Meet the 'King' of exercises - Squats

I know for the seasoned gym-goer these exercises are familiar, but perhaps for people less acquainted with weights this demo may be of some help:

Body-for-LIFE Training Demonstrations

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i [heart] porridge

i can vouch for the pain after doing a lot squats with only body weight, and i'm only 18! ;\

Ive been doing some power work in the gym to improve my explosive speed and power in the pool. The key exercises my trainer has got me doing are:

Cleans- great for that explosive power but the technique is the tricky thing. Now ive cracked it i am really noticing the benefits.

Deadlift squats- ouch ouch ouch, but great for my lower back, where i get a few injurys

Squats- yes it is the king. i am rapidly improving in this. However my achelies tendons are not very flexable, all that finning has shortened them and during the squat action my knees dont go past my toes... so i use heal lifts, about an inch to ensure i am doing the movement properly. If i dont use the heal lifts i lean forward too much and put a lot of pressure on my lower back (not good). But another good tip from my trainer is to keep the bar nice and far back on your shoulders, keeping your elbows high.. keeps the weight in line with the centre of gravity on your body and therefore again relieving the lower back strain. I have definatly noticed that i have improved in the pool, not only during the game but my recovery too.

For the laaaaaaadies.... Weights is great for UWH and you can do some really beneficial stuff. You wont look like a bodybuilder because your not designed in that way. So many girls ive spoken to get all self concious and wont get into the freeweights section of the gym. Well Im doin it, Ive fallen on my ass, dropped stuff, had some funny looks, and i probably look like an idiot. However, I am imporving my UWH game which is all that matters.

Marry me.

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It's not whether you win or lose - but whether I win or lose.
www.BentFishDesign.com

Don't blame finning for shortening them. I've probably done as much as anybody and mine haven't shortened. These myths must stop. Much like ladies afraid of looking like body builders. Some will, some won't.

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Just in case you weren't sure, it's official -- CMAS sucks.
Oh yeah, and now they're broke.

Hey Soph, Great post, Im a huge fan of weight training and its relatoinship with game improvement.

I to had to get over the fact that when doing dead lifts my ass was sticking out for the world to see.

Squats have always been a fantastic way for me to build strength and recovery ability for a comp.

I beleive that your tight achelies is due to finning but its not actually your achelies it is your hamstrings and glutes, work on the flexability in that region first. I have this problem as well, the team joke when it comes to touching my toes!

I will try and get Lisa Smith to join the forum, great Aussie womens player. She has had experence training with the olympic weight lifters in Adelaide a few years ago. Amazing strength and knowledge.

Cheers
Belle

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Underwater Hockey Rules!

Well, im pretty flexable everywhere else, i can go well past touching my toes, and since doing a whole load of calf stretches my flexability around the achelies has improved, but i still need a small heal lift to squat properly.

Had an interesting training session on friday..

My personal trainer (a guy called steve who's a was a well acomplised athelete in his day and can still squat 210Kg ... and is married ...) had a few of his little tuties together to asses their maximums on diff exercises, such as squats, bench, biceps etc etc. I was the only water based "athelete" and i didnt fair toooo badly. The others were decathletes. My squats were not anything particulary great compared to these guys. However, Bench press, i kicked their ass.
There was much debate about the Bench technique......Feet up or feet on the floor!
I used to have my feet up because it supports your lower back more, but since i have improved and my core stability is now becoming much more...solid...i have put my feet on the ground, which means you can engage your stomach more (and push on the floor with your feet a little) helping you bench more weight. Also your more stable with your feet on the floor if you are benching alot of Kg's..

ps im not competitive or anything....honest.


Ooo belle about those dead lifts... do you do them with straight legs?

Ive been doing them combined with a squat. Its sooo evil but good for you. You start with the sqaut as low as your bum on the back of your ankles... A real mean exercise

Maybe the short Achilles is not just due to fining, Possibly due to gymnastics and trampolining from a young age, i had a meeeean woman who told me toes that weren’t pointed were naughty.....

[quote] Maybe the short Achilles is not just due to finning, [\quote]


Of course not. Short achilles comes from wearing high-heeled shoes.

Makes you look twice at those guys in the gym squatting with a block under their heels doesn't it...

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It's not whether you win or lose - but whether I win or lose.
www.BentFishDesign.com

[quote=BentFishBoy;5240]Mine haven't shortened from that either. Maybe I just don't wear them often enough.

__________________
Just in case you weren't sure, it's official -- CMAS sucks.
Oh yeah, and now they're broke.