5 rep Back Squat

Today was find your 5 rep back squat max, and surprisingly enough it turned out to be a bit of a technique day for me. My 5 rep max is 250 from back in August, so I figured my goal would be 275. I really wanted to come in today focused and with a goal that I believed to be reasonable.

Historically, I have problems descending too quickly, and I lower my hips about three inches below parallel, which is hard to recover from (unless your Danya). This time, I made sure to lower myself slowly (relatively speaking) and I felt strong with each rep. The massage therapy is proving to be very helpful as my muscles learn to relax. I can definitely feel a difference in my hip, it's hard to describe. It feels really sore, but it's not pain. It feels like rust falling off, not exactly a pleasant feeling, but one that indicates better times ahead.

The first set was 225, and I handled it easily, I was doing a good job on squatting to depth and driving out of the hole, but I was squatting in a jerky motion, like one body part moved, then another, then another, as opposed to one fluid motion. Jerry said this stemmed from having issues with my core.

Speaking of core muscles, I should take this time to say that I don't know if I've really recovered from the 110 GHD situps I did last week. Sunday my abs were still sore to the touch, and when I was running yesterday it felt like I had found a new layer of ab muscle to contract while running. We did some GHD's in the warm up, and the stretch caused the soreness to re-appear. Just when you think there isn't an exercise that will render you sore for days, Crossfit finds one (like ring push ups). I consider this great news, because I feel like one of my biggest issues is learning, and keeping, my core tight.

Anyway, back to the squats. For the next set (of 255). I remembered to keep my core tight, but now I was having issues with racking the weight. As I started to come off the rack the bar rolled down my back (have the bruises to prove it), which really through me off.

However, I re-racked it, really focused on keeping my elbows up so that there was a shelf of muscle for the bar to sit on, and hit out the first rep. It wasn't impossible, but it wasn't too hard either. Then the second rep. Getting harder to keep proper form. As I descend, my legs start barking a lot louder, but I manage to ignore them and focus on the rack and making sure my core tension doesn't give out. I know my legs are strong enough to push the weight without me really having to pay attention to them. They're like the older child who you won't have to worry about touching a hot stove or eating poison. You keep an eye on them, but you focus on the toddler who just learned to walk.

I hit the bottom of the squat, my hip/leg muscles, which instantly recognize what position I'm in, kick it into overdrive to drive myself back up. Combining this with the core tension, I bounce back up a couple of inches. Now I pay attention to my legs, and command my glutes to contract while pushing my knees apart so they track my feet. I feel my hamstrings curling, and it feels like they are just two huge knots behind my femur. I reach the top, exhale, inhale, exhale, and then suck air down my throat like I'm about to be pulled under water and punched in the stomach at the same time. (At least, that's what it felt like. It probably wasn't as big of a breath as I could've made, but I'm not sure.)

I started to descend for the third time, but this time I started to focus more on my legs, as they had started to really get my attention. I bounce out of the hole, go up a couple of inches, and then freeze. Time stops, and I order my muscles to help me stand up. I feel my hamstrings bulge, my quads start to try to help, and I can't even tell if my glutes are working. Sadly, I stay in that position for just a second, and then gravity starts to win out an the weight goes back down.

I rest for a long while, and then try it again. This time Jerry recommends a narrower grip to tighten up the rack, and I try it out. It does feel infinitely more secure, albeit more uncomfortable as well. This time I do not even bounce, I just lower myself to the bottom and can't get up.

Even though I did not reach my goal, I feel like I learned a lot today about the back squat, and I plan to use it in the near future. I know my legs are stronger than this, I just need to get the form down so I may focus on pushing my legs, and not worry about my core and rack. I also hope the massage treatments will continue to loosen up my hip so that I may push it even harder.

We had a conditioner after that:

10 min AMRAP
15 pvc OHS
5 Lou burbees.

Having experienced a workout that made fun of how small my "gas tank" is, I figured doing this was essential to improving my cardiac conditioning and lactic threshold. I had to change out the Lou burbees with something that would not bother my shoulder, and Jerry suggested Jumping slamballs. Jerry commented that the goal was ten rounds, and when time had expired I was 9 OHS's into my eleventh round. Given that 5 slam balls take much less time than Lou burbees, I'm not surprised. But I am pleased with how I pushed through the burn and never stopped.