[quote]skor wrote:
I recently started training with strength in mind and have raised my numbers on SQ/DL. My best DL (sumo) is 330x5. However my squat is much weaker - I can front squat 200x5 (maybe there is 10lb extra); I don’t think my back squat is much stronger - I did 225x3 and stopped though it wasn’t ME. I go slightly below PL-parallel depth on both.
What could I do to bring up my squat? What is my weak point? I find heavy back squatting incredibly taxing/uncomfortable on lower back (much more than deadlifts). Another problem I encounter is that as soon as I go below parallel, I lose lordosis even without weights. I looked at SquatRx video 1 where this problem was considered, stretched everything I could stretch and still see no improvement. I can do 12 single leg pistols all the way to the bottom if that’s any indication of balance/imbalance.
A big part in smaller squat numbers is probably psychological as I don’t have a training parter/spotter; when I have a good spotter on squat, I push much harder and stronger. But this element I can’t change easily.
Any advice other than squat more?[/quote]
Not sure if anyone has already mentioned this, but my experience is that most lower qualified lifters should be able to DL more than they squat, both raw of course. Most guys that I’ve worked with that were lower qualified could pull in upwards of 100+ lbs more than they could squat.
Squatting I believe is more of a neural adaptation exercise and therefor takes more time to develop than either DL or Bench. In time, if you’re training to increase your max, your squat number will go up and surpass your DL number or at least narrow the gap.
With regard to Front Squat and Back Squat numbers, most of the the highly qualified Olympic guys will be able to BSQ roughly 15%-20% over the best Clean, and most of those guys FSQ roughly 10-15% over their best Clean. So that basically puts the BSQ to be anywhere from 5%-10% greater than your best FSQ.
If it’s a Powerlifting Squat, I’d say the BSQ number will be much higher than the FSQ number, maybe by 20% or more, but that’s relative to the amount of time each lifter trains at both styles.
Not sure if that helps, but it should put some things in better perspective. The bottom line is to continue to train hard, and if your focus ultimately is to drive up your squat number, put more of a focus on that lift with your auxiliary exercises.