FOR THOSE ABOUT TO SQUAT, I SALUTE YOU

The back squat.  Those of you reading this aren't new to it or else you'd probably never have found this blog.  Coffee and Squats is dedicated to being more, every day of your f-ing life.  Heavy squats accomplish this in a way nothing else can come close to...ok maybe outlaw programming, but for those who don't know WTF that is, squatting is your path.

I'm currently writing another blog on my personal endeavor with CrossFit Football, one of the most bad ass strength programs CrossFit, or any program, has to offer.  In case you are not familiar, CFFB begins its newer athletes with an Amateur Strength program.  Google it and check out their bitchin' site if you want more info on it, but suffice it to say that it blows weak ass programs away.

Part of the genius that is CFFB is the foundation by which everything is based on:  Squat twice a week.
As an amateur, this means back squats, and adding small amounts of weight to the bar EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU SQUAT.   CFFB creator John Welbourn also explains his program at length through his blog, talk to me johnnie, and if you have questions his seemingly un-ending knowledge is for the taking, granted its an explosion of information (think Jackson Pollock) and can be quite overwhelming if you are new and haven't lifted heavy weights before.  Make no mistake though, he's very well educated on how to be strong, powerful, and getting more out of yourself a power athlete at every stage in the game.  Ok, enough poo-nosing.

Getting under a constantly heavy bar takes a person of domineering will and fierce spirit, and the longer you stay with a program that always asks more of you than ever before, the more you will need to have an iron constitution to carry you through the shit-storm cycle of self-destruction and growth.

This is relevant.

This post is not about how-to or how low to squat, that should be understood already, and is documented here.  But for reference, send your ass to grass, shove your knee's out, keep your chest up, & push your heels through the crust of the earth.  This post is about getting your head out from the sand and prepping for some heavy squats.

The day's effort should begin with the night before, getting lots of quality sleep in a dark room, and upon waking brewing some not-to-be-fucked-with coffee.   Consume proteins and fats as needed.  Then, off to the cave...

#1.  Relax as you warmup, roll out, get your hips un-fucked with some mobility, lay on a lacrosse ball, unglue your tissue issues, and break a sweat.  Pound coffee.  Perform one or two sets of 5 squats with just the bar.

#2.  Build Belief.  Start loading the bar with weight, performing 5 reps to "grease the groove" at heavier and heavier loads leading up to what you will be performing for the day.  As weight increases, don't let yourself slow down, this will help you believe in your ability to complete the soul-crushingly heavy sets to come.

#3.  Focus.  Post warmup and pre-workout you should have something pumping in your head that gets you geared toward killing the weights.  I suggest the group Bloodbath, or Vader.  Both are on Pandora.  Develop a personal mantra such as "kill the weights", or "destroy" and let it guide you to victory.

#4.  Detach.  Elite level performers often experience a "blackout" during maximal efforts.  This out of body experience is usually due to the athlete being serious about #3.  Remove any ideas you have about the outcome and stay focused on the process.  Let the story write itself.  There is only one right way to do this, and its different for everyone.  The right way is the way that gets it fucking finished.  If you think about getting blah blah many reps, you won't be thinking about where to breathe, the timing of it, staying back on the heels, and most importantly, being fucking awesome.

#5.  The devil's in the details.  Know your stance, your ability, make small jumps when you add weight near your limits, and give it your everything.


Go squat.