I'm on Week 2 Day 3 of the new Swole Routine. Progress is evident visually and physically. My targeted muscles are Pecs, Triceps, and Quads. They're all coming along. I noticed my Biceps are getting even more cut close to the shoulder, and this is after having dropped curls. I'm a big proponent of compound exercises over isolation.
Having peered over the EMG statistics at T-Nation, I was left a bit puzzled - perhaps more puzzled than before having seen the results. For those unaware, EMG tests track a few muscles, and tell you the peak and mean percentage of activation. These tests are not the end-all and be-all, but I still find value in them. Discrepancies occur via technique and individual body mechanics. For the Glutes EMG test, Barbell Hip Thrusts ranked number 1. I was in disbelief at first, and thought to myself, I'm not going to do Hip Thrusts, surely there's something better, but from what I've learned, it is the best.
Squats and Deadlifts hit the Glutes, but they don't take the brunt of the weight, and you won't necessarily fire your Glutes correctly. To tighten your Glutes, you extend your hips, and to get the full contraction, you hyperextend your hips. You may hurt your lower back by hyperextending your hips, so be cautious. The truth is that anything in the weightroom can hurt you if you are not aware enough of your body and surroundings.
I added in Hip Thrusts on Sunday. My first complaint was that they're too hard to set up. You need to sit on the ground with your upper back leaned against a bench, and you need to have the bar on your hips. To make things a bit worse, if you use 135lb it's easy to slide your body under the bar, but with 95lb, you can't get as much of your body underneath, and forget about it with 90lb or lower. I've been manhandling the weight thus far, but will splurge on the secrets if I find a better way.
To have the correct height for the bench behind yourself, you can stack 45lb plates and sit atop them. I felt the first effect of the Hip Thrusts 48 hours after the first time I tried them. I had done three sets of eight at 95lb. This morning, while Sumo Deadlifting specifically my Glutes fired like never before. As Brett Contreras said, Hip Thrusts will improve your Deadlift lockout. There's so much power and strength to be utilized from the Glutes, and Hip Thrusts are the key to unlock sweet victory and great glory.
As far as the Trap-Bar Deficit Deadlifts, I've increased the distance by stacking two 45lb plates opposed to one. I believe I felt it more in the Low Back, which makes logical sense to me. The Stiff-Leg Deadlift variation uses the most Low Back, and it is because you're reaching so far down whilst keeping your back proper. Many people avoid positions and exercises that hit the Lower Back, but I feel it's important to develop your Lower Back, which is basically just the Spine Erectors below the Thoracic region - the Lumbar region.
Initially when I began lifting, I didn't perform any variations of Deadlifts, and I held onto my conventional Deadlift as if it were sacred. I worked in the 8 rep range, and I noticed that it took significant recovery to come back from Deadlifts. I found myself forced to drop my Deadlifting to only once a week, and as the weight got heavier as did my recovery. I worked my way to two sets of eight with 385lb. Yes, this will destroy your lower back (and by that I mean it's 100% healthy, but will take 4-5 days of recovery). I always told myself, if I just dropped the Deadlift altogether, I could workout more frequently, and in fact, I'd probably be larger and stronger had I not done Deadlifts. Of course, this is balanced with the idea that the Deadlift is the second greatest exercise there is (Squats are King). The Deadlift uses a ton of musculature, and it is probably the most 'functional' exercise.
For me the Deadlift is special because it forces your back musculature into proper posture. I hadn't thought of it back then, but I've thought of it now, and that is to remove the conventional Deadlift, and to replace it with a variation less taxing on the Lower Back. The three Deadlift variations I use are the Sumo Deadlift, the Trap-Bar Deadlift, and the Hack Squat. I still utilize the 8 rep range, but I also use the five, triple, and single rep range. I like to lift heavy weight, and often. This is possible by doing moderate weight in the 8 rep range, moderate to heavy weight in the 5 or triple rep range, and about 90% of my one-rep max for singles. This morning for example, I lifted 415lb in the Trap Bar Deadlift, and my back is fine. I could run through a wall right now, I have such an air of stability and power.
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