# Squats- how the hell



## Floribama (Mar 31, 2013)

I lurk around here and read more so than i post, and i see people posting their squat routines (4x10 at 325lb)

For me, no way i could get that.  If i take my squats all the way down (calves to hams), im lucky if i can get 4 sets of 200.  

Problem is that i have been training for years, about 4 consistently, and i still push the same weight, although my form has improved.

Ive been training legs once a week, and every other muscle group once a week.  

I also run 3 days a week.

What should i do to get better, drop the running?  train legs more often?  ill listen.


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## LeanHerm (Mar 31, 2013)

Get some tren, and some chuck Taylor's.  it will go up. Lol. Well legs are weird cause they're such a big muscle. Heavy leg presses helped me.  Like sets of 3 reps.


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## NbleSavage (Mar 31, 2013)

For me, squats improved once I started hitting leg extensions before them (not specifically pre-exhausting the quads, although I do that as well from time to time; but more to fill the quads with blood before hitting squats). 

Agree also with BigHerm re: heavy leg presses have good carry-over to bigger squat lbs. 

Diet of course is a tremendous factor in gaining strength as well. 

Focus on form, keep adding weight as you are comfortable progressing without sacrificing form. It's a marathon, not a sprint.


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## Braw16 (Mar 31, 2013)

Heavy leg presses worked for me and when I squat I will drop weight on my last set and do pause sets. I go to the bottom and pause for 2-3 seconds and do as many as I can. I've also loaded the bar up and have done quarter reps just to feel the weight on my back this I believe has helped me a lot.


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## JOMO (Mar 31, 2013)

Instead of doing sets of ten, try lowering your reps and increasing your weight each set slightly.


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## sfstud33 (Mar 31, 2013)

I have the same problem. Im maxed out at 225 - and i see other guys doing 315 and im like wtf? It annoys me when they are only 20!!

I'll try hitting the leg press before squats. To be honest, its probably time that i just suck it up and up the weights. I did that on arms a few months ago and im already starting to see the benefit.


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## Cashout (Mar 31, 2013)

How is your leg development? Do you have big developed legs? IS that the goal or is lifting a lot of weight the goal? That is the first thing to determine.

Now I'll add this, for me, squatting is about a comfortable body position. Physiologically, I just have the right body design to squat and I found how to manage it very early on in my bodybuilding career.

People always comment on how high I ride the bar on my traps. That always forces me to keep my back almost straight up. There is very little incline forward in my body when I squat. For me, this keeps the weight spread over my shoulder structure and feels like a "harness" to me. I am most comfortable lowering my hips and buttocks right over my heels so that my trunk stays in line with my heels with very little tilt forward. 

These positions are important for me not because of how much I can squat but because they feel most natural. Again, that position may not work for others but my point is finding you own natural position will enable you to get comfortable and add a degree of fluidity to your lifting as opposed to fighting your body while you lift.

I have seen thousands of guys squatting over the years and I always can tell the difference between the ones who have found a comfortable body position and those that have not.

Most of the time I see guys who are fighting their own body as they try to squat. I think that has to be an extra effort in the process as a whole.

So, make sure as you squat you find your comfort position. Don't try to emulate someone else's position find your own. It will be the most natural feeling to you and it should help you lift the weight while not wasting energy trying to fit to form.


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## JAXNY (Mar 31, 2013)

I always do leg extensions first to warm
Up my legs, I start light and then go as
Heavy as I can on them by the 4th or 5th
Set. 
If you want big legs you need to increase
Your wight on every set of squats, even
If its only 5 or 10 pounds per side. 
Do 10 reps your first set then increase 
Your wight and get 8 reps, increase again
And get 6. Don't worry so much about
The reps increasing the weight will
Build size and strength. It takes time 
Work your way up slowly. 
Same thing with the other leg exercises. 
A lot of guys always do 4x10 and wonder
Why its hard to do more weight when they
Try. Triple drop sets on your last set
Works well also. 
I remember when I first started training
This method took me from doing 80lbs 
On leg extensions to stacking the machine
A 25lb plate per side on hack squats to
7-45lb plates per side... Ect.  
Good luck.


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## mistah187 (Mar 31, 2013)

i never seen leg development until i strarted going heavy. when i started deadlifting for max outs my legs had their best growth spurt.


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## R1rider (Mar 31, 2013)

I would drop the running and sprint instead. If you want your squat numbers to go up, you will have to gain more mass, size and eat more.

Work on your form with low weight. Once you get that right, you can add more weight. Check out westside barbell and videos on youtube about squats.

Most of all, keep doing them. Warm up, stretch, and squat. Try all kinds, front, back, zercher, box squats etc.

I found that working on my hams more as well as doing more dead lifts improved my squat


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## R1rider (Mar 31, 2013)

low reps and heavy weight will help. Warm up with like 135x10 for like 2 sets and then do sets with 2-3 reps max and adjust your weights accordingly


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## SFGiants (Mar 31, 2013)

Floribama said:


> I lurk around here and read more so than i post, and i see people posting their squat routines (4x10 at 325lb)
> 
> For me, no way i could get that.  If i take my squats all the way down (calves to hams), im lucky if i can get 4 sets of 200.
> 
> ...



Drop the running it's burning what your trying to bulid, I went from 216 to 270 by removing cardio at one time.


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## pirovoliko (Mar 31, 2013)

My quads blew up when I strengthened my hamstrings and glutes.  Made all the difference in the world..al;so leg presses and leg extensions as well.  Lways try and be lifting heavier and heavier.  What also helped me was band squats onto a bench as I increased the weight to assist with form..Loved it and had a tremendous effect because as cashout points out, squatting was not a comfortable position for me until I made it so...I still use the bench each week...


