was very interesting, thank you for that.

I have two question I'd like to ask you.


#1 is about arching the back and bench press.
As arching the back too much can be deleterious for the back, and specifically for the low back, I was wondering if you arch as much as possible everytime
or if you don't in order to protect the back, and if so, how do you manage it ?

#2 is about weightlifting and Olympic movements
My main goal is PL and improving my maxes on the main three lifts, but like two months ago I discovered weightlifting and I like it so I'd like to incorporate
it a bit more in my workouts.
I do not wish to add a specific weightlifting day for now, so I was thinking about using the olympic moves as an assistance for the main lifts,
and so starting the workouts by the main lifts and then doing a bit of olympic movements.
For example, is cleaning (and so front squatting) a good assistance lift after heavy back squat ? (or wide grip snatch after deadlift for example)

Would you incorporate it that way ?

Thank you Dan.
Dmitry(not Klokov haha)

OK this is several questions lol...
1- For the lower back I only arch maximally on work sets or maxes. But I try to focus more on the thoracic extension (keeping the chest "up" by extending the mid-upper back) and I set my feet flat and out in front of me without a major arch in the lower back. I try to generate my leg drive in a horizontal fashion--along the bench so that by moving my hips toward my shoulders, my chest is pushed up and back into the bar. This is the leg drive that helps get the bar moving back over the shoulders from the point where it touches just below the sternum. I do not like arching my lower back with the feet under my hips. It is painful for me but I don't really know how bad it is. It's also not really my technique. But leg drive should be to push the weight back onto the upper back, so the low back arch should facilitate that more than anything if you choose to arch a lot.

2-As for the Oly lifting that's a very complex task to organize. I found hang power cleans and snatches to be great for building upper back and trap strength directly to benefit my PL strength and I like front squats and high bar squats, but I'm not sure what an effective way to do full cleans and snatches in your training would be as they're drastically different in execution. You CAN, but I don't know what the right answer is there. When I did it I was just stubborn and refused to do less of one in order to focus on the other. Not the best approach.

[NorthStrong]

Hey Dan

With you being a Titan sponsored lifter I'm wondering if you've tried out their other wraps besides the Sig Golds? I have the Max RPMs and Titaniums right now, just curious if you have experience with those or the THPs.

Any other meets planned before Boss of Bosses II?

[wyolifter]

Thanks for that! First, I've competed using only sumo for the last 5 years and competed conventional my first 3 years. I always include both in my training as they each have slightly different effects. They are highly synergistic in my opinion if trained effectively. You're not missing out by striving to master the conventional dead but you'll want to give the sumo a proper chance as well. What is likely happening is your knees feel pressure due to (a) tight inner thighs which can be addressed via stretching, (b) weak glute medius (to press the hips open wide with strength) which can be strengthened by sumo deads for reps and sumo deads from blocks (I recommend 4") as well as some isolation moves for them and/or (c) if your feet are either too far apart or your feet are angled open at too great an angle (45 degrees is a good amount, more takes practice to use effectively). All these potential issues would cause the knees to pull inward and thus hurt the inner portion of the knees. Just some basic fixes! Everyone needs to build that hip strength for sumo even if they're already flexible.
so cool to actually interact with such a legend! thanks dan, ill give it a go in my next training cycle. im not gonna change anything yet considering i have a comp this weekend and two weeks from now. but ill let you know how it goes!

[micheldied]

My thing was this: If I could do 2x15 strict straight leg situps on the GHR with a plate held behind my head then that was "enough" ab strength. More wasn't going to help as this would be enough strength to ensure the abs arent' limiting. So basically if you cave on your belt during squats or pulls then your abs need work. If not then I don't "know" that there's a need to isolate them

I'm no where close to that strength, but I also don't squat anything near 800 pounds lol. Thanks for the advice, Dan.

[Altered Beast]

Dan,

Since utilizing that new grip you've taught me and with a lower starting position in the Deadlift, my Speed off of the floor has suffered. However, the top half is much smoother to lockout.

I'm curious as to what I could do to to build speed off of the floor? What movements and muscles should I be focusing on? *I've also started Squatting in Olympic Shoes due to having super flat feet.

Thanks!

[BOSS]

Hey Dan

With you being a Titan sponsored lifter I'm wondering if you've tried out their other wraps besides the Sig Golds? I have the Max RPMs and Titaniums right now, just curious if you have experience with those or the THPs.

Any other meets planned before Boss of Bosses II?

I'm not sponsored by them anymore. However, the signature golds are still my favorite wraps. I've used strangulators and those are good if you prefer a stiff wrap. I just like the extreme constrictive feel of the titan golds. they're extremely strong out of the hole... and no, no other meets till then just deadlifting in the Animal Cage at the Arnold next month!

[BOSS]

so cool to actually interact with such a legend! thanks dan, ill give it a go in my next training cycle. im not gonna change anything yet considering i have a comp this weekend and two weeks from now. but ill let you know how it goes!

Yep just be patient with it, most people will still beat up their hips if they go sumo 3-4 weeks in a row so just accept that it takes time to strengthen your body... It's worth it though

[BOSS]

I'm no where close to that strength, but I also don't squat anything near 800 pounds lol. Thanks for the advice, Dan.

Well just a 20 lb DB behind the head will make you extremely strong

[BOSS]

Dan,

Since utilizing that new grip you've taught me and with a lower starting position in the Deadlift, my Speed off of the floor has suffered. However, the top half is much smoother to lockout.

I'm curious as to what I could do to to build speed off of the floor? What movements and muscles should I be focusing on? *I've also started Squatting in Olympic Shoes due to having super flat feet.

Thanks!

Block pulls sumo will build the leg drive and hip strength, Front squats will build the initial leg drive best, and all sorts of conventional stiff legs, deficits and rowing variations will build overall pulling power. But Front squats and block pulls are my go tos

[ronlifts]

Hey "Boss"

Waiting for a response on the train with an animal page. I hope your still planning on attending. It would be an honor for me.

[Strength Cleveland]

How many sets of squats do you normally do? And how many sets of paused? You're an inspiration thanks.

[BOSS]

How many sets of squats do you normally do? And how many sets of paused? You're an inspiration thanks.

It just depends a lot for me. For most people 2-3 work sets of each is good

[BOSS]

Hey "Boss"

Waiting for a response on the train with an animal page. I hope your still planning on attending. It would be an honor for me.

Yep I'll be there

[micheldied]

It just depends a lot for me. For most people 2-3 work sets of each is good

I'm actually intrigued as to what your opinion on this is as well. For competition(low bar) squats, do you think it's better to hit one top set where you go all out(without form breaking down), or not go full effort and hit more sets with the same weight instead? For example, I know I can hit a top set for 4 reps, and won't be able to get 4 again with good form on the next set. Should I hit the 4 reps for one set, or just hit two sets of say, 3?

[Dbolguy16]

Dan do you do any online coaching?

[Strength Cleveland]

I'm having trouble keeping my weight on my heels during deadlifts, it's usually towards the end of my deads when I'm fatigued. Here's a video. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xhc2ianzMXc. Thanks so much for answering!! Also, I'm doind squat arms rest deads shoulders rest, but this week I added in another rest day after arms because I didnt want my lower back to he sore for deads, would be ok to have on my normal split? Again, thanks a ton!

[BarnhouseBull]

Hey Dan, any updates on your book?

[chris_drb]

Hey Dan, if you have a second, please tell me what you think of my sumo deadlift form.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DqwtzdbWE0A

Been practicing for 2 weeks up to this vid. After watching it, I think I can put my shoulders more behind the bar. But please let me know if you have any advice on my set up and pull.

Thanks

[K.W]

Dan I've watch a bunch of your squat videos on YouTube at BBBC and I was wandering about your Orange squat rack, what brand is it. It look like it has a ton of different adjustments on it. Also when your lifting there do you ever use a Texas squat bar or do you have certain bars you only like to use. By the way your an awesome person to watch lift, I hope I get to meet you next year at the CAGE.

