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SQUAT LIKE A GOD

by Shawn Bllon










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Before you begin this exercise program, or any exercise program,
please consult your physician to make sure that you are medically
clear for the level of intensity presented in an exercise program.


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INTRODUCTION

Most people who know me laugh at the squat god nickname that
I allowed to be placed on me. Dont get me wrong, despite driving
a car that some feel is like riding inside of a vagina, I am plenty
meathead from time to time.

So what is squatting like a god? How does one do this? Do we
sacrifice a goat, virgin or a virgin goat? Well I am going to break
down key variables that I believe are ignored, misunderstood or just
plain forgotten.

It is my firm belief that you will squat stronger, more efficiently,
smartLIKE A GOD. FORGET DOING ANYTHING LIKE A BOSS! I mean
really, dont we tend to inherently hate our bosses? SO, WE ARE
GONNA DO IT LIKE A GOD!

OVERTRAINING

We always want to avoid this. First, set up a base heart rate when
you first wake up in the morning for 1-2 weeks. Take your heart rate
every morning. You can Google orthostatic heart rate to find
websites that will help you take and explain in detail about using the
heart rate to avoid burn out. Now, once your training gets going,
monitor your heart rate for consistent increases. An increased heart
rate can be a tell-tale sign that you need to back off or just rest out
right. You might find too much rest pausing to be wearing you
down. It is possible that an exercise needs to be cut. Do what
needs to be done: self-assess.

Self-myofascial release can be very helpful through use of a foam
rolling, PVC pipe, lacrosse ball and other implements. Use these
tools. They work out scar tissue, increase circulation and help
improve your range of motion. If you are not familiar with self-
myofascial release think of yourself as cookie dough and the
implements are the rolling pin. You work on working out the knots or
adhesions in your muscles. The knots will not always disappear after
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one session. The process takes time. Spending 5-10 minutes before
and after training will help your recovery immensely! Once done
with the knots, move on to stretching.

Stretching is imperative! Do it. Personally, I think passive stretching is
more suited for powerlifting. Passive is slow and controlled. No
bouncing. No stretching until you feel like you're going to die. You
can try fascia stretching but proceed with caution. I personally am
not a fan. I think it traumatizes the muscle too much. There is plenty
of research behind passive stretching for athletes. I have started
using a tricep stretch with my PVC roller to work on my elbow issues.
Hurts while working out some knots, but seems to be working my
range of motion while getting some scar tissue broken down and
getting some blood flow to my enflamed joints. Circulation
promotes healing while keeping tissue pliable.

Sleep is a must. It is always mind
boggling to see when lifters talk
about their training going nowhere
and yet the last variable of the day,
sleep, is totally neglected. I don't
care how much you need. Everyone
tends to be a little different but 8
hours does seem to work well. Listen
to your body. If you are tired try
resting while giving stimulants a rest.
We live in a very intense and wound up world. Take some time to
relax and meditate. Candles, chanting and funky robes I leave up
to you but at least get somewhere quiet, dark and soothing. J ust
unwind in some solemn silence. Some of my best days are started
listening to soft music, sitting at my desk, sipping coffee at 4 am. My
day is always better for spending this mental recharging time.

CARDIO/CONDITIONING/GPP

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Not my favorite topic but certainly does
have merit. First, don't be afraid to be
active and walk to the mail box. You will
not overstrain from this...well...I hope not
anyway. If so, just close this PDF and
walk away right now...which will
probably lead to you overtraining as
well.

Seriously, I am a firm believer of doing
cardio but we have to keep it in the
correct context. I like HIIT cardio after
lifting; it's fast, effective and works. Sprints on hills, sledge hammer
swings, wheel barrel runs, prowler work, sled pulling and sand bag
drills are all very popular as well. I have no issues of doing a 45
minute walk on the treadmill either.

You might be tired for the first few weeks but give it time. Keep
eating, resting, foam rolling and stretching. You will get in better
shape and your recovery overall will improve; except for the mail
box guy since he is just FUBAR.

