Is a 73 minute video necessarily needed to cover the topic of heavy singles? Maybe not, but per usual I want to give a full depth insight into every thought I have in regards to a programming topic. I wanted to cover this topic because I know myself and other coaches get asked frequently about the implementation of singles, in particular about doing them year round. Heavy singles can be broken down into a fairly easy concept, but at the same time there is a lot that goes into the decision making of the application and use for each individual lifter. In my latest YouTube video, I go into the pros and cons of heavy singles and why you should be or should not be using them at given times, with a little guest spot from @zac.datadrivenstrength. I break down the things I take into consideration for individual lifters on why or why not I would program them more or less frequently based on certain factors. I cover how this topic is very lift dependent, as the application for heavy singles is different in regards to the squat vs. bench vs. deadlift. And lastly per usual, I pull out the real world application and look at some programs where I implement these variables and show how I have done so. I will warn, if you are looking for a straight shot answer on if you should do singles year round or not, this video probably won’t give you that answer (hint: I do bias typically to not doing them year round). But what it will do is bring to light every variable you need to know in making that decision for yourself and/or for your athletes. Click the link above to view!
So a very popular post I made a while back covered the “why” behind high rep deadlifts and who they work for. What this really came down to is factoring distance traveled into the volume equation. In my opinion, distance traveled is one of the most important aspects of individualizing training. So I wanted to expand on this more and cover how this can affect all lifts on both ends of the spectrum. So in my latest YouTube video, I go into full detail on the effect distance traveled has on programming. Height, bodyweight, limb lengths, sex, high arch vs. no arch, sumo vs. conventional, and many other variables play into an individuals distance traveled per repetition on each lift. And fortunately we actually have a couple studies that have really broken this down for us, so I take a look at both of those and see the variance in repetitions people can perform at given percentages. From there, I discuss the “better” volume equation and how that accounts for why we see such disparity between some lifters and the rep ranges they respond to. And then taking that concept, I develop personalized percentages charts for what the possible outliers of distance traveled, short versus long, would look like if we accounted for this. From there, I show how using this concept can give an idea of the rep ranges certain lifters respond to and how that is implemented within a couple of my athletes programs. And then lastly, I give the synopsis of what this means for your deadlift, squat, bench, and total workload based on your individual leverages, technique, and body type.
There Isn’t Much Difference Between A Low Bar vs. High Bar Squat
Something I’ve alluded to in past posts and videos, and many times it has more so been in the form of response to a comment, is how I believe low bar vs. high bar squats are not as different as it seems. In my opinion, a squat is a squat, and the general movement and cueing is fairly similar, just the weight distribution then changes how we bias our movement to counter balance that load. From a goblet squat, to a front squat, to a SSB squat, to a high bar squat, and to a low bar squat, the same foundational aspect of the squat pattern applies. But with the more anterior vs. posterior loading, we will need to make slight adjustments in our hip and knee flexion to counter balance that weight distribution to manage our center of mass accordingly. But while there is this difference in knee vs. hip flexion, it’s more so the bi-product of the weight distribution and counter balance versus the lifter cueing the movement in an entirely different manner. What I am not saying is a high bar squat and a low bar squat should look exactly the same, but what I am saying is that for the majority of people, the thought process and cueing between the two should not differ much at all.
In the linked video (CLICK HERE) we have @colette.hd performing a high bar squat vs. a low bar squat. It is noticeable there is a difference between the two, but if you scroll over to the second picture you will see where my point more comes into play. On the far right is the bottom position when the squat is biased more into the posterior chain dominant, hinge based squat that is often encouraged for low bar squatting. As can be seen, between the high bar and low bar squat on the left and middle, there already is a fairly noticeable difference, and that was simply from the 2 inch change or so in weight distribution and placement of the bar on the back. When we then take that weight distribution change, overbias hinging, we then tend to find ourselves in this folded and over hinged position that is breaking the foundations of the squat pattern at its base level. Are the exceptions to this rule? Yes, just like there is with pretty much everything I will ever say. I actually have 2 lifters in particular that we do cue their low bar differently than their high bar, but that is based on their individual leverages dictating that requirement. But for 90%+ of people I have coached and trained over the last 12 years, this thought process applies.
