Zercher Squat Contest!

ME Lower

"Zercher squat contest"
I was surfing the internet this weekend (thanks algore!) and came across an informal Zercher squat contest on a weightlifting forum. It started when some guys in a gym decided to hold an impromptu contest and posted videos of it. So others joined in. The only rules were to hold the bar in your arms, a belt was allowed and the bar was lifted from the pins, set so one was starting at approximately a parallel position. Taking the "advice" of the initial thread starter who said in part, "we(his gym) hadn't done these in awhile", I agreed.

Since having a contest with only 2 people in it (Golddigger and I) is lame, I tried to shame ADawg and Trump (2 "bodybuilers") into joining in but they had a bookful of excuses. The lovely and talented Mindy G. was in the house and (I think) we tricked her into having a go at it (telling her it was better than the box squats she was doing). She's always up for something new and fun (Golddigger would question the Z-squat as my definition of fun later).

4Board (aka 'Digger aka Golddigger for my new followers) and I opened at 225 after warmups. Mindy took 135. After several rounds 'Digger and I were tied at 455. Mindy clearly eclipsed ADawg and Trump (who Did Not Show) and walked away with overall honors in the women's division and the men's (under 100 kg.) with a (gym) record-setting 250 pounds! Since 'Digger and I are now the same weight, we "could" decide the event by lighter bodyweight (lame) or declare it a tie (lamer still) which would make Mindy the only overall clearcut winner and make us look really really.......bad (lamest). After 4Board revealed that he was blacking out at the top of the last two attempts and my ability to hold the bar in the crook of my arms was becoming suspect I KNEW there was only one way to settle this affair. I took a page from Brookszinski's epic training manual, "Accidental Training" and declared we would have a "Gut Buster" to decide the contest!

I got the Zercher squat harness from the office. This piece of apparatus resembles a marching band bass drummer's kit that he (or she) uses to march around carrying a big bass drum. It is modified to hold a bar in a Z-squat type position or to hold a bar and front squat. It is slightly adjustable to accomodate lifters of different heights. (Sold by Westside Barbell in case anyone wants one, and you do. End of shameless plug).

We had to lower the pins so we would still be starting from a parallel position. The bar was loaded to 485 and I grunted that one out. (And it sucked). 4Board asked me to pick him up if he blacked out again. I told him I would gladly prop him back up under the bar if he did go out. Well, he lifted it but couldn't stand up all the way with it(blacked out again too but didn't go down). The judges turned him down 1-2. I decided to take one more so there would be no doubt. 10-pounds was added to the bar for a total of 495 and somehow I managed to stand up with it. Ugh. Passed 2-1. Done. The rest of the trained sucked as much as that did but was that ever fun!

Presented below in unencumbered detail, the whole enchilada, the full monte........ME Lower training for Monday September 14, 2009

W/ Golddigger
Warmups
Zercher squats: work up to 315 x1, 365 x1, 405 miss, 405 x1, 455 x1
Z-squats w/ harness: 485 x1, 495 x1 ("El Gutso Busto")
Bulgarian split squat: 3 x6 (ea. leg) 50, 60, 70
Chest supported rows: 6x6-8/ 90, 135, 180, 190, 200, 200
45* Reverse hyper w/ strap: 3x25-30/ 250

Congrats to Mindy G. for showing the boys how its done and to 'Digger for not passing out completely.

2009 Zercher Squat Champion,
Ed T.