For about three years I've produced a
questions and answers column for
www.hardgainer.com. It was the first year or
so of answers, together with a batch of
answers from elsewhere, that were revised
and sorted out to produce FURTHER BRAWN.
Some of you who don't have internet access,
or who prefer not to use the internet other
than for work, have asked for a selection of
the post-FURTHER BRAWN answers, revised
and updated, to be published in HARDGAINER.
Generally speaking, the answers deal
with topics either not covered in my books,
or not covered in detail there.
Hands Getting Cold After Squatting?
I've noticed that my hands turn cold
after my 15 reps of squatting. After a
few minutes my hands return to body
temperature. Is squatting cutting off
circulation to my hands?
The bar placement on your shoulders
and/or the hand position you use, may be
hampering your circulation. I'd suggest
that you try a slightly different bar
placement-a bit lower, not higher-and a
wider hand placement on the bar. Tinker
with those two factors, from workout to
workout, until you find a combination that
doesn't cause your hands to feel cold at the
end of a set of squats.
Would The Tru-Squat Help My Back Pain?
In BEYOND BRAWN you say that the Tru-
Squat helped bring you back into your
previous condition after not squatting
for some years. I have a bad back and
can't squat without extreme pain. The
only thing I can do is one-legged squats
for a short spell, then I'm forced to
stop and do leg presses when the dumbbells get heavy. Do you think
the Tru-Squat would benefit me?
I'd say the Tru-Squat is worth a try, but
don't go buying one to try it. Contact the
manufacturing company, Southern Xercise
(800-348-4907), and find where there's a
machine near you, and then contact the
owner to see if you can give it a try for a
good few workouts.
The Tru-Squat does involve contraction
of the back musculature, but there's no
forward flexion, and there's no weight
directly against your spine. Also,
substantially less weight is needed on the
Tru-Squat than in the barbell squat, to
produce the same degree of work.
Ball squats and hip-belt squats are two
other alternatives to consider, and both cost
peanuts compared to a Tru-Squat.
The Tru-Squat continue to be safe for
my back, but it irritates my knees
sufficiently for me to have stopped using it.
Why Are There Exercises For Biceps But Not Triceps?
I noticed in a lot of routines in Further Brawn that I
see no exercises listed specifically
for triceps, but the same routines
have specific exercises listed for the
biceps. Why?
Because there's usually more work for the
triceps from the big exercises than for the
biceps. Dips, benches and overhead presses
all give the triceps a lot of work. Chins and
supinated pulldowns work the biceps hard,
and rows give the biceps some work.
Whereas most trainees include two of the
pressing movements that really hit the
triceps, many don't include the chin or
supinated pulldown. This is why curls are
often included in abbreviated routines.
Relative to the size of the biceps, it's strange that a specific exercise is usually included
for it while the calves and hamstrings may
be neglected in many cases, both of which
are much larger than the biceps.
Work Hamstrings Directly Even If I Am Squatting?
If I squat heavy, do I have to do any
hamstrings work in addition to the
squats? What's the primary purpose of
the stiff-legged deadlift? Do I need to
do stiff-legged deads if I squat heavy?
The primary purpose of the stiff-legged
deadlift is to work the hamstrings,
erectors, glutes and upper back. Squats hit
the hams, glutes and erectors (along with
the quads and adductors), but the stifflegged
deadlift, for most people, works
the erectors and hams more than does the
squat. I'd recommend that you use the
stiff-legged deadlift as a companion
exercise to the squat, other than for shortterm
very-abbreviated programs. But be
sure you use impeccable form, and don't
use an exaggerated or excessive range of
motion for you. Never round your lower
or upper back.
The stiff-legged deadlift alone isn't,
however, adequate to work the functions
of the hamstrings. At least in some
training cycles, the addition of the leg curl
is a good idea, to produce improved
balance between the musculature and
strength of the front and rear thighs. If you
can't stiff-legged deadlift safely, perform
one or two hard sets of the leg curl once
every 4-7 days on a consistent basis. I
now include the leg curl as one of the
most valuable single-joint exercises.
