February 5, 2007
So here’s one. I’m resting between sets of bench presses, and I notice a guy come in and drop his gym bag next to the squat rack. He throws three plates onto each side of the bar, warms up with a quick check of his nose hairs in the mirror, and then settles in for his lift. What luck: I am present for the setting of a new land speed record, 0-300 in about ten seconds flat.
My high school band teacher always insisted that the proper way to warm up is not to pick out the highest note you can play and blow it as long and loudly as you can. Likewise, a warm up in the gym needs to be a thoughtful process that maximizes strength while minimizing the risk of injury.
The specifics aren’t critical; you’ve warmed up adequately when you’re ready to hit your first heavy set at full weight. My father, in his home gym, first picks up all the ping pong balls so inconsiderately left on the floor from the night before. I warm up with a 3-5 minute stroll on the treadmill, followed by stretching combined with three light sets of the first lift I plan to perform.
And what happened with Minuteman over at the squat rack? No, he didn’t tear a quad muscle or rip apart his knee. In fact, he didn’t squat deep enough to do much of anything at all.
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All Time Nuttiest, Legs | 
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Posted by Muscleman
January 24, 2007
Although I am frequently dismayed by people’s laziness and all around carelessness in the gym (obviously: I’ve started a blog about it), I am equally impressed by how creatively they accomplish nothing.
When it comes to training legs, people generally steer clear altogether. Squat racks, leg press machines and Smith machines collect the most dust in the gym, while people congregate around equipment that works the smaller muscle groups. And why not: training legs hurts like crap! Properly training the body’s largest and strongest muscle group requires a serious commitment to intensity and concentration.
So let’s talk about a way people train legs unseriously. I’ve noticed two distinct methods people use to cheat on the leg press. The first is when the guy does his set with his arms crossed over his chest, so that he severely limits the lift’s range of motion. The second, and my favorite, is when the guy presses his hands to his knees throughout the lift. He cheats himself twice: On the eccentric (down) portion of the lift, he uses his upper body to help resist the weight of the carriage; during the concentric (up) part of the lift, he pushes like hell with his upper body to return the carriage back to its starting point.
In the extreme, this four-legged leg press becomes a veritable bench press, recruiting heavy involvement from the chest, shoulders and triceps. You might even be able to build some upper body strength this way. (I can hear my father’s snark now: “Wouldn’t this actually be a more efficient way to lift – to work all these body parts at once?!?”) Well, it may in fact be more efficient, but it certainly isn’t more effective.
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Legs | 
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Posted by Muscleman