I do like the idea of getting my cardio in on the same training day
but some gym rats might like to use their off days. See what works for
you. Again: self-assess.

If you only do one conditioning session to start out, fine! Look, don't
be an all or nothing freak. J ust work up to things. If anything
negatively impacts your CORE LIFT then something needs tweaked.
Cool? Does this mean no cardio/conditioning/GPP? No, try again.
Please refer to the overtraining section. Start simple in your
assessment.

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NUTRITION

My world as a strength coach has many buzz words. Some days I
wonder if people just like to make up new terms to describe the
same thing. But in the world of Phil Hartman from SNL fame, I am
just a caveman. I don't get into a lot of the technical terms many
times because as smart as it makes me feel having an athletes eyes
gloss over as I chant Buehler, Buehler is not my idea of educating.
If you do not log your food I suggest using Myfitnesspal.com to do so.
The app for smart phones also can scan products to enter into your
daily food journal. Knowing what you are taking in nutrient-wise is
invaluable. I have had many clients that were shocked at how off
their eating really was. Putting it on paper so to speak can have
some real positives to conceptualize
where you are and where you need
to be.

So what diet scheme do I
recommend for you? How the heck
would I know? I am not going to be
some sales jackass that tries selling
you on his magic whatever
because I am against that. I like
concepts and philosophies but it
would be reckless and insulting to
you if I just said, DO THIS AND YOUR
CARES WILL BE DEAL WITH. I would say to investigate the Zone, Paleo
Diet and possibly keto-style diet which would be like an Atkins diet
but add more protein as an athlete.

I will leave you with this for diet, if you arent getting your weight in
grams of protein, taking in healthy fats and getting plenty of fiber,
you are failing!

If you are getting a little annoyed wondering why I just havent
gotten to talking about squatting you are missing the point. All of
these factors do in fact matter to your success. You know the
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saying, the early bird gets the worm? Well in this case the
organized, intelligent and meticulous lifter gets the prize! If you
could change one small detail and it made the difference to being
more successful wouldnt you?

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PRACTICE! Despite what Allen Iverson said, it is imperative to practice
your technique! I use
the same steps from
the lightest warm-up
to the heaviest work
set when I train.
Perfect practice does
make perfect lifting.
Its critical that you
dont just go through
the paces of training
each day. Mentally
prepare yourself for
every single session,
set and rep. I
appreciate how
Louie Simmons encourages lifters to treat their dynamic sets as if they
were true max sets in a meet. Do this religiously and half the battle is
won as a champion squatter.
You will be amazed at how many injuries occur during warm up
weights because lifters do not respect the weights. You can get hurt
at any time. Accidents do happen, so be smart to keep yourself
safe. I watched a friend set a 30 lb. dumbbell down on a rack and
he tore the tip of his finger off.

CONTROL THE MOVEMENT

It is clear there is some misunderstanding about the speed of
movement by equipped lifters because of how slow they go. Some
people think this it means a raw lifter should be the opposite, with a
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faster descent. I disagree, but I don't think you need to make it a
five-count negative. I think a nice 3-4 count (not seconds) once the
judge gives you the squat command works very well. This allows
you to stay totally in control of the lift, to better find your depth and
have the explosive power to come out of the hole. The faster you
go, the harder it is to reverse the momentum. A high-speed suicide
squat will eventually K.O. your powerlifting career! Somehow you
need to find the speed that works for you to be the most efficient, so
be sure to practice.

FIND THE BEST STANCE

The stance is potentially the most debated part of squatting, period.
I have been told that if I spread my feet out really wide I would be
unstoppable. Well, that sounds great, but the application just doesn't
work for me. Granted, I liked what I heard and gave the stance
change a try. My hips hurt. I was just never comfortable. I am very
comfortable being a shoulder width stance squatter. I have large
quads so it stands to reason that I use effective leverages to be
optimal in my lift. Some of the misunderstanding on stance has also
been predicated due to equipped lifters that stand extremely wide.
Equipment is going to protect the hips to a greater degree than
without any, just as it does so for the knees. It makes little sense to
copy someone if you are not using the same methods and
equipment.

