Seeing that you front squat as well as your progression on it…how often do you program it and what’s been working for you that helps you get more reps or more weight? Asking as someone who is trying to nail it down.
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01/18/2026
Between 14-18: I had a push press day where I tried 5x2 with 175 with as much rest as I needed. I needed a shit load because my legs were cooked from front squats. A pure back day, I will expand this day to include 5 exercises now it was just 3 exercises.
Today:
push press: 190 single, 175x5x2 with 1 minute rest at max
- 190 single felt really good. At first I didn’t even think I could do it but when I started the rep pushed through it. 175x5x2 was really awesome, it felt really light in my reps. Most of the sets I just waited for 45 seconds between sets. So I am guessing this would count as a 10 rep density set with 5 minutes. Next week 15 reps within the same amount of time.
Strict press: 3x6
- cooked I am not listing the weight because it was so light. I am keeping track of them in my head making sure I am progressing the fatigued press. But still super light for what I really want
Lat pulldown: 160x3x8
- did not have any straps and the bar was a stinky one. No neuroling for me to hold onto. But given that the weight was lower than it normally is I brought the bar to chest height and sometimes below. For scapular health, and slightly for lat hypertrophy
rope tricep extension with spreadout: 45x2x12, 1x7
- Damn these are hard but they are progressing. While I was doing this the person right in front of me in the cables was doing 5 pounds heavier with one arm. Thats a lot of weight and caught my eyes, working for days like those.
Dumbbell deadstop extension from shoulders: 30x3x15
- Getting stronger with these. A form cue I use so that I don’t just fudge my form for weight is: the elbow joint should be high in the start of the set and never dip down. If I keep this and get higher weight then I am progressing the triceps.
Rear delt work: 20x12, 20x8
- Bigger these → stabler press
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Sorry for the late reply, I saw this message but forgot to answer it haha. At first I did smolov jr for getting a lot of volume. Approximetly more than 100 reps per week, which not only gets your front squat form better but also build a lot of muscle. I think if you stick to just 1 cycle of smolov jr(4x per week) front squats, you can accumulate a lot of volume. After that cycle you can run a more strength focused program for 4 week like 5/3/1(1x/2x per week), which your 1rm should increase or your 1rm should move smoother/faster. On a side note I am also a person that is trying to nail it down, but that would be my advice on progressing front squats.
01/19/2026
Deadlifts: 300x3, 345x1, 390xno attempt
- I think I overdid my hamstrings. Specifically its my right hamstring that feels like it got hit by a truck.
45 degree back extensions: 50 total reps any rest
- tried focusing on my hamstrings trying to get as much blood in there as possible.
One arm hanging work: 20 seconds on each arm
- the more gripping the bar we have the better over time
Note afterwards because I don’t like ending things unfinished:
Hang clean 200, horizontal rows, and more grip work.
Tbh I should have seen it coming. I went from hang cleans every other day to 5/3/1 deadlift, heavy beltless rdls, pause deadlifts, high rep back extensions. Kinda stupid of me, but I guess in the bright side I would be happy if I overworked myself than underworked myself. Best case scenerio is to correctly work myself. I skip this week, I might or might not hit pause deadlifts based on how I am feeling the day of, then try to get 405 for hopefully 3 reps. Last week I was so happy, bc I was hitting some crazy numbers, but I didn’t think about the next week lol.
Anyway tomorrow is strict press + arm accesories
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01/20/2026
Strict press: 125 for 30 total reps
- volume cools
Hang Cleans: 135x3x5, 155x2x5
- getting better at these, plus adding some volume
Machine OHP: more than last week 2 sets of a lot
- Hell yeah volume
tricep extension and hammer curl: 47.5, 35 pounds.
- increasing the weight or reps in these every week. The goal is a skin ripping pump.
barbell tricep extension: 65x8 and 60x2, 60x10
- New exercise this is putting a lot of stretch into my triceps.
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02/08/2026
Long time no see. I have been demotivated to post for a while, then I remembered that if I don’t log then I forget some numbers.
Quick Updates and PRs: Turns out I have taken a 2.5g scoop and not a 5 gram scoop for creatine so upping the dose on creatine. Grip PR, 275lbx30 seconds, then 315lbx9 seconds. Press PR: 140 strict for 3, 175x5x5 push press. Hips are injured from deadlifts, so I will not do deadlifts for a while. I also started doing rows for 250 meters, my best time being 48 seconds.
Today is rest day, and tomorrow I will do 185x5x1 push press
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