Squatting vs Running

[nicksaiz65]

Don’t do both. Focus on lifting until you get strong.

I split them up by season. From November to April I devote 100% to strength training. Come May through October I focus on distance running and sprints, with light upper body strength training.

I used to do both. It is not a good idea for a natural athlete, as your legs will get overtrained very quickly. More importantly, your soft tissues will scream.

So my overall goal is 3x5 squat at 315. With my own strength, no weight lifting belt.

What will my 5x5 need to get up to to achieve that goal?

 

[rart]

So my overall goal is 3x5 squat at 315. With my own strength, no weight lifting belt.

What will my 5x5 need to get up to to achieve that goal?

I advise getting a good powerlifting belt. Belts don't lift weight, they do not store energy like elastics.

What a good belt does is helps you generate intra abdominal pressure, which will engage more of your abs and lower back. Belt actually makes your abs and lower back work more in a squat.

If you are skeptical, just check if your beltless lifts go up, which they will.

Don't use belt on every set. Do warmups beltless, and put on the belt for your work set.

 

[ImTheDoubleGreatest!]

I advise getting a good powerlifting belt. Belts don't lift weight, they do not store energy like elastics.

What a good belt does is helps you generate intra abdominal pressure, which will engage more of your abs and lower back. Belt actually makes your abs and lower back work more in a squat.

If you are skeptical, just check if your beltless lifts go up, which they will.

Don't use belt on every set. Do warmups beltless, and put on the belt for your work set.

I highly disagree. Belts help so many people, especially depending on how they squat. It’s oftentimes a cruch bc they have week abs. For me personally, they never did ****. Whenever I used them, I didn’t feel any difference whatsoever.

The purpose of them from what I can tell is to prevent getting a hernia. Which imo just means you have a weak core, likely because you are squatting while pushing your belly outward instead of bracing your entire core stiff like you would if someone were to punch you in the stomach. That’s why so many jacked dudes might have a 6-pack that hits out a little bit, almost like that bubble gut in the pros (albeit nowhere near that extreme). It’s pretty disgusting imo.

 

[nicksaiz65]

I highly disagree. Belts help so many people, especially depending on how they squat. It’s oftentimes a cruch bc they have week abs. For me personally, they never did ****. Whenever I used them, I didn’t feel any difference whatsoever.

The purpose of them from what I can tell is to prevent getting a hernia. Which imo just means you have a weak core, likely because you are squatting while pushing your belly outward instead of bracing your entire core stiff like you would if someone were to punch you in the stomach. That’s why so many jacked dudes might have a 6-pack that hits out a little bit, almost like that bubble gut in the pros (albeit nowhere near that extreme). It’s pretty disgusting imo.

Wait ... Are you not supposed to suck in air and push your stomach out while you squat?

Great timing. I'm about to go to the gym right now.

 

[ImTheDoubleGreatest!]

Wait ... Are you not supposed to suck in air and push your stomach out while you squat?

Great timing. I'm about to go to the gym right now.

You could but you’re more likely to get a hernia that way. I think the other way I mentioned is better. Sucking in air helps imo just bc of the building up pressure helps keep your torso more stiff.

Imagine someone is about to punch you in the stomach. Oh don’t just flex your abs not do you push them outwards, you tense up EVERYTHING—your abs, your obliques, transverse abdominis—everything tightens up. That’s the way you should squat. Personally I’m not consciously thinking about all that, I just squat lol

 

[GrowingPains]

Wait ... Are you not supposed to suck in air and push your stomach out while you squat?

Great timing. I'm about to go to the gym right now.

Breathing in and bracing (creating abdominal pressure) is a good thing. It's very structurally stable. Think of a pressurized can versus a can with a hole in it. Which one can stand more weight on it?

And it's not why jacked guys have stomachs that poke out. That's because of the type of steroids they're taking.

I brace on squat, bench, deads, planks, back lever, anything I can. My stomach doesn't jut out when I'm relaxed.

The purpose of a belt is not safety related. It's to be able to create more pressure.

Being punched is not the same as holding weight. And creating stability.

If bracing is such a bad idea... why do strongmen and powerlifters do it? They're smart, they're strong..

Perhaps the way you think of bracing is a little misunderstood. When I brace, I take a deep breath and push as many of the muscles as I can outward. This also contracts them because well.. they can't move if they're not contracted. So this creates a tight wall around a bunch of air that's trying to expand - stiffness. If there was no air there... the muscles can't contract as hard as they could if it were because there's nothing to push against.

Breathe deep. Try to engage as many muscles and feel pressure all the way around your mid-section. Squat.

 

[Poonani Maker]

I advise getting a good powerlifting belt. Belts don't lift weight, they do not store energy like elastics.

What a good belt does is helps you generate intra abdominal pressure, which will engage more of your abs and lower back. Belt actually makes your abs and lower back work more in a squat.

If you are skeptical, just check if your beltless lifts go up, which they will.

Don't use belt on every set. Do warmups beltless, and put on the belt for your work set.

I used to wear one for years provided by a company I used to work for. I always felt more strong wearing a back brace/belt. I was told by another company that you don't need no belt if you "lift right." I think I'm going to buy a belt to test in my workouts at home, which I have just started back btw after 2 months of No exercise. I've only gained 4 lbs in the layoff, but my stamina/energy is Way down. I will workout tomorrow too and get back. I'd stopped due to an injury to my left foot, now it's perfectly healed but I have to still be cognizant of it in my older age. I feel great after my workout today though, new jump rope that you can get the exact length that you need (from China but good speed rope) - that was always my problem cutting too short or leaving too long. I could tell how weak I was after just 2 months. The message is, don't layoff for too long or you'll almost be back to square one, even if you only gain a few lbs. Your mind falters too from zero exercise. I was feeling quite lazy and lethargic in speech, thinking, and movement doing the least I possibly had to do to get jobs done. It was an ambling governmental pace of movement the month of February, pretty pathetic, though it snowed the whole time so I guess I deserved to go at a snails pace.