Front Squat Singles

Tuesday 5/24/11

Warm-up/mobility: 2x10 bodyweight rows, 2x10 Full ROM push-ups between benches, 2x5 pull-up/chin-ups, 2x5 dips. Some lunges, lightweight overhead squats, handstands.

Workout:

One-arm clean and jerk singles with barbell: 45lbs., 55lbs., 65lbs., 75lbs., 85lbs. 95lbs. (fail with left arm)/so instead did 90lbs. with left arm) 105lbs. (fail with right arm) Keeping 1RM at 90lbs.

Front Squat singles: 95lbs., 115lbs., 135lbs., 155lbs., 175lbs. 195lbs. 205lbs.

Elevated one-arm push-ups: 3x3
One-arm bodyweight rows: 3x3

Arms Extended Jack LaLane style push-ups: 1x10, 2x15.

The front squats were fine, felt much better than back squats (more natural/neutral position for the spine) but, I don't like the way these make my legs feel. Actually, I just do not like heavy loaded squatting or high rep squatting in general. They have always appeared to "blow" my legs and the rest of my body up and I always feel "immobile" for days afterward. Deadlifts do not do this to me. Squats give my legs a "concrete-heavy" feel and if I wanted to take off on a sprint for some reason I feel I would be moving in slow motion. I will stick to the goblet squat for mobility throughout the hips and heed Gray Cook's advice on "maintaining the squat and training the deadlift." Also, I seem to have found a new love for carrying heavy stuff. It just makes sense that if I'm going to lift something heavy I might as well carry it. The combination of heavy farmer's walks and sprints is pretty damn lethal but at the same time therapeutic. I am going to try some different carries next time, i.e, waiter's carry, front carry, suitcase carry, sandbag carry etc. and combine this with some sprinting and jumping.