[DGymn]

Hi Dan,

Was hoping you could help me out a bit, I'm not a powerlifter nor bodybuilder but a gymnast (specializing on still rings) and for the last year I've been having a hard time getting stronger. Wich is too bad as I'm just underneath worlds best. I've tried doing more work, i've tried doing less volume.. Nothing seems to really work.

How did you find the trainingvolume that fits your body?
And when adjusting intensity, how do you adjust the volume?
You think I could benefit for gaining some mass, considering i am in a bodyweight related sport?

Thanks anyway!

[Borkatron]

Hey Dan.
Was hopping you could tale a glimpse at my form? I have pulled 300 kg X 2 with this form but i Think i should adjust it.
What i am seeing is lack of hip drive, hence rounding the back from the beginning. I am starting to do hop stretchers Daily now and hopping it Will make a difference. What you Think?

http://youtu.be/KSbkDENJxI0

[BOSS]

Hey Dan.
Was hopping you could tale a glimpse at my form? I have pulled 300 kg X 2 with this form but i Think i should adjust it.
What i am seeing is lack of hip drive, hence rounding the back from the beginning. I am starting to do hop stretchers Daily now and hopping it Will make a difference. What you Think?

http://youtu.be/KSbkDENJxI0

Really not much wrong there. I don't like pulling with straps usually because when I set up I feel that I tend to have a hard time setting the back tighter than the hamstrings so it tends to lead to a little rounding in the lower back. Overall looks ok

[BOSS]

Hi Dan,

Was hoping you could help me out a bit, I'm not a powerlifter nor bodybuilder but a gymnast (specializing on still rings) and for the last year I've been having a hard time getting stronger. Wich is too bad as I'm just underneath worlds best. I've tried doing more work, i've tried doing less volume.. Nothing seems to really work.

How did you find the trainingvolume that fits your body?
And when adjusting intensity, how do you adjust the volume?
You think I could benefit for gaining some mass, considering i am in a bodyweight related sport?

Thanks anyway!

The primary thing I'd suggest is if you're working on holding a certain position and feel you're not strong enough then to use some assistance if possible either from a coach or stretchy band so you can hold a position you're striving for even if you're not strong enough yet. Do it enouch and you'll reduce the assistance. But you need to get into the position first to strengthen it. And rings are SO specific that I don't thing many other cross training or lifting practices will carry over well.

[DGymn]

The primary thing I'd suggest is if you're working on holding a certain position and feel you're not strong enough then to use some assistance if possible either from a coach or stretchy band so you can hold a position you're striving for even if you're not strong enough yet. Do it enouch and you'll reduce the assistance. But you need to get into the position first to strengthen it. And rings are SO specific that I don't thing many other cross training or lifting practices will carry over well.


First of all thanks for responding:

To give you a better look, this is my current level:
https://youtu.be/TYeXGyz90_w

Working with a spot and bands alternated but doesnt seem te get me stronger. Nutrition is pretty much on point, and I try to switch things up every couple of weeks..

So I tought maybe a little more mass or a beter workload/training or workload/week could help me.
How do you try to find the best amount of workload and rest?

[BOSS]

Dan I've watch a bunch of your squat videos on YouTube at BBBC and I was wandering about your Orange squat rack, what brand is it. It look like it has a ton of different adjustments on it. Also when your lifting there do you ever use a Texas squat bar or do you have certain bars you only like to use. By the way your an awesome person to watch lift, I hope I get to meet you next year at the CAGE.

Thanks man. The orange rack is just the basice 2" x 2" rack sold on elitefts.com although I had the J-hooks ground down to be shorter for easier unracking. When I squat I'll do my squats with a Texas Squat Bar (25 kg) unless I'm focusing on beltless squats where I've used a Texas Power Bar (20 kg). I also have an Ivanko Power Bar which I use for front squats as it's diameter is slightly thinner at 28 mm. This means just a little more whip and it settles behind the delts more easily.

[BOSS]

Hey Dan, if you have a second, please tell me what you think of my sumo deadlift form.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DqwtzdbWE0A

Been practicing for 2 weeks up to this vid. After watching it, I think I can put my shoulders more behind the bar. But please let me know if you have any advice on my set up and pull.

Thanks

Overall looks good just as you said, however, your shoulders are forward of the bar and that's making the back do more of the work. Just get a little tighter in the start, and get the initial motion pulling back a little more. Doing great so far though, keep it up

[BOSS]

I'm actually intrigued as to what your opinion on this is as well. For competition(low bar) squats, do you think it's better to hit one top set where you go all out(without form breaking down), or not go full effort and hit more sets with the same weight instead? For example, I know I can hit a top set for 4 reps, and won't be able to get 4 again with good form on the next set. Should I hit the 4 reps for one set, or just hit two sets of say, 3?

This mostly depends on skill and experience. If you're lifting extremely heavy weights then you won't want multiple sets probably, but at moderate weights, both approaches are good. I don't like a lot of volume on back squats because I tend to overuse my lower back, but I make up for that with high bar and front squats to make the legs have a high workload. For fronts in particular I like to repeat weights and will often hit better sets for more reps on the second or third set because I'm more efficient through the workout from set to set. High bar I focus on paused reps usually just 1-3 and I work up to a top weight but the focus is on power and acceleration not just maxing the weight. This is a way to BUILD technique and not just comprehend it.

However more intermediate lifters and especially novice lifters must do multiple sets for the volume and for the practice

[BOSS]

Dan do you do any online coaching?

Have not been doing that for a while now and probably won't start again any time soon. Sorry

[BOSS]

I'm having trouble keeping my weight on my heels during deadlifts, it's usually towards the end of my deads when I'm fatigued. Here's a video. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xhc2ianzMXc. Thanks so much for answering!! Also, I'm doind squat arms rest deads shoulders rest, but this week I added in another rest day after arms because I didnt want my lower back to he sore for deads, would be ok to have on my normal split? Again, thanks a ton!

Try lifting in wrestling shoes or barefoot so there's no cushioning under your feet. Also, try not to yank the bar. That can pitch you forward

[Strength Cleveland]

Try lifting in wrestling shoes or barefoot so there's no cushioning under your feet. Also, try not to yank the bar. That can pitch you forward

Thank you so much!

[micheldied]

This mostly depends on skill and experience. If you're lifting extremely heavy weights then you won't want multiple sets probably, but at moderate weights, both approaches are good. I don't like a lot of volume on back squats because I tend to overuse my lower back, but I make up for that with high bar and front squats to make the legs have a high workload. For fronts in particular I like to repeat weights and will often hit better sets for more reps on the second or third set because I'm more efficient through the workout from set to set. High bar I focus on paused reps usually just 1-3 and I work up to a top weight but the focus is on power and acceleration not just maxing the weight. This is a way to BUILD technique and not just comprehend it.

However more intermediate lifters and especially novice lifters must do multiple sets for the volume and for the practice

That's how I feel; that low bar back squats tend to just work my back and hips before my legs. Does one heavy top set of low bar squats followed by several sets of paused high bar squats sound adequate for someone squatting just over double bodyweight? Plus front squats on another day.

[BOSS]

That's how I feel; that low bar back squats tend to just work my back and hips before my legs. Does one heavy top set of low bar squats followed by several sets of paused high bar squats sound adequate for someone squatting just over double bodyweight? Plus front squats on another day.

