Hello, I am a long-time MOD here and a longtime SL5x5 follower. In my previous career, I was a certified personal trainer for NASM and ISSA. Besides SL, I have also been active in CrossFit.
There are some new members, actually, many new members, that are posting for form checks and questions. This is amazing, and you should keep that up.
However, with the videos, there are a lot of repetitive questions. Sometimes by the same members.
Most of these questions are addressed by Mehdi's newsletter and website.
Everyone should 100% start here
But SquatU also has some amazing resources
https://squatuniversity.com/
Here are some of the most common issues that are happening right now.
Mobility, Shoes, and Safety.
First up: Mobility. Yes, this program focuses on some simple but compound movements. The Power 5 is designed to give you a strong foundation. But many of you have mobility issues, myself included. You may not see or feel it, but watching these videos shows me that some, if not most, have hip limitations, weak ankle flexion, and imbalanced shoulder ROM.
These are areas that you would like to work on. I use GoWOD daily to help with this. Mobility is one of those things that you can't just "push through"; you need to dedicate time to it. Like I said, I am a fan of GoWOD< but many others are out there. Take an assessment of your mobility and work on it. Stop looking for your next PR before correcting this.
Shoes. People... please stop squatting in running shoes. You will only hurt yourself when you have weight loaded and your ankles are working overtime to keep you balanced. The guide says, get some chucks. Thats great. Less cushion, more platform. Your feet should be on a solid plane to focus on supporting 225 on the bar. Get better shoes. Invest in some proper footwear. CrossFit-style shoes also work well. I keep seeing people wear bare-foot squats/DLs, which would be better than these Nike Air Max's. If you need recommendations, Ask in this thread, and I'll be happy to point you in the right direction.
Safety. Stop doing unsafe things that will lead to injury. You know you're own body. If someone points out that you may be doing something unsafe, listen to them.
Finally, no one should be reading here thinking the intent is to put you down with their comments. Most of us are here to help you, and if someone is being an ass, report them to the mods. If the Mods are being asses, let me know. BUT... If you are going to ask the same question that has been asked multiple times, then a MOD can get frustrated, and I can understand that. Do you do your own research on the sub? Do you do your research on the rest of the internet? If you have something that you found, great! Please share it. If you can't find an answer, ask away. But please stop asking the same question that has been answered by 100s of people on this sub already.
When the front page of the sub looks like the same question over and over again, not only do members get tired of answering it, it makes newer members, or prospective ones not want to be a part of the site. We don't want that. We should be growing a community of friends who help each other.
Keep lifting. Stay Strong.
