Most of the world that trains on a regular basis uses Monday as chest day. It is recognized as international chest day! Call me a rebel, but I like Mondays as a squat day. No particular reason. I just like it!

In light of my squat day. I would like to share some things I have learned about the squat. First and foremost it is an absolutely fantastic exercise. There is no exercise that exists that activates the central nervous system as completely as the squat. It utilizes so many anatomical cues and movers, that in order to perform a proper squat, there is no equal to nervous activation capabilities.

There are so many benefits to the squat a simple modifications to maximize the benefits of this exercise. Things to focus on are your Hips, Quad Complex, and Hamstrings. From beginning to end these points of effort are stabilizing, contracting eccentrically, concentrically, and complimenting. For a standard back squat from the point that you are standing with that bar on your back your spinal erectors are holding you up and stabilizing your posture, preparing a base for your eccentric phase. The eccentric phase is where your glutes and hamstrings are extending the hips and quads (which in turn are flexing) and your are essentially loading the back, glutes, and hamstrings to lift the body out of the eccentric phase into the concentric phase where the roles of the anterior (hips and quads) and the posterior (hamstrings and glutes) are switched and upon standing up completely, you have worked the lower body in an extremely efficient manner.

In my personal opinion, the squat is a power movement. It's made to utilize the muscles in a powerful way to develop maximal strength in the lower body. So, when performing the squat, it is extremely important to be strong through the entire movement. From beginning to end. I learned this little tidbit from one of my favorite lifters. Richard Hawthorne, the world's strongest man, pound for pound. The way he states it is, getting tight! Even from the moment your about to pick up the bar you need to get tight and be strong. In contrast to picking up the bar relaxed and then getting strong. The latter limits the capacity to prep the body because there is an initial load already placed on the stabilizers. Getting tight before the bar is picked up maximizes the body's capacity to prep and squat! Essentially, Get strong from the moment you THINK about lifting the weight.

Complex Lifts, like the Bench Press, Deadlift, Squat, etc etc. have a lot of intricate details to them making them fantastic methods of exercise. A little bit of research before performing them can help optimize your workout and help you achieve even greater strength gains.

Today's Squat Day:
Back Squat: 10x10 30 sec rest 50% max
Back Squat 3x to failure
(isolated lifts)
-hamstrings 3x12
-quads 3x12
-calves 3x12
-hip complex 3x12

Ironman Training:
Swim 1200m without stopping (any stroke)


Every Day... A Little Stronger