No because you need to practice your technique. You need to feel the leg drive still being there in your low bar squats. Focusing on how you accelerate from the bottom THROUGH the sticking point and feeling your legs driving the weight the entire time is key. Do it during your warmups first from a slow descent so it's not to be confused with a stretch reflex. You don't need to use the stretch reflex to squat light weights, so you should just rely on being in the right position and feeling your legs and back driving the weight throughout the lift

[micheldied]

No because you need to practice your technique. You need to feel the leg drive still being there in your low bar squats. Focusing on how you accelerate from the bottom THROUGH the sticking point and feeling your legs driving the weight the entire time is key. Do it during your warmups first from a slow descent so it's not to be confused with a stretch reflex. You don't need to use the stretch reflex to squat light weights, so you should just rely on being in the right position and feeling your legs and back driving the weight throughout the lift

How then, for a rookie, would you arrange the sets and reps when the weights hit near-maximal? I follow pretty much basic linear progression, adding weight each week. Right now, when the weights are lighter I normally do several sets of 5 or 6, but then taper down to single sets of 3-1.

Sorry for all the questions, but you are a wealth of knowledge!

[Realstrength]

Hey dan what percentage do you recommend starting with on bench low bar squat and deals when following a program like yours and what increments do you raise weights

[IronLion23]

Hey Boss! Hope your training is going well and you're living it up man. I was curious, I know you have a gymnast background and tons of natural ab/back/serratus development which attribute to your brute strength...what recommendations for exercises would you propose for targeting the serratus specifically?

Currently with all the overhead work and pressing I'm integrating into my training, I'm finding that this weak link is the missing piece and not allowing me to stabilize my scapula causing some soft tissue beat downs. Your advice is always appreciated.

[keembo]

Hey Dan,

Do you have any advice on low bar placement and how to stay more upright? It seems like when I place the bar on my rear delts, my elbows tend to flare out a bit and then my upper back rounds. I've been having trouble getting my elbows more underneath the bar and when I do, it feels like the bar could fall off which forces me to round over.

Thanks!

[thesecondrei]

Dan do you ever do weighted dips? If so, do you recommend head up or head down during the movement? I am trying to emphasize my triceps and common sense tells me that head up would allow me to keep my body more upright, which results in targeting more triceps; however, on youtube almost all of the weighted dips are done with head down for some reason...your thoughts?

[Dbolguy16]

Hey dan is there anyway I can hire you so you can write out a good program for me?

[jdw]

1. Yeah you just have to do the important shit and not all the accessory work. If you hone your technique you'll get more out of your heavy training
2. Australia's been my favorite having been there now 3 times. Good people everywhere we've went
3. Generally carnitas, but there's a really good authentic spot here that has chile colorado that's their best burrito plus pollo borracho (drunken chicken--beer battered chicken and sweet peppers) that's also excellent
basically each burrito spot that I frequent has their best burrito or two


Holy shit man the youtube grapevine says there is going to some kind of Animal video feature on your day-to-day, not just the lifting. Congrats. That is sick. Get paid.

A couple of other things; I saw somewhere you are pretty big on deficit deads; I put them in my program and they helped me over a pretty sticky stall on my deads, so thanks for that. I also tried a Chile Colorado burrito. "Strong" to "Quite Strong" I'd say, may put those in my program as well.

Also, how bummed are you about the 49ers situation right now? P Willis, Borland, Justin Smith(?), Frankie gone...I grew up right up I80 from Mountainview so I assume you grew up with Jerry and Joe, Steve and the rest of those guys on the tube Sundays. Damn things look grim up there.

Anyway, congrats on the Animal vid thing, I hope to catch it when it drops.

[Malloy1344]

Dan, I'm a big fan..... I had a question for you.

I recently had a massive body change. I was a pretty fat 289lbs, and I dedicated 6 months to getting myself in shape. I was able to drop to 227, and now sitting at about 238 after eating again and training heavy.

I was a Westside advocate in the past, and just completed 10 weeks of the Lilliebridge method. I didn't feel I got the most out of these routines however. I read your layout and I am thinking about giving it a try.

My question is, how would you recommend to shorter this to 4 days a week? I am a single father, and I only get my daughter certain nights a week, and 4 days is the most I can train and still have time with my girl along with my two jobs.

So I was wondering how would you split up your method if you could only make it 4 days?

[Dbolguy16]

Dan I'm thinking of adding a day to my routine dedicated to the OHP but what do you recommend for sets and reps, secondary movements and accessory movements??

[BOSS]

Dan I'm thinking of adding a day to my routine dedicated to the OHP but what do you recommend for sets and reps, secondary movements and accessory movements??

Well I like military presses for 3x(3-5) followed by lighter sets of 3x(7-10) or seated DB presses for 3x(7-10) then 3x(10-15)

[BOSS]

Dan, I'm a big fan..... I had a question for you.

I recently had a massive body change. I was a pretty fat 289lbs, and I dedicated 6 months to getting myself in shape. I was able to drop to 227, and now sitting at about 238 after eating again and training heavy.

I was a Westside advocate in the past, and just completed 10 weeks of the Lilliebridge method. I didn't feel I got the most out of these routines however. I read your layout and I am thinking about giving it a try.

My question is, how would you recommend to shorter this to 4 days a week? I am a single father, and I only get my daughter certain nights a week, and 4 days is the most I can train and still have time with my girl along with my two jobs.

So I was wondering how would you split up your method if you could only make it 4 days?

Basically I combine shoulders with front squats on one day. That's the simplest way. Both are essentially bodybuilding days just squat first then hit shoulders

[BOSS]

Holy shit man the youtube grapevine says there is going to some kind of Animal video feature on your day-to-day, not just the lifting. Congrats. That is sick. Get paid.

A couple of other things; I saw somewhere you are pretty big on deficit deads; I put them in my program and they helped me over a pretty sticky stall on my deads, so thanks for that. I also tried a Chile Colorado burrito. "Strong" to "Quite Strong" I'd say, may put those in my program as well.

Also, how bummed are you about the 49ers situation right now? P Willis, Borland, Justin Smith(?), Frankie gone...I grew up right up I80 from Mountainview so I assume you grew up with Jerry and Joe, Steve and the rest of those guys on the tube Sundays. Damn things look grim up there.

Anyway, congrats on the Animal vid thing, I hope to catch it when it drops.

The worst part of the niners situation was that at the BEGINNING of last season, after Harbaugh had turned in the best record of all teams over his 3 year stretch and gone to 3 championships, 1 super bowl, the reporters were already saying the niners weren't going to bring him back after the season... That made no sense. I understand why players would then leave or retire... At least having gone to UM in the first place, Harbaugh is going to the next best place as far as I'm concerned... They've been mediocre since 07

[BOSS]

Dan do you ever do weighted dips? If so, do you recommend head up or head down during the movement? I am trying to emphasize my triceps and common sense tells me that head up would allow me to keep my body more upright, which results in targeting more triceps; however, on youtube almost all of the weighted dips are done with head down for some reason...your thoughts?

I think you're overthinking this... Just use both setups. If one isolates the tris better that's fine. If one lets you put more weight on the belt then do those too.

[Lethall105]

Hey BOSS,

Had a couple of questions about setting up for block pulls. Do I use the same stance as my regular sumo stance? The issue I find with that is I use the rings as a guideline for my stance width, but with the bar being raised a few inches, the rings get out of position and it messes up my width. What do you do when setting up for your deadlift?

I haven't been lifting sumo for that long so I am not used to walking up to the bar and getting the right stance straightaway without anything to guide me.

All the best
Lethall

[keembo]

Hey Dan,

Couple of things I wanted to ask you if you don't mind:

While squatting heavier weights, how do you prevent your knees from shooting inwards? I remember you talking about how you like to incorporate a little bit of inward knee movement for initial leg drive but how much is too much? Is this because of weaker hips?

Do you have any advice on low bar placement and how to stay more upright? It seems like when I place the bar on my rear delts, my elbows tend to flare out a bit and then my upper back rounds. I've been having trouble getting my elbows more underneath the bar and when I do, it feels like the bar could fall off which forces me to round over.

Thanks Boss!

[Dbolguy16]

Dan any recommendations on how to alleviate neck pain?

