I was able to go through this workout with Dan. I was especially glad to be there due to the exercises he was performing in this routine; i.e., Barbell Squats and Deadlifts. Now, Dan has done a fairly decent job so far with most exercises including Squats and Dumbbell Deadlifts. However, one obstacle made apparent to me today was his poor form when attempting to perform Barbell Deadlifts. I realize this may be in part due to the mechanics of his height and lack of flexibility, as well as not being accustomed to having his body perform the motion of a Deadlift. Getting his brain to make all parts move in equal motion for good form is alone an exercise in itself and the most crucial portion of the Deadlift as it can make you or break you. Literally.
Barbell Squats
Dan is struggling a bit with his form on Barbell Squats since he is yet to obtain the flexibility and supporting muscular strength that comes with the adaptive response of the body from the experience of performing an exercise after a certain period. One major issue is his inability to go a bit lower past parallel when squatting. Immediately, he has a tendency to lean forward and I can easily see him struggling to keep his heels clamped down against the floor. This only shows a lack of stabilizing strength required from certain ancillary muscles as well as major muscles in this exercise. As mentioned before, over time as his muscularity increases, his form will improve concurrently. He must also build more core strength in order to keep from leaning too forward with his upper body when lowering the weight. In the long run, this will save his back from some serious strain.
Below are Dan's Barbell Squats videos:
Deadlifts
Regarding Deadlifts, Dan has a long way to go. He struggled to perform the exercise correctly. Given that he has slouched his entire life and continues to do so; his body forcefully rounds his back at the top when he lowers the weight as well as it throws his shoulders forward which puts pressure on his joints. In order to remedy this, I told him that he must get into the habit of walking upright in a 'come at me bro' stance with his chest out so that his body gets used to that position and turns it into his natural state of rest.
He also is squatting quite a bit more than necessary when bending down. After all, the idea is not to perform a Barbell Hack Squat. It is fine to drive with the legs and glutes to a certain extent, but no more. Dan was also moving his arms forward and slightly flexing them as well when coming to a full upright position. This is a big no-no, but since he is using a relatively light weight, the tension placed on his connective tissue within his biceps is not enough to bring about any muscle strains or sprains. However, as he continues to perform the exercise and adds more weight he will need to learn that the arms simply act as hooks to the bar and nothing more. There is to be zero strain placed on them aside from the gripping and the normal amount experienced when performing the movement correctly.
Below you will see the video of Dan's first set of Barbell Deadlifts:
Here you will see me showing Dan how to properly perform this exercise:
Below is the workout routine for Thursday:
Leg Raises - 2 sets - 12, 10 reps - BW
L-Flyes - 1 set - 25 reps - 5lbs
Barbell Squats - 1 Warm up set, 2 Work sets - 15, 15, 11 reps - 95, 95, 100lbs
Barbell Deadlifts - 3 sets - 8, 8, 8 reps - 45, 95, 95lbs*
*Form issues discussed above.
Leg Extensions - 2 sets - 15, 15 reps - 90, 105lbs
Lying Leg Curls - 2 sets - 15, 15 reps - 60, 60lbs
Standing Calf Raises - 2 sets - 30, 30 reps - BW
Standing Calf Raises Machine - 2 sets - 15, 15 reps - 120lbs
Lower Back Extensions - 2 sets - 15, 15 reps - BW
Stationary Planks - 2 sets - 45 seconds
Cardio Cool Down - 15 minutes
Stretch - Completed.
Until next time.
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