Aite, thanks dude!

Just wondering ... do you take any supplements ?

Nope.

I don't need protein as my recovery time is quite fast. Finish training, down some glucose and straight have dinner. Wake up next day, I'm all good to go.

I have some leftover protein shakes at home which I drink when I've nothing to eat and I'm lazy to go out. That's the only purpose of protein shakes in my opinion. After all, I'm maintaining at this bodyweight till Sukma 2010 so I've no issues with my weight at the moment.

i've been rowing for some time(bent row to be exact), but i don't really feel that i'm rowing with my back. any guideline to ensure that i'm activating back instead of arms?

Protract your scapulae. Lift with straps.
Drop the weights, and find the feel of your lats. When you find it, you can slowly increase the weights

If you're just for looks, do more cable work. Pull behind the neck if your shoulder is flexible.

Hi pizzaboy, i;m on rippetoe's & try to add weight nearly every exercise but i found that my squat is not progressing.

Now my deadlift weight also exceeding my squat. Whats happening ? Also when i at the bottom of squat or halfway up, my lower back feels a bit funny, not pain but a dull feeling like an ache will come soon.

Your deadlift is supposed to be higher than your squat.

I'll leave the rest to Pizzaboy

IF... your lower back has "no feel" to it.
IT's like...how should I say, your lower back has lost a feel to it, like you can't contract it when you want to, it's fatigue. When this comes, take a break.

Another method I like to use to squat is;

1. Lower myself and totally squeeze the crap of my legs while I'm moving downwards.
2. Imagine myself pulling the barbell downwards instead of letting gravity push me downwards. I must control the bar.
3. At the lowest point, use all that tension and "jump" upwards. Just powerfully explode upwards

The sticking point is where your body is working against the most uncomfortable positions against gravity. Thus a powerful explosive movement is required to break against this "point". Some people call it cheating, I call it, cleverly manipulating disadvantageous positions for your own good. Weightlifters use this method very often, and my coach does a 265KG back squat at 69KG bodyweight. Pyros Dimas does a 330KG back squat at 85KG with that method.

If anybody calls that cheating, tell that to my coach.

Or another method you can do is after your training, add single limb leg work. Pistols, lunges, bulgarian squats......these work well. About 4-5 sets of 10-15 reps should be good.

Hi, glad to c ur back !

Does that mean going down will be faster than normal ? I like to rest a while after going down to collect my energy b4 going up. So if following ur method this shouldn't be happening ? What if i rest a 2s when i reach the top ?

Lots Q cos i find the squat the most complex exercise so far. Hate it but i can't help liking the exhaustion it gives me.

It's completely the opposite of what you just said.

All I said is;

GO down by controlling the bar's downward movement. Aiya, basically...just don't let the bar push you on the ground. Be sure what the hell you're doing with the bar. YOu control the bar, not the bar control you.

The weight should be on your legs, NOT your lower back. Use your lower back and back to support the weight, but your legs to push yourself up.

It's hard to explain.....you'll need to find it yourself. And yes you can rest 2 seconds. When I'm squatting 101-105% of my old max, I rest up to 5 seconds.

Dude you ain't scratched the surface of complex yet.....wait till you learn to implement kettlebells and dumbbell swings.

kettlebells and dumbell swings? like crosstraining? isn't that dangerous swinging heavy stuff like dat? just curious never tried anything close to that.

Boss ! It worked ! I did not hesitate at the bottom of my squat & found dat it really helped. Smoooooh up back all the way. It was a big difference.

I guess i shouldn't stop at when its hardest at my sticking point (dats wat i did in the past) cos when i did it i couldn't move anymore & thought every rep is going to be the END.

Thanks !!

No, it isn't.

It's merely another tool, to improve fitness. Cross training is a method used by many fighters because it helps increase "usable" strength (aka repetitive strength) increase power, and increase conditioning levels. Just because someone does a dumbbell swing doesn't mean he's doing cross training. He could just be looking for a way to increase hip power.

As for swinging heavy stuff, we "swing" with control.

My Olympic weightlifting coach has always said to me;

"You control the bar, you never let the bar control you"

If you are lifting 40KG'S, use 40KG'S of power.

However, in my case, coach always tells me to use slightly less power than the weights lifted. If lifting 100KG'S, use 95KG'S of power.
Why the hell would anybody in the right mind do that?

SO we can develop speed. Speed+power+strength+technique=Olympic weightlifting.

I've never seen anybody pause with squats, unless we're doing squats to stretch our ankles.
Pausing squats=suicide at maximal weights

Well unless ur box squattin dat is.

Bro I tried the Rosstraining magic 50.. it uses dumbell swing and dumbell snatch. http://www.rosstraining.com/articles/themagic50.html

The swing i kept my arms straight till overhead level..with the snatch i use heavier weight and snatch it (bending the elbow) till the dumbell it over the head.

Can't really tell the difference between the two..don know if i am doing it rite. I watched the demo on youtube, they both look almost the same.

Thanks. BTW when is ur next big competition?

It's completely different. Btw, you don't swing till overhead level. You swing till it's about slightly higher than your eye level.
But the snatching thing you're doing it right.

Next big comp is in March or May, depending when my coach decides I'm ready and can win.

Btw, how did the magic 50 feel?

First time i did dis kinda circuit training..crash on the 4th circuit. Ok la next time i try to finish it. Quiet a workout in such a short amount of time. Good for conditioning i presume.

It's excellent for all rounder workouts.
I ain't joking but I know a counter-terrorist in Sg that followed these routines to increase his conditioning for his test. It worked wonders.

Counter Terrorist= Highest level of all military action people. More powah than commando.

Ya i read that a lot of military style training are circuit based. Carry sandbag, run 500 meters, then pushups etc etc. Its for core strength and muscle endurance which is more important in the battlefield.

Have you got any time for the ladies?

I only got 8 hours of class in a week and usually finish my assignments and studies pretty quick. I train only 3-4 hours a day nowadays, as I don't procrastinate to finish my workouts anymore.

Yeah I've got time for the weemins. In fact, I've got time to pierce my lips, stretch my earlobes, go train, read about training, meet up with my friends, go for beers, test drive cars, write for my blog, watch television. Yeah, pretty much all the normal guy would do.