HI Lisa G! I know my subject heading made no sense, but I liked the way it sounded. Like an old fashioned rock and roll band, you know?
You were asking about how other home exercisers lift a heavy barbell over their head for squats and I thought I would jump in with my own experience. I don't have a spotter or a rack.
About a year ago, I topped out at a 50-pound barbell on my shoulders for PS SLA. I knew my legs were capable of doing more, but when I tried to get the danged thing over my head, I lost some scalp in the process. Not good. So I decided to concentrate on form and settle for being satisfied with doing 50 pounds. I stuck at 50 pounds, but I went for the maximum contraction on every single rep. Wow! That was tough! That kept me busy and feeling extremely challenged for months and months.
The next time I tried to increase my weight, I was amazed. I lifted 53.5 pounds over my head, no problem. And I've been steadily increasing that weight little-by-little ever since. As always, I know I can handle a lot more weight on my legs than I can lift over my head, but I'm satisfied with the results I get from extreme focus. Maximum contraction on each rep and perfect form gets me better results than fixating on the amount of plates on my barbell. I've found the same thing when I do the machines in the gym -- sometimes I get a better workout on the leg press when I use a lighter weight and go for the maximum muscle contraction. I find I can lift very heavy and keep good form on the leg press, but nothing burns that muscle like a good hard contraction.
One thing that might help with lifting the weight is to try this technique. I do a clean and press type move when I lift the weight over my head. When the barbell is on the way up, my knees are bent as if I am going to do a plyo jump UP and all my energy is directed up. When the barbell reaches about shoulder level, I straighten my legs and keep the bar going up. The momentum helps the bar clear my head easily. I do the same thing when I unload the bar. I always take a moment to gather my strength first -- especially after those sit and stands.
I hope this helps. I love working legs and (call me sick) sit and stands are my favorite.
Enjoy!
You were asking about how other home exercisers lift a heavy barbell over their head for squats and I thought I would jump in with my own experience. I don't have a spotter or a rack.
About a year ago, I topped out at a 50-pound barbell on my shoulders for PS SLA. I knew my legs were capable of doing more, but when I tried to get the danged thing over my head, I lost some scalp in the process. Not good. So I decided to concentrate on form and settle for being satisfied with doing 50 pounds. I stuck at 50 pounds, but I went for the maximum contraction on every single rep. Wow! That was tough! That kept me busy and feeling extremely challenged for months and months.
The next time I tried to increase my weight, I was amazed. I lifted 53.5 pounds over my head, no problem. And I've been steadily increasing that weight little-by-little ever since. As always, I know I can handle a lot more weight on my legs than I can lift over my head, but I'm satisfied with the results I get from extreme focus. Maximum contraction on each rep and perfect form gets me better results than fixating on the amount of plates on my barbell. I've found the same thing when I do the machines in the gym -- sometimes I get a better workout on the leg press when I use a lighter weight and go for the maximum muscle contraction. I find I can lift very heavy and keep good form on the leg press, but nothing burns that muscle like a good hard contraction.
One thing that might help with lifting the weight is to try this technique. I do a clean and press type move when I lift the weight over my head. When the barbell is on the way up, my knees are bent as if I am going to do a plyo jump UP and all my energy is directed up. When the barbell reaches about shoulder level, I straighten my legs and keep the bar going up. The momentum helps the bar clear my head easily. I do the same thing when I unload the bar. I always take a moment to gather my strength first -- especially after those sit and stands.
I hope this helps. I love working legs and (call me sick) sit and stands are my favorite.
