Death Squat

[tman666]

Knar Knar:

 

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/death_squat

 

Man, I want to go do some box squats right now.

[cuppa]

...I only watched half way through...the video has too much testosterone, very intimidating .

 

Which one is death squat? It looks like a regular squat for me with wider stance (like sumo stance)?

[tman666]

Near the end, Dave Tate (bald guy talking in the middle of the video) does a 315lb box squat for a set of 35 reps. I would venture that a set like that would make most people wish they were dead.

 

The other squats towards the beginning of the video are done with a wide, powerlifting stance (naturally, seeing as these guys are elite-level powerlifters). Some of the guys are just plain fat, but hey, if you can squat 900 lbs, your priorities probably aren't gravitating towards fat loss.

[cuppa]

That's too scary....too much for me...they are too big! ...I think lean & muscular is better (well at least for me).

 

btw, I busted my ankle last night in my kickboxing.....talking about passion or stupidity, I am going to do the challenge still (because I can't do my crossfit tonight) but I will substitute the squats with 25 bridge push-ups.

 

I will post my result on the other thread.

[Rorschach]

Oh no cuppa! too bad about your ankle. i agree those guys are too big, I have no desire to be like them, I just want to be 'fit' not necessarily muscular. I love watching 'worlds strongest man' competitions (which feature guys like those) but I have no desire to be like them.

[GrayClouds]

Yes, but the question is are your demons controlling you or are you controlling them...

[cuppa]

Oh no cuppa! too bad about your ankle. i agree those guys are too big, I have no desire to be like them, I just want to be 'fit' not necessarily muscular. I love watching 'worlds strongest man' competitions (which feature guys like those) but I have no desire to be like them.

 

yep yep, don't get too big like that, it's scary although I think one of my crossfit trainers is like that (he can squat 435 lbs), he looked intimidating at first but he's my favorite trainer because underneath it all, he's so positive and encouraging.

 

I just finished the challenge. I will post it shortly. I was crying last night because I thought I torn something but after accupuncture and icing it all night (and elevate), my ankle swelling has come down a lot. I was bugging my dr that I want to be able to do box jump by Wednesday, he was shaking his head. My dr also practice acupuncture, it's very cool. After this, I feel 1000% better and I think I will be back in no time in a few days .

 

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=t7mznt&s=5

 

So yeah, you really need to beat me in that challenge since I did it with one swollen ankle!

[USMCHokie]

Yikes...I never want to get that big...ever...

 

Cuppa, I hope your ankle heals soon!

[mark982]

dave tate is THE MAN. benched 610, squat 930, deads 780.

[tman666]

dave tate is THE MAN. benched 610, squat 930, deads 780.

 

 

Yes he is. I remember a while back there were photos of him after dieting down (with the help of Dr. John Berardi) to below 10 percent body fat. The guy was so torn up it wasn't even funny.

 

I would love to have the build of a guy like Matt Kroczaleski, if for nothing else, just to feel what it would be like to be that big/strong.

[mark982]

you should go to t nation and follow the dave tate experment. dave could of been on any stage with any upper elite body builders. christ was totally ripped at 270. freaking unreal.

[tman666]

Haha, yeah, that's actually what I was referring to. I'm just trying to not sound like some sort of t-nation cult member by referencing them exclusively.

 

Anyway, whether or not people think these guys are "too big" or not, their training methods should be examined and emulated by more people who are looking to get stronger, methinks.

 

Getting stronger has a lot of carryover to other physical pursuits, whether it be fat loss, looking better nude, or improving conditioning for other sports and activities.

[cuppa]

Haha, yeah, that's actually what I was referring to. I'm just trying to not sound like some sort of t-nation cult member by referencing them exclusively.

 

Anyway, whether or not people think these guys are "too big" or not, their training methods should be examined and emulated by more people who are looking to get stronger, methinks.

 

Getting stronger has a lot of carryover to other physical pursuits, whether it be fat loss, looking better nude, or improving conditioning for other sports and activities.

 

what is their training method? I want to be stronger & fitter....and I don't want to hit a plateau (though coming from someone who can't even do a single pull-up, plateau is really not something that I should worry about LOL).

[tman666]

Guys like these don't use specific "brand name" programs. Their training revolves around the experience that comes with all of these guys having a spent a large portion of their lives under a barbell.

 

I'm no expert in what they do to get that strong, but it always seems to involve:

 

1) Lifting heavy (doubles, singles, triples)

 

2) Lifting explosively

 

3) Training various portions of each lift (lockouts, from the floor, from mid-set pins)

 

4) Training their weaknesses

 

Obviously, these guys are training for the sport of powerlifting, which is, as you probably already know, a sport that consists of trying to maximize the poundages of the three main lifts: bench press, squat, and deadlift. Powerlifting is all about maximal weight. However, some very successful powerlifters (Jim Wendler for example) have utilized training with submaximal poundages for high repetitions, such as in the 5-3-1 program where you gauge most of your progress by trying to add to your rep max at a specified weight. I think the key is that these weights are always heavy (usually above 80 percent of 1RM). For example, nobody ever got strong on bench press by bench pressing the bar only for a million times.

 

Also, everyone hits a plateau eventually, whether it be with strength, mass building, fat loss, or sprint speed. This doesn't mean that they cannot be broken through, but it usually requires a change of program or diet. I.e., you'll have to start sacrificing other goals in order to "fine tune" others. Let's say that I am trying to increase my muscle size. I've trained using many different methods, but nothing seems to be working. Then one day, I get the idea to eat about 1000 more calories per day. Suddenly, my body is receiving a daily caloric surplus, and my muscles have the building blocks they need to grow with my (unchanged) training stimulus.

 

I'm not trying to say that a person cannot be strong, well built and well conditioned all at the same time. However, in order to break down certain plateaus, some level of specialization is often required.

 

By the way, if you cannot do pull ups right now, do not despair! Try building up to them by utilizing negative reps, isometric flexed arm hangs, and those nifty machines that provide a counterweight to your own bodyweight.