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Or have you been doing linear progression to this point?
Pretty much.
Any de-load in the past couple of years has always been un-planned, i.e. whenever I found myself having to take a few weeks off, and then just starting again at a lower number.OK, so I should probably take my downward dogs more seriously in order to improve my hamstrings and see if that sorts it out.
As for indulging my tendency to lean forwards by getting those wedged shoes. As I am still just about able to squat my body weight, wouldn't it be better to teach myself to do my lifts au naturel for the time being?
Weight lifting shoes at this stage sounds a bit like getting an aero helmet for my commute.
starfish&coffee-
As the weight gets heavier you may tend to fall back on your heels - not a nice experience without proper shoes. Ditch the trainers - bare feet would be safer.
I would think if you are putting weight over your toes, it is likely the bar path is not right. No doubt, someone else could shed light on this. I have done it before but no every lift so it’s a fault somewhere. -
You wouldn’t think twice about buying a cheap pair of shoes to run in, so why not buy a cheap pair of shoes to squat in?
Trying a 2.5kg plate under your heels is a good quick test to see if having a raised heel helps.
Going on to your toes a little isn’t the end of the world like lots of people on the internet would have you believe (pushing a bit from the forefoot, not lifting the heel off the ground obv).
I’ve often struggled with “losing” my chest and coming forward like you described. A slightly wider stance helped me open up my hips, which helps keep my spine more upright through the squat but tbh it’s hard to diagnose the specific issue without seeing you squat, and lifting the heel usually helps gain depth rather than forward motion, but the 2.5kg plate thing never hurts as an experiment. -
Pretty much.
Any de-load in the past couple of years has always been un-planned, i.e. whenever I found myself having to take a few weeks off, and then just starting again at a lower number.
I reach a fatigue ceiling around 9 weeks if I can get decent sleep, sooner if not or if I'm trying to not put on too much extra weight (so not eating enough)
Do you take into account total volume in a workout, not just the max weight set? Is there a way to increase volume before trying to up the top set? Or are you doing too much and getting tired before your working set?Otherwise I'd mix higher rep lower weight (8x XKg) to encourage some hypertrophy and then some lower rep high weight (3x XKg) to encourage some power and I'd expect the 5x to rise again. I'd probably do this mixed approach for a couple of cycles and see how things go, getting a feel for what needs to change and what your goals are (strength, hypertrophy or power). Then you can start your own programming... That's like 2 years worth of work there haha.
wouldn't it be better to teach myself to do my lifts au naturel for the time being?
Yeah, but there are tools to help you achieve your goals so depends what you want to do with your gainz.
Are you highbar or low bar squatting? Highbar puts more emphasis on the quads and keeps you more upright, low bar requires more glutes and hams and you'll naturally lean a bit more forward to keep the weight central over your knees and feet.
Film yourself from the side, see if the bar is tracking in a straight line up and down as it should, or if its making an ellipse.
TGR
Nef
Yukirin
No, but could be a sign of tightened hams or reduced range of motion sonewhere and the instability could lead to an injury.
You could also slide a 1.25kg plate under your heels and see how that feels, would be more stable than just raising on the balls. Or the lifting shoes mentioned ^
Breaking through, it depends what you're doing and how long you have been doing it. When was your last de-load and how long are your cycles? Or have you been doing linear progression to this point?
Oh, and eat more and sleep more :D
I find this insta account good for constant reminders and tips for movement
https://instagram.com/squat_university?utm_medium=copy_link