For the leg curl, be sure to use a
machine and set-up that enables you to
position the axis of rotation of the
apparatus so that it lines up with the
center of your knees. If the two points
are out of alignment, the leg curl will
irritate your knees and produce more
harm than good. Use the right set-up or
don't use the leg curl at all.
Hand Position During Sumo Deadlift?
How close together should my hands
be when I sumo deadlift?
If your hands are very close, there are two
immediate problems-no knurling on the
bar (in most cases) and thus a weakened
grip, and poor control of balance of the bar.
I'd say you should have your hands about
hip width apart, and definitely on the
knurling of the bar. With a stronger grip,
and better control of the bar, your form can
only be helped, not hindered.
How Can I Get Back Into Deadlifting?
The first time I deadlifted I managed
310 pounds for a few reps. I managed
to get up to 395 for 5 rest-pause reps.
I couldn't figure out the training
frequency and thus couldn't keep
tabs on progression, so I decided to
give the deadlift up. After a similar
time period of squatting I only
managed 225 pounds for 5 in the full
squat, without a belt. I realized that
I'm more gifted at the deadlift than
the squat. I want to start deadlifting
again. The problem is that I can't
seem to get a gaining momentum
going with the deadlift.
That you were able to deadlift so much the
first time is extraordinary, and indicates
natural ability well above the average unless
you have a background in heavy manual
labor that built the required strength.
Your problem wasn't deadlifting
frequency. You should never have been
deadlifting 310 pounds the first time out.
Though an apparently simple exercise, the
deadlift still needs to be mastered by using
light weights, and then gradually building
up the resistance while maintaining perfect
form. It's impossible to master form by
starting out on an exercise with a weight
that makes you struggle. You took a huge
risk when you jumped into intensive
deadlifting without a period of adaptation.
You could have suffered severe damage.
Start deadlifting again, and do it
properly this time. First, learn all the ins
and outs of deadlifting. Only then should
you proceed. Start with 60 kilos or 135
pounds-a 20-kilo/45-pound plate on
each end of an Olympic bar, plus spring
collars. Master the form in a couple of
sessions, doing multiple sets of 6 reps
each time, and until you have it off pat.
Video tape yourself so that you can
actually see how you're lifting. Once form
is perfect, and the groove entrenched, add
5 kilos/10 pounds per week, for the first
four weeks, and thereafter drop to just half
of that a week. Perform 3 work sets of 6
reps each, following warm-up work.
Don't progress any faster than that.
Impeccable form is imperative. Video tape
yourself every few workouts, to check on
your form. If your form degrades, cut
back the weight, and build up again, but
without any degradation.
Assuming you don't have any setbacks,
it will take you about eight months to get to
310 pounds. At that point, cut back to 2 x 6
works sets, following minimum warm-ups
with 135 pounds, 200 and 265. If done
properly you'll get to 310 x 6 x 3 with
perfect form and lots of potential for
keeping the progression going at 5 pounds
per week for a further few months, and
then at a slower pace thereafter (assuming
you're eating and sleeping well each day).
Over the second half of the year you're
going to have to crank up your nutrition,
rest and sleeping habits, in order to provide
the recovery "ingredients," otherwise your
progress will grind to a halt.
You may not be happy about the
prospect of starting the cycle with 135
pounds, but the thought of being able to
handle around 400 pounds a year or so from
now should excite you. But you won't get
there if you rush things now. (This rate of
progress is unusually quick, a reflection of
your above-average deadlifting potential.)
So long as progress is happening nicely,
stick with deadlifting once every seven days. But if or when progress starts to get
really tough, stretch out the deadlifting
frequency to once every 10-14 days.
The squat is potentially a great
exercise. You should continue to squat
providing you can do it safely. If you've
also been making mistakes in your form
and progression scheme in the squat, then
that would seriously limit your progress
and make injury likely. Please learn lessons
from your deadlifting, and apply them
elsewhere in your training.
Should I Alternate Squats And Deadlifts?
I read somewhere that Bob Peoples
used to alternate squats and deadlifts.
When he became stale in one of them
he used to switch to the other. I'm
thinking of trying this approach. What
do you think?
