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Ass to grass vs. Parallel squats

weighted chinup said:
No support. Just chalk for helping me get a less slick grip for the rack position on front squat. And oly shoes.

Personal preference though. I might consider knee sleeves or something like that to keep my knees warm later on down the line if I'm ever front squatting 500lb's or if I'm approaching old age. Whichever comes first lol.
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I love chalk. Its a staple in my training.

I've considered oly shoes but I have pretty good mobility in flat, almost sole-less shoes. All the guys I know have them but I haven't converted...yet.

One of my training partners wears knee sleeves. He can slip them on and off with little to no effort, where as most others take 20min to put theirs on. His sleeves are essentially knee warmers and couldn't possibly add weight to his squat.
 
insertnamehere said:
I love chalk. Its a staple in my training.

I've considered oly shoes but I have pretty good mobility in flat, almost sole-less shoes. All the guys I know have them but I haven't converted...yet.

One of my training partners wears knee sleeves. He can slip them on and off with little to no effort, where as most others take 20min to put theirs on. His sleeves are essentially knee warmers and couldn't possibly add weight to his squat.
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Chalk is fantastic. I even use it on some pushing movements like weighted dips just because the handles of the dip bars are plastic / rubbery and get slippery. Feels great for incline barbell bench too. Definitely use them for weighted chin-ups and pull ups. Rows too. I'm taking unfair advantage of my gym's relaxed attitude towards chalk. :)

I would still recommend oly shoes though. I used to squat in horrible shoes. I had no ankle mobility in those things. Getting a pair of romaleo's was the best investment I ever made and probably the only thing I really need for the rest of my lifting career to perform good, aside from chalk.

Those kind of knee sleeves / warmers are exactly what I would consider getting too. They slip on fast and they don't help aside from keeping your knees warm. Something like this -

http://store.hookgrip.com/shop/blue-white-hookgrip-knee-sleeves/
 
weighted chinup said:
Chalk is fantastic. I even use it on some pushing movements like weighted dips just because the handles of the dip bars are plastic / rubbery and get slippery. Feels great for incline barbell bench too. Definitely use them for weighted chin-ups and pull ups. Rows too. I'm taking unfair advantage of my gym's relaxed attitude towards chalk. :)

I would still recommend oly shoes though. I used to squat in horrible shoes. I had no ankle mobility in those things. Getting a pair of romaleo's was the best investment I ever made and probably the only thing I really need for the rest of my lifting career to perform good, aside from chalk.

Those kind of knee sleeves / warmers are exactly what I would consider getting too. They slip on fast and they don't help aside from keeping your knees warm. Something like this -

http://store.hookgrip.com/shop/blue-white-hookgrip-knee-sleeves/
Click to expand...

My gym tried to tell us not to use chalk but they gave up after months of not getting through to us. We all agreed to be friendly, smile, and nod our heads but keep using it anyway - it worked, haha. I use chalk on deads and bench and sometimes on rows if my hands are feeling beat up from deads.

I've heard/read the case for oly shoes many times but I just don't think I need them. I really do have good mobility. I can hit rock bottom even doing low bar squats, no problem.

Those sleeves look perfect - cheap and comfy. The size you get is the most important aspect. The guys that want tight sleeves get one to two sizes smaller than they think they need.
 
insertnamehere said:
I've heard/read the case for oly shoes many times but I just don't think I need them. I really do have good mobility. I can hit rock bottom even doing low bar squats if I, no problem.
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It would be interesting to see what if any improvements they might give to depth on someone who has great mobility in the first place. I could hit a2g on front squat with my working weight even in shitty shoes but there were a few other advantages I noticed when I switched. I would still recommend them but my bias is very clear at this point lol.

I use the Romaleos. My oly shoe recommends are the same for just about anyone . Romaleos, Adipowers, Risto Olimpicos, Asics weightlifting727, are all excellent and probably the very best you can get. Alternatively if someone has 800 dollars to blow on a pair of oly shoes they can buy a pair of 08 Adistars in decent condition.
 
weighted chinup said:
It would be interesting to see what if any improvements they might give to depth on someone who has great mobility in the first place. I could hit a2g on front squat with my working weight even in shitty shoes but there were a few other advantages I noticed when I switched. I would still recommend them but my bias is very clear at this point lol.

I use the Romaleos. My oly shoe recommends are the same for just about anyone . Romaleos, Adipowers, Risto Olimpicos, Asics weightlifting727, are all excellent and probably the very best you can get. Alternatively if someone has 800 dollars to blow on a pair of oly shoes they can buy a pair of 08 Adistars in decent condition.
Click to expand...

So you're saying I should get oly shoes?? haha

I can see a greater benefit in oly shoes if someone is an avid front squatter or high bar back squatter. I am neither.

The funny thing is, I bought a pair of the Adipowers a few years ago, put them on once but never did a single squat in them. I decided to try a pair of flat, light, New Balance shoes (forgot the name) and have stuck with them ever since. They're getting a little beat up now though - holes in the sides from my feet pushing outward.

If I ever break down and buy a pair of oly shoes, you'll be the first to know. How does that sound? :)
 
insertnamehere said:
So you're saying I should get oly shoes?? haha

I can see a greater benefit in oly shoes if someone is an avid front squatter or high bar back squatter. I am neither.

The funny thing is, I bought a pair of the Adipowers a few years ago, put them on once but never did a single squat in them. I decided to try a pair of flat, light, New Balance shoes (forgot the name) and have stuck with them ever since. They're getting a little beat up now though - holes in the sides from my feet pushing outward.

If I ever break down and buy a pair of oly shoes, you'll be the first to know. How does that sound? :)
Click to expand...

True, I only do front squat so that is probably why my bias towards oly shoes is so strong.

