Honest đ
Quiz me
Iâm sure most of you on here know how to squat, or have at least done it before. And Iâm sure almost all of you have been told the same cue when squatting.
âPush your hips backâ
While I wont say that is the wrong way to squat, I will say that it is an extremely inefficient way to squat. Inefficient meaning youâre dumping energy into less than optimal positions, that will take away from your ability to lift more weight and recruit more muscle engagement.Â
Above is the way I see most people try to squat. Hips are pushed back, back is hyper extended to keep the chest up, and the knees are behind the toes.Â
This is how most people should squat. Notice the knees PAST the toes, hips are sunk low, and the back is vertical and FLAT, not arched.Â
Now I know most of you have probably always heard that the knees coming forward in the squat is bad because it puts too much pressure on your knee joint, but that doesnât tell the whole story. The knees coming forward in the squat is only dangerous when the squat mechanics are off.Â
Check out the picture below.Â
On the left you have an extremely efficient squat position. Notice the bar high on the lifters back directly over the middle of foot (center of gravity) and the back flat and upright, keeping the hips close to the center of gravity. This will allow for maximal quad recruitment when coming out of the bottom position and it will also reduce strain on the back because the vertebra are stacked on top of each other.
On the right you will see the bar out in front of the center of gravity and much lower on the lifters back. The knees behind the toes which cause the hips to be further away from the center of gravity which creates a more horizontal spine. This can cause a lot of stress on the back to keep the bar/chest from falling forward further which would result in the lifter falling down.Â
To me the answer is obvious, when it comes to efficiency and safety, get that back up, those hips low, and those knees forward.Â
nickcheadlefitness
Even if I did, Iâm letting you know again
At the age of 19 Padme Amidala was the queen of a planet and had already saved her people from total crisis
At the age of 19 Anakin Skywalker was married and a general in a galaxy wide war and was considered to be one of the most powerful Jedi in historyÂ
At the age of 19 Leia Organa was a senator in the imperial senate as well as a leader and spy for the Rebellion
At the age of 19 Luke was making vroom vroom noises with his toy planesÂ
I love him so much
How the hell does someone take a back progress pic???
I want to follow some actual, human people trying to get fit. People who upload progress and share tips, not generic motivational tumblrs.
Reblog or like this is youâre a real human fitblr pls.
Before pic for this years #kwadkwest... HUGE wheels in 2017 #me
#kwadkwest for 2017 starts today.... gonna make these wheels HUGE
Its been 14 years and nothing has changed.
đđ
đŻ TRUTH! meme
Firstly, let me apologize on behalf of all of us for the few people who make you feel self conscious or nervous in the gym. I never understood the people pointing and laughing at the overweight men or women sweating it out on the cardio machines, or the small guys and girls attempting weights for the first time.
Let me give you a few bits of advice that I wish Iâd been told before my first trip to the gym:
1) Get comfortable - I know itâs easier said than done, I definitely felt self conscious and awkward my first time. Do anything you can to make yourself feel more comfortable. Whether it be spending your Christmas money on nice gym clothes, wearing vests that show off your guns or wearing a hoodie to cover up. If ever Iâm feeling like I donât want to see people in the gym, I wear a big hoodie, beanie hat and headphones with loud music.
2) Get some knowledge under your belt beforehand. Donât turn up with no concept of what you should be doing (unless youâre doing a PT session or a class etc). Get a rough idea of exercises for different muscle groups, and of course keep good form - cheat reps have a place, but not when youâre just starting out. If youâre going with a friend, donât try and keep up - go at your own pace and focus on getting the movements right rather than heavy weight. Thatâll come soon enough.
3) Train at regular times and consistently. Not only is it good to get into a routine, but you also start to recognize people around you. It might start with a simple nod of acknowledgement, but eventually youâll form friendships and potentially training partners. If youâre self conscious, I recommend training early mornings or late nights. Avoid 5-7pm, the gym will be full of people after work or school.
4) Music. Find a decent pair of headphones that can play loud. And find a genre that gets you pumped. I recommend metalcore or hip hop. Youâll thank me.
5) Watch other people. You can learn a hell of a lot from other people. Itâs always good to mix up your training, and I often get ideas for new exercises by watching other people.
6) Ask for a spot when you need it. It doesnât matter on the weight, would you rather be pinned under 80lbs or ask someone for a spot?
7) Start your training utilizing more Dumbbells than barbells, and free weights over machines. This will help to work out any minor imbalances and also improve mobility. Exercises that feel a bit awkward will start to feel more natural. Donât forget to stretch!
8) Take progress pictures! And track your progress. I was never one to keep a direct training log, but I have progress photos going back over 3 years. It fantastic to go back and look at where you came from. If you feel embarrassed about how you look, you donât have to share it - but in 6 months time and you feel like you havenât progressed, you can look at the photo and see just how far youâve come. 9) Learn about nutrition. Training hard is all well and good, but if your diet is poor you wonât progress anywhere near the rate you should. You canât out train a poor diet. As a general rule, stick with chicken breasts, turkey, lean mince, white rice, brown rice, yams, oats etc. Youâll get the hang of it soon enough.
10) Donât quit. Donât think of it as a chore or something you have to do. Enjoy it. I canât tell you when I realized this, but training should be a joy.
Hope those arenât too patronizing or too cheesy - good luck!
Took another early morning flight from the mothercity (capetown) to arrive in durban and find a surfer santa in the airport..... got to the beach for summervibes and holiday chill!!!
Requested by:Â frontier001
Summertime christmas has officially begun.... pimms at the pool... festive cheer... tired out pups
Rugby 7s in Capetown...
I made lunch
Almost time for the next one