@cutieonesie I'm 6'4, in high school I maxed a 520 lb squat at about 200lbs. For me, I always thought of pushing the ground away from me and really just channeling my energy to my legs and hips. While I was squatting, I would visualize my legs sucking and harnessing the blood being driven in to them and picture them being engorged with power. Keeping a solid core to embrace, in a way, my legs and the weight on my shoulders. But really, anytime I'd squat I'd put a lot of focus on pushing the ground away from me, the rest was more of a natural thing.
@cutieonesie As for tips I’d give because of being bigger, not many. For bodyweight movements you need to often make your own mini-progressions to bridge the gap smaller people wouldn’t have to make (before str fl I had to do 1 leg full tuck front lever and 1 leg adv tuck front lever). Apart from that, just consistently working mobility does wonders.
@von20207777 Very inspiring, thanks for sharing. I'm the same height as you and a bit lighter. I've been worried about how I will get certain statics goals like straddle planche and full front lever being as tall as I am. Having heavy legs from years of weightlifting doesn't help either. It's great seeing a good squatter do these upper body skills.
How have you balanced flexibility work with still training lower body weights? I have a lot of damage to undo from so much weightlifting ie short hamstrings. Do you do lots of compression work and daily stretching or did you have good flexibility when you got started?
@dawn16 Thanks man, that really means a lot . You got this! It will take time, you just have to stay the course. Those goals are 100% attainable.
I’ve done lots of compression work in the past because I had shit flexibility when I started. Couldn’t touch my toes. Now I have full head to knees pike almost cold. I highly recommend light mobility work almost every day and then 2 heavy stretching sessions per week spending a lot of quality time in the positions you want to improve.
2 years ago I couldn’t even bend over in a pancake and now in the morning I can get my head on the floor cold, and I’m so happy with it .
@doug62 So I won’t share the routine because I’m pretty loose with it, no pun intended, but also because so many people respond differently and are at different places in their training it may not be useful. I’ll share what I do for each of the main mobility elements:
Middle splits (the once or twice a week things are same day):
light butterfly, horse stance, and pancake whenever I feel like it during the week
long frog pose holds, box over splits with one leg elevated for 1 minute each leg then splits on ground for a minute (elbow supported) once or twice a week. Contracting to get further down during the hold
middle splits isometrics once twice a week for 3 sets of a minute.
Pike
head to toe protocol every day
light pike stretching daily whenever I feel like it. Usually squat up to pike and down back to squat for reps
Front splits
lunges focused on posterior pelvic tilt up the back leg side for sets of reps whenever I feel like it
contract relax for 1.5 minutes once or twice a week for 3 sets after a hamstring and hip flexor warm-up (lunge and pike)
German hang at the end of ring routines (could be working this more, just maintenance now) as well as cat stretch for overhead mobility (something else that needs more work).
@von20207777 Both awesome achievements! Very impressive stuff seriously. I'm nearly at the straddle FL so it's nice to see someone who has a few inches on me do an even harder variation
@von20207777 Absolutely insane, congrats man! Just curious, have your goals shifted regarding going for iron cross by your next competition? It really does seem like a daunting task given your short experience with IC and your larger body type. For comparison, Lachlan Walker achieving the IC took him four years, and you both seem to have somewhat similar body types.
@2consider So recently my training has mostly been spotted crosses on a pair of very long and very unstable cable rings, I haven’t done a fresh test in a long time but I have gotten much stronger. I may test this Thursday.
I’ve watched that video so many times hahaha. And when he got it he was about 35 or 40lbs lighter than me AFAIK. I’m still training for it for this year but if not, it’s okay. I’m confident I will get it for next year for my last year of college . Here’s a clip of my most recent spotted session:
@von20207777 Thanks for sharing, your plan makes sense. Even if you don't get it this year you can next year or sometime down the line, insert quote about best time to plant a tree. I've seen the post you just linked to, I enjoy your Instagram, so I hope you keep posting. You're awesome man, keep being you!
@von20207777 Sounds like a plan. I bet it's hard to juggle your training with everything else in your life, but just stay positive. Thanks, i love my username too although I haven't heard from our lord and savior. /@fromgenesistorevelation pls notice me senpai.
@fromgenesistorevelation Thanks man, that's exactly the inspiration for the name. I wanted a username that would honor you and thought it'd be hilarious. Fuck the haters, you do what you enjoy, you can squat 600 lbs in my world .
. You got this! It will take time, you just have to stay the course. Those goals are 100% attainable. 