form help on GMs

[DOM]

Just tried these tonight for the first time. Some guy waiting for the squat rakc almost shit a brick when he saw me doing these -- he was certain I was going to pop a disc at some point, if not during this specific workout. A few questions for you guys...

1. How low should my ass go? I went just above parallel

2. How low should my back go? Went parallel here.

3. My pecs are real sore from GMs -- too sore to do bench day tomorrow, and I hate missing bench day. Where did I go wrong in my form for this to happeN?

Thanks.

 

[jeremys]

i dont know about the sore pecs, but i hear from people doing GM's that they go with and arch in their back, and then descend. when they start to lose the arch, thats when they go back up

 

[Deciever1]

for the sore pecs, you may have very inflexible pecs and when you grab the bar they stretch alot , causing them to be come sore.

 

[DOM]

One more thing... I remember Louie talking about a guy being able to GM roughly as much as he could squat at the time. I GM'd 185 for three sets of three today, but my max is around 300 lbs. 185 went very slow, and was a maximal effort. I feel like I should have been able to get more.

So, probably I was going way too low (back roughly parallel to ground). Just need somebody experienced to confirm this.

Deceiver, you are probably right about the pecs, but I've been squatting for months now with my arms all the way out to the collars of the barbell and have never had this problem until doing GMs tonight. So maybe I have to bring the grip in for GMs.

 

[spatts]

DOM, when we do bent overs from 36 inches, we are LOW, but we START from there...not starting upright and bending to there...so the concentric and eccentric phases are reversed.

Make sense?

 

[DOM]

Ah, spatts, that's very helpful. Next time I go low I will do them off the bars instead of from a standing position. And will only go down halfway for standing GMs.

Maybe that accounts for sore pecs in some way.

 

[Vulgar_Display_Of_Power]

DOM-

In regards to your Louie comment. That was probably refering to wide stance arch back Gm's. If you watch the Westside tapes, you see that the range of motion is only maybe 8 inches(maye less).

IrishPower and his group have kinda got me convinced to make this exercise a staple in my training, to help bring up my SQ. I need to find a version that instead of muscling it up with my low back, I use my hips, glutes and hams more.

----->>>Just think I solved one of my own training problems without realizing it.

Later..

 

[spatts]

yes, arched back out of the rack is what I prefer, and feel like I get the most carry over from, and I do them as per the Westside tapes. It's a very small, very effective range of motion.

 

[bigokie]

GM's are the most effective tool for increasing your squat or deadlift, in my opinion. I do them mainly suspended, but sometimes full. The version that I am gonna start doing more of is the seated gm, I hear that Chuck really likes these.

Form on gm is gonna be 100% different for every individual person. Some guys may be able to go to paralell, while others can't. I really prefer to do mine suspended above 40". Going below 40" for someone 6'5" is just not working. I like to do high wide arched and high narrow rounded back. These are my favorites.

Just try and find what works for you. You may have to go to paralell. You should probably try to invest in some chains before too long. Doing them off pins is rough. Just because you can't get it in your normal groove, or even the groove you would use when trying to unround your back in the squat.

Last thing is most important, no matter what, just get it up. If your form looks like shit, who cares. You will get stronger.

 

[Hannibal]

Last thing is most important, no matter what, just get it up. If your form looks like shit, who cares. You will get stronger.

No matter what....