Based on my personal
experience and
coaching numerous
lifters, I recommend that
raw squatters use a
shoulder width stance
to start along with the
toes pointed out around
45 degrees. The
recommended starting stance is your base to tweak and adjust
during practice to see what is optimal and comfortable.
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One great tip for finding the correct stance for your structure is to sit
on the end of a flat bench with your feet flat and spread at hip
width. Attempt to stand up without leaning forward at all. By doing
this, you will quickly find that if your stance is too close you lean
forward excessively. Picture that same movement with 400 lbs. on
your back and imagine how badly youll pitch forward. As you
gradually spread your feet and do this over and over, youll find the
stance where you can easily stand without leaning forward at all
thats the ideal stance for you. Likewise, if you spread your feet
extremely wide, youll find that you start to lean forward again.
Bar Placement. This topic covers where the bar is going to rest and
where you are going to grab the bar with your hands. Both are
super important. Dont neglect either factor!

The bar placement or ride can be up on the neck, lower on the
traps or placed on the rear delts like we do in meets. Let me say that
using a pad to keep you comfortable from the bar is not ideal. You
want the bar engaged with your body. Be one with the metal. The
pad lifts the bar away from you while being an unstable service.
Sure your neck might feel a little better while you happen to blow
out your spine! Avoid the pad. Nice idea but too risky.

The ride on the traps can be ok if you have traps. Make sure to
squeeze your shoulder blades to keep the traps tight and solid for
the bar. What you will notice is the bar being higher on the traps will
possibly make you fight to stay upright. A beginner needs to just use
whatever range of motion he is able to use while staying upright.
Someone that is more experienced should keep the head and chest
up while driving hard to also maintain good posture and power.
Leaning with this ride will potentially put your mid back at risk. There
are implements like the Manta Ray that you can also purchase
online to put on the bar to be more in control while using this more
upright style of squatting.

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Where you grip the bar is not
nearly as tough to consider
once you know where the bar
will ride. Once you have the
foundation of the bar ride you
can think about how close or
wide to grab the bar. I
personally advise my athletes
to grab the bar as close as
possible without causing pain
to their shoulders. So, yes,
comfort is going to be a factor. You want to have the arms in closer
because it allows you to keep the upper back muscles tighter for
more stability and control of the bar ride. If you have mobility issues
take time to stretch getting under the bar after doing some light
cardio to increase your core temperature.

Learn to breathe! Ok, in the context of your lifting. Once you are
under the bar with your grip and the ride set, take in a deep breath
slowly and hold. Lift the weight off the rack and walk the weight to
your set up position to establish your stance ALL THE WHILE KEEPING
THAT BREATH. Once you establish the set-up, take the time to catch
a few controlled breathes. Before attempting the lift, take in a nice
controlled breath and hold. Give yourself a second to hold the
breath before starting to lower with the bar. I find that lifters rush the
process and end up taking in their air as they are starting to lower
with the weight which is totally counterproductive. Finally, as you
come up with the weight let out the air in whatever fashion feels
natural.

The range of motion of the lift is something that I will not be very
lengthy with. Squat deep if you can. If you cant, find another sport.
End of story.


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INTENSITY TECHNIQUES
These are concepts that you
can apply to your training.
All of the listed ideas can be
helpful but always be mindful
of what your goals are.
Negatives, static holds,
partial movements and/or
pulses, walkouts, overloads,
strip-downs and supersets are
all options to add to your
training. I have really fallen in
love with using bands in my
training as well. In one of my
articles, I shared about the
concept of overloading the
lockout of the movement
while being less strenuous in the weaker areas which can keep us
healthier. Make no mistakes, bands are tough! Use some chains if
you like as well. I have also toyed with using plyometrics. Box jumps
with holds at the bottom position can really work on your
explosiveness while being a great integrative movement regarding
corrective exercise in your training. Remember to find techniques
that work for your goals; based on your current conditioning and
physical abilities.

