Ozeki

Dr. 1% continues on the wagon draggin' crusade. I gave her the low down on box squats and Deadlifts--both conventional and sumo style--this weekend.

The Doc, not surprisingly, favored the sumo pull. I gave it a go myself and found the position to be a lot more natural than a conventional dead.

I think I'll adopt the CES approach and work both of them into the routine for awhile.

The Workout

Box Squats

2 x 12 @ Olympic Bar w/ high box, femurs just about parallel
3 x 6 @ 115#, same box
1 x 5 @ 135#, same box
1 x 6 @ 45#, ~1.5" lower box

I set the Doc up on the same box (her max depth without too much strain or discomfort) @ body weight and then with an EZ curl bar (there is nary a broomstick at the Shell) and she did the same workout as above. Again, the Doc has solid form, especially for never having done squats before.

It was reassuring to have a workout partner for the first time in probably 3 years. Felt good to get feedback on my form and, in turn, watch someone go through the motions of what I'd described as good form and end up with a pretty impeccable squat**.

Then we set to deadlifting. Sunday was a day for PR's.

Doc didn't have much trouble with mobility and technique on the DL's either. Her form on both the sumo and conventional style were solid, though she preferred sumo and did look more natural pulling that way.

We kept it light so the focus would be on technique . I am not sure of the protocol for proper depth in a DL, so I just built 2 small platforms to shim a bare Olympic bar to a kind of "standard" height assuming one were deadlifting with rubber weights off of the floor without standing on a platform or anything. Once she gets the technique down, we'll work a little on finding a proper depth, adding a platform if necessary, etc. But for now, developing good technique for deads is challenging enough that we'll spend a few weeks there until it gets to be more comfortable.

Then we added 10 pounds to set up a PR for the doc at 55# for a few sets of 3. She has embraced the pure and simple joy of lifting heavy things off of the ground. I hope she finds some satisfaction in it.

My sets:

2 x 12 @ 111 (1 conv., 1 sumo)
2 x 10 @ 111 (1 conv., 1 sumo)
1 x 2 @ 177 (All remaining were conventional)
1 x 2 @ 207
1 x 1 @ 243
1 x 0 @ 283 (Came off the ground easy, but grip failed at shins)
1 x 1 @ 283 (had to use straps, but new PR)

Then we added some hyperextensions, pull ups, push ups, ab work, and stretching. All told, a rump boostin' good time.

**My personal area of worry with squats and deads has always been that I'd flex my lumbar spine overly and herniate myself during the lift--the typically noted "bad form" when deadlifting. The Doc already has good posture and no trouble pushing her hips back and keeping a fairly flat back during the lift. In fact, I'd say she might lean a little toward the other end of the spectrum and arch her lower back during the lift. What is the happy medium in terms of stress on your back? Is it okay to have a pretty pronounced arch when you squat/DL? Anyone with some information on this will hopefully share it for the benefit of all who might be interested.