Let's talk about squats!!!

[Tsai li fu]

What kind of squats do you do, how many? Got any programs...post it here!

[TangLangCh'uan]

Hey Tsai,
As far as squats go, I do them in my regiment of lifting. Usually about 3 sets of 12 reps @ 150 lbs. I don't think I'm going to go much higher with the weight, as I have noticed that my kness can get rather sore some days. In addition to the standard squats with weight, I also do hindu squats whenever I feel the need. Those I perform pretty much until my thighs are scorching, and then I'll stretch my legs out good so as to avoid them knotting up. Word of advice, if you are planning to start doing squats, LEARN PROPER FORM ! It is very easy to hurt your back if you do this exercise incorrectly. Go to any gym and look at the huge guys doing squats. They all wear lifting belts because alot of them either:
a) don't have proper form and either know or don't know it
or:
b)have injured their backs in the past while doing squats.
Good luck.

-christopher

[Chief Fox]

I usually warm up with about 12x135lbs. Then I gradually move up to 6x225lbs. All squats are done @ss to grass with a 2 second delay at the bottom.

[AndrewS]

1x a week, dynamic effort box squats, +/- chains, +/- manta ray, box height from above parallel to well below, sometimes onto a soft cushion

6-10 doubles with 45 second rest interval, on a 3 to 5 week wave, 60-80% RM1

Max effort squats different flavors about 30% of ME days (fiance would mutiny if we did good mornings 70% of max effort lifts).

Overhead squats for 10x3 every 10-14 days depending on what's going on with my oly workouts.

Front squats every 14-21 days- been working up to a 6rm, will probably switch to 5x3 with 80-90% RM1. 6rm just s*cks too much.

Snatch squat presses every 14-21 days, 10x3

Trying to go gentle on my volume ATH as between the above and snatch drops, I get some repetiitive motion wear on my L knee, partially 'cos of my R external hip rotators being excessively tight.

Sometimes, I'll hit a couple of front squats on the end of my power cleans (i.e. 3 power cleans, folowed by 2 front squats), just for entertainment- a nice way to do some front squats without adding a separate exercise in.

With the above, I squat 2-3x a week on average.

Andrew

[Toby]

Program: PTP

Squats: at the moment I've been using chains for a few cycles. At the end of a cycle, about 350lb at lockout for 5 reps.

[helmutt]

i've heard that squats are especially bad on your knees. is this true ?

[fa_jing]

http://t-nation.com/forum_images/.11...0566.squat.gif

[Merryprankster]

3 sets of ten, right now at about 235.

I got to at least parallel. I usually JUST break parallel in reality.

I do wear a weight belt because of previous back injuries, not squat related.

I agree with Iron about safety. The sheering stress created by machines on your knees is TERRIBLE for them. I only use the smith machine for rehab.


If I were limited to only one exercise, I'd do the clean and press. A close second is the squat.

[Mo Lung]

http://t-nation.com/forum_images/.11...0566.squat.gif

The question is, could he stand up again?!

[fa_jing]

The question is, could he stand up again?!

Yes. Twice, apparently. 640 x 2 at a bodyweight of 170. Idalberto Aranda.

[Mo Lung]

Good effort!

[fa_jing]

Well I just gained 55 lbs on my squat in about 5 weeks using the Smolov base phase with some logical adjustments. I tested it tonight. I got 315 Baby!!! Hi-bar ATG no belt. This is my most satisfying lift ever. That may change though...can't wait to check out the carryover to other lifts...

I had never even done a squat above 245 before in a set. I could do 3 shaky reps when I started the program. I used 260 as a calculated max after failing on my initial test with 265.
Some of my gain was in fact due to better form. Hitting all those tough sets and reps in the volume phase really taught me to use everything correctly. I gained about 7 pounds as I have been eating along with it. Alot of that weight gain took place last week as I didn't lift. I was at about 206 at the time of the lift this evening.

Also I lifted the 90's in the dumbell bench press for 6, 3, 4, 3. That's also a major PR. I'm really starting to learn how to harness the stretch reflex from the negative in my lifts. Even the first rep in the DB BP you engage the stretch reflex as you lay back into position for the lift. I guess unless someone hands you the DBs, but I start seated with the DBs on my thighs.

Anyway after this Deadlift comp on Sunday and two weeks of a switching phase I'm going to do the second half of the Smolov which is a high intensity peaking cycle. This will shoot my squat past 350 in a similar time frame.

I'm really paying for these squat gains, though. It's a controlled overtraining cycle, followed by things like tapers and recover periods. I was getting irritable at a certain point. You also temporarily lose certain types of flexibility. It will be nice to take a long break from heavy lifting and go outside and work out the kinks with kettlebells and stuff.

[Tsai li fu]

But any of you do any Human body weight squats? Alot of you use weights and dumbells which is nothing wrong with that.