Tag: Squat
Bodybuilder Kyle Kirvay Squats an Incredible 310.7 kg (685 lbs) Raw For 5 Reps
IFBB Pro bodybuilder and powerlifter Kyle Kirvay recently squatted a massive 310.7 kg (685 lbs) on Duffalo Bar for five reps in the Gym. This bar is designed by a strength coach and powerlifter Chris Duffin of Kabuki Strength. Kirvay earned the IFBB Pro card in two different divisions by winning the 2018 NPC Universe Championships in the…
The Best 6 Exercises To Use Elbow Sleeves For Pain-Free Support
Work for pain-free support with elbow sleeves and these top exercises.
You may have seen elbow sleeves before but haven’t used them. There are certain exercises where elbow sleeves can be of great help and offer pain free support so you can lift big, plow through any workout and see gains. With a snug, comfortable fit, yet still versatile for all of those lifting wants and needs, elbow sleeves are the perfect fitness accessory to have in your gym bag.
Able to provide nice compression, elbow sleeves work to improve blood flow and enhance recovery, all while supporting the elbow to distribute tension evenly. With better blood flow and circulation, you bring comfort to the muscle and thus only enhance your ability to see great gains. Using these with certain exercises will only help you in the long run.
We’ve pulled together some of the top exercises to use an elbow sleeve so you can see better gains and overall pain free support.
Best Exercises For Elbow Sleeves
Bench Press
Pull-Ups
Lat Pulldown
Squats
Farmer’s Walks
Shoulder Press
Bench Press
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The bench press is something we all love to do and putting up big numbers is something to easily show your dominance over others in the gym. Great for working your chest, what you’ll find is the enhancement of many pushing movements (1).
An elbow sleeve will help you here as you hold heavy weight and need to bend your elbow to complete the movement. That strain can be a lot, but with the right support, you won’t feel as tight in the elbow.
Bench Press Benefits
Bigger chest: By working to push that weight, this targets your chest the most and you can really beef up your chest strength that way.
Enhance pushing power: Since this lift is all about the push to get the weight up, your power output will be enhanced for better performance.
How To Do The Bench Press
Lie on the bench with your feet planted on the floor. Grab the bar with your hands a little more than shoulder-width apart. Lift the bar off the rack and gently lower to your chest as you breathe in. Your forearms should be about 90 degrees from the ground as you touch your chest and with your feet planted on the ground, initiate the upward movement to return to the starting position.
Pull-Ups
Pullups | GI Exercise Guide – YouTube
The pull-up is an upper body strength exercise performed with the pull-up bar and most likely your bodyweight. The added bonus is the ability to add weight if need be to really beef up those gains (2).
Since this exercise requires you hanging and taking the load in your arms, elbow sleeves will offer that compression needed so you can lift yourself up with no problem.
Pull-Ups Benefits
Strengthen arms and back: This is a great muscle builder for your arms and back, while also working to develop that V-shape taper.
Functional exercise: Able to build muscle and allow for those gains to be made for sport specific movements, this also works well for functional ones and everyday activities.
How To Do Pull-Ups
Grab the pull-up bar with your palms down and hang from the bar. With an engaged core, pull yourself by the elbows up to the bar until your chin passes it. Lower yourself down and repeat for your desired number of reps.
Lat Pulldown
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The lat pulldown is a serious lat builder and one that works other upper body muscles well. Used with the pulldown machine, this allows you to get a great exercise while also enhancing spine stabilization and enhancing shoulder health (3).
Elbow sleeves are great here for the fact that this movement requires serious load on those elbows. As the point of movement, although your lat muscles do get work, your elbows will feel supported as you lift big weight.
Lat Pulldown Benefits
Effective lat builder: This exercise will build lat strength and allow you to maximize those pulling movements, since your lats are pivotal.
Enhance spine stabilization: By strengthening those back muscles, you work to stabilize the spine and provide for better support.
How To Do The Lat Pulldown
Position yourself on the machine and grab the handles with your desired grip. As you pull down towards your chest, squeeze your shoulder blades, keep your core engaged and feet planted on the ground. Slowly return to the starting position for the pulldown and repeat for your desired number of reps.
