Monday, August 22, 2011

SQUATTING IS...

PARALLEL?

8 comments:

Spencer said...

I find it hilarious that his deadlift is his "weakest" lift.

http://www.atlargenutrition.com/athletes/donnie-thompson

Andy and Judy said...

There are also videos of him squatting 1300 pounds. Is this older?

BTW, it doesn't look parallel to me.

John Beamon said...

I, too, can't believe his DL is his lowest number.

Boris, how did this lift height strike you the first time you saw it? I can respect the achievement of giants in suits of armor who move huge singles inside a cage with 8 spotters. But this just doesn't strike me as a "squat".

Boris said...

This squat is from a meet this weekend in which Donnie posted a 3000lb total.

John,
I personally don't think it's parallel, but the only judgement that really matters is that of the judges and the federation that holds the meet. Donnie is obviously a tank and, from what I've heard, a very nice man.

Hanley Tucks said...

His deadlift is his weakest lift because the deadlift is the least helped by equipment.

As strong as he is, he is obviously very good at making the most of his equipment.

It's best to think of equipped lifting as like Formula 1 racing. We don't expect some champion to win even if he's driving a Toyota Corolla, we admire how well he uses the equipment available to him.

And just as Formula 1 race cars have no real relation to driving on ordinary roads, so too PL gear and squatting in gyms.

Spencer said...

I agree with Boris, in that the variety of "powerlifting" you engage in is governed by the federation you compete in.

But, for me, squatting with a suit is not different from squatting with bands to lighten the load at the bottom; squatting above parallel is like doing rack pulls instead of deadlifts. All fine and well if that's what you want to compete in; but I don't find it exciting/moving at all, at least compared to an OL'er moving some heavy ass weight without any extraneous equipment.

Just my opinion.

Aaron Friday said...

If that's the bottom of his squat, then it's 3 red lights at every meet I've ever seen.

Anonymous said...

Donne, the new member of the "mile high club".