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Originally Posted by FlaPatsFan
Ahhh ok. We kind of opposite, I switched over to Sumo years ago for a multitude of reasons. Mainly because heavy conventional was bothering my low back. I do Sumo for heavy lifts, but still do conventional at moderate poundage. When I do DL EMOM it is Conventional. Ever since switching no issues whatsoever with low back. Sometimes making these types of adjustments can be very beneficial. Which was the case for me.
Same went for BS. Got rid of low bar and do strictly High bar. That also has made a world of difference. I can absolutely say it is why I am able to push and pull the heavy weights at my age and size. 5’10 185.
It sounds like you have a good handle on your conditioning, those are all good movements and techniques. Understand I really push myself on conditioning to very “uncomfortable” levels. Most think I’m nuts. But my heart and lungs benefit greatly. Not sure what my V02 Max is but it’s up there. I do this year round. Like you I do get concerned about losing muscle. So I play the game of back and forth with strength and conditioning. It’s a very fine balance. But when I’m dialed in it feels amazing!
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LOL....keep in mind that I am only 5'6". So lower back has never been an issue for me. My body gravitates toward low bar squats as that feels the most natural to me. High bar seems awkward until I work it for awhile, but my traps are weird and interfere with the balance aspect of it. But it feels right at home in the bottom groove where my traps and rhomboids come together.
But you taller guys moving that weight does impress me. You have so much farther to go, and I usually only see a handful of the taller guys at my gym that can do squats using the correct form.
I think on deadlifts, we probably equal out in regards to arm length in proportion to height. So I see a lot of taller guys geared better for pulling unless they have extremely long legs. In that case, it's going to be hard regardless to get that low and keep the angle of shoulders and lower back at a certain rake.
And I can tell you right now even when I am doing conditioning exercises....I guarantee it's nothing like what you are doing. I'm not afraid to get out of my comfort zone, but you are doing some crazy stuff and I know I couldn't keep up with you!!
That's my biggest issue...getting everything dialed in. I can stay somewhere in the middle pretty easy....but I gain and loose weight pretty quickly and I know when I start eating too much muscle tissue as I see it with the weights and total volume. I usually start out with volume holding.....but I see it start dropping after 6 weeks or so. I see myself getting lean, but then the weight loss starts to come.
After that....then it's a numbers game as the weight loss gets in my head. I'm good for awhile like I mentioned, but it's like once I start getting close to the 180 mark.....I start to doubt what I am doing.
Over the years it has got better as I will hit a certain % of body fat at higher and higher weights. But once I get to 8% or less...I feel like you could look at me and not even think I look like I lift weights with a shirt on!