[jdw]

The worst part of the niners situation was that at the BEGINNING of last season, after Harbaugh had turned in the best record of all teams over his 3 year stretch and gone to 3 championships, 1 super bowl, the reporters were already saying the niners weren't going to bring him back after the season... That made no sense. I understand why players would then leave or retire... At least having gone to UM in the first place, Harbaugh is going to the next best place as far as I'm concerned... They've been mediocre since 07

Yeah that whole scenario with the Harbaugh departure (the headlines/the locker room leaks/unhappy players/harbaugh's "abrasiveness") was really weird. Think dude is probably a better fit for the college situation where his player are a little younger and have a finite life span with him. He seems like he could be a little tough to play for year in and year out. The niners did have a pseudo-resurgence under the guy, for sure.

Forgot your UM connection, so obvioulsy you are stoked he is headed to Ann Arbor. But still, shit, the whole thing was lame. Still can't really wrap my head around Frankie pulling on another jersey. Shit.....

LEt the board know what you think of al pastor burrito when you next have a good one. They are scrumptious.

[BOSS]

Dan any recommendations on how to alleviate neck pain?

You'd have to be more specific. When and what causes it?

[Dbolguy16]

Well it usually hurts to drive my head forward in the overhead press and when I put my head down it's a pain at the base of my neck where the traps are.

[Dbolguy16]

Another question is on the front squat day what do you recommend for secondary movements and accessory movements?

[BOSS]

Another question is on the front squat day what do you recommend for secondary movements and accessory movements?

rows, shrugs, stiff leg deads are all great

[IronLion23]

Boss,

Any recommendations for building the serratus specifically? Exercises, sets, reps

Thanks brother.

[BOSS]

Boss,

Any recommendations for building the serratus specifically? Exercises, sets, reps

Thanks brother.

Pullovers (I like an EZ bar), knee and leg raises hanging from the elbows (use elbow hangers), or dragon flags (something I did during my gymnastics training. The key to building them is to have the elbows stretched back and pulling hard with the upper body with lots of tension on the abs

[Dbolguy16]

Thanks for the replies dan you the real MVP

[Dbolguy16]

Dan how do you recommend I implement the sling shot into my bench workouts like sets and reps?

[micheldied]

Hey Dan, love the training videos you've been putting up.
Question: What do you think of leg presses as an accessory to build the legs, if one has no access to a hack squat machine? And how would you implement it into training?

[Dbolguy16]

Dan I was wondering Where you got your buffalo bar because I'm planning on getting one and how much was it?

[Altered Beast]

Dan I was wondering Where you got your buffalo bar because I'm planning on getting one and how much was it?

www.Westside-Barbell.com

[P Diesel]

Dan,

hope all is well brother.

i think all of us learn sumthin from u every time we watch u lift in person. from ur warm up to technique and form. this arnold was no different. i saw u using a band around ur legs while seated before u pulled. what were u doing that for? to engage ur glutes or hip flexors, maybe IT band?

P

[JEAH]

I've always had a hell of a time with back squats. Never feel comfortable or stable. Front squats is the complete opposite for me, it feels natural and I always feel like I am in a strong and stable position. I also tend to have a lot of pain in my hip socket where the femur inserts but only while back squatting. Any ideas as to what the hell my issue may be? Thanks for everything

[Ironasylum]

whats up Dan iv met you a few times in AZ and at the olympia last year. Is the bosses meet full? i would have liked to do my first meet at BBC



but onto my question where did you find those retro elephant print jordan shorts? those are sick and i cant find them anywhere lol

[Onumonster]

Are you accepting new clients ?

[MR. C]

What's going on Dan? Long time no talk. Question for Ya, I used to squat with a narrow stance but my hips would hurt on the way down and on the way up. I switched to a more further out stance and my hips do not hurt anymore while I perform the exercise. My question is, I always thought that a more wider stance involved more of your hips? I would think my hips would hurt with a wider stance but it does not? Lol. Am I missing something?

C

[BOSS]

What's going on Dan? Long time no talk. Question for Ya, I used to squat with a narrow stance but my hips would hurt on the way down and on the way up. I switched to a more further out stance and my hips do not hurt anymore while I perform the exercise. My question is, I always thought that a more wider stance involved more of your hips? I would think my hips would hurt with a wider stance but it does not? Lol. Am I missing something?

C

I wouldn't overthink that too much. It probably feels better because you're distributing the loading around the body better.

[BOSS]

Are you accepting new clients ?

Not right now. I'm not training anybody remotely at this point.

[BOSS]

whats up Dan iv met you a few times in AZ and at the olympia last year. Is the bosses meet full? i would have liked to do my first meet at BBC



but onto my question where did you find those retro elephant print jordan shorts? those are sick and i cant find them anywhere lol

Yeah the meet is full. The elephant print shorts were at footlocker and on eastbay.com

[BOSS]

I've always had a hell of a time with back squats. Never feel comfortable or stable. Front squats is the complete opposite for me, it feels natural and I always feel like I am in a strong and stable position. I also tend to have a lot of pain in my hip socket where the femur inserts but only while back squatting. Any ideas as to what the hell my issue may be? Thanks for everything

Without seeing it in action it'd be impossible to know. But you should experiment with stances... usually shoulder width or a little wider is best for back squats. In the end however, the two squats should have the same mechanics but the balance will change the hip and knee and torso angles: You should bend the knees first, pushing them either forward or forward and out at an angle, then sit back as you get about halfway down. Only sitting back enough to keep pressure on the heels. Same for fronts and back squats

[BOSS]

Dan,

hope all is well brother.

i think all of us learn sumthin from u every time we watch u lift in person. from ur warm up to technique and form. this arnold was no different. i saw u using a band around ur legs while seated before u pulled. what were u doing that for? to engage ur glutes or hip flexors, maybe IT band?

P

Yeah the band on the knees is just to warm up the outsides of the hips, but i find that when I push my knees open against a resistance that my adductors loosen up more... That's why I don't just stretch. The other thing that really helps to open up the hips is using a lacrosse ball to roll on... Hit the butt and especially the piriformis and the hips will be real flexible.

[BOSS]

www.Westside-Barbell.com

They're also sold on Ironmind's website, but I got mine off craigslist cheap... It's one of the cheap ones from York $180

[Dbolguy16]

They're also sold on Ironmind's website, but I got mine off craigslist cheap... It's one of the cheap ones from York $180

Thanks dan, I have 2 bench days a week how would you recommend I implement the slingshot, I have the blue reactive one.

[Onumonster]

Not right now. I'm not training anybody remotely at this point.

ok no problem. was wondering if you could just help me set up a program (like a template). I'm 17 and just need some help, I'm not getting stronger and just need a direction. sorry for wasting your time in advance if you can't. of course i would send you $.

love your new series with animal real cool, you are doing big things

[JEAH]

Thanks dan, I have 2 bench days a week how would you recommend I implement the slingshot, I have the blue reactive one.

Great name! Reactive slingshot doesn't provide an overload so it can be used effectively to teach proper positioning of the shoulders and keep you in your pressing groove. You should look into the red one as well b/c that could use some specific implementing in training. Dan can probably give you a better idea of how to implement the red slingshot.

[Buckfever]

Why 13mm and 2 prong on the belt?

[Fry!]

Not right now. I'm not training anybody remotely at this point.
You should do a coaching-lottery, there will be thousands of guys(even the haters) who will participate.
Okay, enough funny comments.


Could i ask which bars do you actually recommend for a gym? Or which Manufactures?
I think besides Kabuki you're the only (famous) Powerlifters who runs a (famous) business.

