Top Squat Somersault Squat Muscle Round

[homonunculus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DdGi88Eoks

[YOUTUBE]0DdGi88Eoks[/YOUTUBE]

Gettin' Funky with it:

Muscle Round doing a Joe Daniels inspired Somersault Squat, using a top squat bar attachment to control the bar.

I stay more upright at the top of the ROM in part to maintain tension, but also b/c this smith machine doesn't allow much bar rotation.

BE CAREFUL - HAVE AN EXIT STRATEGY in case you hit failure. (You can see on my very last rep, I give a good effort, but recognize when it's time to bail ship I and still have my wits about me to slip out. Naturally, a spotter can help here.)

-S

[Imprezivr6]

Sorry to take this OT but how do you like that attachment? Does it actually compare to a Saftey Squat Bar?

[homonunculus]

Sorry to take this OT but how do you like that attachment? Does it actually compare to a Saftey Squat Bar?

Much better:

-Portable
-Cheaper
-Use for a BB as well as on a smith machine
-Above vidoe use, too.

Safetybar squats allow a "front squat," but picking one over the other, top squat all the way. (I have a SS Bar in my garage, but haven't used it for a long while now...)

-S

[mentalflex]

Damn, another sweet ass exercise! This looks like something that might work for Lin being that she can't do regular squats.

You know Scott, you are really building up some anticipation for this new program...ALMOST enough for me to want to change from DC

[homonunculus]

Damn, another sweet ass exercise! This looks like something that might work for Lin being that she can't do regular squats.

You know Scott, you are really building up some anticipation for this new program...ALMOST enough for me to want to change from DC

This is Joe Daniels' exercise (Dante introduced it to IM years ago), but I like using the Top Squat b/c you don't need a spotter to hold the bar open. You can do them without the TS, of course, but the TS makes it MUCH easier, esp. for a Muscle Round.

Would be a great one for Lin, I think.

Working on the program now, actually. I talked with Ben Bruno last night on the phone ("bruno" here on IM) who used to post here and won about 10 of the first dozen ISOM contests. He said he wanted to try the program just b/c he likes stuff that's really hard, just like you. (He doesn't care about getting bigger though.)

I'd be interested to see if he actually gained size without changing his diet.

-S

[Knickerbocker24]

This is Joe Daniels' exercise (Dante introduced it to IM years ago), but I like using the Top Squat b/c you don't need a spotter to hold the bar open. You can do them without the TS, of course, but the TS makes it MUCH easier, esp. for a Muscle Round.

Would be a great one for Lin, I think.

Working on the program now, actually. I talked with Ben Bruno last night on the phone ("bruno" here on IM) who used to post here and won about 10 of the first dozen ISOM contests. He said he wanted to try the program just b/c he likes stuff that's really hard, just like you. (He doesn't care about getting bigger though.)

I'd be interested to see if he actually gained size without changing his diet.

-S

Very cool exercise. You have some very creative/outside of the box exercises. And, Ben is also really good with coming up with creative exercises. Thanks for sharing that. Where does one get a bar like that & how much does it run? This would also be a good tool to use for athletes with LBP.

[theroymccoy]

I miss Bruno

Thanks for the vid btw

[homonunculus]

Very cool exercise. You have some very creative/outside of the box exercises. And, Ben is also really good with coming up with creative exercises. Thanks for sharing that. Where does one get a bar like that & how much does it run? This would also be a good tool to use for athletes with LBP.

Thanks, KB. Ben and I had a nice conversation. He's really in high demand simply for being a creative exercise "artist."

Sorry - been posting this thing on FB, my forum (www.integrativebodybuilding.com) and trying to keep the links clean, so I forgot to paste Dave Draper's site back in:

www.topsquat.com which takes you to: http://www.davedraper.com/top-squat.html

The price has gone up a smidge since I got mine: $189.00

I just keep mine in the car and it's done fine through 4-5 Arizona summers now. Totally worth it b/c you can do any type of squatting, lunging, split squat, etc. exercise with both a BB and a smith machine with it, which opens up a world of exercises if your shoulders don't "like" reaching back to a bar.

I never really ended up with with squatting related shoulder problems, but I could sense them coming and just got this preventatively. I'm very glad I did.

Only disadvantage is folks coming up and asking about it. I even had a guy come up in the gym (bar was loaded, my stuff around the smith machine) and poke at it until it fell off the bar... LOL "Hey man, what is that?..."

I miss Bruno

Thanks for the vid btw

He said the same about you. (Said i'm supposed to send you, "Snuggles and Eskimo Kisses" or some shit like that... whatever that means.)

Anyway, you're welcome for the video.

-S

[Knickerbocker24]

Thanks, KB. Ben and I had a nice conversation. He's really in high demand simply for being a creative exercise "artist."

