EXPERIMENT #2: SQUAT

[Trewest]

Mid assisted squat my cat rammed my leg for attention thus the partial.

[AthenaMM]

Just to add to the q's posted so far (sorry): when I do pistol squats or shrimp squats in a set I normally alternate legs every 5 or so. But I'm guessing for the purpose of this exercise we are just trying to see how many you can do on a given leg, correct?

I'm also curious about this.

[Anim07734]

Default standard for squats is down until top of the thighs is parallel to the ground, up until your body/hips are straight.  You can make the movement more difficult by lowering further (ass-to-grass) and/or pausing at the bottom.

 

For single-limb variants, AMRAP is a single limb without switching, otherwise, you get too much rest between reps.   I recommend testing both and recording the second as a note.  (Which you report as primary is up to you, though I tend toward the lower number.)

[Hazard]

For the (assisted) body weight squats, are we considering good form to be thighs parallel to the ground, or ass to grass (or as close to that as you can get)?

The crease made where your hips meet your thighs - goes lower than the top of the knee cap when squatting. Anything higher is a partial rep.

[shaar]

Don't know if I'll have the free time to participate in this one this week... which makes me sad because I LOVE ME SOME SQUATS!!  But I'll be here to cheer everyone on!!!

 

[dancezwithkittehz]

Don't know if I'll have the free time to participate in this one this week... which makes me sad because I LOVE ME SOME SQUATS!!  But I'll be here to cheer everyone on!!!

 

 

OMG. FF VII? Memooooriiiiiiiiiiies....

[Darth Yoga]

Further shrimp squat clarification - Is this correct?

• Beginner - you land on and push off from the top of the foot
• Intermediate - back foot does not touch the ground, and does not drop significantly lower than the knee 
• Advanced - "normal" shrimp squat, hold foot with one hand
• Extra advanced, shown in the video, but not specifically on the spreadsheet - hold foot with both hands

Also, for Pistol squats, is standing on something fair game for any of the variations, if you can't keep your leg high enough?

[Anim07734]

Holding your off-leg up is part of the proper form for a pistol squat.

 

Elevated pistol squats (on a box/bench/whatever to reduce the need to lift the off-leg) are an easier variation that didn't make the cut this challenge.  Another good variation when working up to full pistols is to place a step/board/book under your working heel to reduce ankle mobility requirements.  You can then reduce the height as you progress to slowly improve your mobility/range-of-movement.  Unfortunately, neither of these variations count for this challenge, but they'll help you get to your first full pistol, if you're still working on it.

[Darth Yoga]

Okay, DONE! These minis are a whole lot easier when it is all stuff you suck at. I've got a nice deep squat - ass to grass no problem - but a couple reps and I'm toast. I don't have to work my legs to noodles to find out that I can do a nice controlled descent in a shrimp squat, but definitely can't get back up again. Nope. (There was a lot of food in that statement. Now I want noodles.)

 

Anyway, I am thrilled to report that thanks to this challenge, I can do a pistol!! I can do 2.5 pistols! WOOT! (Keeping the leg up is no problem for me, but it is a common modification, so I thought I'd ask.)

 

I was actually writing a post here, saying that I didn't manage a full pistol - "I can get up from the ground in a pistol, but halfway back down the knee suddenly locks and says NOPE. Balance assisted or holding a counterweight I can do a few pistols, but otherwise I can't shift my bodyweight far enough forward ..." and while writing that, it dawned on me that if that was really the problem, surely I can lean forward far enough to put my center of mass over my base of support. YES! Yes, I can. I was trying to keep my torso too upright, like I would for a regular squat.

 

But lean forward, and BAM, center of mass over base of support. No problem. At least for two reps. Then my leg gets wobbly and I fall down. But my knee doesn't lock. Yay! I'm currently kettlebell obsessed, but pistols will definitely be part of my next bodyweight routine. 

[Spear Warrior]

Empty your mind.

Be boneless, shapeful

like shrimp.

You put shrimp in a leg

It becomes the leg

You put shrimp in a squat

It becomes the squat

You put shrimp in a workout

It becomes the workout

Shrimp can flow

Or it can crash

Be shrimp, my friend.

 

- Prawn Lee

[mediaguy99]

I'm going to be tele skiing on Sunday--how many reps of what kind of squat is that????

 

Just kidding.  I can't participate this time around because I don't want DOMS for my ski days.  But I'm here to cheer you all on!  Go team Assassins!  Assassinate your glutes and quads!

[Darth Yoga]

 

Sooo hungry. Sooooo not interested in the peanut butter sandwiches I brought for dinner.

[Spear Warrior]

I'm going to be tele skiing on Sunday--how many reps of what kind of squat is that????

 

Just kidding.  I can't participate this time around because I don't want DOMS for my ski days.  But I'm here to cheer you all on!  Go team Assassins!  Assassinate your glutes and quads!

I'm on the opposite side of the squat-skiing chart. I appreciate my high rep squats because I'm a few weeks away from skiing season. Right now it's way too cold to climb mountains, and way too dark. The temperature is -15 to -25 C (5 to -13 F), and the sun doesn't rise for another week or two. Too much cold, too little daylight. But late February and March will come. And I've got winter in April as well.

