Pausing Back Squats work on the board for today. From Box Life magazine: “Stopping the squat at the bottom significantly reduces the amount of stress placed on the lower back, but causes the legs to have to work much harder to push back to the starting position. This is because a pause gives the legs greater time under tension, and increases muscular recruitment. As the fast twitch fibres continue to fatigue during the pause, slow twitch fibres (and muscles) are recruited in order to help stabilize the body in that position. The more you perform pause squats, the more the body and brain gets used to recruiting slow twitch muscle fibres and builds the strength of the supporting muscles in the lower back, hips and abs, which bodes well for your overall squat numbers and strength in other movements. Furthermore, because holding a pause dissipates the stretch reflex (that ‘bounce’ you feel when you drop down and explode up rapidly on a squat) and fatigues the muscles more prior to the concentric portion of the lift. Combining these things all together results in greater muscular strength and more POWER from having to drive out of the hole.”
Also, have fun with 100 Burpees for time today–looking around discussion boards, the average time is around the 7 minute mark, those super duper elite athletes hover around the 4 minute mark.
How is everyone who is doing the Open feeling this week? We’re over the “hump”, “on the downhill”, “through the worst of it”. 15.3 very well could have been the final straw for some of you, but I hope it wasn’t. Keep the faith, post your scores and continue to have a go at the workouts–it’s fun, right?! Dr. Allison Belger has some great thoughts to help you find and maintain your perspective here.
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Friday’s WOD
Pausing Back Squats
3×5
Start at 65% of 1RM
Hold at bottom under tension for count of ‘3 Mississippi’. No bounce to come up.
WOD
100 Burpees for Time
Cash Out: Super set the RDL with the pull-ups
-1 legged Deadlift (RDL) 6-6-6
-Pull up protocol
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