It's been nice to watch him grow professionally. It doesn't hurt to have a great mentor there like Mike Boyle, but I know he's added some unique value there too. Is he working anywhere else or just at MBSC full time?

Sorry - been posting this thing on FB, my forum (www.integrativebodybuilding.com) and trying to keep the links clean, so I forgot to paste Dave Draper's site back in:

www.topsquat.com which takes you to: http://www.davedraper.com/top-squat.html

The price has gone up a smidge since I got mine: $189.00

I just keep mine in the car and it's done fine through 4-5 Arizona summers now. Totally worth it b/c you can do any type of squatting, lunging, split squat, etc. exercise with both a BB and a smith machine with it, which opens up a world of exercises if your shoulders don't "like" reaching back to a bar.

I never really ended up with with squatting related shoulder problems, but I could sense them coming and just got this preventatively. I'm very glad I did.

Thanks for the links. When you do the version in the video do you feel it in the glutes too or is it more straight quad dominant?

[mentalflex]

This is Joe Daniels' exercise (Dante introduced it to IM years ago), but I like using the Top Squat b/c you don't need a spotter to hold the bar open. You can do them without the TS, of course, but the TS makes it MUCH easier, esp. for a Muscle Round.

Would be a great one for Lin, I think.

Working on the program now, actually. I talked with Ben Bruno last night on the phone ("bruno" here on IM) who used to post here and won about 10 of the first dozen ISOM contests. He said he wanted to try the program just b/c he likes stuff that's really hard, just like you. (He doesn't care about getting bigger though.)

I'd be interested to see if he actually gained size without changing his diet.

-S

From all the videos I've seen he would be a prime candidate to give this program a thorough test. It should be quite interesting to see what happens to him just with the change in routines. You think you can convince him to come back on here and post up some progress results as he makes his way through it?

[homonunculus]

It's been nice to watch him grow professionally. It doesn't hurt to have a great mentor there like Mike Boyle, but I know he's added some unique value there too. Is he working anywhere else or just at MBSC full time?

He's working at a local H.S., too, with the hockey team, who just defeated the #1 ranked team in the first round of the playoffs...

He's also giving a talk on group training for H.S. kids this weekend in Louisville (I had to correct him on pronunciation: "Lou - a - vul"). Can't recall the name of the conference.

Thanks for the links. When you do the version in the video do you feel it in the glutes too or is it more straight quad dominant?

All quads for me. Maybe smidge of glutes and hamstrings, but these are def. a quad specific exercise, IMO.

From all the videos I've seen he would be a prime candidate to give this program a thorough test. It should be quite interesting to see what happens to him just with the change in routines. You think you can convince him to come back on here and post up some progress results as he makes his way through it?

We'll see. I think he'd like to do the program, though. He might like to put up strength numbers, at least.

-S

[jrf0104]

Dr. Scott,

For DC, would you do these with straight sets or rest pause?

[Knickerbocker24]

He's working at a local H.S., too, with the hockey team, who just defeated the #1 ranked team in the first round of the playoffs...

He's also giving a talk on group training for H.S. kids this weekend in Louisville (I had to correct him on pronunciation: "Lou - a - vul"). Can't recall the name of the conference.

I wonder if he's teaming up with Steve Hartman down there. I know Steve also used to work at MBSC and is now the strength coach at Bellarmine in Louisville...good guy. MBSC really has a nice network of good coaches. A coach I used to intern for was also a former MBSC guy, and coincidentally enough he also had a guy that used to work from him as an assistant at Holy Cross that this community may be more familiar with, Bobby Sepesy...who was a former NPC national level competitor. It's like 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon lol.

[homonunculus]

Dr. Scott,

For DC, would you do these with straight sets or rest pause?

Quad widowmaker on the three way. (Guessing from that question, you might want to look into DC a bit more, though, or at least post your intended final program... )

I wonder if he's teaming up with Steve Hartman down there. I know Steve also used to work at MBSC and is now the strength coach at Bellarmine in Louisville...good guy. MBSC really has a nice network of good coaches. A coach I used to intern for was also a former MBSC guy, and coincidentally enough he also had a guy that used to work from him as an assistant at Holy Cross that this community may be more familiar with, Bobby Sepesy...who was a former NPC national level competitor. It's like 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon lol.

No idea about Steve H., but when I called him he was watching a rerun of Footloose on the movie channel and was a bit winded, I assume because he was literally "cutting footloose."

[Dean3238]

FWIW, Top Squat is an awesome bit of gear. My shoulder ROM precludes holding the bar for regular squats, so I have to use it all the time just so I _can_ squat.

Big thumbs up on that set, Scott.