Squats
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The squat is a staple exercise for many since it will enhance lower body growth, so you only see the best gains. This is certainly one of those exercises that you will see promote muscle while also working to improve power and explosivity (4).
Given the position of your elbows, an elbow sleeve can alleviate some of the pressure of supporting the barbell so you can get low into that squat pain free.
Squats Benefits
Increase lower body strength: Working your quads, glutes, and hamstrings, this is a great lower body exercise to boost strength, stability, and certain sport specific and functional movements.
Better power: The nature of this movement requires the best for power and explosivity and will promote both as you look to optimize performance.
How To Do Squats
Place the barbell on your traps and shoulders with your feet shoulder width apart. With a tight core, bend your knees while keeping your spine neutral, squatting down to your optimal range of motion. Once at the bottom, drive through your feet to return back to your starting standing position.
Farmer’s Walks
Farmer’s walks are perfect for those looking to maximize their upper body routine. Great for building muscle and enhancing stability, what you will find is improved core strength and better grip (5).
With such a load given the amount of weight, you will find that elbow sleeves will relieve pressure and tension felt in the elbows, while also improving blood flow since your arms stay in one position.
Farmer’s Walks Benefits
Improve core strength: Since your core is engaged to keep your body neutral, you will see great work done for improving core strength.
Promote grip strength: Grip strength is important and can greatly help with both sport specific and functional movements.
How To Do Farmer’s Walks
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and grab the weights, whether they be dumbbells, kettlebells, or a barbell. With a tight core and neutral spine, walk for a set distance, keeping your body tight and engaged.
Shoulder Press
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Building up our shoulders can be a challenge, but the shoulder press is one of those exercises to do just that. Building those boulder shoulders, this exercise also works to boost core strength and allow for better overhead pressing movements (6).
Since this requires load on the elbows, and that load going overhead, elbow sleeves offer great support as you push that weight to see great gains.
Shoulder Press Benefits
Increase shoulder strength: This exercise will really work those shoulders and allow for the best by optimizing your range of motion and overhead mobility.
Core work: Since this exercise requires quite a load overhead, keeping your core tight is important and will prove to pay off in the long run.
How To Do The Shoulder Press
Choose your desired amount of weight and stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Grab either dumbbells, kettlebells, or a barbell so it is at about your upper chest and engage your core for stability. When ready, lift the weight overhead, extending your arms and locking them out at the top. Continue this overhead press movement for your desired number of reps.
Benefits Of Elbow Sleeves
Elbow sleeves can benefit you in a number of ways and it is important to put a focus on support and your physical health in order to lift big weight. Benefits of elbow sleeves include:
Offer compression: A snug fit will work well as you look to warm the elbow and provide for better blood flow (7).
Support your elbow: This helps distribute tension differently so other smaller muscles also feel supported, better assisting the elbow.
Increase stability: Provide that increased stability for big lifts so you see increased strength.
Promote better recovery: Improved blood flow and circulation will enhance recovery to optimize your physical health and see better gains.
What To Look For In Elbow Sleeves
When choosing your elbow sleeve, it is important to look for fit. You want the sleeve to offer support and compression, but also allow for optimal movement, for this will affect the exercise as a whole. The kind of material used is important as well, for you want the sleeve to physically feel comfortable and not too scratchy, itchy, or any of those uncomfortable feelings. Since you will use these for plenty of lifts, it is also important to note the durability of the product. A product worth your time and money will last you a while no matter how much you use it.
Check out our list of the Best Elbow Sleeves for more great products to maximize pain-free support!