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## SFGiants (Mar 31, 2013)

If any of you can get on a Glute Ham Raise do so it beats the crap out of a extension.


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## heavydeads83 (Mar 31, 2013)

glute ham raises and box squats.  heavy sets bro.  I almost refuse to do leg presses.  do front squats instead.


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## Mind2muscle (Mar 31, 2013)

Like these guys have stated, find your natural body position.  Once I did this my squat jumped significantly.  For me I keep the bar low on my traps.  Make your your heels are planted into the ground and your entire body is tight.  Butt out.  Another thing that I use occasionally is bodyweight squats on the BOSU ball to strengthen my stabilizer muscles.  Good luck!


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## AndroSport (Mar 31, 2013)

What Cashout said...

I played football competitively at a high level for years and had squats drilled into me from the day I started. I took a hiatus from training for a few years and it honestly took months for me to find my form once i started training again since I hadnt squatted in so long.

I dropped the weight a lot and found what was comfortable for me and once i knew i had found it i started adding the weight back on slowly. 

I used to train for the strength because i needed to be able to drive back huge mofos. But now I try to pick a weight and get about 15-20 clean reps. Time under tension is important for building the muscle... not the strength... but either way you will need to find your form before you can raise that weight brother. (Let the EGO drop at the door for the delayed gratification of doing better down the road)

Good luck!


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## SFGiants (Mar 31, 2013)

heavydeads83 said:


> glute ham raises and box squats.  heavy sets bro.  I almost refuse to do leg presses.  do front squats instead.



Hack sled trumps leg pres IMO but I do like a 45' leg press.

But yes wide stance sitting back on a box and GHR is best strength builder for hams and glutes


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## Bicepticon (Mar 31, 2013)

Drop your reps. Make sure your set up is the same every time. Keep your chest high, arch in your back and keep your upper back really tight, elbows under the bar.
Don't squat with your "hams to your cavs" that's going to put a lot more tension, on your lower back.
Force your knees out.
I would bet your issue is form.


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## AAA (Mar 31, 2013)

If you want your squat to go up get on a proven strength traing program and it will go up.


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## PillarofBalance (Mar 31, 2013)

Learn how to squat.


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## Tren4Life (Mar 31, 2013)

I thought I knew how to squat until I started box squating and posting the video up here at SI. These guys really helped me with my form. I was up to 300 for 10 and when i got on the box i had to go all the way back to 135 to get my for right without tearing something in my hips.


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## Dtownry (Mar 31, 2013)

I see a lot of apples to oranges squat talk here.

What he describes and many other describe is an OLY squat.  This will develop quads to a greater extent and has a totally different back angle, foot setup, drop etc.  Yes some are strong as hell this way but it is not a powerlifting squat.  Apples to Oranges.

True you do need to do what works well for your body type.  A middle road squat is good for overall strength and development.  By this I mean shoulder width feet, reach back with your ass but not so far that your shins are parallel.  Moderate back angle, low bar.

I squat the weights you are talking about but there are many here on this site that will blow me out of the water.  My quads aren't big but my ass and hams barely fit in my pants.  Decide what you want.  Do you want big quads or a big squat?

Watch some videos from Elite FTS, Rippetoe, etc.  Read some books.  If you want to squat big start there.  5x5 all day for a year then start to mix it up once you get strong.


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## Floribama (Apr 1, 2013)

Good info, thanks to all


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## Floribama (Apr 1, 2013)

Cashout said:


> How is your leg development? Do you have big developed legs? IS that the goal or is lifting a lot of weight the goal? That is the first thing to determine.
> 
> Now I'll add this, for me, squatting is about a comfortable body position. Physiologically, I just have the right body design to squat and I found how to manage it very early on in my bodybuilding career.
> 
> ...



Cash, i have fairly developed legs, i always have to shop a pretty long while when im looking for pants because my legs are a little larger than normal.  That said, im more focused on size and appearance than strength.  I mention the amount of weight as a gauge of where i am.  Not necessarily my focal point


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## Cashout (Apr 1, 2013)

Floribama said:


> Cash, i have fairly developed legs, i always have to shop a pretty long while when im looking for pants because my legs are a little larger than normal.  That said,* im more focused on size and appearance than strength. * I mention the amount of weight as a gauge of where i am.  Not necessarily my focal point



Then go read my Leg Training Thread - all my training, especially leg training, is geared toward muscle development and bodybuilding and not strength. For building size and appearance you don't need 5X5 or a lot of powerlifting type of training. That won't take you where you stated you want to go.


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## I bench 135x5 (Apr 1, 2013)

Cashout said:


> Then go read my Leg Training Thread - all my training, especially leg training, is geared toward muscle development and bodybuilding and not strength. For building size and appearance you don't need 5X5 or a lot of powerlifting type of training. That won't take you where you stated you want to go.



could i have the link? I really want to develop my outer sweep. my 'tear drop' dominates..


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## Dtownry (Apr 1, 2013)

Cashout said:


> Then go read my Leg Training Thread - all my training, especially leg training, is geared toward muscle development and bodybuilding and not strength. For building size and appearance you don't need 5X5 or a lot of powerlifting type of training. That won't take you where you stated you want to go.



Very true.  Go with Cash on this one.


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## Floribama (Apr 2, 2013)

Cashout said:


> Then go read my Leg Training Thread - all my training, especially leg training, is geared toward muscle development and bodybuilding and not strength. For building size and appearance you don't need 5X5 or a lot of powerlifting type of training. That won't take you where you stated you want to go.



Done, thanks


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## NbleSavage (Apr 2, 2013)

Cash has the goods to back-up his claim. Check out his suggestion.


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