Comments on: 5 Keys When Lifting For Speed

By: Beverly Trujillo

Beverly Trujillo — Thu, 27 May 2010 09:58:19 +0000

Incredibly awesome read! Honestly.

By: Njama

Njama — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:40:41 +0000

Hey Alex, I also noticed that with all the exercises you mentioned, they all require some amount of balance as well. Depending on the sport, that is a key item missing. I work with a few children who participate in TKD which requires alot of kicks in one form or another, and the thing missing in their training is balancing practice. Ankle strength is extremly relative to that though. I love the lunges and split Bulgarian squats in your compund picks, they force ankle mobility and just improving useful strength improvement … good choices!

By: Neil Wilson

Neil Wilson — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:19:17 +0000

Signing off as: Yours in SAQ …is yours to use.

Cheers
Neil

By: Alex

Alex — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:54:46 +0000

Lachlan-

What exactly are you asking? You say you gained weight without getting bigger? Let me know.

-Alex

By: Lachlan

Lachlan — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:47:26 +0000

Great piece the only thing i would have to say about the 1st principal is that i have been lifting weights for ages then i went on a bball tour for 3 weeks and when i came back and started working out again i put on 15kgs in 3 weeks with out gaining any size at all so how does some one like me improve their relative strength when i didnt get fat or got bigger i just got heavier.

By: Lori

Lori — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:36:09 +0000

Great article. I have done a month long program and feel more satisfied that when I used to “mix it up”.

I am still looking for substitutes for deadlift and weighted squats for my son who has been told that with his extra vertebrae these exercises should not be performed. Any ideas?

By: hayden

hayden — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 09:31:12 +0000

i have been slacking on progressing with my lifts. maybe im not eating enough to get stronger or something. but i am a huge fan of compound movements like squats and pullups.

By: lllCB33lll

lllCB33lll — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:45:56 +0000

Hey Alex, I also dedicate every free moment to training. I have been repeatedly told by coaches, family, and friends that I will burn myself out, but I just can’t take a break without feeling bad. I didn’t know you have had a similar experience with burnouts. Perhaps you could write an article focusing on this subject and tell us your burnout story, because I know this is something that really dedicated athletes struggle with.

By: Alex

Alex — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:21:27 +0000

FitnessinForestCity,

The back squat is obviously a massive compound movement, no doubt about it. But to say BSS isn’t a compound movement isn’t totally true. It involves several muscle groups, spans several joint actions and is hard as hell (a common theme amongst compound movements).

I think the back squat has a lot of value, but in terms of weighing the pros vs. the cons, I’ve gone away from having anyone back squatting. It’s too easy for people to screw it up especially when I can’t be there to coach it 1 oon 1, plus I’ve always found it to be especially draining for a lot of the athletes I find myself working with.

If most of the athletes I’m working with are the ones who want to be unbelievably fast and quick, it makes sense that most of them are natural ectomorphs (or endomorphs). Both of those groups have poor work capacities to start with, and balancing lifting with everything else can be tough. You gotta be careful not too cross that line of “too much”…

…and more than not, back squatting has sent many an athlete over that line.

Thanks for the comments dude, and I’m a big fan of Rippetoes for sure. His “keep it simple” approach is something I’m a huge fan of and try to base my own views and coaching off of.

-Alex

By: Alex

Alex — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:14:14 +0000

* Adarqui is one crazy dude for anyone who knows who he is…I guess #4 was for the rest of us in the “normal” population!

*Thanks Neil. Yours in SAQ…mind if I steal that? :-p

*I know exactly what you’re talking about Mo. Just be careful man, it can be a VERY slippery slope between “damn exciting” and a chore…

-Alex