Squats are fine. Just go deeper. To parallel is fine. But since you don't normally go that deep some whacky stuff might happen.

Deadlift looks okay. Obviously the big issue here is that you have to learn to incorporate your lower body. The neck thing is easy to fix. Right now you are craning but it's helping you keep your chest up and a better back angle. To fix the craning just make a double chin.

With that shirt I think we see that your lower back is not in a horrible spot. It looked like it was rounding and bucking in the first video. And it may be doing that at bigger weights. But in this video you can see that the lats flare into position right when you pull (you have low insert lats- elite). This is good but with a baggy shirt it may look like its your lumbar.

As to how to incorporate your lower body more so you are not so back dominant during deadlifts, that's the hard part. Glutes and hams are powerful muscles that should be used plenty during the deadlift. I think you have to look for Cha's post he made in Dudd's log. This was around July 13th-20th he made this post. The biggest think I see is that your hamstrings should have tons of tension right as you pull. Like Cha says, should almost be uncomfortable with how much tension they have. Right now they be soft when you pull.

Again in my IMO this is a multiyear fix that involves not only strengthening weak muscles but also learning to incorporate muscle synergy. You are a bodybuilder bro. You want to use one muscle to do the lift. Squats and deadlifts incorporate most of your body. Good luck with that nightmare. A clear case where all this isolation work comes back to haunt us.

You don't take a big breath before squatting - that's bad. Clench your butt cheeks, tighten the ever-loving crap out of your core, take a huge, giant breath and then squat. You might also try to bend the bar with your hands, as if you're trying to break it in two to ensure upper back tightness.

re squat: I don't agree with the bending the bar bit. But you could get tighter, and be a bit more aggressive in your movements. I think that only comes when you are really comfortable with the form though, so no rush. You look a lot like I did when I first started squatting.

re deadlift: try to avoid starting 2-3 inches below where you actually start the pull and avoid trying to explode up off the floor. You want light tension in your hams and back, and start the pull slowly. If you try to yank it off the floor, it can jerk your back out of alignment, pull you too far forward etc. shortly after the bar actually comes off the floor then you turn the dial and explode.

Why not? It's certainly not a big deal for the squat though, unlike for the pressing movements.

ETA: it's also much more effective with a thumbs around grip rather than a LBBS grip.

I think it'd really only be an effective cue if you're thinking about pushing back with your shoulders as well. The idea is to keep upper back tightness and external shoulder rotation. If you're strictly just thinking about wrapping the bar around your back, I could see people ending up focusing on more of an internal rotation. I dunno, I guess I half agree with each side - more of that there are probably better cues than me actually disagreeing.

ETA: disclaimer, i don't even know what squatting feels like anymore...

It made it sound like you want him to pull down on the bar. Imo your arms should be doing the least work possible, to avoid elbow crap.

Yeah my standard ROM for squats has always been fked up but I will get used to it. I think I should be fine but will go slightly lower. My deadlifts still seem pretty bad to me. Granted, I think my back is in a better position but to be I look to be in a deep squat position. It probably looks passable because the weight is super low and I can bring up the bar fast while getting my hips in the right position. My form would take a big hit if I did 335+ again, imo.

What do you mean I have low insert lats? and on my power leg day at the end of the week I'm going to do at least 315 and see how that feels/ looks on film. My buddy who is competing told me to start doing "agile 8" not sure what that is tho. Just looked it up and seems to be stretching out my hip flexors.

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/we...-a-631289.html

I do understand your point about body building since I am lifting more or less for aesthetics. I feel that deadlifts will help me build my back and legs, am I wrong for thinking that? Not only that, I want to do the big lifts because I am naturally a competitive guy (you prob noticed this already).

You are right, I don't. To be honest I feel like I never concentrated on breathing right during exercises until recently. Def working on it now. I am assuming you mean just grip the bar extremely hard?

Not sure I understand when you say more aggro with my movements.

Do you mean my shins are too close to the bar when I start? You say I want light tension in my hams but loco says that oppose. Ok cool, I will try that next time I do DL's, in terms of timing of the explode movement.

Here is a deadlift piece that gets linked a whole bunch

http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/blog/deadlift/



re: low lat inserts
Low lat inserts means your lats naturally originate low on your back. It's mostly genetic. Dorian Yates is famous for having low lat inserts. Crunchyblack's lats on the other hand originate very high. Almost at the Nipples and that's why he has the sads. Mine are pretty crappy also but life goes on.

10/1/13
1.5 scoops of craze
Tuesday- Back, Shoulders, Abs

T-Bar: Speed work
135x3 x6

Lat pulldowns:
160x8 x2
180x8

Cable rows:
180x8
200x8x2

DB rows:
85x15 x2

Close grip pulldowns (double resistance):
27.5x15 x2

Shoulder Press:
115x7 x3



Calf machine shrugs:
130x15
150x15

DB front raises:
35x12
40x12 x2

Cable crossovers:
25x15 x3


Macros:
2,641 calories
59g fats
330g carbs
216g protein

10/2/13- Wednesday (off)

Macros
2,445 calories
67g fats
284g carbs
211g protein

10/3/13
1.5 scoops craze
Thursday- Upper body power

Penlay rows:
135x6
155x3
175x3 x4

Pull ups:
15
13
10

Rack chins:
9
10

Bench:
225x3
245x3
255x2





Seated shoulder press:
65x8
70x8
70x7

DB curls:
40x8
45x8
45x6


Macros:
2,705 calories
62g fats
339g carbs
223g protein

Big bench bro!

