Serious Gains With Serious Squats

“To squat a lot, you must squat a lot.”

This quote from the powerlifting community rings true on so many levels. The squat is a highly technical lift, and as such, requires frequent practice with perfect technique. It isn’t enough to simply squat on an ad hoc basis, rotating them into your routine as and when you feel. If you’re serious about boosting squat strength, they need to be your main exercise. Not only that, but you need to strip things right back to basics, re-learn the perfect technique and gradually work your way up to a super squat.

Learning from the Lifters

To squat big weights, you need to look at the guys with the biggest squats. These are powerlifters. The bodybuilders at your gym might have huge thighs, but chances are, they’re not quite as strong as they look. Watch a bodybuilder squat, and you’re unlikely to see the bar bend with the colossal weight that you would when a powerlifter steps under the barbell. Not only that, but bodybuilders and gym rats tend to cut their reps short, and lift with improper form. So how do powerlifters squat, and what are the key things you need to do?

Key Tips for Squatting

Visualize the Lift

Before you even approach the bar, think about how you’re going to squat. Get mentally prepared as you walk toward the rack, and have a strong mental attitude. Take a grip of the bar and get ready to set up.

Proper Warm-Up 

Start with a warm-up to increase blood flow to the muscles and joints, reducing the risk of injury. Dynamic stretches and light cardio (like jogging or jumping jacks) are effective.

The Set Up

First thing to look at is your grip width. This generally depends on your arm length and degree of shoulder mobility. If you have long arms and/or poor shoulder mobility, go for a wide grip. If you’ve got shorter arms and/or highly mobile shoulders, go for a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. Duck under the bar so it sits across your upper back.

Hip Hinge 

Begin the squat by hinging your hips back, as if you're sitting in a chair. This hip movement is crucial for proper form.

Get Tight

Squeeze the life out of the bar as hard as you can. The tighter you can get, the more muscles you recruit and the stronger you’ll be. You also need to squeeze your shoulder blades together and point your elbows toward the floor. This creates a ledge for the bar to sit on. It should be across your mid-traps, NOT on your neck or resting precariously on your shoulders. Once you’ve got a stable position, lift the bar out of the rack and take two steps back with each leg.

Depth of the Squat 

Aim to lower down until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground, or deeper if your mobility allows. However, depth should not compromise your form.

Back, Not Down

Contrary to what you might think, the squat is a “back” movement, not a “down” one. By dropping straight down, all the emphasis is on your quads. While these are relatively strong, they’re nothing in comparison with your hamstrings and glutes. Think “hips back, knees out” as you descend to keep the tension on the glutes and hams.

Keep pushing back and down until your hips are just below your knee joint. (Note – if you cut your squats higher than this, it is not a squat. Not only are you not getting all the benefits, but if you intend to compete in powerlifting, this won’t qualify as a successful lift.)

Read More: Push-ups For Strength

On the Up

As you stand back up, drive forcefully through your heels. Keep your head looking straight ahead, with your abdominals braced as tightly as possible. A good cue here is “big chest.” By keeping your chest up, the bar stays directly over your center of gravity and you avoid rounding your lower-back – a big no-no.

Progress Gradually 

Start with bodyweight squats. As you gain strength and improve form, gradually increase resistance with weights.

Cool Down and Stretch 

Post-workout, engage in a cool-down period with static stretching to aid muscle recovery and flexibility.

Radical Routine For Squat Strength

There are many squat-focused and powerlifting specialization routines out there, such as Smolov, Sheiko, Madcow, Starting Strength and 5/3/1, all of which will work to improve your squat.

The following routine involves very similar principles. As it’s designed for maximum squat gains, don’t expect to improve your other lifts by too much. Newbie lifters may experience gains in strength on other exercises, but intermediate and advanced trainers should just aim to maintain upper body strength when focusing on the squat.

Day 1: Squat

Back Squats – 6 sets of 3 at 60-70% of your one rep max

Sumo Deadlifts – 5 sets of 5

Cable Pullthroughs – 3 sets of 8-10

Standing Cable Crunches – 3 sets of 12-15

Day 2: Rest

Day 3: Squat

Front Squats - *

Paused Back Squats (Pause for 2 seconds in the bottom position of the squat) – 5 sets of 5

Stiff-Legged Deadlifts – 3 sets of 10

Back Extensions – 3 sets of 10

Day 4: Upper Body

Bench Press – 5 sets of 4-8

Barbell Rows – 5 sets of 6-8

Standing Shoulder Press – 4 sets of 6 to 8

Lat Pulldowns – 4 sets of 10-12

Dips – 3 sets of 6 to 8

Barbell Curls – 3 sets of 6 to 8

Day 5: Rest

Day 6: Squats

Back Squats - ^

Barbell Lunges – 5 sets of 5 each leg

Deficit Deadlifts (Deadlifts standing on a 3 inch platform) – 4 sets of 4 to 6

Barbell Rollouts – 2 sets of 8 to 10

Day 7: Rest

Read More: Static Holds For Injury Prevention

Notes:

* In week one, perform four sets of 8 reps using 75 percent of your one rep max. In week two, perform five sets of five using 80 percent of your one rep max. In week three, perform six sets of three using 85 percent of your one rep max. In week four, perform just three sets of five using 60 percent of your one rep max. Start back on week one in week five, but add 5-10 pounds to the weights you used in weeks one to three.

^ Use the same rep/set/loading scheme for back squats as for front squats listed above.

- On all your other exercises, the sets should be tough, but not all-out gut busters. Leave at least one or two reps in the tank on every set and only increase the weights each week if you feel able to. Remember that the focus is on improving your squat, not pushing your other exercises.

+ On your rest days away from the weights, you can take them as a complete break if you wish, or perform some light mobility work or cardio. This could be as simple as a short, steady run, some intervals on a spinning bike or rower, or a little foam rolling and stretching.