[adharsh]

Hey Dan,

Hope things are well. I saw your videos on '4 simple steps on increasing your bench' in the animal channel. Your first tip was to place the finger in the ring of the bar. Is there any particular reason to have it in that position? I feel like my upper back is not tight when i place my fingers in the ring. So i prefer a having my pinkie closer to the ring and not on the ring towards the inner side of the bar. Does that put more pressure on my shoulder and triceps? also when you push the bar from the chest, do you push it straight up or push it back? Thanks

true fan
Adharsh

[BOSS]

Hey Dan,

Hope things are well. I saw your videos on '4 simple steps on increasing your bench' in the animal channel. Your first tip was to place the finger in the ring of the bar. Is there any particular reason to have it in that position? I feel like my upper back is not tight when i place my fingers in the ring. So i prefer a having my pinkie closer to the ring and not on the ring towards the inner side of the bar. Does that put more pressure on my shoulder and triceps? also when you push the bar from the chest, do you push it straight up or push it back? Thanks

true fan
Adharsh

I think you are confused. I merely said to use the rings in order to evenly space your fingers. Some people don't even look like they pay attention to where they grip... It's a very simple first step. If you can't keep upper back tightness then you are doing something incorrectly, as that should be maintainable no matter the grip width. But generally speaking, your grip is a moderate-close grip and will generally be a balance of shoulders chest and triceps. Wider would tend to emphasize chest much more, generally. I focus on driving myself into the bench or shoving myself away from the bar. I "pull" the bar in as I lower it and push myself back into the bench to press. The motion is up, but as my shoulders and chest engage more the bar drifts back. The heavier the weight, the more it will drift back, but the initial drive is up.

[Dbolguy16]

Dan I'm splitting my routine into a/b weeks on a weeks it's 3x5 on the main movement and on b week it's 2x6 do you have any recommendations as to what I could do better such as adding a heavy set of 3 or something like that? Thanks dan huge fan of yours.

[adharsh]

I think you are confused. I merely said to use the rings in order to evenly space your fingers. Some people don't even look like they pay attention to where they grip... It's a very simple first step. If you can't keep upper back tightness then you are doing something incorrectly, as that should be maintainable no matter the grip width. But generally speaking, your grip is a moderate-close grip and will generally be a balance of shoulders chest and triceps. Wider would tend to emphasize chest much more, generally. I focus on driving myself into the bench or shoving myself away from the bar. I "pull" the bar in as I lower it and push myself back into the bench to press. The motion is up, but as my shoulders and chest engage more the bar drifts back. The heavier the weight, the more it will drift back, but the initial drive is up.

thanks Dan! that means a lot! I tried my bench yesterday focusing more on keeping the upper back tight with moderate weight! it worked like a charm. Thanks again

regards
Adharsh

[K.W]

Hey Dan,

Do you use different wraps depending on your targeted rep range or do you use the same ones and not put them on as tight? I just used wraps this week for the first time in about 8 months and I forgot how much they rip your skin vs no wraps. I have the Inzer red and black wraps but I am willing to try others . What do you do to mentally prepare yourself for a heavy deadlift or squat? When you front squat do you use the same stance as when you do low bar squats? Last Question, I've never been to or in a powerlifting meet before, what is the best way to get into the sport would be without knowing anyone who does it?

Thanks

[Superman55]

Hey Dan. I got a question. I've been waiting on your book, but since its not out yet I was just wondering if u can help me with something. At what percentage do u start a program at? And is it of your max or projected max? Thank u so much brother.

[JEAH]

Here's the link to my latest squat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cnq73o_sJk

My balance and such was actually much better than usual today. I implemented some of the Chris Duffin bracing techniques. One major problem I have is stopping at parallel. There is a point in which the weight takes me below parallel and I end up ass to grass 9/10. And when I do manage to stop at parallel I'm weak as all hell trying to reverse at that spot. It's kind of evident in the video as u see my depth and me get stuck for a min. Any advice?

[Coondog]

Hey dan, I had a lumbar spine injury 8 months ago, just getting back to squatting and deadlifting. I've been using light weight <200lb to get everything grooving again. What are some things that you recommend doing to get that strength and confidence back? I'm still worried about tossing real weight around.
-Kalvin

[K.W]

One of many more questions for you. What length of bar do you sumo deadlift with I watch your videos and other people and its hard to tell your feet position when performing the lift. Thanks

[Chopsor]

Day1
Squat 3x5(low)
Squat 3x1(high/paused)
LegCurl 3x8 (Mas.)
Legex. 3x8 (Mas.)
Rows 3x10 (Mas. or Db)

Day2
Bench 5x5 (TnG/Bb/flat)
Bench 3-4x10 (Db/flat)
Military 1x3/3/3 (Bb/standing)
Bench 3x5 (CloseGrip)
Lateral 3x10 (Db/standing)

Day3
Squat 3x5(low)
Dl. 3x3-5 (Sumo)
LegCurl 3x10 (Mas./light)
Legex. 3x10 (Mas./light)
LegWid. 2x10 (Mas./light)
Legclo. 2x10 (Mas./light)

Day4
Bench 5x5(TnG/Bb/flat)
CableFly 3x10 (upperChest)
Bench 3-4x10 (Db/Flat)
PushDo. 4-5x5 (Cable)
Lateral 3x10 (Db/standing)
Rows 3x10 (Mas. or Db)

Day5
Squat 3x8(low)
LegCurl 3x10 (Mas./light)
Legex. 3x10 (Mas./light)
LegWid. 2x10 (Mas./light)
Legclo. 2x10 (Mas./light)
Rows 3x10 (Mas. or Db)

Day6
Squat 3x8+1x3(Front)
Dl. 3x3-5 (Sumo)
Bench 3x8 (Bb/flat)
LatPull 3x5 (Cable)
PushDo 3x10 (Cable)
BicCurl 4x10 (Bb/CloseGrip)
BicCurl 4x5 (Db/HammerCurl)

-----------
Light = lowWeight+ 1min Break
10reps. = 1.30min Break
5R / 3R = 3min Break

TnG = Touch n Go

AxB = Sets x Reps

______________________________
Want to get my legs stronger; so is the plan a good idea and where could i put
Db shoulder Press and a neck exercise in this plan ?

[BOSS]

Dan I'm splitting my routine into a/b weeks on a weeks it's 3x5 on the main movement and on b week it's 2x6 do you have any recommendations as to what I could do better such as adding a heavy set of 3 or something like that? Thanks dan huge fan of yours.

You know that doesn't seem like much of a difference from week to week. When I'm focusing on weights in the 5-6 rep range, I tend to primarily emphasize volume--I wait till later to add in heavy sets like triples

[BOSS]

Hey dan, I had a lumbar spine injury 8 months ago, just getting back to squatting and deadlifting. I've been using light weight <200lb to get everything grooving again. What are some things that you recommend doing to get that strength and confidence back? I'm still worried about tossing real weight around.
-Kalvin

Building a foundation is the key. This is why I like to have stiff leg deadlifts in my training. Try doing 4x10 stiff leg deadliest twice a week in addition to anything else you are training and you'll feel the difference as your back gets stronger and this will bring back your confidence. These weights could be as low as 40-50% of your regular deadlift at first

[BOSS]

One of many more questions for you. What length of bar do you sumo deadlift with I watch your videos and other people and its hard to tell your feet position when performing the lift. Thanks

I think most deadlift bars are 7'6" long. Mine are

[Dbolguy16]

You know that doesn't seem like much of a difference from week to week. When I'm focusing on weights in the 5-6 rep range, I tend to primarily emphasize volume--I wait till later to add in heavy sets like triples

So I should just stick to the 3x5 on a weeks and 2x6 on b weeks?, I tend to add 5-10 pounds every A week

[Coondog]

Building a foundation is the key. This is why I like to have stiff leg deadlifts in my training. Try doing 4x10 stiff leg deadliest twice a week in addition to anything else you are training and you'll feel the difference as your back gets stronger and this will bring back your confidence. These weights could be as low as 40-50% of your regular deadlift at first

Solid, I'm on it. Thanks!

