Strength / Weight Training

Sick burn

Squatting three times a week is a lot, especially with no variations, I think reducing frequency is the right call.

Bulgarian split squats are king for me. Especially with front foot elevated so you can get deeper. Unilateral focus helps build those supporting muscles that prevent hip pain and the stretch on rear leg as you get deep feels great. I like to hold weight in my opposite hand or in a goblet position. If I take unilateral leg work out of my program for more than 12 weeks I will develop hip pain on my right side.

Similarly, single leg RDLs are great for building coordination and control at the hips. Use a landmine attachment if you have one to give a little more stability.

If your gym has a belt squat, those are great for a squatting motion that doesn't load the spine and will let you focus on getting your hips moving the way you want them to.

Front squats are also pretty dope. The more upright positions puts way less strain on hips.

If you can swap one session to deadlifts first and for a couple more sets then that might alleviate a mental "must squat" barrier.

pwned

I’ve found it harder to do slow split squats with 5kg in each hand than it is to do 50 on my back.

Hip pain - is it a pinch sensation? You don’t have to yoga to solve this. Physio will help, but they’ll tell you you’re making the wrong life choices (sitting down, office work, etc and so on, built to move etc and so on) however much you pay them.

Number 4 stretch/ pigeon pose/ hip flexor strength work/ adductor/ abductor work.
See if you can get the physio to watch you squat with weight and then you tell them where it hurts and when?

Edit:
Physios are great our modern life is rubbish

If you can't squat 3 times a week, just don't do stronglifts. Try GZCLP or check out liftvault and look for a program that fits your needs.

I personally think stronglifts isn't a particularly good beginner program in the first place, but it's very much based around squatting every workout, so if you can't do that you need to choose a different program.

Cheers for the help so far. Yeah, that's probably how to describe it - feels slightly sore whenever I rack the bar after a set.

I'll try and incorporate some more stretching beforehand through the week and see if it improves things - he did suggest doing a hip flexor stretch on off days, which has also proved a bit of a challenge

Great post

Just started looking into GZCLP - have to say it looks much more manageable

Thanks!

The app boostcamp has the gzclp program in it for free, if you're interested.

Sprained my MCL earlier this year (skateboarding isn't the best compliment to strongman...), meaning I had to drop out of the strongman comp I had booked. After stopping feeling sorry for myself and a holiday I am back to training properly.

Going to properly shed the timber I've built up a mix of intentionally and unintentionally over the past 3 years.

Shorter workouts, and more walking is nice. The 3hr workouts in strongman prep were very draining.

Ooooh knee stuff is nasty. Fingers crossed for a strong recovery my guy.

Thanks. Generally going well, can lift statically as normal, but just can't do anything dynamic or single leg / unbalanced at the moment. So just back on a more normal squat/press/deadlift program with no strongman events.

Great to hear you’re getting back to it.

Strongman is a hell of an achievement

Update on the bench press, looked at my form and turns out it was off and fixing a few things (slightly narrower grip, retracting scapula) has made it feel all so easier, thanks all.

Oh also doing Stronglifts, currently on 87.5 for squats. It's tough as each workout I'm doing around 48 squats if you include the warmup. I had a knee niggle which I continued working through, it ended up clearing by itself and I attribute that to getting consistent with squat form.

I don't think you mentioned what you do to warm up? I loop band + leg swings etc to hit the glutes and related, I also grab a 5kg plate for some deep squat active stretching, I think this is key to avoiding injury. Rather than not squatting, I would drop the weight on the app and work on form whilst completing the reps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFs6E3Ti1jg&t=601s

If you are having issues with form etc. This is my go to book. It covers everything you should need.

1 Attachment

Should he be looking up??

From memory - no. Neck should be in a neutral position. I stand to be corrected

Maybe that’s where I’ve been going wrong. I can’t squat for toffee

Get the book. From memory, which is poor, there's about 70 pages on squatting.

I’m quite tall so whenever I squat it feels like I’m either going to fall forward or fall back. My calves are also really tight so I can’t seem to get very low

Shoes? Have you weightlifting shoes?

I don’t. I look upon people with lots of weightlifting gear on negatively.

Maybe I should get some

I understand. If I was you, which I'm not, get the book and then consider what you may or may not need. The book covers footwear, belts, straps. I don't know much but it covered EVERYTHING regarding squats that I could think so.
One small point and I may be slightly wrong. Re knees they should go in the direction of your feet which should be angled out (less than 45 degrees / maybe 30) but I'm thinking that the knee cap doesn't extend over your foot. Make any sense at all? But the book for accurate info.