Shirley Williams Ft. SSB Squats

Shirley, at 70, achieved a significant milestone in her strength training today! As many of you are aware, she has been consistently improving in exercise variations such as bench pressing and deadlifting, even surpassing a 150 lb PR on the Trap Bar. Now she's officially begun incorporating barbell squats. Shirley takes her strength seriously.

In today's session, Shirley used the squat rack to perform barbell squats for the first time. She utilized a specialty bar known as an "SSB." This bar is particularly beneficial for individuals like Shirley who have a history of shoulder injuries. The design of the SSB bar allows for a grip that minimizes stress on the shoulders, making it more comfortable to perform squats without aggravating previous injuries.

Shirley also incorporated the use of a box, set at 18 inches. Although she has the mobility and strength to squat deep, the box is used to build her confidence with the new experience of having a bar on her back. We intentionally avoided loading the bar heavier or incorporating excessive volume during squats today. This approach is crucial in ensuring that Shirley can focus on proper form and execution without being overwhelmed by muscular fatigue.

As Shirley's confidence and strength develops, in upcoming training blocks we will progressively lower the box height, increasing the depth of her squats. Eventually, the goal is to remove the box entirely. We are meticulously tracking each variation of the squat to accurately manage and adapt her training. This level of detail will allow us to address specific lagging muscle groups and / or sticking points as they arise in the future, reducing the chances of plateauing.

Results.

We get those.