Wrap Up
These top exercises for elbow sleeves are great to put into your routine and can really enhance all areas of your gains. With the right elbow sleeve, you can work to promote support and better compression to allow for only the best in terms of blood flow, recovery, and growth. Check out some top elbow sleeves and see how they can improve your performance today.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
Tungate, P. (2019). “The Bench Press: A Comparison Between Flat-Back and Arched-Back Techniques”. (source)
Ronai, P.; et al. (2014). “The Pull-up”. (source)
Newton, H.; et al. (1998). “The Lat Pulldown”. (source)
Kubo, K.; et al. (2019). “Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes”. (source)
Winwood, P.; et al. (2015). “A Biomechanical Analysis of the Farmers Walk, and Comparison with the Deadlift and Unloaded Walk”. (source)
McKean, M.; et al. (2015). “Overhead shoulder press- In-front of the head or behind the head?”. (source)
Pereira, M.; et al. (2014). “The Effects of Graduated Compression Sleeves on Muscle Performance: A Randomised Controlled Trial”. (source)
Jujimufu Crushes A New PR With A 700-Pound Squat
Jon Call, known as Jujimufu, is known for his feats of strength and recently set a new squat PR.
Jon Call, or Jujimufu, has built a massive following on social media for his feats of strength that can compete with many around the world. His strength and flexibility allow him to pull off some impressive lifts and he recently set a new PR. Jujimufu completed a 700-pound squat in a recent training session to set a new mark.
Call loaded up the barbell in his home gym and stepped up with a lifting belt and knee wraps to assist. He shared the lift on his Instagram page for his 1.6 million followers.
“700 lb (318 kg) SQUAT PR! Sam surprised me with a bonus camera angle she filmed without telling me. ?”
The depth that Jujimufu shows on this squat is incredible. This is what has made him be able to add weight to his lifts and perform some inhumane movements. The 700-pound club is a coveted group for powerlifters. Call did not reveal his body weight but all you have to do is take one look at his physique to see that he is in top physical shape.
Jujimufu took the world by storm five years ago when he appeared on America’s Got Talent. Here, he performed a barbell shoulder press while going a split with both feet spread out on two chairs. This was an insane lift that showed his flexibility, core strength, and balance. Since then, Jujimufu has continued to rise as a fitness star.
Call began training in martial arts and strength training at an early age. He has teamed up with many strongmen for workouts and has built a huge social media following. During his career, he has even taken part in three sanctioned powerlifting competitions.
Jujimufu set PRs during the 2020 and 2021 WRPF Hybrid Showdown competitions. During the 2020 Showdown 11, Jujimufu completed a 666.9-pound deadlift and 1,736.1-pound total. The very next year, he took down a 672.4-pound squat and 418.9-pound bench press. He even tried his hand at bodybuilding in 2021 during the NPC Worldwide Amateur Olympia Orlando, where he finished fifth in the super heavyweight division.
There is no doubt that Jujimufu is multi-talented. He is extremely strong in many ways and continues to show it on social media. It is still early in the year and Call could have some other plans for 2022. It will be exciting to see what the powerlifter takes on next.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Advanced Bodyweight Strength Training: The Pistol Squat
Pistol Squat Overview and Coaching Guide
One of the most effective unilateral exercises that can be performed for strengthening the legs, mobilising joints and improving movement mechanics is the pistol squats.
The pistol squat effectively targets the quadriceps, glutes, abdominals, obliques and ankle stabilizers.
This article will review the pistol squats, provide a step by step coaching guide and investigate a number of the associated benefits.
It will conclude by providing a selection of pistol squat variations to help you master the technique and facilitate maximal gains.
Pistol Squat Coaching Points
This first section will detail how to successfully set up and execute a full pistol squats.
1) Start by assuming a one legged stance keeping the foot directly under the hip and the toes pointed straight or slightly turned out.
Contrary to belief, pistol squats are not bad for your knees, providing this stance is assumed. It will ensure that knee stays over the toes as you squat which will prevent shearing forces from acting on the knee.
2) Keeping the opposing leg straight, drive the chest up and squeeze the core muscles tightly before flexing at the knee.
Look to counterbalance by extending the arms out in front of the body. This will facilitate control and balance throughout the movement.
3) Keeping the weight equally distributed through the foot, gradually drop into a full squat. While you lower, ensure that you lean forward slightly with the trunk (as you would in a back squat).
A common issue experienced as the body drops is that the heel gradually lifts off the floor.
This occurs for typically one of two reasons. Either the ankles are not mobile enough or the hips are not being pushed back far enough.
Lifting of the ankle during a pistol squat is not recommended as it can apply excessive force to connective tissues and consequently cause injury.
