Monday September 23 2024
@ugfreak
Today I decided was the day I will start squatting again and put it into my routine rotation. I was nervous for various reasons, balancing the bar, walking the weight back, squat depth etc. I think everyone will be pleased with my work today as I am with leg day.
This is the first time I've used a squat rack since my high school days it's been that long so 2007 so everyone has context. I can say after preforming squats with a Barbell in thr rack my knee felt 1000 times better, I had no knee pain or discomfort, what a difference it makes being unassisted.
I also felt pumps like never before and it was awesome! Mobster and Stevesmi hit it bang on when they spoke with me about legs, now that I am at a new gym I 100% understand and get it now fully, what a difference, when you in the rack and you feel that bar it's go time, pumped me up big time.
I decided to test max squat just to see where I stand and after finding out I will be backing off and doing my one warmup and two working sets, volume is a little more for this leg day on squats, will revert back to less next week and beyond.
I used a box and mirror to watch my depth and get to the proper depth, the blue line in the pictures shows where I ended up on all my squats for the depth. I warmed up with a taller box but it wasn't deep enough and didn't feel right so I switched out for working sets.
I absolutely left it all in the gym today for legs this one was tough and fun all at once, had to dig deep and keep pushing, I know it doesn't seem like alot, when the gym is extremely hot it takes a heck of alot out of you to keep going and finish strong, I enjoy it this way.
High Bar Back Squat
2x15@145lbs
1x15@185lbs
1x12@225lbs
1x12@250lbs
1x2@315lbs ( pause/hold bottom of the movement 3 seconds all reps all sets )
Seated Leg Press ( wide foot placement)
1x15@300lbs
1x10@400lbs
1x10@500lbs ( slow controlled reps pause with knees to the chest 5 seconds each rep all sets )
Barbell Lunges
1x15@50lbs
1x10@145lbs
Walking Dumbbell Lunges
3x10@50lbs ( 5 second pause and hold each rep all sets both legs )
Laying Hamstring Curls
1x15@155lbs
2x10@160lbs ( 5 second squeeze and hold each rep all sets )
Seated Calf Press
1x15@100lbs
2x10@110lbs ( 5 second squeeze and hold each rep all sets )
Cardio
Treadmill
Duration 30 minutes
Distance 1.37 miles
Speed 2.7
Calories burned 160