Shot putter Joe Kovacs squats 870 for 4 reps.

runnerboy70 wrote:

That's not a full squat....He avoided the toughest part of the movement which is at the bottom.

The sweet spot in a squat is just slightly below parallel - its the maximization point for ROM, weight, and muscle activation/utilization. ATG are "harder" because your quads take a break and your hamstrings have to do all the work getting out of the hole. Therefore "harder" in this sense =/= better.

JMysterio wrote:

I thought the latest trend for strength the legs in runners were lunges because they isolate the actual running muscles and work one leg at a time.

Lunges are fine, but just going to throw it out there that squats are much, much better because a.) squats done properly train the legs equally b.) they are far superior for loading and strengthening the "the core" (back/posterior chain/abs).

He isn't squatting with a "bent back" - he's doing low bar squats which force you to learn forward more than the "high bar" squat most are used to seeing at their local 24 LA fitness . It's a better way to squat, but a little harder to learn because of how you rack it on your back.

paris2024hawk wrote:

That's some serious weight, he did this last month and he hit 705 for 10 last year.

Oh and also Kovac doesn't qualify as an athlete so it doesn't really matter what he lifts.

So I have no clue why we're even discussing this.

John_James_413 wrote:

paris2024hawk wrote:

That's some serious weight, he did this last month and he hit 705 for 10 last year.

Oh and also Kovac doesn't qualify as an athlete so it doesn't really matter what he lifts.

So I have no clue why we're even discussing this.

I bet he would beat you in the broad jump.

The depth is good. Hip crease below parallel. Also funny how people here are judging like he's in a powerlifting contest. You don't get that strong without knowing correct form.

Kenneth Copeland, verified millionaire wrote:

Lunges are fine, but just going to throw it out there that squats are much, much better because they are far superior for loading and strengthening the "the core" (back/posterior chain/abs).

Yes they are the best for that, that is what I meant by “handling the weight”. It’s all core.

For shot, great. For big strength, great. For running, idk. My core actually got big doing big squats. I don’t think it was an adaptation favorable to running.

Lol. This guy hates anyone 3x stronger than him.

Anyway, what does Crouser squat? I know Rupp and Hasay were doing them as part of training too.

John_James_413 wrote:

paris2024hawk wrote:

That's some serious weight, he did this last month and he hit 705 for 10 last year.

Oh and also Kovac doesn't qualify as an athlete so it doesn't really matter what he lifts.

So I have no clue why we're even discussing this.

Lol. Only in your bird brain does he not qualify. To everyone else he is the epitome of an athlete.

Not that it's important to him but I thought his bench is somewhere in the 460 range?

Nope was wrong. Looks like both Kovacs and Crouser bench over 500. True monster athletes. Kovacs is 6 foot 300 and Crouser 6'8" 320.

https://www-nytimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/02/26/sports/shot-put-ryan-crouser-joe-kovacs.amp.html?amp_js_v=a6&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQHKAFQArABIA%3D%3D#aoh=16220683941462&amp_ct=1622068538028&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2019%2F02%2F26%2Fsports%2Fshot-put-ryan-crouser-joe-kovacs.html

JMysterio wrote:

Sprintgeezer wrote:

That’s what I’m doing now, I have dropped big squats. Still do some leg press and DL, but those lunges are interesting. Huge strength that comes from big squats is now gone, though.

My own opinion is squats are for younger guys. As you get older the stress on knees, piled on years of sports is just too much at that stage. Lunges are done with little or no weights and work calves, hams, hip flexors and quads. Also stretch the muscles at the same time. You can do them stationary or walking. Hey, chicks love them so they can't be all bad.

Yea totally for younger people.....

43 yrs old, 5'6", 180+ lbs.

Bench 250 x 2

Squat 350 x 3

Deadlift 405 x 1

All PRs set this year.

Small pond goals...

Alan

His reps were fine. The only athletes who NEED to hit ATG are Olympics lifters since they will be catching at a low depth for the clean and jerk.

Powerlifters need to hit powerlifting depth.

Everyone else just needs to hit a solid depth that is around PL depth but can vary based on setup and equipment used. If you have good Squat shoes or heel lifts you're gonna hit good depth. If youre squatting in running shoes probably not.

