“How to Make Easy Exercises More Difficult and More Effective”
In How to Make Easy Exercises More Difficult and More Effective by TC from T-nation he gives us a few ways to save time by making some exercises more difficult. I really liked:
Real-World Squats
Let me ask you a question: how often in your life do you walk up to an object hanging from a tree, carefully place it on your shoulders, and lower it to the ground?
Hunters typically don’t find dead deer hanging in trees. Generally, the thing’s lying on the ground and they have to pick it up.
What I’m trying to get at is the conventional squat is screwed up. It’s not a real-world movement. Our entire motor program, from childhood on, was developed to pick things up from the ground instead of the opposite.
That’s probably why a lot of people have trouble learning how to do the squat.
Well, I’ve adjusted the movement. I’ve made it more “real world,” but in doing so, I’ve also made it harder — and consequently, more effective.
I rarely start my squat from a standing position. Instead, I place the loaded bar onto the safety bars of the power rack and start from the ass-down position.
Guess what I’ll be doing next leg day?
April 15th, 2007 10:19
I have incorporated this type of squat into a few of my workouts and I’ll say this, I don’t like feeling that weak again.
They really work well but you need to decrease the weight if you are not used to going ass to ground (the lifters call deep squating ATG squats).
My research into it shows no danger to the knees of squating deep IF there is no perexisting knee condition. Don’t do it if your doctor has advised you not to or if your knees are sore or damaged in anyway. If they are in good shape, deep squating is a great way to work the legs really hard while using less weight. The lowest part of the squat is really tough when you’re not used to working that range of motion.