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

[BOSS]

I respect that man. I'm more of an East Coast 90s rap guy, but there are classics from all over the map. UGK, Outkast, Pharcyde, Alkaholiks, etc.

Good to find a fellow hip hop head.

Peace, G

That's cool. I did like DMX method man and redman for a while.

[BOSS]

Did you do anything in specific to improve your flexibility and hip strength in order to be able to pull the way you do?

Well standard stretching helps to build a good passive ROM in the hips. Stretches like squatting wide with your elbows pushing the knees open. But to build the strength to actually pull that way the best is absolutely putting the weights on 4" blocks and working heavy sets of 3-5 reps. This builds the strength to press the hips open wide and strain through a heavy pull.

[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 for that. What sort of PL program do you follow?

[BaconGrease]

Well standard stretching helps to build a good passive ROM in the hips. Stretches like squatting wide with your elbows pushing the knees open. But to build the strength to actually pull that way the best is absolutely putting the weights on 4" blocks and working heavy sets of 3-5 reps. This builds the strength to press the hips open wide and strain through a heavy pull.

Cool! Thanks for answering and keep on doing what you're doing. You're an inspiration man.

[Adrenaline]

Dan when I front squat (arms crossed), the barbell has a tendency to roll forward. Any tips for keeping the elbows up (flexiblity, mobility, stretches, etc?) Thanks my man

[BOSS]

Dan when I front squat (arms crossed), the barbell has a tendency to roll forward. Any tips for keeping the elbows up (flexiblity, mobility, stretches, etc?) Thanks my man

Flexibility is a big part of front squatting, but more for how low you can squat while maintaining an upright posture. This requires lots of hip flexibility. I like to basically sit or kinda double and triple bounce at the bottom while I'm warming up with 1 plate on the bar. Sit at the bottom and really arch my back hard.
Front squats should require a lot of upper back strength in the traps and erectors, which will come from doing them! keep the weights a little lower and just focus on staying upright with the chest up and letting the legs do all the work.
If you're legs or upper back aren't strong enough the bar usually does start to roll forward because the hips want to shoot back for leverage. Fight to keep your hips from sitting back on the way down or shooting back on the way up.
Lastly, make sure the bar's in the proper position--all the way back against your neck, push your shoulders as far forward as you can and shrug them up into the weight.
Good luck!

[Castro15]

Obviously, this is a body building site/company. However, I recently took up bodybuilding at the age of 17. Now, entering my final stretch in high school, I decided to give powerlifting a go. My coach has been telling me that with my brute strength and raw strength combined with the help from a few suits, he can feasibly see me winning at State. I'm not worried about the bench shirt nor the squat suits or any of that. I was just trying to figure out more information about deadlift. That's the one main lift I struggle in. I pull sumo (and squat with a shoulder width stance) and I heard it would be best to buy a separate DL suit and not use the squat suit for sumo, however, I've read into it and numerous websites have said that it was okay to use the squat suit for DL as the support from the suit itself would carry over. is this true? if there are any other powrlifters out there please voice your opinion, please. Thanks, take care, and train hard.

Marco

[BOSS]

Obviously, this is a body building site/company. However, I recently took up bodybuilding at the age of 17. Now, entering my final stretch in high school, I decided to give powerlifting a go. My coach has been telling me that with my brute strength and raw strength combined with the help from a few suits, he can feasibly see me winning at State. I'm not worried about the bench shirt nor the squat suits or any of that. I was just trying to figure out more information about deadlift. That's the one main lift I struggle in. I pull sumo (and squat with a shoulder width stance) and I heard it would be best to buy a separate DL suit and not use the squat suit for sumo, however, I've read into it and numerous websites have said that it was okay to use the squat suit for DL as the support from the suit itself would carry over. is this true? if there are any other powrlifters out there please voice your opinion, please. Thanks, take care, and train hard.

Marco

I've never used a suit on any lift so I'm really not the best person to ask here. I'm sure it just depends though as I've heard the same as what you've just said

[Solid Dreams]

Hey Dan, do you do any hip mobility exercises? I want to get my front squat much higher (I feel like this would have a lot of carry over with bbing, and I'm much less likely to injure my back) but not sure how to go about really working it. I can do 315, but obviously I want to be able to rep that! I usually drop it before my legs give out, was hoping you could give me some tips to strengthen up that part. (I hunch forward like you said).

[BOSS]

Hey Dan, do you do any hip mobility exercises? I want to get my front squat much higher (I feel like this would have a lot of carry over with bbing, and I'm much less likely to injure my back) but not sure how to go about really working it. I can do 315, but obviously I want to be able to rep that! I usually drop it before my legs give out, was hoping you could give me some tips to strengthen up that part. (I hunch forward like you said).

just basically squatting down bw only and using my forearms to pry my hip open. On the warmup front squat sets I'll sit at the bottom and really tighten up my upper back (chest up) and flex my hips to use the extra weight to stretch against. that's about it for stretching.

Just try to focus on hitting 3 work sets of 5-8 reps and maybe a top single or double after that. work within yourself. build up a high volume training with weights that don't cause you to get too out of position in the upper body.

