Squat sesh - 11/05

Short one today, woke up a little late so I only had about 45min after a brief warm up. Still weak as crap compared to even six months ago, but I think it is getting better and I got a little work in.

• Squat to parallel box - 5xbar, 5x95lbs, 5x135lbs, 3x185lbs, 3x225lbs, 3x275lbs, 3x295lbs, 2x315lbs
• Wide stance good mornings - 5x10x135lbs
• Not really of note, but played with a few sets of front squats with just the bar. Technique feels good there. 

So essentially it looks like my max has suffered about 50-75lbs over the last few months of low frequency sessions (best squat before was 410 in wraps in the gym). If you use Wendler's 1RM calculator based on that set at 315, it would make it 335, though I probably could have gotten another rep or two out which would bring my 1RM up to more like 350. Still horse crap, either way. C'est la vie, we keep working and getting better, no?

As you may recall, I also owe you a few grip pictures from last squat sesh. Note that I said "sesh" because I am hip and shit. No time for full words and haters here.

The discussed grip is a false grip on the bar with the pinkies dropped under the bar. Idea behind this grip is that it allows the hands to go far enough out to take a little stress off of the shoulders but still helps you crank your lats in to tighten up the upper back, critical to big squatting. I am, of course, not squatting "big" yet, but I can definitely tell a difference in my upper percentage sets.

Grip the bar as normal, but with the pinky dropped under the bar. Hard to tell from this pic, but my index finger is lined up just about at the first marker line.

Go on and throw that thumb over the top, bruh. 

I have played with the grip both standard and false, ie, thumb wrapped around the bar and thumb over the bar, as in the pic above. False grip feels a little more stable, like I am getting the bar torqued down a bit better. This also takes some stress off the wrist as the extra torque can put the wrist at angles you are not used to. If you remember, I mentioned that last time I tried the grip out that I ended up wrapping both wrists but this time around seemed to be much better. 

Also still working on the wider stance- hip activation is definitely better but my right knee feels like it wants to start caving. More band work, more hip work. 

Would like to have gotten more quad work in, but brudda's gotta work. 

Next time, we front squat a few sets with weight. 

In the meantime, enjoy some Norma Jean...