[BOSS]

So I should just stick to the 3x5 on a weeks and 2x6 on b weeks?, I tend to add 5-10 pounds every A week

If that's been working for you then I would keep doing it

[BOSS]

Here's the link to my latest squat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cnq73o_sJk

My balance and such was actually much better than usual today. I implemented some of the Chris Duffin bracing techniques. One major problem I have is stopping at parallel. There is a point in which the weight takes me below parallel and I end up ass to grass 9/10. And when I do manage to stop at parallel I'm weak as all hell trying to reverse at that spot. It's kind of evident in the video as u see my depth and me get stuck for a min. Any advice?

The biggest problem is that you aren't creating enough tension throughout your torso, so you have a hard time managing the walkout and setup and then can't exert full power against the bar. It starts with your grip--you should be squeezing your shoulder blades together and pulling down on the bar (pull your elbows in). Once that's set and your weight is on the heels and outsides of your feet you need to take a full breath in and then flex against your belt. What this means is that your chest isn't "up" but rather forward. If it lifts up then your abs stretch and lose tension. If you crunch down on your abs and think of trying to break open your belt with your stomach you will have lots of strength. So everything from the waist up. Get stronger there and use these techniques and you'll lift plenty more with your legs

[BOSS]

Hey Dan. I got a question. I've been waiting on your book, but since its not out yet I was just wondering if u can help me with something. At what percentage do u start a program at? And is it of your max or projected max? Thank u so much brother.

It's usually a weight I could lift for 8 or 10 reps for most of the lifts. Not sure the percent

[BOSS]

Hey Dan,

Do you use different wraps depending on your targeted rep range or do you use the same ones and not put them on as tight? I just used wraps this week for the first time in about 8 months and I forgot how much they rip your skin vs no wraps. I have the Inzer red and black wraps but I am willing to try others . What do you do to mentally prepare yourself for a heavy deadlift or squat? When you front squat do you use the same stance as when you do low bar squats? Last Question, I've never been to or in a powerlifting meet before, what is the best way to get into the sport would be without knowing anyone who does it?

Thanks

No, I generally just train with the Titan Gold wraps, put them on as tight as possible every time, and stick to 1-3 reps/set. Mentally, I don't really do anything just try to focus. As for getting into the sport look for the websites of some Feds like uspla.org. There are a lot of resources there. Contact a meet director or state chairman.

[Dbolguy16]

Dan, I injured my right lower lat deadlifting from blocks and now it's a super sharp contraction in that area and it hurts like a mofo when I stretch it any tips on how to heal it?

[BOSS]

Dan, I injured my right lower lat deadlifting from blocks and now it's a super sharp contraction in that area and it hurts like a mofo when I stretch it any tips on how to heal it?

Healing takes a little time, so just don't go crazy with these things, but the key to lat health and size is that they are flexible not tight. So first, a stretch: Hold onto a door frame or squat rack (the upright). Your grip should be at waist level. Then squat down and push your hips back as far as possible from the bar. So you're basically hanging back. From there it's important that you try to move around a little bit. Lean left and right, twist slightly, etc. The lat is fan shaped so different directions will give a more thorough stretch. You can also grab the post with both hands to stretch both simultaneously. You can REALLY stretch the lats.
Next, it's time to take that flexibility and do DB rows with perfect technique. This does not mean that you should be absolutely rigid and isolate the motion--that's for the skinny personal trainer at the gym. I prefer to kneel one knee on a bench, spread the other foot wide enough so my hips are level and my knee is bent. From there I always reach all the way to the floor. You should feel the lat stretch and you should feel the shoulder blade stretch away from your spine. Do not reach across the body or twist with the DB, reach straight down from the shoulder or even wider. The rowing motion should then start with the shoulder blade retracting back toward the spine, the lat should then pull the elbow back and IN. It shouldn't row away from the body, but right alongside and then squeeze in or back. I like to use a weight where I can do about 10-12 smooth and controlled full ROM and then start pushing off slightly with my off leg to cheat for a few extra reps. The total usually being 15-20

So stretch and then when you work the lat let it stretch there too. If it doesn't stretch when you row, it won't stretch well when you deadlift, and could have led to the strain

[IronLion23]

Dan,

Thank you for the knowledge and experience you continually share. I've seen your recent "off-season beltless" training. Awesome work and PR's! I also once saw a video where you squatted 635 for ten without a belt. Two questions...

1) Do you typically add volume like ten rep sets in the off-season to build general strength and size?

2) I've started following Chris Duffin and have seen him perform some crazy drop sets with the main lifts...500 lb squats and 405 lb DL's for 15 + plus reps. Do you prescribe or recommend that in any stances ?

[BOSS]

Dan,

Thank you for the knowledge and experience you continually share. I've seen your recent "off-season beltless" training. Awesome work and PR's! I also once saw a video where you squatted 635 for ten without a belt. Two questions...

1) Do you typically add volume like ten rep sets in the off-season to build general strength and size?

2) I've started following Chris Duffin and have seen him perform some crazy drop sets with the main lifts...500 lb squats and 405 lb DL's for 15 + plus reps. Do you prescribe or recommend that in any stances ?

Yeah definitely. Instead of trying to quantify and analyze why it works well, just think of the opposite: What if you never repped over 6 or even 8? You'd have no stamina, you'd only be hitting a specific group of muscle fiber when you only train heavy, and in certain exercises where stability plays a major role -- on Duffin -- when you've just had a big weight on your back for low reps and then switch down 100-200 pounds, the stabilizers are locked in easily--like you're on a machine! Where I try to benefit from that is deadlifts mostly though. After I pull heavy sumo -- especially from blocks where the weights can be 900 or more -- switching immediately to conventional of 700-750 or deficit conventional 650-675 requires zero warmup. It's just an easy motion but with all the strength benefits for the back and hamstrings.

As far as for size, the two times I've squatted for high reps on the back squats have both been after long competitive seasons squatting in wraps. So by going high reps and no belt, I've lightened the weight a lot so it's safe, and the high reps give a chance for the adductors to start building up strength and flexibility again, whereas during squats with wraps, the wraps take away a good amount of the deceleration demands.

[micheldied]

Hey Dan,

How would you program back squatting twice a week? Would you just add weight each session, like a normal linear periodization, or have two days with different set and rep schemes?

[micheldied]

Also, what do you think about Meadow Rows as a rowing variant?

[Fry!]

Hello Boss,

asking about your garage days of boss barbell, with which equipment did you started?
Did you just had the necessary Racks and Benches + dumbells, or was there more than that?

[keembo]

Hey Dan,

Would you have any advice regarding the squat for a pigeon toe'd lifter? Are there things that they should do that are different from what a non-pigeon toe'd lifter does (feet positioning, knee tracking, etc.)?

Thanks Dan!

[throwermuscle]

Hey Dan, im going on a trip to california and im going to be in your area next week. I was wondering if youd be in town, ive always wanted to meet you and I was hoping to maybe take a picture with you. Ill be in town Thursday. Much appreciated.

[LD_50]

Hey Dan,

First I just wanna say thank you for all the awesome advice in this thread, I actually went through it all and found it very helpful.

My only real question is this,

How do you progress with reps/set/weight?

I understand that you seem to like starting off with 3x5 on the main lifts (squat bench dead) but when do you finally start going to triples? and doubles? Is it just when you can no longer get 3x5 that is naturally becomes 3x4, 3x3, 3x2 etc? and is this the same for the accessory movements such as pause squat, block pulls etc?

Trying to build my own training around your philosophies but kind find myself confused on how to progress.

Thanks a ton!

[BOSS]

Hey Dan,

How would you program back squatting twice a week? Would you just add weight each session, like a normal linear periodization, or have two days with different set and rep schemes?

When I do the same lift 2x in a week it's always for heavy weights low reps like (1-3). That's pretty much how I like to peak

[BOSS]

Also, what do you think about Meadow Rows as a rowing variant?

Never tried them. Personally I love the chest supported row I have (bodymasters) and pullups and DB rows.

