Hey there guys, I’m following a westside barbell template and for the dynamic squat/deadlift day almost all of the suggested options require boxes. I’m limited in my gym equipment, I have a squat rack and bar, that’s it. I can buy bands if need be but I’d rather not spend the money right now. Can I just use a pause/normal back squat for it? the sets/reps are 10 sets of 2 reps at 50%, then 55% for week 2, then 60% for week 3. Any suggestions? Thanks!
You can use your normal squat. For building a raw squat, it’s actually not a bad idea at all. For a regular free squat, you might want to bump up the wave to something more like 65, 70, 75. The recommended percentages are so low because the Westside guys are squatting to a box which takes away something like 10 or more percent away, the straps are down or they’re just in power briefs, and they use a lot of chains and bands. Pause squats are good too. I’d use the same percentages, but of your paused max instead.
[quote]Fletch1986 wrote:
You can use your normal squat. For building a raw squat, it’s actually not a bad idea at all. For a regular free squat, you might want to bump up the wave to something more like 65, 70, 75. The recommended percentages are so low because the Westside guys are squatting to a box which takes away something like 10 or more percent away, the straps are down or they’re just in power briefs, and they use a lot of chains and bands. Pause squats are good too. I’d use the same percentages, but of your paused max instead. [/quote]
Ok I think that’s what I’ll do! Thanks!
[quote]Fletch1986 wrote:
The recommended percentages are so low because the Westside guys are squatting to a box which takes away something like 10 or more percent away, the straps are down or they’re just in power briefs [/quote]
My understanding of the lower % is that they take a percentage of the best ‘contest squat’, which is usually done wearing all their gear, however much or little that is, but not a raw squat number.
So 360# bar weight would translate to 45% of an 800# geared squat & 60% of a raw squat.
Yes, a box squat should be harder but that metric isn’t considered when choosing a bar weight for DE squatting.ultimately the weights used are a ballpark number which is changed based on speed. Too fast and one adds weight, too slow and you put your ego away and drop the bar weight. 2 reps, 3 seconds is the goal. 3 seconds is longer or sometimes shorter than you think. Get a metronome app and set it to 60 BPM listen to the clicks. OR get creative and set it up so that it beeps in the standing position and beeps in the hole.
I remember reading in the BOM that actual percentage of that particular box squat variation can be in the upper 70s. In videos, I also see him saying that sometimes they train faster on DE day and sometimes they train slower. Strength-speed vs speed-strength. And Louie is constantly saying how much safer the box squat in part because of the underload from box squatting. But that’s all minutia.
To the OP, The main point is that the bar should move fast, but it should be hard to move it fast and rest should be kept low to build work capacity. That ultimately is the goal. Don’t get caught up in the minutiae.