[Aggression]

You and a few others seem to be a new breed of powerlifters; strong as hell but look like bodybuilders. What is a typical day's diet for you? Are you a 'bodybuilder' in the eating sense; clean protein/carbs? Do you load up with a heavier meal prior to certain training sessions? Do you have planned 'cheat meals' or do you just eat big when you feel its needed?

[J-Dawg]

You and a few others seem to be a new breed of powerlifters; strong as hell but look like bodybuilders. What is a typical day's diet for you? Are you a 'bodybuilder' in the eating sense; clean protein/carbs? Do you load up with a heavier meal prior to certain training sessions? Do you have planned 'cheat meals' or do you just eat big when you feel its needed?

That's a good question A. Definitely curious to hear Dan's response on diet.

[Universal Rep]

That's a good question A. Definitely curious to hear Dan's response on diet.

+1

[BOSS]

You and a few others seem to be a new breed of powerlifters; strong as hell but look like bodybuilders. What is a typical day's diet for you? Are you a 'bodybuilder' in the eating sense; clean protein/carbs? Do you load up with a heavier meal prior to certain training sessions? Do you have planned 'cheat meals' or do you just eat big when you feel its needed?

When I'm trying to stay or get down to my comp weight I will diet. My nutrition guy has me eat protein and low fat throughout the day. generally he wants me to only eat carbs right before my workouts, lots of sugar during the workouts and lots of carbs after. SInce I'm usually lifting at night it's no carbs throughout the day. Saturday is my rest day and that's no carbs and slightly higher protein. In reality, however, I'm perfectly happy starting the day with a big plate of scrambled eggs and chorizo plus toast with butter. Then I usually just follow his meal plan for the rest of the day but reduce the carbs and overall calories after lifting. Often I'm perfectly happy to only have a protein shake after lifting and go to bed a bit hungry. I do pretty well with my instinctive approach to dieting--low carbs and having periods of fasting, but if I'm very disciplined I follow his too. Begrudgingly I shoud add. But I know what weight I need to maintain to be able to make my weight class and that's my primary concern. Leaning out for the sake of leaning out is not part of it for me.

[JacknCoke]

Hey Dan,
congratulations on your world record man you are a beast! I have a few training questions and i hope you can answer them:
1. For the bench you said that you use linear periodization to progress, what's your approach on squats and deadlifts?
2. Do you go heavy year-round?
3. Do you like push presses?

[Universal Rep]

When I'm trying to stay or get down to my comp weight I will diet. My nutrition guy has me eat protein and low fat throughout the day. generally he wants me to only eat carbs right before my workouts, lots of sugar during the workouts and lots of carbs after. SInce I'm usually lifting at night it's no carbs throughout the day. Saturday is my rest day and that's no carbs and slightly higher protein. In reality, however, I'm perfectly happy starting the day with a big plate of scrambled eggs and chorizo plus toast with butter. Then I usually just follow his meal plan for the rest of the day but reduce the carbs and overall calories after lifting. Often I'm perfectly happy to only have a protein shake after lifting and go to bed a bit hungry. I do pretty well with my instinctive approach to dieting--low carbs and having periods of fasting, but if I'm very disciplined I follow his too. Begrudgingly I shoud add. But I know what weight I need to maintain to be able to make my weight class and that's my primary concern. Leaning out for the sake of leaning out is not part of it for me.

Would ya say ur dieting is influenced by bodybuildin-type diets?

[Maccabee]

Hey,

Would you please recommend weightlifting shoes that would be good for squats and deadlifts?

Thanks

[BOSS]

Hey Dan,
congratulations on your world record man you are a beast! I have a few training questions and i hope you can answer them:
1. For the bench you said that you use linear periodization to progress, what's your approach on squats and deadlifts?
2. Do you go heavy year-round?
3. Do you like push presses?

Thanks for that
1. For squats I hit 1-4 RMs every Monday. Wednesday I train front squats for 15-25 total reps at work weights
For deads I also go kinda linear but tend again to bounce around more in the 1-4RM range. I'll use block pulls and deficit pulls to work my weak areas. It is somewhat instinctive here.
2. Yes always heavy but in "off season" I switch to high bar squats and more front squats and pull conventional instead of sumo. So it keeps things fresh by training a different lift for a few months.
3. No. Military, seated DB press, and seated military in front and behind the neck. No push presses though

[BOSS]

Hey,

Would you please recommend weightlifting shoes that would be good for squats and deadlifts?

Thanks

For both? I squat in Adidas Power Perfects. They have a mild wedge. I pull in Asics Matflex wrestling shoes because they are very low profile and have good traction for my sumo stance. Some people like to squat in flat shoes and in that case you could both squat and deadlift in the same shoes. Chucks or wrestling shoes. But I wouldn't deadlift in squat shoes as the heel puts you too high on takes pressure off of the hamstrings

[BOSS]

Would ya say ur dieting is influenced by bodybuildin-type diets?

If my guy is writing my nutrition then yes. If it's me then I really don't know. What would you consider a bodybuilding diet? I like low carbs like many bodybuilders but I also eat a lot of carbs before I workout because feeling weak and flat at a workout is just unacceptable. I like a high fat breakfast like whole eggs bacon and sausage but I'll eat leaner meats throughout the remainder of the day if I'm trying to shed fat.