4) Avoid bouncing up and out of the squat and instead keep the movement controlled. Aggressively bouncing up is not recommended unless you are highly conditioned.
Those who aggressively rebound out of the squat may develop ankle and knee issues. Bouncing tends to cause a reduction in coordination, muscle recruitment and stability thus enhancing injury risk.
5) After controlling the descent, powerfully engage the muscles of the legs to drive the body back up to the starting position. Once again, ensure that the core remains tight throughout.
6) Assume a stable and fully supported upright position on the working leg. Repeat this process for the desired number of reps.
Ensure that you are truly stable before completing the next rep. Rushing through reps may compromise joint positions and movement efficiency.
Benefits of the Pistol Squat
As stated earlier, there are a vast number of benefits related to performing the pistol squats regularly.
1) Unilateral Strengthening
Unilateral simply refers to using a single limb as opposed to bilateral which is the use of both limbs.
Daily movements, exercise and injury can all contribute toward imbalances. The benefit of performing unilateral movements is that these imbalances can level out (1).
Reducing imbalances can have a positive impact on strength capabilities, movement and injury risk.
In addition, the pistol squats can help to improve performance with other squatting exercises, such as the back or front squat.
2) Improved Proprioception
The pistol squat is superb for developing the body’s understanding and control over movement – also known as proprioception.
More specifically the exercise can enhance coordination and balance which can directly impact performance and injury risk (2).
3) Joint Health
Performing pistol squats in a controlled fashion can reinforce efficient movement patterns and range of motion thus improving overall joint health.
Avoid the temptation to perform fast-paced and erratic pistol squats which will more than likely lead to an overuse injury.
4) Muscle Activation
It has been documented that unilateral squats can activate muscles to a greater degree than bilateral squats (3).
Increasing muscle recruitment and activation can accelerate the rate of strength and movement improvements.
5) Athletic Performance
Many sports require a large degree of single leg strength and stability. Therefore, the pistol squats can be highly advantageous for sportspeople and athletes.
The exercise is a foundational bodyweight movement that should form part of most athlete’s training.
Additionally, using a number of the following pistol squat variations can have a substantial positive impact on athletic performance.
Pistol Squat Variations
There is no doubt that the pistol squat is an advanced exercise which takes time to learn.
For those who are struggling to complete the pistol squat, firstly look to improve your mobility – specifically around the ankles (4).
From there, look to use a selection of the following pistol squat variations before advancing onto a full pistol squat.
1) Deep Bodyweight Squat
The bilateral bodyweight squat is one of the most influential movements for improving leg strength, joint mobility and proprioception.
When performing this exercise, look to drop as deeply as possible while maintaining solid form.
2) Rocking Pistol
Sit on a box with one foot flat on the floor. Lean back and then rock forward using momentum to assist you as you drive up to standing.
3) Box Pistol
This is a progression of the rocking pistol. This time, avoid using momentum and fully focus on contracting leg muscles to lift the body from the box.
4) Elevated Pistol
Stand on a box or a step and let the other leg hang out to the side before dropping into the pistol. This method can effectively enhance balance, range of motion and eccentric strength.5) Assisted Pistol
Holding onto bands or straps during a pistol squats can improve balance and simplify the movement. Add in an isometric hold at the bottom of the squat to increase difficulty.
6) Rolling Pistol
For this dynamic regression, start by lying on your back. Rock the body backwards and then roll forward aggressively, plant the foot and immediately drive up into the squat.
Final Word
The pistol squat is an advanced bodyweight exercise which demands a great degree of mobility, strength, balance and coordination.
If you are new to the pistol squats, be prepared to spend time on learning and mastering the technique. Using a number of aforementioned variations can help to accelerate technique improvements.
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References:
1-Gonzalo-Skok, Oliver; Tous-Fajardo, Julio; Suarez-Arrones, Luis; Arjol-Serrano, José Luis; Casajús, José Antonio; Mendez-Villanueva, Alberto (2017-1). “Single-Leg Power Output and Between-Limbs Imbalances in Team-Sport Players: Unilateral Versus Bilateral Combined Resistance Training”. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 12 (1): 106–114. doi:10.1123/ijspp.2015-0743. ISSN 1555-0273. PMID 27140680.
