Finally! Deck SQ

I finally did a deck squat with perfect form and no stumbling backwards at all!!

I was ready to write off ever hitting perfect form due to my size (6'1 260lbs), but hopefully this can be a testimonial for the bigger guys or anyone still struggling with this element.  And I've noticed with good form, this element becomes easier.  I even did an extra set today because I felt I had a lot more energy with the good form. 

What helped me the most was holding a deep squat in the hole for about 10 seconds as part of my warmups and really concentrating on the weight shift forward before standing up. 

No more big guy excuses here...feels great!

RRRRROOOOOAAAAARRRRR! #success

Well done!

I am 6'2 and a bit lighter at 92kg, so it is great to hear gymnastics the success of taller and heavier individuals.

Very nice, well done

Congratulations!  Personally I can't wait to knock out F1...the 7 GST are my passion.

For your stats that's pretty good.

Hello!  

This is now my second post in the new training sections...  Again I am STOKED that Coach has finally put this course together...I have been searching for this kind of program for 10+years...

I am currently going through the material and planning my training strategy and scheduling (integrating with the rest of my life also).

With the F7 I already know that the Deck Squat, (which is step 1!!!) is going to be very hard, and possibly contraindicated for me.  

I am currently 6'7" 310ish pounds at 32ish % body fat.  I am currently pursuing an aggressive separate program to get my body fat down into the single digits ASAP, which is a combo of specific nutrition, strategic cardio program, and getting my composition tested every other week in a Bod Pod to track my progress and make sure I'm not burning (too much) muscle. I will be 33 years old in August.

ALSO...about 4-5 years ago I dislocated my right patella by partially tearing my right MCL ligament.  It healed well, and did not need surgery, but it created a lot of ongoing muscle imbalances in my body from that 6 months I was hobbling around on my left side with the right side atrophying (this is also the period where I put on the bulk of my current "fat suit").

Squats of any kind are very hard for me.  With the height (length) and bulk of my body, especially in my bunched up quads/Hip Flexors and hamstrings, and weak-compared to my mass joints, it feels like there needs to be a whole other series of squat progressions before Deck Squat 1. Also, my right big toe was broken years ago, and is weak/painful to put weight on, which of course has ramifications up the whole anatomical/kinesthetic chain.

I am very serious about getting this part of my life handled, getting my body lean, mean, and cut, and mastering these courses (F1, HS1 and the courses to come) over the next several decades of my life, however this one piece feels particularly discouraging/demoralizing to me.

I am reaching out both for technical advice on how to approach the problem, and also for the support of the community as I take on such a monumental challenge.

By the way, so far as I know, the tallest person on record to perform a front lever was 6'6" so if/when I am able to achieve this it will be a new world record.  I don't know of anyone my height and build who is attempting this, and there is a world of difference between 6'1 and 6'7."  There was one Russian guy who came through my circus school who was almost my height, but he was of the stick-thin build, whereas my structure is broad shouldered and beefy.

Thanks so much in advance; tremendous gratitude to Coach, the mods, and the community.

P.S. I want to make some progress in the program first but I look forward to coming to another GB seminar, and as both a bodyworker and a trainer myself, I look forward to eventual certification to help spread Coach's brand.

I treat many patients who cannot squat. I usually start them on partial depth squats progressing to full depth squats. Maybe you could start doing partial depth squats using the 15 rep template. Once you master that depth go lower for the next cycle and so on until you are ready for the deck squat.

Deck squat, despite being the first progression for legs in F1, does presume a familiarity and comfort with the squat position.

If you are not at that stage, then that should be you first goal for this series before considering assisted deck squat progressions that several have already posted about.

Consider resources such as Dan John's goblet squats or MobilityWod and get comfortable with the deep squat position

When you are ready, add some elevated deck squats working to hand assisted deck squats and then onto deck squats proper

Don't rush things and pay attention to your knee if you have issues with it, but progress here should come quickly. Squats are a natural movement and many big men can do them very well

Good luck. Mike

I just did a couple searches for Goblet squats and mobilitywod, neither of which I had heard of before.  I will be looking into them...do you recommend coaches programming progressions for these as well?