And this can go the opposite way too. If you are trying to “squatty-squat” your goblet squats and trying to translate that to a low bar squat, it probably isn’t going to go well. As in my opinion, at least in the application to powerlifting, a “squatty-squat” does not fall into the foundational pattern we are trying to replicate throughout varying loading strategies that is competition specific, but is rather of a form training variability. Is there a time and a place for more hinge based movements or knee flexion dominant patterns, yes. But in regards to how we cue and manage our foundational squat pattern that applies across a range of loading strategies, this should be pretty similar and allow ourselves to simply adjust based on the counter balance demands. If you’ve followed me for a while, you probably have a good understanding of the foundational elements in how I teach and cue a squat. But if not, I’ll include a link below to the in depth squat breakdown video I have on YouTube.
I have been coaching powerlifters in some capacity for about 7 years, and full time for the past 4 years. In that time there has been a lot of learning. As a powerlifting coach, one of our main duties is to be a creative problem solver. When an issue arises, our goal is to find a solution. And as I developed as a coach, there were routinely 3 questions that haunted me. I just didn’t have an answer that was repeatable and predictable in finding these solutions for athletes across the board. But over time with experience, failing many times, and trial and error, I feel like I have a really good grasp now on the answers to these.
In my latest YouTube video, I dive deep into these 3 questions and the solutions and answers I’ve now found over the last 7 years. So what are these questions?
1.) Is the results of the current training block due to this block, or due to prior training blocks?
2.) Does a lifter need more or less volume?
3.) How many top sets vs. back offs or what make up of peak vs. average intensity does a lifter need?
These are very complex questions that over time I feel I’ve been able to narrow down into fairly simple solutions. My hope with this video is to expedite the headaches I had for other coaches and lifters. Click the link above to view!
Using Flat Shoes To Fix A Forward Weight Bias In The Squat
I wrote an extensive article on pwerliftingtechnique.com regarding the variables at play in the decision of choosing heeled vs. flat shoes for squatting. CLICK HERE for those who want to check it out, but in this post I want to make a situational addition to that argument on whether someone should choose heeled vs. flat shoes. For @thejackedmclovin, many of the variables that would lend itself to a lifter needing heeled shoes is present. He is a tall lifter, long legs, average ankle mobility, and an average stance width. For a long time heels have suited him well, as most of the checkmarks for reasons to use a heeled squat shoe were present. But an issue Payton has had is he just tended to push forward in his squat, no matter the cueing or adjustments we made. You can see in the left video (CLICK HERE) he is very knee drive dominant and the resulting bar path from it (even with cueing more torso lean and hinge). Anyone who has followed me for a bit knows I am a proponent of “drive the knees forward”, but just like anything, there is a limit to the efficacy of that.
For Payton, the combination of the dorsiflexion that heels allowed, as well as the slope of the shoe, made it very hard for him to maintain his center of mass over his midfoot. I think in particular, the slope of a heeled shoe gets underplayed sometimes in how that can affect someone. Have someone squat on an uneven platform in flat shoes and it feels super weird, and you might even notice their form changes and they start shifting in ways that they normally wouldn’t. Well in a heeled shoe, you are effectively doing the same thing. Now I am not arguing against heeled shoes, as many of my lifters wear them, it’s just that this is a variable that I myself have overlooked at times. For Payton, something about the heels combined with his individual leverages resulted in difficulty of not following the slope of the shoe in his squat pattern, and it constantly shifted him forward. As well as he actually was allotted more dorsiflexion than he actually needed. We tend to want to reach end ranges of joint range of motion and rely on that passive stabilization at the bottom of a squat. So commonly for people where a heel allows for too much dorsiflexion, you will see an over dramatic shift to driving the knees forward, or some instability at the bottom if they don’t reach that end range of dorsiflexion. As can be seen on the right, not only was Payton’s squat pattern improved from the switch to flats, that’s also 20kg more at the same speed. The forward shift would cause upper back positioning issues that would be his weak link at near max weights. Now as he is able to maintain his center of gravity better, it changes the moment arm of the bar position in relation to his center of gravity and no longer places his upper back in a disadvantaged position.
Again, this isn’t a call for everyone to switch to flats, but more so an addition to my prior article and what I’d consider an outlier for a situational issue that presented itself with heels. What this does show is that while parameters for certain characteristics of heeled vs. flat, close vs. wide, or sumo vs. conventional can help guide us, don’t let that be an unbreakable standard.