2-Riva, Dario; Bianchi, Roberto; Rocca, Flavio; Mamo, Carlo (2016-2). “Proprioceptive Training and Injury Prevention in a Professional Men’s Basketball Team: A Six-Year Prospective Study”. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 30 (2): 461–475. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000001097. ISSN 1064-8011. PMC 4750505. PMID 26203850.
3-McCurdy, Kevin; O’Kelley, Erin; Kutz, Matt; Langford, George; Ernest, James; Torres, Marcos (2010-2). “Comparison of lower extremity EMG between the 2-leg squat and modified single-leg squat in female athletes”. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation. 19 (1): 57–70. ISSN 1056-6716. PMID 20231745.
4-Kim, Si-Hyun; Kwon, Oh-Yun; Park, Kyue-Nam; Jeon, In-Cheol; Weon, Jong-Hyuck (April 7, 2015). “Lower Extremity Strength and the Range of Motion in Relation to Squat Depth”. Journal of Human Kinetics. 45: 59–69. doi:10.1515/hukin-2015-0007. ISSN 1640-5544. PMC 4415844. PMID 25964810.
The Top 3 Powerlifting Exercises: Squat, Bench Press, And Deadlift
Boost confidence and big gains with the big 3 powerlifting exercises.
You walk around the gym and everyone wants to know three things. How much can you squat? What’s your bench? What’s your max deadlift? If you don’t have that confident answer, you can feel slightly inadequate to other lifters around you. These exercises are great indicators of your strength and there is a reason that powerlifters do them. Whether you are training to be a powerlifter, or just simply looking to put up big numbers, these best powerlifting big three exercises are crucial to know how to do.
The strength that comes from these three power lifts can work to benefit all other exercises you do. Any heavy resistance training, like powerlifting, works to strengthen your skeleton to help reduce the risk of injury and give you a solid and stable frame. Because these exercises are compound movements, they work two or more body parts and impact every aspect of your lifts. With this, you can maximize muscle growth and ensure those gains never stop growing with a strong exercise.
Powerlifting works to greatly influence and positively impact your body in more ways than one. Each exercise will improve strength in each respective focus area. While the legs, upper body, and back are the primary groups powerlifting targets, every skeletal muscle benefits from a good routine. Since it is an intense form of resistance training, powerlifting can aid in fat loss as it burns plenty of calories in the short term, but can boost your metabolism for longer-lasting effects (1). With the strength you build, there is a correlation to increased athletic performance offering more than just big muscles (2). While powerlifting seems more of a one rep and done, strength-based focused sport, the benefits of each exercise program go far beyond simply that.
Let’s break down each of these three staple best powerlifting exercises with the benefits and proper ways to perform each. The squat, bench press, and deadlift are great exercises to boost strength and give you confidence to stand tall in the gym. For those seeking to perfect their competitive exercises or simply get huge, give these three a try and work to catapult your gains to new heights from a great program for the best results.
Squat: Light Up Those Legs
Many variations exist with the squat, but we will focus on the back squat. Squats work your glutes and quads, which serve as the drivers for this exercise, similar to lunges. It also hits the hip adductors, hamstrings, calves, and core. On the descent, your quads and glutes lengthen allowing for you to lower to the ground in a controlled speed, and then fire up as you straighten to return to the starting position. Your calves keep your feet planted while your hamstrings counter what the quads do to help with stability and reduce added strain (3) for better rest to really push yourself without new injuries.
By strengthening your lower body, squats give you a solid foundation for grounded support that benefits virtually all other exercises. The benefits of improved performance and reduced risk of injury not only promote successful lifts and competitions but can keep an athlete training longer and be a positive force to their overall well-being (4).
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How to: Squats begin with your feet shoulder width apart. Make sure the bar is resting on the top of your shoulder blades and not the top of your spine. Your hands should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. As you brace your core, maintain a neutral spine and bend at the knee, lowering to the ground. Keep your weight centered and heels on the floor. Keeping solid form, push up to the starting position and work to build that muscle from the right workout for important gains for people.