Is there any info or videos here you can point me to showing elevated and hand assisted deck squats?  Looking forward to my single leg squat in a few years!

Dan John is a discus thrower and well known strength coach. Goblet squats are how he teaches his wards to learn the squat and get comfortable with the position. Search for his name and you will find.

Mobility WOD is the site of Kelly Starlett featuring his own brand of mobility work through daily videos.

Both have differing goals and ideas to this site, so I will not mention them further, but they may help you get what you need.

Elevated deck squats are what some have used here to make deck squats easier - essentially rolling back onto an elevated surface (stacked mats), to make the return-to-squat portion easier.

Assisted deck squats are what I am just weaning myself off of to achieve a quality deck squat. Essentially, as you drop into the roll back you can reach back to place your hands on the floor to lower yourself down, and as you roll back forward you can push with your hands to help reacquire the squat. The idea is to reduce the assistance over time until it is no longer needed - I like to refer to these as PE0.5

The Giant said:

Hello!  

 

This is now my second post in the new training sections...  Again I am STOKED that Coach has finally put this course together...I have been searching for this kind of program for 10+years...

 

I am currently going through the material and planning my training strategy and scheduling (integrating with the rest of my life also).

 

With the F7 I already know that the Deck Squat, (which is step 1!!!) is going to be very hard, and possibly contraindicated for me.  

 

I am currently 6'7" 310ish pounds at 32ish % body fat.  I am currently pursuing an aggressive separate program to get my body fat down into the single digits ASAP, which is a combo of specific nutrition, strategic cardio program, and getting my composition tested every other week in a Bod Pod to track my progress and make sure I'm not burning (too much) muscle. I will be 33 years old in August.

 

ALSO...about 4-5 years ago I dislocated my right patella by partially tearing my right MCL ligament.  It healed well, and did not need surgery, but it created a lot of ongoing muscle imbalances in my body from that 6 months I was hobbling around on my left side with the right side atrophying (this is also the period where I put on the bulk of my current "fat suit").

 

Squats of any kind are very hard for me.  With the height (length) and bulk of my body, especially in my bunched up quads/Hip Flexors and hamstrings, and weak-compared to my mass joints, it feels like there needs to be a whole other series of squat progressions before Deck Squat 1. Also, my right big toe was broken years ago, and is weak/painful to put weight on, which of course has ramifications up the whole anatomical/kinesthetic chain.

 

I am very serious about getting this part of my life handled, getting my body lean, mean, and cut, and mastering these courses (F1, HS1 and the courses to come) over the next several decades of my life, however this one piece feels particularly discouraging/demoralizing to me.

 

I am reaching out both for technical advice on how to approach the problem, and also for the support of the community as I take on such a monumental challenge.

 

By the way, so far as I know, the tallest person on record to perform a front lever was 6'6" so if/when I am able to achieve this it will be a new world record.  I don't know of anyone my height and build who is attempting this, and there is a world of difference between 6'1 and 6'7."  There was one Russian guy who came through my circus school who was almost my height, but he was of the stick-thin build, whereas my structure is broad shouldered and beefy.

 

Thanks so much in advance; tremendous gratitude to Coach, the mods, and the community.

 

P.S. I want to make some progress in the program first but I look forward to coming to another GB seminar, and as both a bodyworker and a trainer myself, I look forward to eventual certification to help spread Coach's brand.

what I recommend is that you check Joshua Natermans post on the Nutrition forums, since he's done some pretty good work in that area. I'm currently implementing his program and im starting to notice results on the digestive side. let's see how the rest goes  

I have found a great PE0.5 after trying for over a week to land one of these. I just tried holding a weight out in front of me as I roll up - now I'm finding it very easy to come up on straight legs.

It's great for getting used to the mechanics, and I think soon I can do it without the weight.