I say avoid squats and deadlifts due to the strain they put on the lower back and the potential problems they cause later in life. Just my opinion. Putting on mass is a dangerous game so be careful and don't try to gain too much too fast.
Done properly they are perfectly safe.
It's all about technique and using the right weight.
I've had back problems since I was 13, as well as a torn MCL and torn medial meniscus in the same knee...I do multiple versions of both every week with no issues.
EDIT: lots of feedback to this post already in the same theme...
EDIT EDIT: I love pistol squats, sumo squats, front squats and lunges. So good for my back and knee...
Not sure if anyone else in the same boat, but I am always trying to find more options for high protein, low carb, low sodium snacks- particularly for late evening. Of course a serving of whey protein with almond milk is an obvious choice, but it can get boring pretty quick and I typically try to limit the amount of whey protein I take in to one serving a day. Plain unsweetened greek yogurt and low salt cottage cheese are both about as bland as it gets. I sometimes get Source greek yogurt, which is lower in carbs than others, but still packs about 20grams of sugar in a 250g tub.
Deli meat and beef jerky are packed with salt. I know jack links just came out with a low sodium beef jerky, but not really reasonable at $7 a pack. I will often cut up a roasted chicken or two from safeways and store the meat in tupperware for snacking.
Quest bars have been a go to option for me for some time, but like many people, I am a little sceptical of the protein quality and quantity in protein bars. While most whey powders will list the amino acid breakdown per serving, there really is no way of knowing if protein bars are full of useless aminos like taurine and glycine. Anyway, if there is one thing protein bars are not, it is low carb.
Anyway, any additional suggestions for high protein, low sodium snacks?
Homemade beef jerky. I bought this dehydrator from Lee Valley Tools and it works great. You can use it to dry fruits as well and make your own trail mix.
Go to Costco and pick up a couple of Eye of Round roasts (nice and lean cut of meat), trim any excess fat you can, put it in the freezer until it is partially frozen to make it easier to slice, then cut slices 2 or 3 mm in thickness. You can flavor it with whatever you want (garlic, ginger, and chilies are great) and it lets you put exactly as much or little sodium in as you want.
I also can vouch that ever since I've started doing squats and deadlifts, I've had no back pain which I had previously before starting the workouts. Plus my posture is slowly improving which is nice.
It's $99 and it focuses on the mindset, diet and workout. It clearly has a nerdy/video game style to it, which I like. But it explains a lot of things in easy to understand language. The workouts are nothing fancy, I am sure you could find the same one on the internet. They like compound movements and progressive overload. They have workout programs for bodyweight, dumbbells and barbells.
I looked into this site and I'm not sure what to think just yet. I'm really intrigued by the idea but I have my doubts.
I've tried scouring google but the 'legit' reviews seem to be few and far between, and those that I could find have been mixed. Anyone have any experience/know anyone who's tried this program and seen results?
I am curious about this as well, I've done parallel squats all my life until the last 6 months or so, where I've dropped my butt to the ground. I feel it is much more of a complete leg exercise this way, recruiting more involvement from my hamstrings. I was under the impression that if you could do it without any discomfort that it would be more efficient, but I don't know if that's true.
Either way, if you're used to parallel and then try going lower, drop your weight significantly as it is much more difficult to do.
Its a myth that going below parallel will create knee issues. If you're doing it right your knees should be fine.
I also can vouch that ever since I've started doing squats and deadlifts, I've had no back pain which I had previously before starting the workouts. Plus my posture is slowly improving which is nice.
This is pretty common since the back heavy lifts will strengthen your back and most of the time people have back pain because they have a weak back.
I'll throw in a curveball here. Do 4-5 sets of bicep curls at the end of each workout. Why? Just for looks. And confidence. Easy muscle to build. Find a weight where you're comfortable doing 8-12 reps at, and do 4-5 sets at the end of every single workout. Nothing gets you back into the gym more than seeing muscle grow.
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Straps seem to be looked down on within the community as solving one problem by creating another. Might look at them for a short term solution but still hoping for someone who has tried liquid chalk for a review.
Straps seem to be looked down on within the community as solving one problem by creating another. Might look at them for a short term solution but still hoping for someone who has tried liquid chalk for a review.
They are a stop gap of that there is no doubt.
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
I looked into this site and I'm not sure what to think just yet. I'm really intrigued by the idea but I have my doubts.
I've tried scouring google but the 'legit' reviews seem to be few and far between, and those that I could find have been mixed. Anyone have any experience/know anyone who's tried this program and seen results?
I have only started on the program recently so I can't speak much to the results but I can try to answer any questions you have about it.
Agree, I've been throwing in squats recently doing proper form and look over and the 3 other squat racks have dudes with way too much weight on the bar using about 15% of their range of motion. Seems like almost nobody knows how to do them properly which is why I thought they were so bad.
I love the feeling in the legs when you get really low down, it feels like the nervous system being shock boosted back online. I do about 12-14 reps per set without much weight and it's an intense workout.
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