You should try to catch up Snitch's #4 spot on the whiteboard. I have been trying to overtake that fatty for over a year now. Can't do it. The Fats too powerful to overcome by someone starting to get the Olds.

For sure it would rustle some jimmies if you take down #4.

Thanks bro. I think my form is somewhat better. Also, makes me feel better that I did not fail like that 245 attempt few weeks ago. Still in the 160 club but I dunno for how much longer since I'm eating a lot.

What lifts would I need to do to beat him? I will try to go for it while I can still rep club 160s. hahah u know I'm gonna try for it as long as I can rustle jimmies.

10/4/13
1.5 scoops craze
Friday- Lower body power

After my first few warm up sets of 135/185, I take off the 25s then grab the 45 plate and my right middle finger got caught in between the 45 lb plate and the plate holder. As soon as it happened I could see the dead skin on the plate holder and knew it got
cut up. Not a huge deal but just annoying as phuck.



Squats:
225x5 x3



Squat Machine:
250x10 x2

Leg extensions:
145x10
160x10

DL:
315x2
315x3
295x3



Lying leg curls:
125x10
140x10

Standing calf raises:
230x10
250x10
270x10

Calf extensions:
210x8 x3

Ab exercise


Macros:
2,719 calories
65g fats
338g carbs
221g protein

After comparing videos of squats and deadlifts here's a few things I noticed..

Squats: Last video of 205x3 compared to this 225x5 my current form seems to be better. I am going slightly deeper but I am struggling with the weight. You can see it takes me a bit to come up on my last reps for 225.

Deadlifts: Last video of 275x4 compared to this 315x3 my current form is slightly better. I feel that my starting position is better but still needs to improve. It feels very awkward that is why I have to look at the mirror before liftoff. I am using overhand grip and my middle finger kept slipping cuz of the dam bandaid. I know if I used the mixed grip I could have done more without my fingers slipping but I feel overhand grip is better for gaining proportional mass. I've heard my buddy say when Deadlifting a lot of weight it is possible to gain more mass on your trap you are using the overhand grip for.

If you're overhand gripping without straps, have you tried hookgrip? Makes it much easier to hold the weight, if you don't mind your thumbs hurting.

I heard of them before but never tried them. I have straps but they don't seem to help me that much for some reason. I'll look them up.

And as some of you may know I work at a hospital and people at my job were freaking out about my cut saying I need to get it looked at. They really didn't give me a choice or not and checked me in and they are now deciding whether I need stitches or not. At least I'm doing this while working lol.

I didn't mean any equipment, you propable confused it with versagripps?

Hookgrip:


Puts a lot of pressure on your thumb, but stops the bar from "rolling" off your hands, just like mixed grip. It's really painful for longer sets, thought.

But sounds really weird that straps didn't help you if you tried them, did you wrap them around the bar in opposite way to your grip? Might sound silly question, but afaik it's pretty common mistake to wrap them the wrong way (same as your grip) around.

oh yeah I was thinking about straps with the hooks on them. I never heard about this grip tho and it does look painful. Thinking about it now I think I do have the straps going the same direction. I will double check next time I do dls.

10/5/13- Saturday (off)
2,588 calories
74g fats
280g carbs
224g protein

hate off days with a passion. pumped to lift tomorrow then two off days for some MTTs.

Deep enough, but its marginal.


also I think somebody cut some holes in your shirt while you were asleep or smth.

The idea of lifting or MTTs instills dread in me. But I am happy for your enthusiasm!

aight cool. they feel very weird to be honest and I'm sure it's because my ROM was always short. haha it's the perfect shirt to use on leg day because you can see if my back is rounding or not during DLs. Im addicted to going to the gym lol. MTTs not so much.

10/6/13
2 scoops craze
Sunday- chest and arms

Today was awful. Bad start to the day, woke up at 5pm and the gym closes at 6pm. Only got like 6 hours of sleep too. I was pissed and not going to workout for only 30 mins or so. luckily was able to get a guess pass for LA Fitness. They closed at 7pm so still got a crap workout In by the time I drove all the way there.

Bench:
225x3 x6

DB incline bench:
80x8
85x8
90x7

DB incline curls:
30x8
30x12
30x6 (felt weird pop left wrist so stopped there)

Standing cambered curl:
60x8
80x8 x2


Macros:
2,701 calories
64g fats
326g carbs
217g protein

Recently been feeling the results of working 60 hrs weeks + lifting 5x/week for average workout time of around 1 1/2 hours. Combine that with making and preparing meals for the day and trying to maintain a healthy long distance relationship.. Something has to give and for me it has been my sleep and relationship. Hopefully things will get better soon, the balance is really tough.