Tried raw box squats! man am i sore!!

[powerlifterjay]

I lately havent been wearing my belt for anything. I normally wear it loose not latched to practice and perfect the art as it is of pushing with your abs. But i really have enjoyed going raw. Tonight i didnt come close to a max but wanted to see what i could do.

13 inch box
warmups
135 x 5
225x 3
315x 3
405x 3
500x 2
550x 1
600x 1
405x 2
405x2
405x2
Of course i wore no knee wraps but decide no belt. Just briefs, cause my hips were still sore from Tues. I think i could have went 635 plus this way. I am just testing the water this way. I am so used to wearing a loose belt to push with its a whole different feel for me.
My next few meets are bench only, i am not even gonna consider squatting in a meet till Dec. So i am experimnting.

How many of you guys train raw nogear all the time?

[Jagermeister]

Good workout, 600 off a box without any gear is dam good



The only time I wear a belt, is if I max out on squats without a box, and when I do ME gm's.

[deciever]

nice work... i dunnoo how you can doo soo much.. and raw...

and excusem y typingi m oon a laptop a nd the keyboard sucks

[bigokie]

I don't wear any briefs or anything right now. Not because I don't want to just because I haven't taken the time to order any, yet. Now having said that I believe that with box squats you should wear a belt. Not to protect yourself but to learn to push your abs out, and to have something to push against.

When I do my max effort stuff, unless it is a low box or high box, I don't wear a belt. I don't feel it's needed for those. When I set my 675 personal record on sus gm's I wasn't wearing a belt. It's really a mental thing, because if you think that squatting with a belt will save you, your wrong. When I herniated a disk I did it with 405 while wearing a belt. This last monday I squatted 635 with no belt. Go figure?

[powerlifterjay]

Dam Big Okie 675 sus Goo AM? Suspended from how high? Thats huge man! Good job. YOu never post too much on numbers i knew you were strong but i had no clue you were that strong in th elower half.

Your right though i always wore a belt to push off with my abs. But i just wanted to see how my back would feel the next day without a belt. Today i feel good. Tight but good.

[bigokie]

I didn't measure it. It was from maybe 2" higher than my belly button when standing feet together. I was watching the videos and I just tried to move the bar about the same distance that they did. They move it about 8" or so. Excepte for Chuck, he did rounded back with feet together and moved the bar about 12", probably a little more. I did try the rounded back stuff, I could barely get 405. Those are somthing I want to work on since they are so far behind my arched.

If you haven't tried these give them a shot. It's just like a deadlift. I have heard that Louie is recomending starting from something like 36", which is LOW. I tried these once and could barely get under the bar. I think the key is to vary the heighth that you use to get different parts of the lifts. My sus gm is just a little heavier than my squat right now. I think mostly because I have no hip support when lifting. That will change in the very near future, as I will be ordering some briefs as soon as I decide which ones to get..

Later

[powerlifterjay]

Ya we did them with 40 inches or so, suspended in chains. I did 550lbs. I like them were doing them tues. My back is arched and feet kinda wide.

[bigokie]

Jay, do you do them off chains? 550 from 40" is huge. I really have trouble getting down below my waist to get under the bar. Next time you try them, do them with your feet no more than 6" apart and with a rounded back. Those are a bitch. I also think that the carryover to deadlift from rounded back is higher.

When I do arched back I do my squat stance. It seems to really help me out with the top 1/3 of the squat. I noticed the other day with 635 in squats that it was much more stable than it used to be when I had that much weight on the bar.

Good luck

[powerlifterjay]

Ya you rprobably right. I noticed my squats went up last training cycle. I am looking for something that will up my deadlift. Will try!

[IrishPower]

pljay:

let me know how your experiment goes with no belt. i have heard pros and cons to this.

pro: get the psychological advantage of knowing you can move that weight without the gear

con: it really is almost a different lift. the belt changes the leverage and the form.

i am curious to see if you go through the roof when you put the belt on later.

/irish

[powerlifterjay]

Well Irish i can tell you Jimmie Dean did this and watching his lifts with and without a belt conveinced me. He has been raw for a long time now and when he throws on gear its a different lifter!! For real. So i figure if i can get freaky strong (for me) without one then i want that psychological advantage of yes knowing i can lift without one. Your right though it is a different lift completetly.

[RCK]

i also do evrything raw,powerlifterjay...i have seen gains on squat and deads both.....i can't wait to try the gear out........

[RCK]

powerlifterjay,

now wait till you throw in some sled work...... ooohhhhh they feel soooo gooood......

[powerlifterjay]

I think we are having a sled built as we speak. Cant wait!!