Playing With The Steinborn Squat : Day 1

July 22, 2018 ~4am

I’m 3 maybe 4 weeks into this current squat every day phase,
it’s Sunday in the early AM, ain’t no one around and I thought back to two conversations :

1. A few days after the Arnold comp this year a beginner was telling me how cool the steinborn squat is. Me? I said it looks cool, but likely isn’t as impressive as most think.

2. A buddy saying he’d like the Rogue Steinborn bar, and me ribbing him saying due to the awkwardness of the movement that even if he had the bar he’d eschew the movement anyway.

I decide to try it.

135. I tip it over, easy. Its off center, but light weight, I stand easily. I take it off to the side I picked from it comes down awkwardly.

“Huh, I need to concentrate on the “racking” of the bar. ”

Ok, onto 2 plates.

I honestly thought I’d have 315 in the bag, possibly as high as 405 in this, I have mad oblique and good bottom position strength…

I tilt it, and stand…with the bar way high on my neck and far more of the bar to my right. It was nowhere near centered, but unlike the time I pulled 495 like that there were no eye witnesses. 🙂 or 🙁 ?

Try to properly lower it, I’m not going to get reps like this. It comes down awkwardly, I wasn’t bent to the side enough or squatting deep enough.

2nd attempt same general description, but…I’m standing there at lockout and kinda shift the bar left to center and mentally freak. I think of my buddy pinching a nerve in his neck and lose it mentally. The bar starts swaying around, I follow…

Survival mode kicks in, I ugly and shy of lockout behind the neck push press or maybe jerk it over my head dropping it like it was a snatch.
(That movement needs work.)

I crack my neck. Mentally check myself, give my body the once over. I’m not hurt, my mind is just a little shaken.

Ok 3rd attempt…

Stand it, and fail to wedge under well.

4th…the bar standing is trying to run away from me.

5th…similar and I almost let it pull me over.

6th…I wedge under, start to tilt, and…..

Yep, I considered if this will kill me.

I restand it.

I realize…

These may in fact kill me or paralyze me or something.

My headphones are in the way of positioning, I toss them aside.

7th attempt (or so, could be #8 or #9).

Rechalk the hands…

I realize the form pointers, mental pointers, whatever you want to call them aka how to successfully do the lift :

•calm yourself
•stay aside/on side of bar, this is mental
•wedge in tight
•make sure you’re centered
•now get lower
•drop down atg as you tilt
•trust in your abilities, it’ll come down center and softly as you’re properly positioned
•stand
•now do set
•take a few breathes, mentally refocus on placing it down well
•squat atg
•tilt over/lean sideways hard
•keep hands on bar
•support it upright next to you with one hand and celebrate
•set it entirely on the floor

This is likely the most mental thought I’ve put into any odd lift I’ve goofed around with, at least in the first session. I have done a lot of one arm snatches after all.

That good set I picked well, squatted 5 reps(hardest 225×5 of my life), then lowered it well, held it vertically with one hand celebrate and “show control” and put it down nicely.

Physically I’d have been good for 315, likely more, though mentally I decided it smarter to wait till another day.

Give it time…there’s serious potential for good video here.

This was an interesting squat every day session.

-J

Training for this thoughts :

Actually focus on form.
Never fail.
Bottom position rack squats heavy
Landmine standing ab twists
Heavy high rep side bends