I have used a Westside barbell template. Basically, I wasn't satisfied
totally so I tweaked things to fit what I wanted.

MONDAY: SQUAT MAX EFFORT DAY

This was always a squatting day. The only thing I varied was my
positioning, depth and bar positioning. I used different heights to box
squat while changing my stance as well. These lifts were done in
more of a touch and go to overload certain areas of my lift while not
pausing like my traditional box squatting. I usually did about 15 sets
with warm ups included. Using max effort work I focused on 1-3 reps
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close to failure. Normally I ended up with 4-6 work sets.

Good mornings for 3-5 sets of 8-10 reps
reverse hypers or back extension 4 sets of 10
2 sets of 20 reps on leg extensions

FRIDAY: DYNAMIC SQUAT OR SPEED DAY (NOT FUN!)

This day I would squat on a 10" box with around 60-80% of my
assumed max and paused each rep briefly ALTHOUGH STAYING
TIGHT and then firing up. I would do 8-12 sets. I would rest 30-45
seconds between each set! I was
cooked!!!

Then I would sometimes go heavy
on good mornings. Usually I use the
same protocol as the previous
Monday with only slight variations
depending on how I felt. If my lower
back was tired, I would skip GMs
and ham curls. I would sometimes
do leg presses but usually stuck with
high rep leg extensions at the end.
Sometimes I would do some rack
lock outs if I had the energy.

On my off days, I would stretch A LOT and spend time in the tub.
Every Friday I see a massage therapist as well. Additionally, I trained
my abs nearly every day. My favorite thing was doing decline sit-ups
with four 45's.

A program that I really enjoyed was my 3x3 cycle I called Trinity.
The lifting works well to train your body to be ready for a full meet.
Each session focuses on a squat, bench and deadlift movement.

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The split is 3 days a week:

Monday you can focus on your squat first. Wednesday bench
pressing is the focus. Friday is all about top energy for your
deadlifting. You can use a 3 week cycle of 3x8, 4x6 and 5x5 to lift by
the numbers. These numbers are only for the focus lift that day.

Example:

Squat
135x10, 225x5, 315x3, 405x8, 425x8, 425x8

Narrow Grip Bench
135x10, 225x10x5

Romanian Deadlifts
225x10, 315x10, 405x10x3

Good mornings happen to be one of my favorite movements. They
work the posterior chain
(glutes, hams, erectors and
soleus) while really improving a
lifters strength and efficiency in
the squat and deadlift.
Good mornings can have
some variations to them but for
our purpose we will go with the
standard movement.
You will rest the bar on your
shoulders similar to a power
squat, meaning the bar will be
Monday Wednesday Friday
Squat Front Squats Olympic Squats
Narrow Grip Bench
Press
Bench Press Illegal Grip Bench
Press
Romanian Deadlifts Good Mornings Deadlift
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on the rear delts.

Keep the back engaged and the abs tight. Think of sucking in your
belly button to support the spine.

Lean forward at the hips to lower the upper body until you are about
parallel to the floor. Many times I have clients go until the see the bar
on the top of their traps at the bottom position of the lift for good
depth.

As you lean forward bend the knees slightly to keep your balance
and support your back. Do not attempt to do the movement with
your legs locked. Locked knees will be too much on the joint, lower
back and overall balance.

Raise your torso while keeping
the head up and driving the
hips forward to the start
position.

Repeat

Good mornings can be used as
assistance work for squats and
deadlifts. I have a few athletes
that alternate weeks with
deadlifts to go heavy with good mornings as their core lift. There are
many options but keep it sensible especially to start out. It is always
far better to undertrain especially with a new movement, than to
overcompensate and fry your CNS.