[BOSS]

Hello Boss,

asking about your garage days of boss barbell, with which equipment did you started?
Did you just had the necessary Racks and Benches + dumbells, or was there more than that?

I had a ridiculous amount of equipment packed in there. I had the orange power rack/platform, a second platform with a texas strength systems combo rack, a gigantic double half rack from samson, 4 different benches, a GHR, the chest supported row from bodymasters, a hack squat/leg press, dip stand and DBs (hex DBs). A bunch of bars too of course. This was a small garage too...

[BOSS]

Hey Dan,

Would you have any advice regarding the squat for a pigeon toe'd lifter? Are there things that they should do that are different from what a non-pigeon toe'd lifter does (feet positioning, knee tracking, etc.)?

Thanks Dan!

Not really, usually I advise people to point their feet the same direction their knees track, so you might just point them in a little bit from that angle

[BOSS]

Hey Dan, im going on a trip to california and im going to be in your area next week. I was wondering if youd be in town, ive always wanted to meet you and I was hoping to maybe take a picture with you. Ill be in town Thursday. Much appreciated.

I don't know my schedule, but I would likely be at the gym. Send us an email if you're going to stop by info@bossbarbell.com.

[BOSS]

Hey Dan,

First I just wanna say thank you for all the awesome advice in this thread, I actually went through it all and found it very helpful.

My only real question is this,

How do you progress with reps/set/weight?

I understand that you seem to like starting off with 3x5 on the main lifts (squat bench dead) but when do you finally start going to triples? and doubles? Is it just when you can no longer get 3x5 that is naturally becomes 3x4, 3x3, 3x2 etc? and is this the same for the accessory movements such as pause squat, block pulls etc?

Trying to build my own training around your philosophies but kind find myself confused on how to progress.

Thanks a ton!

That's pretty much it. The weight increases steadily (linear) and the reps/volume can be dictated by your readiness that day. Some days are just better days than others

[LD_50]

That's pretty much it. The weight increases steadily (linear) and the reps/volume can be dictated by your readiness that day. Some days are just better days than others

Well that seems pretty easy and straightforward.. When do you know when to back off and start over? and how far back in weight or reps do you go?

For example: when you get to where your working set are doubles and they are getting pretty intense, and you are only able to do one or two sets. You obviously need to take some steps back to continue building strength vs. testing it, so how far back is that step?

[micheldied]

When I do the same lift 2x in a week it's always for heavy weights low reps like (1-3). That's pretty much how I like to peak

Interesting. What about low bar squatting(plus paused squats) one day and high bar squatting another?

[Dbolguy16]

So do you recommend that I switch to sumo Deadlifting while my lat heals up
Because I can't do anything bent over or in a deadlift position without my right lat pinching and hurting

[Deadlifter]

Hey im 17 years old 210 lbs and i got : 495 squat, 530 DL and 300 benc is that good for my age :) and thank you for being a huge motivation for me.

[BOSS]

Well that seems pretty easy and straightforward.. When do you know when to back off and start over? and how far back in weight or reps do you go?

For example: when you get to where your working set are doubles and they are getting pretty intense, and you are only able to do one or two sets. You obviously need to take some steps back to continue building strength vs. testing it, so how far back is that step?

Remember that I'm generally training for strength and then to peak for a meet. If your goal is to build strength, sometimes what's best is just doing the things that make you stronger that don't test your maxes, but every so often you will want to test to see where you're at. More specifically, for example, with beginners, most respond to volume. The highest volume is in the first phase of training where the reps are sets of 5. Beginners, also, do not have great technique, so when they train heavy, they get sloppy. So low reps can be detrimental even for novices at times. So they might train 6 weeks, test, and then re-calibrate the weights based on the new max instead of spending several weeks peaking, which, as I said, will likely not be something they benefit from.

As for your question, I only do doubles the last 1-2 workouts before a meet, so when I can only get one or two sets... it's time to compete!

[BOSS]

Interesting. What about low bar squatting(plus paused squats) one day and high bar squatting another?

What you want to think about is what it is that high bar squats do for you specifically: Do they build your quads? Do they make you more explosive? Do they improve your competition technique? I find that front squats build my quads best, paused high bar build explosive strength and carryover to my low bar technique, but near a meet, quad size is not the priority--dialing in my technique is. So I only include squats that help me peak, and not the ones where the recovery cost is high but the immediate benefit is low.

[BOSS]

So do you recommend that I switch to sumo Deadlifting while my lat heals up
Because I can't do anything bent over or in a deadlift position without my right lat pinching and hurting

I would try to figure out all the deadlifting, rowing, pullup, back raise exercises that you can do without pain and focus on those. If sumos don't hurt then do those. If you can't deadlift at all comfortably then don't--I would suggest squatting an additional day or two per week if you can't deadlift. Really prioritizing an exercise can lead to some major gains

[Altered Beast]

Dan have you tried the Shoulderok? Its Chris Duffin's latest invention for the shoulders. I'm considering a purchase but want to get more feedback from those who aren't getting them for free and posting videos for Chris's benefit. Nothing wrong with it, just looking for objective advice.

[Lethall105]

Hey Dan,

Any tips for improving the speed of squats? My max attempts feel easy, but I am just there under the bar, waiting for it to finish essentially. I know I have the rep, it just takes ages to get it!

All the best
Lethall

[LD_50]

Remember that I'm generally training for strength and then to peak for a meet. If your goal is to build strength, sometimes what's best is just doing the things that make you stronger that don't test your maxes, but every so often you will want to test to see where you're at. More specifically, for example, with beginners, most respond to volume. The highest volume is in the first phase of training where the reps are sets of 5. Beginners, also, do not have great technique, so when they train heavy, they get sloppy. So low reps can be detrimental even for novices at times. So they might train 6 weeks, test, and then re-calibrate the weights based on the new max instead of spending several weeks peaking, which, as I said, will likely not be something they benefit from.

As for your question, I only do doubles the last 1-2 workouts before a meet, so when I can only get one or two sets... it's time to compete!

Okay. I've done a powerlifting meet before and I plan on competing again, but that might be awhile still.

So like let's say i've hit 530lb squat in my last meet (in wraps). Obviously i'm starting my training cycle again with something like 385 3x5 and working my way back up slowly with weight or volume jumps. At some point i'm going to have to start wrapping my knees in training. And then at some point I will be closing in on 530 again after months of slowly adding weight each workout. Let's say I get to 505 and I can barely do a double, in wraps, do I keep progressing? stay with the same weight until it becomes easier? or do I start the cycle over again?

[BOSS]

Dan have you tried the Shoulderok? Its Chris Duffin's latest invention for the shoulders. I'm considering a purchase but want to get more feedback from those who aren't getting them for free and posting videos for Chris's benefit. Nothing wrong with it, just looking for objective advice.

I haven't used one ever, but it looks great.

[ForeverPulling]

Hey Dan, two very quick questions here:

1. I've noticed one of your favoured basic off season splits has the lower body days as;
>Monday: Comp Squats+ Lighter Deadlift variant

>Wednesday: Front Squats

>Friday: Deadlifts+ Block Pulls+ Deficit Work

I was wondering why you didn't put the deadlift work on Wednesdays, and Front Squats on Fridays? As this would give you two days rest (Sat+Sun) between your most quad dominant squatting days, instead you only get Tuesday for your quads to recover before squatting again.


Also I've got 23 weeks until my next Powerlifting meet, I'm not sure what to do.
Shall I start really light like 8 reps, and try to do linear periodization for 23 weeks and maybe burnout?
Shall I split it into two 11 week blocks and have a mock meet+deload, or is that a waste of my time?

I was thinking of just spending 12 weeks or so working in the 4-8 rep range and trying to progress there while hitting loads of volume?

Thanks Dan.

