Legs & Squat Aren't Going Anywhere

Training Powerlifting
1

Allright Im 21 6’5" bout 270 and I’ve been training since I was about 13, but better over the last three years(only gained about twenty good pounds in that time frame, but its in better places and its hard to find good food at the school im at).

Over the years I’ve progressed in pretty much everything. My bench is improving, not too much, but it is. Push Press is kind of at a stalemate. Power Clean has reached a stopping point, I feel mostly because of my height and dont really feel like throwing my legs out three feet in each direction to get underneath it.

However, my squat is rather pathetic. My best reps have been 315 for five ATG. I have been unable to match that and that was three months ago.

My legs have gotten bigger, but not like you would think. Everything has gotten bigger, but everything is still proportional to what they have been over the years(legs are at 29 1/2 inches) Another thing that I dont understand is my vertical is much better than someone my size and squat would really be able to do. I just be more predisposed to jump as opposed to it carrying over from squat.

For example, when my knee is in flexion or am sitting down, people with the kind of legs I really want have that nice distinction between their rectus femoris, vastus lateralus, and their vastus medialus.

I cant get that. I just have flat across in that area with no rounding up in each of those muscles I am unable to get any kind roundness or slope to especially my quads, everything just seems to get bigger with any of that. I squat my ass off almost to the point of throwing up, nothing, no gain in weight after backing off and then hitting it hard again.

Because its my quads too, i squat deep, I front squat, I do lunges, but with each I start doing them, and then I just start to stop at a certain weight. I try and use suggestions from this site, but it doesnt do anything really.

I am somewhat limited due to the program that i have to follow because of football. We use periodization program on the major lifts with according percentages. For legs we do things like Power cleans, squat press, RDL’s, GM, Seated Leg Curls, GHR, Back Squat, Hang Cleans, Step Ups, Lunges, etc.

I am going into my senior year so after this year I will be able to do my own, just telling you bc it may help to look at what I have done to improve what I will do.

2

How is your diet? If your not progressing this is usually the #1 thing that is holding someone back.

3

I ll 2nd the diet point. Also how often do you train? Not only in the weightroom but also for football? I always find that running impacts my squatting a lot.

4

Is your lower back strong enough to support heavier weights? Do you also deadlift heavy when trying to get your squat up. have you tried doing more of a powerlifting style squat in the offseason to get used to heavier weight.

Also, as an athlete, I dont see why your so particularly worried about your squat, is it effecting your football?

5

First thing on the diet. I am pretty sure that diet isnt it considering i know for an almost certainty that I eat better than everyone else on my team. I still cant get the weight up there even if Im fresh and feeling great for an extended period of time.

Was four times a week, but with the season approaching it is down to three (M,T,TH)

I dont do deads because of the program Ive been on doesnt really have any kind of deadlifts on it other than RDL’s.

I do not it translating to football. I am a DL and have absolutely no problem getting separation with my arms and such, but when it comes to the leg drive, I feel that it is lacking.

6

I know its not a standard response but I found that unilateral leg stuff made my legs grow quite a bit. Front leg raised reverse lunges and bulgarian split squats in particular.

7

Well, just cause your program doesnt have something in it doesnt me it shouldnt have it in.

My first step would be to switch to a powerlifting style squat to exactly parallel as opposed to atg, and get used to that weight load and then when you go back it should feel lighter and go up easier. It might be your proportions that dont allow you very heavy loading on atg squats, or flexibility issues.

Also I would add deadlifts at least to asses your lower back strength and bring it up if its an issue

8

yeah, try SLDL and SL squats.
You’d should see some interesting movements.

9

could it be that your recovery is lacking? you may not be sleeping enough, drinking too much alcohol etc. and of course your nutrition has to be adequate to keep you going.

10

Thanks for the input. Ill start doing some PL style squats and try and put in some deads. Would Snatch Grip Deads be good, or do u think that I should do some regular style?

As far as recovery goes, the only thing that I could forsee being a problem is the amount of sleep that i get. My sleep patterns are weird. It seems though even though I might be able to go to sleep at an allright time, I am still unable to get good rest.

My CNS is a big clusterfuck sometimes with the sleep. Diet is good. Get around 5k-5.5kcals a day. Could be more due to the work im doing. I cant nap during the day because then I know that i wont get to sleep around 3am and then i gotten wake up at 6 for work, so I dont nap and just go to sleep at 1130 or so

Alcohol isnt too much of a problem. I try and drink once a week on Saturdays. If i do drink on Friday and Saturday, its not as heavy. Never drink during the week, unless Im out then ill have one or two.

11

Start sled dragging on your off days. It makes a huge difference in your recovery and helps increase your squat and deadlift.

12

have you tried melatonin? I find it is amazing to help me get into good sleep patterns. Especially good at low does (<3mg/night)

The problem I find with snatch grip deads is twwofold 1) it is slightly harder to grip so grip can become an issue 2) more importantly flexibility -most poeple arent flexible enough to get proper form in snatch grip deads especially considering your tall.

13

if you’ve been training for strength and doing multiple squat sessions a week, try and train for size for a while and just blast them once a week. likewise, if you’ve only had one squat session a week, try training for strength and move to three sessions, with just a couple sets of maximal strength.

14

I know that I’m about a week off on this but my personal recommendation would be to stick with Olympic style squatting and any pulling you do should probably be conventional. As for power cleans, sink down and do a front squat to catch the weight, trust me on that as I had the same problem but could never master it. I would love to try to help you out some more but with out knowing more I can’t.

edit: I didn’t tell you why to squat low and close. A parallel squat is better to get a maximal load while an Olympic squat translates better to athletics.

15

Diet and adaptation sound like the culprits. Since you are on a football program how is variety addressed in your training? Of course loads are increased but if you have been lifting for as long as you have with a relatively high intensity then there is a strong possibility that you have adapted well and your weak links are impeding your next steps.

Are you using belts, straps or any other aids? Those can be limiters when over used as they compensate for weakness.

Are you doing any soft tissue work? Foam rolling, or ART? This sounds like a case of what you are not doing is being your problem.

16

[quote]Boyder326 wrote:
Allright Im 21 6’5" bout 270 and I’ve been training since I was about 13[/quote]

Haha, and ppl still say that weightlifting stunts vertical growth.

17

16, 250, 6’4’’ lifting for 2 yrears lol

18

Deload and change some variables around for a few months.

Reps, sets, volume, frequency, exercises.

19

Are you trying to improve your squat, or get better definition in your legs? Your goals are going to dictate the proper advice.