[zeroh13]

This challenge made me realize that I'm not as good at squats as I thought I was... :/

[AthenaMM]

I'd never even heard of shrimp squats before, but I can do 5 beginner ones!

[tourennatrix]

I'm on the opposite side of the squat-skiing chart. I appreciate my high rep squats because I'm a few weeks away from skiing season. Right now it's way too cold to climb mountains, and way too dark. The temperature is -15 to -25 C (5 to -13 F), and the sun doesn't rise for another week or two. Too much cold, too little daylight. But late February and March will come. And I've got winter in April as well.

 

I've always thought thought Scandinavia was a really neat place for a lot of reasons, and y'all are totally bad ass for forging through winter weather and temperatures like it's nothing but how do you live without the sun?!?!?! *shudders*

[Manarelle]

Apparently my next challenge needs to include an attitude adjustment. I figured I could pop into an empty conference room and attempt a (beginner) shrimp squat real fast. After 5 successful squats and no sense of fatigue in either leg, I realized a ) I can actually do it, and b ) it's not something I can do "real fast" at work. 

 

Thank you, assassins, for showing me time and again I'm not as terrible as I think I am. I'll give this a real go tonight at home.

 

[Trewest]

Apparently my next challenge needs to include an attitude adjustment. I figured I could pop into an empty conference room and attempt a (beginner) shrimp squat real fast. After 5 successful squats and no sense of fatigue in either leg, I realized a ) I can actually do it, and b ) it's not something I can do "real fast" at work. 

 

Thank you, assassins, for showing me time and again I'm not as terrible as I think I am. I'll give this a real go tonight at home.

 

 

[mediaguy99]

I'm on the opposite side of the squat-skiing chart. I appreciate my high rep squats because I'm a few weeks away from skiing season. Right now it's way too cold to climb mountains, and way too dark. The temperature is -15 to -25 C (5 to -13 F), and the sun doesn't rise for another week or two. Too much cold, too little daylight. But late February and March will come. And I've got winter in April as well.

 

I hear you!  Sunday it hit a high of 5F (-15 C) which was just too darnded cold.  We had to go in for hot tea every 90 min.  I'm patiently waiting for spring skiing--we get to ski into April here in Colorado.  All the work I do now will pay off during those giant spring dumps

 

As for skiing in the dark--geez!  That's inconceivable to me!  I moved to Colorado because we have 300+ days of sunshine every year (meaning it's not cloudy much here).  I couldn't imagine getting through winter without sunny ski days!

[Elennare]

I have put numbers on the spreadsheet for body weight squats and pistols.  I was going to do more today, but after roller derby last night, I don't think that's going to happen.  We worked really hard on skating form, so pretty much the whole night was squatting, and my legs are toast today. 

[raptron]

In today's discoveries: pistols still murder my stupid psoas. Womp womp.

[Spear Warrior]

I've always thought thought Scandinavia was a really neat place for a lot of reasons, and y'all are totally bad ass for forging through winter weather and temperatures like it's nothing but how do you live without the sun?!?!?! *shudders*

We've got midnight sun for two months during summer.

 

Southern Scandinavia isn't that bad. Shorter days in winter, longer in summer, but more "normal" than here, up north.

 

I hear you!  Sunday it hit a high of 5F (-15 C) which was just too darnded cold.  We had to go in for hot tea every 90 min.  I'm patiently waiting for spring skiing--we get to ski into April here in Colorado.  All the work I do now will pay off during those giant spring dumps

 

As for skiing in the dark--geez!  That's inconceivable to me!  I moved to Colorado because we have 300+ days of sunshine every year (meaning it's not cloudy much here).  I couldn't imagine getting through winter without sunny ski days!

Pretty much like here, then. Except for the daylight. We've got good weather fairly often, but in the dark time it doesn't matter. Of course, the most perseverant skiers do go skiing even on the days with least daylight (about two hours, if the weather is clear). They just have to ascend the mountains during "dawn".

[Trewest]

We've got midnight sun for two months during summer.

 

Southern Scandinavia isn't that bad. Shorter days in winter, longer in summer, but more "normal" than here, up north.

 

Pretty much like here, then. Except for the daylight. We've got good weather fairly often, but in the dark time it doesn't matter. Of course, the most perseverant skiers do go skiing even on the days with least daylight (about two hours, if the weather is clear). They just have to ascend the mountains during "dawn".

 

Oddly enough here in Canada we just set lights up on the mountains for night skiing. No sun? No worries! Try not to ski into a post though, that tends to kill you, even with the cushions wrapped around it.

[ixaera]

Was doing balance-assisted pistols last night with my door anchored resistance band for balance. Boyfriend appears and is already mid-conversation, as he does, stops and says, "wtf are you doing"

 

I tell him to hold on, I need to do 4 more to complete on my weak leg. He then tries one and apparently his knees were not built for them. The crunch that was heard 'round the world~

[Spear Warrior]

Oddly enough here in Canada we just set lights up on the mountains for night skiing. No sun? No worries! Try not to ski into a post though, that tends to kill you, even with the cushions wrapped around it.

 We do that in ski hills here as well, but I'm talking about proper mountains without a ski lift. There aren't enough people living here to afford building prepared ski hills with lifts and lights nearby. I could go for a 2-3 hour drive though, if I really wanted to go downhill, but it's even more fun when you've walked up first.