Check out our Squat Exercise Guide for video instructions
Bench Press: Pump That Chest
Most people love to talk about this exercise and for some reason this exercise has become the ultimate test of strength. While many variations exist for this exercise as well, we will focus on the medium-grip bench press. It is great for targeting your upper and lower chest, arms, and shoulders. The regular grip will target the entire pectoral muscle and give you that bulk in the chest while enhancing grip strength, something people need for important functional movements to start enhancing everyday gains for perfect movements.
It can not only improve upper body strength, but also deliver muscular endurance and support other exercises. While widely employed for general strength and condition, it also aids in hypertrophy (5), showing great benefit in muscle growth. Its versatility and popularity match the benefits provided to be a great strength-based, power-inducing exercise for gains to truly show.
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How to: Lie on the bench with your feet planted on the floor. Grab the bar with your hands a little more than shoulder-width apart. Arch your lower back slightly. While this is debated, an arched lower back can help keep the spine neutral and the back tight. Lift the bar off the rack and gently lower to your chest as you breathe in. Your forearms should be about 90 degrees from the ground as you touch your chests and with your feet planted on the ground, initiate the upward movement to return to the starting position.
Check out our Bench Press Exercise Guide for video instructions
Deadlift: Serious Back Builder
The deadlift is an impressive exercise for it requires both explosive strength and overall power. The deadlift will target the back and spine, glutes, and legs. This exercise is of course beneficial for those who powerlift or lift big in the gym, but the everyday benefits are considerably noticeable as well, like enhanced grip strength which we all need to work to lift the weight and be great.
For powerlifters, the deadlift is one of the big three for competition, but bodybuilders will deadlift because of the benefits to muscle growth in the back and thighs (6). As an exercise to develop overall strength, the deadlift can support stability and balance as a grounded exercise that influences many others. As a source of influence for grip strength and core stability, the deadlift is really considered an all-around, whole body workout to build strength with a lift that we need to do to build our muscles.
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How to: Begin with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your knees should be slightly bent and the bar just outside the legs. Hinge at the hips and as you straighten your legs and keep the bar close to your body. As the bar approaches just above the knee and your arms straighten, keep a straight back and rest on your thighs. To return to the ground, slowly lean forward from the hips and bend your knees slightly to get back to the starting position.
Check out our Deadlift Exercise Guide for video instructions
Wrap Up
These three powerlifts are exactly what you need to start feeling confident and comfortable in the gym. For those interested in getting involved with the sport of powerlifting, these are essential for you to know and learn to see great results. With continued work, you will see muscle mass and growth that increases your strength and a positive change in your posture and balance. The squat, bench press, and deadlift are staple three lifts in a powerlifters routine and you will love the numbers you start putting up. The benefits inside and outside of the gym should be enough for you to want to incorporate these into your workout regiment and love the results.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
Resources
Campbell, W. W.; Crim, M. C.; Young V. R.; Evans, W. J. (1994). “Increased energy requirements and changes in body composition with resistance training in older adults”. (source)
Wisloff, U.; Castagna, C.; Helgerud, J.; Jones, R.; Hoff, J. (2004). “Strong correlation of maximal squat strength with sprint performance and vertical jump height in elite soccer players”. (source)
Kompf, Justin; Arandjelovic, Ognjen (2017). “The Sticking Point in the Bench Press, the Squat, and the Deadlift: Similarities and Differences, and Their Significance for Research and Practice”. (source)
Myer, Gregory D.; Kushner, Adam M.; Brent, Jensen L.; Schoenfeld, Brad J.; Hugentobler, Jason; Lloyd, Rhodri S.; Vermeil, Al; Chu, Donald A.; Harbin, Jason; McGill, Stuart M. (2014). “The back squat. A proposed assessment of functional deficits and technical factors that limit performance”. (source)
Kompf, Justin; Arandjelovic, Ognjen (2017). “The Sticking Point in the Bench Press, the Squat, and the Deadlift: Similarities and Differences, and Their Significance for Research and Practice”. (source)
Kompf, Justin; Arandjelovic, Ognjen (2017). “The Sticking Point in the Bench Press, the Squat, and the Deadlift: Similarities and Differences, and Their Significance for Research and Practice”. (source)