Also, his lifts were just in some college football gym, no mono lift, using regular uncalibrated plates.

He's an athlete and would outperform any distance runner in any test of athleticism that doesn't involve distance running. I bet he would outsprint most distance runners up to 50m

Alan

Jabba jabba. wrote:

Lol. This guy hates anyone 3x stronger than him.

Anyway, what does Crouser squat? I know Rupp and Hasay were doing them as part of training too.

I think you’ve got the wrong poster here bud.

Runningart2004 wrote:

JMysterio wrote:

My own opinion is squats are for younger guys. As you get older the stress on knees, piled on years of sports is just too much at that stage. Lunges are done with little or no weights and work calves, hams, hip flexors and quads. Also stretch the muscles at the same time. You can do them stationary or walking. Hey, chicks love them so they can't be all bad.

Yea totally for younger people.....

43 yrs old, 5'6", 180+ lbs.

Bench 250 x 2

Squat 350 x 3

Deadlift 405 x 1

All PRs set this year.

Small pond goals...

Alan

I have a 60 year old friend whose lifts are pretty much the same as yours. Unfortunately he no lifted in a recent competition because he lifted his head on all 3 of his bench presses.

coach wrote:

Runningart2004 wrote:

Yea totally for younger people.....

43 yrs old, 5'6", 180+ lbs.

Bench 250 x 2

Squat 350 x 3

Deadlift 405 x 1

All PRs set this year.

Small pond goals...

Alan

I have a 60 year old friend whose lifts are pretty much the same as yours. Unfortunately he no lifted in a recent competition because he lifted his head on all 3 of his bench presses.

The best thing I can say about those numbers is that at least it's clear he's not BSing.

I have some respect for sticking to it despite a lack of aptitude, I'm sure I would have gotten frustrated and quit by now if it was me.

Runningart2004 wrote:

Yea totally for younger people.....

43 yrs old, 5'6", 180+ lbs.

Bench 250 x 2

Squat 350 x 3

Deadlift 405 x 1

All PRs set this year.

Small pond goals...

Alan

Been lifting since mid-January. Used to race bikes. Here's the most I've done in the gym so far.

5'10" 180

Bench - 235

Squat - 275

DL - 385

Snatch - 165 (power snatch - can't go to squat position yet with max weight)

C&J - 205 (power clean - same thing as above)

I've got long arms and very long femurs, probably why I was so good on the bike and am a horrible runner relative to cycling. Same thing with being so much better at deadlift v. squat I'd presume. No clue why my bench is relatively high for a beginner, weird muscle attachments maybe?

Anyway, y'all are crazy who don't think Kovacs is strong af and an incredible athlete. Yeah he's not squatting like an olympic lifter would train, but that is A LOT of weight he's doing. I'm impressed, for sure. Can't even imagine being that strong.

None of these would count in powerlifting, but Joe isn't doing it for powerlifting; he's doing it to supplement his Shot Put. There is no benefit for him to train powerlifting depth - if anything it would probably be detrimental to him. There are numerous studies about squat depth and related sport-movement performance changes, and they pretty much all indicate that ATG squatting is less helpful than half-squats.

Runningart2004 wrote:

His reps were fine. The only athletes who NEED to hit ATG are Olympics lifters since they will be catching at a low depth for the clean and jerk.

Powerlifters need to hit powerlifting depth.

Everyone else just needs to hit a solid depth that is around PL depth but can vary based on setup and equipment used. If you have good Squat shoes or heel lifts you're gonna hit good depth. If youre squatting in running shoes probably not.

Also, his lifts were just in some college football gym, no mono lift, using regular uncalibrated plates.

He's an athlete and would outperform any distance runner in any test of athleticism that doesn't involve distance running. I bet he would outsprint most distance runners up to 50m

Alan

Cool and I have videos of me doing 600-1042 lbs to the same depth he's going. So if this is a competition of half squatting then looks like I win that one as well.

And those are from 2012 when I was weaker. I no longer do the half squats because I herniated and bulged out a lower disk doing them which I lose sleep to every night to this day.

But yeah I could post videos of me doing way more than he's doing. Yeah but he's an " athlete "... Keep thinking that.