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What will you find here?
– How to front load your body?
– The musculature that works and how it helps improve weak areas?
– How can you perform better on the standard big lifts
– How to program the Zercher?
– The mental game with Zerchers
Everyday we see strongmen, powerlifters and bodybuilders placing the barbell on their backs and squatting, squatting big, squatting strong. Yes they could hoist a ton but to recover from it they will have to recharge their nervous system and come back after a few days.
A super heavy weight loaded on your back week after week day after day could cause pattern overload, more so it could place unnecessary strain on the spine as the spine is directly under a super heavy load. Also, if one has been back squatting or doing good mornings with the bar on their backs will see a fall at a certain threshold weight. This is when it’s important to address the weaknesses.
The thing with the nervous systems of a natural athlete is that it could only bare so much back loading before it turns off. For someone to get stronger and build more armour on their skeletons, they need frequent training and improving upon their weakness.
Zercher lifts are to the rescue. The Zercher position loads the front of the body. the weight is held using the elbows, body is kept straight (don’t fall back, it’ll load the lower back and the purpose will not be solved) and then the usual exercises are performed.
Of course initially no matter how strong you think you are, you will not be able to load a lot of weight on the Zercher. This is because of certain weaknesses that a general human body possesses. Gradually practicing the zercher lifts and smart programming will help you address all of them and make you bulletproof.
Musculature worked –
the zercher position involves holding the weight with your elbows in the front of your body which means the upper back, lats and traps have to stay intact to hold the weight. As this is front loading, it loads the abdominals to a great degree. You cannot have loose abs and expect to hold the zercher and of course the biceps where the bar is placed.
The heavier you go, the more your upper body has to work. If you are squatting zercher it becomes a total body lift then – Big Bang for your buck.
Weakness addressed –
Due to irregular lifestyle of sitting plague and poor eating our major weak areas are the upper back, the neck, abdominals, the lower / lumbar spine and hips – basically your thoracic (upper spine) and your lumbar(lower spine) tend to make a mirror image of ‘S’ which is brutal in the long run.
With the zercher one can address the postural issues to a great degree – upper back, lats and traps strengthen and improve the forward rolling of the shoulders – that’s the thoracic fix and as the abdominals are loaded and the lumbar spine is spared, it fixes the lumbar too.
How the Zercher lifts help improve the standard big lifts ?
The zercher squat and good morning forces you to keep your chest up and back straight. The moment you dip your chest or loosen your upper back the bar will fall off. The zercher forces you to keep your posture intact to complete the lift.
As you are strengthening the upper back, traps and lats you’re gonna sure as hell increase your bench press as the antagonistic/opposing muscles play a huge role in pressing heavy.
With the thoracic and lumbar fixed with the zercher your overhead press will sky rocket. No more bending the lumbar spine and pushing the weight over head. You be lifting in a more balanced way.
And yes lastly the deadlift will go up as the strength upper body musculature, the lumbar spine fix and the total body tightness is achieved with the zercher. You will now be able to keep your back straight, use more of your hip muscles and pull like a badass.
Programming the Zercher lifts –
If you are a natural lifter you will need a high frequency in your training. The more you lift the better, stronger and thick you get. it’s not always feasible to back load on the squat even twice a week esp with life going on and other stresses going on, your nervous system will need more rest. Adding the zercher lifts in the same week as the back squat will not only take the load off the spine, improve your posture but you will also try and compete on this new lift with new found energy and enthusiasm.
If you do back squats on Monday, you can add percher squat or zercher good morning on Wed/thur – whatever your program is and keep the set-rep scheme the same.
You can also load light and do a conditioning circuit with the zercher or maybe just shrugs and holds. Just remember heavy loading would still be required in your programming.
If you are still not feeling it and too drained to move, just hold the bar in the zercher position for time. This also impacts the muscles greatly.
Zerchers and the mental game –
The ones who perform the zercher lifts know how brutal a heavy hold could be. The entire body feels as if it’s crumbling, you see striations in your neck and shoulders holding the bar, the more you hold the stronger these areas get. It takes a lot of mental strength to hold on to a heavy weight in zercher position – try squatting zercher for reps or carrying the weight from point A to B. you have to be mentally clear and have a vision as to what you want from your training to perform and load the zercher. You will feel like a bull etproof viking once you do it.
Try adding these lifts in your training program and see how it helps with your total body strength and awesomeness.
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