[K.W]

No, I generally just train with the Titan Gold wraps, put them on as tight as possible every time, and stick to 1-3 reps/set. Mentally, I don't really do anything just try to focus. As for getting into the sport look for the websites of some Feds like uspla.org. There are a lot of resources there. Contact a meet director or state chairman.



Thanks Man, sometimes I have a hard time focusing.

[micheldied]

What you want to think about is what it is that high bar squats do for you specifically: Do they build your quads? Do they make you more explosive? Do they improve your competition technique? I find that front squats build my quads best, paused high bar build explosive strength and carryover to my low bar technique, but near a meet, quad size is not the priority--dialing in my technique is. So I only include squats that help me peak, and not the ones where the recovery cost is high but the immediate benefit is low.

I'm looking for something to build my quad size. I normally do front squats(but can't do them for a couple of weeks), but I feel like I want to do more to make em grow. What accessories do you recommend are best for the quads? My gym doesn't have a hack squat machine.

[Dbolguy16]

Dan how do you recommend I peak, I'm doing a 12 week training cycle and I was planning on doing 3x5 and 2x6 on a and b weeks for 8 weeks and the last 3 weeks drop my front squat day and add another back squat day and just try to hit 3rm every workout for the last 3 weeks. I'm kinda lost and new to powerlifting so if you could guide me in the right direction it would help out greatly

[Altered Beast]

Dan how do you recommend I peak, I'm doing a 12 week training cycle and I was planning on doing 3x5 and 2x6 on a and b weeks for 8 weeks and the last 3 weeks drop my front squat day and add another back squat day and just try to hit 3rm every workout for the last 3 weeks. I'm kinda lost and new to powerlifting so if you could guide me in the right direction it would help out greatly

I think all 17 of your posts have been asking Dan questions.....LOL!

[Dbolguy16]

I think all 17 of your posts have been asking Dan questions.....LOL!

U mad?

[<]:^D]

Hi Dan - you are a great inspiration to me, glad you're answering questions in here.

I've developed some tendinitis in my bicep/forearm - specifically tennis elbow. Do you have any experience rehabbing something like that? It really hurts to bench press, specifically when lowering the weight towards my chest.

Thanks!

[BOSS]

Okay. I've done a powerlifting meet before and I plan on competing again, but that might be awhile still.

So like let's say i've hit 530lb squat in my last meet (in wraps). Obviously i'm starting my training cycle again with something like 385 3x5 and working my way back up slowly with weight or volume jumps. At some point i'm going to have to start wrapping my knees in training. And then at some point I will be closing in on 530 again after months of slowly adding weight each workout. Let's say I get to 505 and I can barely do a double, in wraps, do I keep progressing? stay with the same weight until it becomes easier? or do I start the cycle over again?

If progress stalls or you present a regression, what's important is figuring out why your progress stalled? Things like food and rest are important, as well as what secondary lifts and accessory lifts are you hitting. Has your technique been getting better or worse? Sometimes people will chase rep PRs by moving the weight at less-than-maximal speed--cruise control--instead of exploding through every rep. This is more economical for repping weights but teaches a bad habit for pressing heavy weights.

Only experience can help you in both avoiding these pitfalls and identifying them when they occur. But, if you do experience a plateau, you will need to cycle back about 2-3 weeks in weight and make sure the quality is there when you do your sets.

[BOSS]

Hey Dan, two very quick questions here:

1. I've noticed one of your favoured basic off season splits has the lower body days as;
>Monday: Comp Squats+ Lighter Deadlift variant

>Wednesday: Front Squats

>Friday: Deadlifts+ Block Pulls+ Deficit Work

I was wondering why you didn't put the deadlift work on Wednesdays, and Front Squats on Fridays? As this would give you two days rest (Sat+Sun) between your most quad dominant squatting days, instead you only get Tuesday for your quads to recover before squatting again.


Also I've got 23 weeks until my next Powerlifting meet, I'm not sure what to do.
Shall I start really light like 8 reps, and try to do linear periodization for 23 weeks and maybe burnout?
Shall I split it into two 11 week blocks and have a mock meet+deload, or is that a waste of my time?

I was thinking of just spending 12 weeks or so working in the 4-8 rep range and trying to progress there while hitting loads of volume?

Thanks Dan.

The reason for that is simple: I need my back to recover from Deads before I squat again. Front squats are a "bodybuilding" lift for hypertrophy. They assist with building the back squat and dead. And there are also times where I have had hack squats at the end of Friday's deadlifts... So hitting quads frequently is fine.

As far as that time frame, I would divide that time up into 3 6-7 week training phases with a deload week between the phases. That's too long to progress strictly in a linear fashion. Someone with more experience might have a very easy 2 months followed by a 12-13 week buildup, as for a heavily trained lifter can sometimes benefit from an "off-season" cycle to rest the body. As for those 6-7 week phases, any reasonable program could be used.

[BOSS]

Thanks Man, sometimes I have a hard time focusing.

Having a routine that you follow each time you train a work set, like putting your belt on, putting your wraps on, chalking up, hitting nose tork, etc. can help you switch from anxious thought to focus and tunnel vision. Do it the same every time...

[BOSS]

I'm looking for something to build my quad size. I normally do front squats(but can't do them for a couple of weeks), but I feel like I want to do more to make em grow. What accessories do you recommend are best for the quads? My gym doesn't have a hack squat machine.

trap bar deadlifts with a 4-5" deficit for maybe 4 sets 8 reps
DB lunges heavy sets of 20 (3 x 10 each leg)

These aren't the best but if you can't squat for some reason they are ok

[BOSS]

Dan how do you recommend I peak, I'm doing a 12 week training cycle and I was planning on doing 3x5 and 2x6 on a and b weeks for 8 weeks and the last 3 weeks drop my front squat day and add another back squat day and just try to hit 3rm every workout for the last 3 weeks. I'm kinda lost and new to powerlifting so if you could guide me in the right direction it would help out greatly

If you're already following a training cycle, then just stick to the plan. If you aren't, then you should find one--there are a lot of good ones out there. This is a little too complex of a question for me to answer in a few minutes--this is what I've been hired to help people with hundreds of times! You could really benefit from hiring a coach both for programming and technique

[BOSS]

:^D;1412036']Hi Dan - you are a great inspiration to me, glad you're answering questions in here.

I've developed some tendinitis in my bicep/forearm - specifically tennis elbow. Do you have any experience rehabbing something like that? It really hurts to bench press, specifically when lowering the weight towards my chest.

Thanks!

The quick fix is to make sure you use wrist wraps and possibly a cuff or wrap around the forearm or elbow. Something like what Iron Rebel sells. Second, make sure you stretch your forearms periodically in all directions. Third, what's commonly the actual cause of elbow pain on bench is squatting, so make sure your squat setup isn't wreaking havoc on the elbows or biceps

[BOSS]

Hey Dan,

Any tips for improving the speed of squats? My max attempts feel easy, but I am just there under the bar, waiting for it to finish essentially. I know I have the rep, it just takes ages to get it!

All the best
Lethall

There are two things that you should focus on to improve bar speed. First, your position at any point in the lift needs to have the quads and butt doing the bulk of the work, not your back. So if you hit the hole with good balance but then your hips shoot up and back you'll be trying to accelerate the weight with your back strength as the limiting factor. You're exchanging a higher workload for your back for better leverage for your legs. But you don't want to make it easy on the legs or they won't get stronger. You want to make your lower body do the work throughout the entire ROM. So being able to pause at the bottom and then accelerate up while keeping your legs underneath you is critical. Second, being able to pause halfway up and feel your legs holding you not your back means that you are in the proper position at the sticking point also. Now you can have good leverage throughout the lift and are able to accelerate the weight through the full ROM. The other half is simply your intent to explode out of the hole and drive through the entire ROM always accelerating the weight. Practice a controlled descent and a strong deliberate drive back up during your warm-up sets and it will happen on the heavy sets as well.