Ben Pollack Leg Training video

[tr46]

 

[IronLion2]

The anxiety of heavy ass weight is real. Glad he talked about it. Spending a week thinking "fuck I need to walk out 600+" is quite daunting if you've never done it.

 

[FK86]

Ben, like Stan Efferding, has a unique squat form. He seems to bend forward a little more at the hip.

 

[maldorf]

Ben, like Stan Efferding, has a unique squat form. He seems to bend forward a little more at the hip.

Yeah, I was watching that. Puts a lot of stress on the lumbar area. Not a good idea IMO, but he seems just fine. Is he really tall? Like 6 foot 3 or more?

 

[IronLion2]

Yeah, I was watching that. Puts a lot of stress on the lumbar area. Not a good idea IMO, but he seems just fine. Is he really tall? Like 6 foot 3 or more?

5'8.

Mechanics aren't so simple. He's IMO the best pound for pound raw squatter I've ever seen.

 

[maldorf]

Hes strong, that's for sure.

 

[URODA]

Maybe just a habit from being a powerlifter and used to a low bar squat biomechanical pattern imprinted. I think it is not optimal for using a safety bar on due to how far up your back the weight would be placed. An inferior quad movement also but again intensity highly likely would be making up for everything anyway.

 

[alfresco]

In the early winter of 1986, Fred Hatfiled’s (aka, Dr. Squat) quad strength was tested,
the full-range strength of his quadriceps muscles (leg-extension strength), not once,
but twice. He insisted on being tested; then, when the first test indicated a very low
level of strength in his quadriceps muscles, he was literally stunned by the results.

Then he insisted upon a second test that was conducted about 24 hours after the first
test. And, guess what? . . . his second test results were almost identical to the results
of the first test. And this was conducted in front of at least a dozen witnesses, mostly
medical doctors.

His intention, it is suspected, was a desire to show off, to show that he was far stronger
than any of the other subjects that had been tested. But, rather than being unusually
strong, he proved to be less than average in quadriceps strength with several women
who were stronger than he was, in spite of the fact that they weighed less than half
as much as he did. In addition to a very low level of strength in his quadriceps muscles,
Fred’s tests also indicated two other factors: One, he had enormous endurance in these
muscles; two, he showed very little fatigue from an exercise carried to a point of failure.
Both of which test results clearly indicate that he has a very high percentage of so-called
“slow-twitch” fibers in these muscles. A fiber type which also explains his low level of
quadriceps strength.

So . . . how could he squat with more than 1,000 pounds? Well, for one thing, what
they call a squat is in fact more like a half squat; certainly nothing close to a full squat.
Secondly, the quads are not the “prime mover” in such a so-called squat; yes, the
quads do contribute to squatting strength, but in fact the most important muscles in
that movement are those of the hips, the lower back and the rear of the thighs
(hamstrings). Fiber type in muscles is determined by genetics, and is not subject to
significant change, so it is not Fred’s fault that his quads are relatively weak; but such
fiber type is not consistent from one muscle to another, you may have primarily fast-
twitch fibers in one muscle and slow-twitch fibers in another muscle.

Given his ability in the squat, it is obvious that he has different fiber types in the other
muscles involved in a squat. If he had slow-twitch fibers in all of these muscles then he
would not be doing anything with 1,000 pounds . .. probably could not get up out of a
chair without help.

 

[URODA]

If you have been watching Justin Harris enough you would know he made a remark about powerlifters having weak leg development due to quads not being a primary mover like mentioned above. If you turn your head and check weightlifting you are going to observe the exact opposite hence why my remark on low bar technique being extremely inferior for purpose of quad development. I think a lot of people mistake an entire exercise for being inferior instead of looking at how you are performing it anyway.

 

[USMuscle9403]

Great video on both training and how to maintain focus!