Day 1 Lift Descriptions

Question 1

Squat: Stance.

Answer 1

Squat with your heels shoulder-width apart. Put your heels under your shoulders.

Question 2

Squat: Feet.

Answer 2

Turn your feet out 30°. Keep your whole foot flat on the floor. Don’t raise your toes or heels.

Question 3

Squat: Knees.

Answer 3

Push your knees to the side, in the direction of your feet. Lock your knees at the top of each rep. Knees should end up in line with toes, either directly on top off or slightly in front of them (if you have long thighs).

Question 4

Squat: Hips.

Answer 4

Bend your hips and knees at the same time. Move your hips back and down while pushing your knees out. Hips come directly up on the way up.

Question 5

Squat: Lower back.

Answer 5

Squat with a natural arch like when you stand. No rounding or excess arching. Keep your back neutral.

Question 6

Squat: Grip.

Answer 6

Squeeze the bar hard. But don’t try to support heavy weight with your hands. Let your upper-back carry the bar. Try thumbless grip if wrists/elbows hurt.

Question 7

Squat: Grip width.

Answer 7

Use a medium grip, narrower than when you Bench Press. Your hands should be outside your shoulders.

Question 8

Squat: Bar Position.

Answer 8

Put the bar between your traps and rear shoulders (low bar) or on your traps (high bar). Center the bar.

Question 9

Squat: Wrists.

Answer 9

Your wrists will bend and hurt if you try to support the bar with your hands. Carry it with your upper-back.

Question 10

Squat: Elbows.

Answer 10

Behind your torso at the top, not vertical or horizontal. Inline with your torso at the bottom of your Squat.

Question 11

Squat: Upper Back.

Answer 11

Arch your upper-back to create support for the bar. Squeeze your shoulder-blades and raise your chest.

Question 12

Squat: Chest.

Answer 12

Raise your chest before you unrack the bar. Keep it up and tight by taking a big breath before you Squat down.

Question 13

Squat: Abs.

Answer 13

Keep abs tight to stabilize torso.

Question 14

Squat: Head.

Answer 14

Keep your head inline with your torso. Don’t look at the ceiling or at your feet. Don’t turn your head sideways.

Question 15

Squat: Back Angle.

Answer 15

Not vertical or horizontal but diagonal. The exact back angle depends on your build and bar position.

Question 16

Squat: Unracking.

Answer 16

Put the bar on your back and your feet under the bar. Unrack it by straightening your legs. Walk back.

Question 17

Squat: Way Down.

Answer 17

Bend your hips and knees at the same time. Hips back, knees out. Keep your lower back neutral.

Question 18

Squat: Depth.

Answer 18

Squat down until your hips are lower than your knees. Thighs parallel isn’t enough. Break parallel. You know you have it when your hip crease is below the top of the knee.

Question 19

Squat: Way Up.

Answer 19

Move you hips straight up. Keep your knees out, your chest up and your head neutral.

Question 20

Squat: Between Reps.

Answer 20

Stand with your hips and knees locked. Breathe. Get tight for the next rep.

Question 21

Squat: Racking.

Answer 21

Lock your hips and knees. Then step forward, hit the rack and bend your knees.

Question 22

Squat: Bar Path.

Answer 22

Move the bar in a vertical line over your midfoot. No horizontal movement.

Question 23

Squat: Breathing.

Answer 23

Big breath at the top. Hold it at the bottom. Exhale at the top.

Question 24

Squat: Pausing.

Answer 24

You lose the Stretch Reflex if you pause at the bottom of your Squat. This makes the weight harder to lift.

Question 25

Leg Press: Upper Body Positioning.

Answer 25

Squeeze glutes to drive butt down into the seat. Engage abs to drive lower back into pad. Squeeze shoulder blades to drive neck into pad.

Question 26

Leg Press: Leg Position.

Answer 26

Place knees about hip-wide. Place feet in the middle of the plate (from top to bottom). Keep toes forward.

Question 27

Leg Press: Push up.

Answer 27

Press sled with feet. Maintain tension in torso.

Question 28

Leg Press: Lower.

Answer 28

Control weight down. Don’t allow knees to cave or stick excessively outward. Lower as far as you can. Don’t allow butt to raise off seat.

Question 29

Romanian Deadlift: Stance.

Answer 29

Stand with feet just inside outer groove of bar. Put an inch of space between the bar and your shins.

Question 30

Romanian Deadlift: Back.

Answer 30

Brace you back. Keep shoulder blades drawn towards each other. Keep a flat back.

Question 31

Romanian Deadlift: Hips.

Answer 31

Send hips back. Imagine a rope pulling your tailbone directly back.

Question 32

Romanian Deadlift: Balance.

Answer 32

Maintain balance over center of feet.

Question 33

Romanian Deadlift: Knees.

Answer 33

Keep knees directly above your shins.

Question 34

Romanian Deadlift: Shins.

Answer 34

Keep shins vertical.

Question 35

Romanian Deadlift: Hamstrings.

Answer 35

Should feel a stretch in the hamstrings.

Question 36

Romanian Deadlift: Lowering.

Answer 36

Lower weight to somewhere between knees and middle of the shin. If you bend your back, you’ve gone too far down.

Question 37

Standing Calf Raises: Stance.

Answer 37

Stand upright with shoulders back. Feet shoulder-width apart.

Question 38

Standing Calf Raises: Feet.

Answer 38

Place balls of feet on exercise step. Toes point forwards.

Question 39

Standing Calf Raises: Knees.

Answer 39

Keep slight bend in the knee.

Question 40

Standing Calf Raises: Rep.

Answer 40

Lower heels until calves are fully stretched, extend as much as possible.

Question 41

Standing Calf Raises: Pace.

Answer 41

Keep reps slow and controlled. Pause at the top.