Peoples was a phenomenal deadlifter,
though his round-back style is off limits
for regular mortals. He deadlifted 725
pounds at a bodyweight of 189 pounds, in
1949! Peoples used many innovative
training methods and pieces of equipment.
I'm all for doing what works for you,
though if you're going to alternate the
squat and deadlift, the deadlift needs to
use heavy thigh involvement or otherwise
your leg strength is probably going to
back track while you focus on the deadlift.
If you deadlift with either the trap bar or
shrug bar, you can get lots of thigh
involvement, and will alternate somewhat
similar exercises, as the parallel-grip
deadlift has more in common with the
squat than the straight bar deadlift has.
Are Overhead Barbell Press Really A "Big" Movement?
Why are seated or standing overhead
dumbbell or barbell presses in the "big
movement" group with squats,
deadlifts, dips, etc? In my opinion, I
don't see how working such a small
grouping of muscles would stimulate
the same growth as squatting 20 reps.
Any overhead press can't compare with
intensive 20-rep squatting when comparing
total muscular involvement and growth
potential. But behind the really big
exercises-the squat and bent-legged
deadlift-come the next tier of major
exercises, which includes the overhead
press variations, along with the dip, bench
press and chin, as examples. The overhead
press is included in the big movement
grouping to distinguish it from the isolation
movement grouping-laterals, for the
shoulders, for example.
Can I Take Lifting Too Far And Hurt Myself?
I'm 46 years old and as of now I'm
stronger than I've ever been and I'm
still making progress. When should I
consider stopping or changing the
direction of my lifting? I'm still in good
health and enjoy training. I don't want
to take it too far and endanger myself.
There are no rigid rules here relative to
numbers, because there are big differences
among individuals. I'd say you should
continue getting stronger for as long as you
safely can, and for as long as you continue
to have the appetite for it. How much
farther you can go depends on where you
are relative to your potential.
Perhaps you've been training for only a
couple of years and can squat 240 x 20. Or
perhaps you've been training for twenty
years and can squat 340 x 20. If the latter,
I'd say you're around the point where you
should move to maintenance strength work
for a while, and then live with the gradual
decline in strength that will take effect
soon, though perhaps not for a few years
yet if you keep yourself in good condition
and health. But if you're at 240 x 20, I'd
say you can keep progressing in strength
for a while yet.
Either way, be sure you're giving
serious attention to cardiovascular health
and conditioning-three sessions per
week of 30-40 minutes of moderate aerobic work, or much shorter bouts of
harder cardio work. Additionally, if you
need to burn calories through aerobic
exercise for the sake of weight control,
then walk for an hour or so each day.
Beyond exercise, do all that you can in
other areas in order to look after your
health-eat healthfully, take plenty of
anti-oxidant supplements, avoid harmful
habits and environments, sleep adequately
and well, avoid severe stress, do work you
enjoy, and have some regular but
moderate exposure to sunshine. And keep
in mind that being happy is an important
part of good health.
Can I Substitute Deadlifts For Squats?
Is the deadlift a good substitute for the
squat, in the context of leg training?
Depends on the deadlift and the
individual. If you're talking about the
trap bar or shrug bar deadlift, then for
sure it's a good substitute for the squat.
For some people, that form of the deadlift
(the parallel-grip deadlift) can provide a
more productive workout for the legs.
If you mean the conventional straight
bar deadlift, it depends on how much leg
work it gives you. If your leverages favor
the squat more than the deadlift, then
using the deadlift as your sole upper-leg
movement will reduce the training effect
in that area, and the conventional deadlift
wouldn't be a good substitute for the squat
for leg work for you. In such cases, the
sumo deadlift may provide more leg work
than the conventional deadlift.
If your leverages are more suited to the
deadlift than the squat, then the difference
between the deadlift and the squat, at least
for leg work, may be more blurred. In this
case, the parallel-grip deadlift is the way to
go-then you can get the benefit of your
improved leverages for the deadlift but with
more leg flexion than with a straight bar,
and thus perhaps get more leg involvement
than from the barbell squat.
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Copyright 2000 by CS Publishing
Thanks,
cspubltd@spidernet.com.cy
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