I wouldn't sweat it though, if your mobility is on point then that is probably the most important factor. Oly shoes are secondary to good mobility imo. My recommendations still stand though lol.
 
weighted chinup said:
It would be interesting to see what if any improvements they might give to depth on someone who has great mobility in the first place. I could hit a2g on front squat with my working weight even in shitty shoes but there were a few other advantages I noticed when I switched. I would still recommend them but my bias is very clear at this point lol.

I use the Romaleos. My oly shoe recommends are the same for just about anyone . Romaleos, Adipowers, Risto Olimpicos, Asics weightlifting727, are all excellent and probably the very best you can get. Alternatively if someone has 800 dollars to blow on a pair of oly shoes they can buy a pair of 08 Adistars in decent condition.
Click to expand...
What are your thoughts on these shoes for my situation? mainly my heavier lifts on my feet are squats, deadlifts and standing shoulder presses. Think oly shoes would benifet in these situations, curious mostly about deadlifts.
 
insertnamehere said:
I don't think supportive gear weakens the muscles per say but I do think they contribute to supporting the muscle function indirectly when the joint is well supported. If the joint is well supported beyond the natural capabilities of the soft tissue, the muscle can contract harder and faster. Thoughts? :)
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Yes I agree with this but still, as you get stronger with supportive gear you get stronger without it as well. The muscle will continue to get stronger in both cases and not really at a diminished rate in the former either.

Your typical recreational lifter really doesn't need much in the form of gear. Chalk, good shoes, and a belt would be plenty for most. Those who train with a specific goal of getting stronger though can benefit from the use of more gear. It's not needed but it isn't detrimental either.
 
cdoubleu said:
What are your thoughts on these shoes for my situation? mainly my heavier lifts on my feet are squats, deadlifts and standing shoulder presses. Think oly shoes would benifet in these situations, curious mostly about deadlifts.
Click to expand...

If you're doing a low bar squat then you'll probably benefit less than with a flat soled shoe like chucks or Adidas' new flat soled lifting shoe.

If you do high bar or front squats you'll see much more benefit out of Oly shoes.

For OHP I find Oly shoes help me maintain better balance from front to back.

I deadlift in socks. I'm not a fan of the heel for deadlifts but some don't mind it and can pull PRs in them.
 
insertnamehere said:
So you're saying I should get oly shoes?? haha

I can see a greater benefit in oly shoes if someone is an avid front squatter or high bar back squatter. I am neither.

The funny thing is, I bought a pair of the Adipowers a few years ago, put them on once but never did a single squat in them. I decided to try a pair of flat, light, New Balance shoes (forgot the name) and have stuck with them ever since. They're getting a little beat up now though - holes in the sides from my feet pushing outward.

If I ever break down and buy a pair of oly shoes, you'll be the first to know. How does that sound? :)
Click to expand...

My coach does low bar and just got these last week. Good looking shoe

image.jpg
 
Docd187123 said:
Yes I agree with this but still, as you get stronger with supportive gear you get stronger without it as well. The muscle will continue to get stronger in both cases and not really at a diminished rate in the former either.

Your typical recreational lifter really doesn't need much in the form of gear. Chalk, good shoes, and a belt would be plenty for most. Those who train with a specific goal of getting stronger though can benefit from the use of more gear. It's not needed but it isn't detrimental either.
Click to expand...

I agree - a person can get stronger using supportive gear. The muscles are still being worked in addition to heavier weight being used. Supportive gear or not, a person will get stronger working the lift and adding more weight over time.

If I competed in PL, I would use the supportive gear the fed and division allows me to use. It would be necessary to stay competitive. Another aspect is actually learning how to use the gear effectively. Many people don't know how to use a belt correctly. They just strap it on and think that's enough when in fact they need to learn how to push their abs into it. There's a learning curve with all the supportive gear, especially anyone who competes in suits.
 
insertnamehere said:
I agree - a person can get stronger using supportive gear. The muscles are still being worked in addition to heavier weight being used. Supportive gear or not, a person will get stronger working the lift and adding more weight over time.

If I competed in PL, I would use the supportive gear the fed and division allows me to use. It would be necessary to stay competitive. Another aspect is actually learning how to use the gear effectively. Many people don't know how to use a belt correctly. They just strap it on and think that's enough when in fact they need to learn how to push their abs into it. There's a learning curve with all the supportive gear, especially anyone who competes in suits.
Click to expand...

Yea there's a slight learning curve with belts. You need to learn how to use them to get the most out of them. Sleeves and wrist wraps not so much. Knee wraps do change the mechanics of your lift and I think the learning curve for them is the highes out of all equipment allowed in raw competition.
 
brutus79 said:
Smith machine does not allow your back to follow it's natural path- very bad for your spine. In the smith machine you are also robbing yourself of all the stabilizing exercise you get from having to actually balance the weight. Smith squats are just bad for you.
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At my gym we have a smith machine but no squat rack. I don't know why.

Should I do no squats at all instead of using the smith machine?
 
YelloBoi said:
At my gym we have a smith machine but no squat rack. I don't know why.

Should I do no squats at all instead of using the smith machine?
Click to expand...
Use dumbells or clean the bar and hoist it over your head onto your traps. Set the bar on the bench hooks at the end of the set... just use the bench as a mini squat rack. That's what I used to do at planet shitness. Try goblet squats- they will fuck your whole shit up too. YouTube it
 
brutus79 said:
Smith machine does not allow your back to follow it's natural path- very bad for your spine. In the smith machine you are also robbing yourself of all the stabilizing exercise you get from having to actually balance the weight. Smith squats are just bad for you.
Click to expand...

I use them for calf burners. Other than that I really don't see the point of a smith machine at all.
 
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