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Barbell Can Zercher Squats do it all?

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I squat the zercher as well like @Geoff Neupert . The form difference has been discussed in some earlier threads in some way. I don't think there's a consensus on how to do it.
I just watched my preview of the zercher squat from the barbell basics video course offered here on strong first. It teaches and demonstrates both variations.

I see this as an opportunity.

Just like the deadlift variants discussed in PTTP, one can focus on certain things from the 6 o'clock position, squat variant, or the 8 o'clock position , hip centric deadlift variant.

It is definitely a lift for the people .
 
Steve,

Here's what I do:
  1. With the bar on the floor, set my feet in a squat stance, and deadlift the bar to my knees.
  2. Place the bar just above my kneecaps and hold it there while I squat under the weight - full squat, butt resting on calves.
  3. Holding the bar with my right hand, I remove my left hand and "hook" my elbow under the bar.
  4. I then let go of the bar with my right hand and hook my right elbow under the bar.
  5. At this point, I'm sitting in the bottom of the squat, like a Goblet Squat, but my arms are hooked under the bar by the elbows.
  6. Then I push my chest out, look up, take a deep breath into my sacrum so I can feel my sides "fill," and look up.
  7. I initiate the squat by pushing the floor down and away and finish standing tall.
  8. To squat again, I break slightly at the knees, keep an arch in my lower back, and sit between my legs until my butt is on my calves.
  9. I then repeat steps 6-8 for the prescribed number of reps.
Does this make sense?
Very different than what I do, will have to try it as you've described it. I deadlift, then get into a position where the bar will stay put on my knees without my hands or with very little work from my hands, then I hook my elbows and go. I never get into a rock bottom SQ position like I would for a FSQ.

Thanks, @Geoff Neupert.

-S-
 
@Geoff Neupert, here's an older video of me where you can see the leg angle and hip position I'm talking about. If you have a video of you or anyone else doing what you've described, it would make an interesting comparison. All the reps in the video are the same so one only needs watch the first one.



-S-
 
Trying to keep this thread alive!
I did this morning 3x3 90KG (~200 pounds) Zerchers. It is still far from my bodyweight.

What is a "good" weight with Zercher? One where you can be happy. Do you need to reach your bodyweight?
150 % ? Double it ?
Also do you go with singles? 3 reps? 5? 10? 20?
 
Trying to keep this thread alive!
I did this morning 3x3 90KG (~200 pounds) Zerchers. It is still far from my bodyweight.

What is a "good" weight with Zercher? One where you can be happy. Do you need to reach your bodyweight?
150 % ? Double it ?
Also do you go with singles? 3 reps? 5? 10? 20?
Well.

The world record deadlift is around 1000 lbs.
The world record zercher squat is around 600 lbs.

That's a ratio of 5:3 more or less.

If 2.5x bw is a strong deadlift, Then, by ratio, maybe a strong zercher is 1.5x bw.
 
Trying to keep this thread alive!
I did this morning 3x3 90KG (~200 pounds) Zerchers. It is still far from my bodyweight.

What is a "good" weight with Zercher? One where you can be happy. Do you need to reach your bodyweight?
150 % ? Double it ?
Also do you go with singles? 3 reps? 5? 10? 20?
A weight you can be 'happy' with is entirely subjective. If bodyweight feels like a good benchmark for you, then work towards that.

As far as programming for weight and reps, it should fall pretty much in line with programming any other compound movement with the caveat that, if you're training higher reps to fatigue the legs, you'll most likely fatigue the upper body first so it's better to err on the side of more weight and fewer reps.
 
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Well.

The world record deadlift is around 1000 lbs.
The world record zercher squat is around 600 lbs.

That's a ratio of 5:3 more or less.

If 2.5x bw is a strong deadlift, Then, by ratio, maybe a strong zercher is 1.5x bw.

Remember this article:


The record is likely only 600 lb (I'm assuming...) because it is a "feat". If more people chased the zercher, like the deadlift, maybe it could be 700 or more.

Regardless, a 1.5x bodyweight zercher seems impressive to me. I've never done a zercher before.

Regards

Eric
 
I have an informal Zercher goal. I'm training Zerchers instead of back squats while I'm still stuck at home, and don't have room for a rack. So the goal is "as high as possible, until I can back squat again." I'm expecting I'll be stuck at home through CY 2021 (vaccine roll out much slower in the country I'm living in). I'm hoping to get the movement above 300lbs for reps in that time. (BW is a fluffly 260ish for reference).
 
What is a "good" weight with Zercher? One where you can be happy. Do you need to reach your bodyweight?
150 % ? Double it ?
Also do you go with singles? 3 reps? 5? 10? 20?
As a rough guesstimate, I'd say a 1.5 x bw Zercher feels about like a 2 x bodyweight regular deadlift to me. If it was to be tested at the SFL, I think 1.5 x bodyweight might be a nice number for a male, since 2 x bodyweight is the DL number.

Training parameters could be like any other lift - there are lots of possibilities.

-S-
 
Remember this article:


The record is likely only 600 lb (I'm assuming...) because it is a "feat". If more people chased the zercher, like the deadlift, maybe it could be 700 or more.

Regardless, a 1.5x bodyweight zercher seems impressive to me. I've never done a zercher before.

Regards

Eric

This popped up on my Instagram feed today. His 625lbs looked pretty legit.


 
This popped up on my Instagram feed today. His 625lbs looked pretty legit.



I don't mean to debate squat depth on the internet, but that's a bit short ROM for me.

If we go into semantics, we could talk about a zercher good morning that is often seen talked as a squat, and then a squat, with hamstrings resting on the calves.

We could also use powerlifting rules for depth but then again, the judging varies a lot by the federation. I'm an IPF man myself. Still, I like to squat by zerchers lower, Olympic style. I treat it rather like a front squat variation than a back squat variation.
 
This popped up on my Instagram feed today. His 625lbs looked pretty legit.


Those are INSANE numbers even for a partial ROM. The Zercher squat from the rack is not a competition lift in any organization I'm aware of, and even if it were he wasn't at a comp, so I'll call that extraordinarily legit for just a show of strength.

The USAWA actually does contest the Zercher Lift from the floor. Same guy has a pretty insane one of those a bit further down on his page.
 
I don't mean to debate squat depth on the internet, but that's a bit short ROM for me.
Agreed. It's a massive poundage but I'd rather see a little less iron on the bar and a little more depth.

Still monstrous even being able to hold that much weight in the elbows. Anyone brought up the potential merits of heavy Zercher holds yet?
 
This popped up on my Instagram feed today. His 625lbs looked pretty legit.


That is pretty awesome.
 
What are your best lifts in each? How much have you done the zercher?

I have found I can always zercher squat more, and way more before I started training the front squat more seriously. That even as I zercher squat from the bottom like on a front squat.

I haven't tested my 1 RM front squat in donkey's years.

My typical "maintenance mode / pre-season" FSQ:

Heavy Day: 3x3@130kg

Medium Day: 3x5@120kg

Light Day: 3x8@100kg

(ATG, tempo varies by weight, light day has full bottom pause and hold for 5 seconds)

In contrast, I think the heaviest Zercher I've ever done is like 95 kg.
 
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