[quote]StormTheBeach wrote:
Sweet thread. As a fairly proficient squatter, 670 raw, just hit 750 geared in training, I’d be more than happy to help out with any advice. Feel free to shoot me questions on here or PM’ed. [/quote]
Well… I had 405 but it went back down to 355 after a couple of months with low bar. In part because my shoulder was keeping me from practicing with ideal form. I’ve also decided to switch from low bar to high bar so I stop destroying my shoulder. My bench has taken off since doing this and progress has been steady with high bar. I’m taking a simplistic program approach inspired by Doug Hepburn. Basically a heavy with the 8x2 add a rep to one set every week scheme and a speed/light day for the basic lifts.
Anyway, I guess the point is what form issues do you think are the most common for high bar squats and what do you suggest to rectify them? Also, what assistance exercises seem to work best for high bar as far as keeping the upper back rigid?[/quote]
x2. I too squat high bar, and I would love to receive wisdom from the great Hedlesky.
Currently I sit around 315 on the squat (I am only proficient at upper body pressing, it seems) - I hope to get a 405 squat soon; just got to let a recent lower back tweak heal up.
Edit: I’ve been focusing on front squats for a quite a while, which is why I expect my squat to go up quickly once I start training it specifically.
What sort of programming are you doing scj119? It seems the perfect time to start a race as we can compare notes to each others work. It’s all obviously individualized, but maybe we can both help one another.
I’ve currently just stalled on Starting Strength and am considering dropping 10% and starting back up for two more stalls. I’ve also considered 5/3/1, but I think I’d prefer slightly higher volume. Thus far, I have made good progress so staying on SS may just benefit me well.
I’ll probably stick with SS and throw in assistance work: GHRs, GMs, RDLs, RFESSs, and leg lifts. My lower back and hamstrings are my limiting factor right now.
[quote]CheslinK wrote:
I also just hit a 345 squat today as well.
What sort of programming are you doing scj119? It seems the perfect time to start a race as we can compare notes to each others work. It’s all obviously individualized, but maybe we can both help one another.
I’ve currently just stalled on Starting Strength and am considering dropping 10% and starting back up for two more stalls. I’ve also considered 5/3/1, but I think I’d prefer slightly higher volume. Thus far, I have made good progress so staying on SS may just benefit me well.
I’ll probably stick with SS and throw in assistance work: GHRs, GMs, RDLs, RFESSs, and leg lifts. My lower back and hamstrings are my limiting factor right now. [/quote]
I’ve been doing 5/3/1 a while, it has worked very well for my squats (not so much for anything else). Next week I’m going to go back to doing my own programming, except that squats will still be 5/3/1 progression template.
For assistance, I’ve typically done leg press and hammie curls on squat day, as well as front squats and glute ham raises on DL day. Ab work (a few sets of ab wheels or decline situps) done on each day as well.
using 5/3/1, my squat went from 245x6 to 300x4 in October-February last year. Then I hurt myself doing something dumb on deadlifts. When I came back off injury in late April, I started at 245x6/225x7… this month I have hit 270x10, 305x4 (first time repping out over 300lb) and 355x1.
yay, i’ll join. im at 336 right now. this was done at a meet about a month ago. its been slow going over the last year, 36 pounds so far and most of that was the last 4 months. i focused on my dead a lot and i went from 305 to 474 in a little over a year. now im going to take the same focus and place it on my squats. i have a meet in november and my goal is 365.
so far my issues are:
1)i dont strain hard enough when the weight gets heavy, i bail quickly.
2)speed.
3)weak upper back and abz. when i hit near max i turn it into a squatmorning, lol.
i have been doing westside and it has helped a lot on learning to strain. last night i was squatting and i blacked out half way up on the last rep and dont even remember racking the weight. i came to right when the weights hit the rack. my spotter said i looked like a cartoon character that was blowing steam out of his ears, lol.
that plan has also helped a lot with speed. when i go down fast and deep i now pop back up upright, fast, and smooth with good form. if i go slow i cut it short and i fold over and my knees cave. so i guess the box squats have been helping. this next 2 months i am adding in bands for the first time so i hope that pushed up my speed even more.
as for upper back i have been doing facepulls several days a week. some with mini bands and 20+ reps. other times with an average band and 10 reps or less with more sets. i plan on adding back in farmers and snatch grip deads for some heavy work.
I hit a 160kg / 352lb for a relatively easy single on Monday, which is a 10kg PR. I think I’m good for another 10kg or so on a good day… will try again in a couple of weeks.
panzerfaust: Same, 345 went up quite easily. I should have made smaller jumps cause I immediately went to 365 and lost it in the hole.
asooneyeonig: I would love to get my dead up to 475… currently around 365. What methods did you employ? I realized my lower back/hamstrings are my limiting factor with everything right now. Started throwing in a lot more good mornings this week and it’s sure as hell doing the trick with strengthening lower back. I’ll look for the carry over in the next month.
Goals 405/300/450 by the end of the year. Currently 345/275/350!
[quote]CheslinK wrote:
panzerfaust: Same, 345 went up quite easily. I should have made smaller jumps cause I immediately went to 365 and lost it in the hole.
asooneyeonig: I would love to get my dead up to 475… currently around 365. What methods did you employ? I realized my lower back/hamstrings are my limiting factor with everything right now. Started throwing in a lot more good mornings this week and it’s sure as hell doing the trick with strengthening lower back. I’ll look for the carry over in the next month.
Goals 405/300/450 by the end of the year. Currently 345/275/350![/quote]
Yeah dude, I jumped from 160kg to 170kg / 375lb and lost my back just above parallel. A smaller jump would have been better, but never mind.
My numbers are: 352/231/473 …this is my first year powerlifting training; previously I had only front squatted and deadlifted as part of oly training. Hence my bench being disgraceful! Haha.
I’ve gotten it before (three times in the gym), but never in a meet. And then there was a big strength decline, so I went down to 335… and just got back up to 385. I’m in and expect to hit it by February. Not sure what meet there’ll be to make it official.
I’m in! I hit a PR of 315 for 3 reps about four weeks ago. I couldn’t even hit 325 for a single today… It’s time to drop my training max. I’ll be training high reps and attempt that max whenever my calculated max is around 430. I’ll shoot for the 405 attempt by the end of next year. My top priority is a 550 deadlift by the end of next year.
I hit 170kg / 375lb a few weeks ago so should be good for 400 soon. Switched to high bar squat, which seems to be better for my build (6 foot; short legs, long torso)
[quote]panzerfaust wrote:
I hit 170kg / 375lb a few weeks ago so should be good for 400 soon. Switched to high bar squat, which seems to be better for my build (6 foot; short legs, long torso)[/quote]
In my experience, most lifters with short legs do better with a high-bar position in an otherwise standard PL-stanced squat. I’m pretty short (5’6") but also have very short legs for my frame (28" inseam) and cannot, for the life of me, perform a low-bar squat.