Example:

Day 1:
Squat power scheme
Good mornings 3x10 80% max

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Day 5:
Deads or Good mornings power scheme

**If doing deads that session for the core exercise feel free to use the
good mornings as a simple 5x5 scheme while keep reps in the 60-75%
range.**

***If doing good mornings as the core exercise hit some Romanian
deadlifts or straight leg deadlifts for a simple 5x5 scheme with 60-75%
range.***

****The 60-75% range can be cycled for week to week for you can
add 5% until you cap at 75% at the fourth session and then start over
at 60% again.****

Safety is something I preach with clients. Strong means nothing if you
are hurt so we always try to be smart and intelligent in our
programming.

As I close I want to give you a few points to consider regarding your
own training:

Warm up the body with 5-10 minutes on a treadmill, exercise bike or
rower. Use whatever cardio you like but use the time to warm up the
body literally.

Once done warming up with
cardio take some time to foam
roll, PVC roll and use a lacrosse
ball for trigger points. Using these
movements for self-myofasical
release will not only improve your
strength as a lifter but prevent
many injuries. These activities can
break up adhesions and relax
overactive muscle fibers.

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Stretch! The muscles are warm and relaxed from the previous steps
so use that to work on stretching properly. Nice passive stretching
with no bouncing for 20-30 seconds will work nicely. If you need more
time by all means stretch more.

Use your warm upsets with some intelligence. Warm ups shouldn't
make you tired. Warm ups should be a gradual increase to get your
body ready for heavier weights. Warm ups are also a great time to
actively assess your training. If your second warm up feels like a ton
then take some time to ask yourself if what you are doing is correct.
Look back at your journal. If the warm ups are off then adjust. I had a
client that struggled in her warm ups while deadlifting. She was just
having an off day. She finished her last warm up and decided to call
it a day. I am not saying to ditch training sessions. I am to self-assess
and be aware of how you feel at that moment in the gym.

Write this stuff down. How is this a safety concern? Really? Come one
people! Keeping track of your numbers is a key safety issue to avoid
using too much weight etc. Look around your gym. See how many
people just guess and fail with their weights. Guessing leads to
injuries. When we train we are not in the business of guessing. We are
in the business of success with proven methodologies that transcend
a coin flip.

CONCLUSION

I hope you enjoyed reading this ebook. I wanted to be able to
share what has made me successful as a powerlifter especially as
a squatter. Obviously, these concepts can apply to all of your
training and not just to increase the squat.

Please feel free to contact me at my website where I am available
for clinics, online coaching and motivational speaking.


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HELPFUL WEBSITES

My Personal Site
www.rawpowerlifter.com
5/3/1 Calculators:
http://www.blackironbeast.com/5/ 3/1/calculator
http://grigaitis.net/ 5/3/1/
Diet:
www.myfitnesspal.com

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ABOUT ME

I am Shawn Bellon from the great town of Edgerton, Ohio. It is a
small farming community but as I get older I really appreciate what it
offers: peacefulness. Small towns can have a very strict code of
athleticism which ours did. In all the pressure, I really got more into
lifting weights. Phase 1 for me was just being inspired by my mother
who took great care of herself as a recreational bodybuilder. Phase
2 was the want to just get stronger to protect myself. Growing up
poor affords no kid a limitation on insults. Phase 3 was a football
coach that came into Edgerton. He was not a great coach but he
was a great motivator. Phase 4 was one man Ron Kauffman! The
meanest and kindest man I ever met. He taught me how to power
squat. Under his guidance, I was squatting almost 600
pounds. Phase 5 brought USPF World Champ Ernie "The Iron Sheik"
Fleischer into my world where he brought me into his world of
powerlifting. I was hooked.

Now I live in the wild, Wild West of Phoenix, Arizona, with my wife,
Tami. Gorgeous sky and hot! Traffic sucks. Tucson is more my
speed. It is like comparing a meth head to a pot head. I mean
really who would you want to be around?

I am a writer for various magazines. I have written for Ironman
Magazine, Powerlifting USA, and Boxlife magazine. I continue to
freelance writing about practical strength training for athletes.

I am open to offering clinics, guest speaking and coaching. I write
programming for lifters and athletes while doing some base diets
although I do not do contest preparation for bodybuilding.


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