16 September 2010

My ass is on fire

So in light of what happened on Monday--the 405lb deadlift PR, I decided to fuck around with some light deadlifting Wednesday and I also decided I should probably start barbell squatting again.  It can only help my deadlift, and it can make my legs more muscular, and just generally make me more fit.  As I had not done barbell squats in a year, my ass is really really sore.

I'd be worried that the hair on my ass would get singed, if I were the submissive here. 
What this means is that my ass muscles--also called "glutes"-- got worked out in a different way than they have been lately.  This is good, because often times in a deadlift, people who have a weak lockout tend to have their glutes as their weakest link.  So, I'm going to bring up my lagging squat.  Next time I am in the gym, I will show you how to squat and not look like a douchebag, though I am sure most of you reading hit parallel at  minimum when you squat.

In other news, this guy above thinks that people shouldn't write their own lifting programs.  He also has a lot of great information on how to get girls too, because apparently all males are incapable of said task.  I don't see a problem with following someone elses program.  I followed a bunch of Pavel's programs--mainly Enter the Kettlebell and Return of the Kettlebell and met with great success with these programs.  The prevailing argument over at http://thenategreenexperience.com/blog/Stupid+People+Write+Their+Own+Programs/  is that people be biased towards movements they like, and not what they need to do.

And there's a grain of truth there.  However,  if you are a relatively smart human being, you can use this thing called willpower to do what you need to do, whether you like it or not.  Do I like doing 15 seconds of kettlebell snatches followed by 15 seconds of rest, for 20 minutes? Fuck no.   Do I do it because it is good for me? Yes.  If you have been lifting long enough, and if you can read and think critically, you can look at something like Enter the Kettlebell or Westside barbell type of training and look past the movements, and see what it's trying to say--"Don't do anything stupid in your training, and get better at the movements."  And you can corroborate that with The Science and Practice of Strength Training wherein the author tells you exactly how to not suck at doing both of those things.

I'm sure Lidia had to use willpower to win three silver medals in the Snatch in various European championships in the past few years. 
Currently, I do whatever the hell I want to achieve whatever goal I need.  I even started using an ab wheel, which is probably one of the more beneficial things I have done lately.  I also military presses three or so times a week.  I snatch kettlebells various days, and I deadlift and now squat, twice weekly.  So, learn to read, and synthesize, and lift how you want, and be smart about it.

2 comments:

  1. Peter -- here is where I disagree with you. You shouldn't write your own program for the sole reason that you can't accurately analyze yourself.

    Now "selecting" a program is different.

    Also, there isn't a high level strength athlete that writes there own programs. Even the best bodybuilders have coaches.

    It has nothing to do with will power, it has everything to do with subjectivity.

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  2. I see what you're saying. I am thinking along the lines of guys like Vasily Alexeev who didn't use a coach and did things they knew would help them reach new heights. It is always good, however to have someone tell you where you suck. Like you do to us at the meetings all the time, for which me and Levi are grateful. On the flipside, guys like Austin throw assessment out the window, as well as good judgment.

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