Squats Not Hitting Hard Enough?

Training Bodybuilding
1

Hey guys, I just started squatting a couple weeks back and I’ve been noticing the same thing: I don’t feel sore enough after the workout to be satisfied. I asked for form critique today and it seemed to check out alright, but I was wondering if any of you guys could help diagnose my problem, if i even have one. I feel as though my hip flexors are getting a better burn than my glutes or hamstrings are.

I’m not sure if it’s due to the fact that I’m not the most flexible person alive although I do stretch nearly every day (not right before squats) or what. Maybe I’m not using enough weight? I tried using a heavier load but I feel as though my balance isn’t quite in tune enough to comfortably lift it. If anyone has some light to shed I’d really appreciate it.

2

You might want to try using wide stance box squats if you havn’t already.

3

I go to a college gym, so it’s not very big although it’s pretty well equipped with relatively new power racks, machines, etc. There aren’t any “boxes” around that I could use for box squats…any way around that, like using a bench as the “box”?

4

When you say hip flexors, you mean like your psoas right? Unless your doing them upside down, on the cealing, I don’t see how squats would work them. hip extensors?

5

How much weight are you using?

6

[quote]mpd21487 wrote:
I go to a college gym, so it’s not very big although it’s pretty well equipped with relatively new power racks, machines, etc. There aren’t any “boxes” around that I could use for box squats…any way around that, like using a bench as the “box”?[/quote]

Don’t use box squats, especially since you dont have a box (obviously). You won’t be sore after every workout. Be sure to do enough unilateral work.

7

Take your normal 10 rep max then do 20 reps with that weight.

Try front squats.
Try some pre-exhaustion exercise.

8

Soreness has nothing to do with a workouts? effectiveness
If I’m a bodybuilder, then I most likely want larger legs, if my legs are increasing in size but I’m not getting sore, it doesn’t matter. If my legs are not increasing in size and I’m also not getting sore, it doesn’t matter, it’s probably another variable, such as food, rest, and exercise selection. Same goes for strength athletes, if you?re getting stronger, what does it matter if you?re not getting sore?.

Apparently you want soreness, soreness and fatigue are some of the most important things elite athletes try to reduce, not increase!

What are your goals, get bigger and stronger? Stay the same size and get stronger? Get faster? Jump higher?

If your goal is to get sore, as it sounds, then just do a different leg workout every time, different rep scheme, diff rest times, diff exercises, superset… etc. So many ways to get sore… hah.

9

the problem might be tight hips (internally rotated). tight hip flexors inhibit the glutes, which is why you dont feel soreness. watch for your knees buckling in, even a little - this means that might be (overly) using your adductors to compensate for your weak, and maybe inhibited, abductors. this can be caused by muscular imbalances (sitting a long time creates tightness) or nueral reasons (see an ART specialist and s/he’ll straighten you out)

you might want to try stretching the hell out of your hips, doing mobility work, and doing glute activation exercises (bridges, X-walks with bands, ect) to start.

10

Instead of judging the effectiveness of your training by soreness why not judge by your progress. Take a few days off and then do a maximum rep effort using a bodyweight squat. Train for about 3 more weeks and try it again.

For example on my first test I did 36 squats at 190 pounds. My low back fatigued before my legs did. Trained for 3 more weeks and tested again. This time I did 38 reps and it was my low back again that fatigued first. I tested in other areas as well but they are not relevant to this post.

Frequent testing and a detailed training log will help you immensely in determining your weak points.

11

Thanks guys for the responses, and to clarify, I didn’t mean soreness by burning, I meant more along the lines of fatigue after walking out of the gym. I’m relatively new to the whole weightlifting thing, so I didn’t know what to expect. I’ll try some of these suggestions and see how it goes. Thanks!

12

Yeah, do 20 rep squats. You wont have the ‘not hitting hard enough’ problem anymore. And you’ll have a pair o’ fuckin to go along with it.

13

One thing in your post stand out to me, and that is that you state you try using a higher weight and balance becomes an issue, not failure.

When I use a heavier weight, I can’t stand up for my given rep scheme (5-7). If you are adding weight, and standing up is not the issue, I would venture to guess your squats are not as intense as they could be.

Increase the weight to where you have problems standing with the weight for the given rep scheme. Ever fail during a squat, or strain to stand up with it? Talk about pain.

One more thing off topic that boggles my mind; if you take your 10 rep max, and squat it 20 times, is it really your 10 rep max? How can someone do a set of 20 for their 10 rep max?

14

It sounds like you just need more practice at squatting. Sounds simple, but the squat is a fairly complex compound movement. It involves rotation around the hips, knees, and ankles to move a load in a relatively linear path.

Especially if you are new to this movement, it will take time. Experiment and practice. If you’re new to squatting, practice your form everyday. Try different stances, bar positioning, work on ankle flexibility (if you want real depth).

Don’t use an empty bar, load it to a “comfortable” level, say around 50% of what you normally use. Practice, practice, practice. Seriously, the more you perform it, the more you’ll find your own unique and productive groove.

15

[quote]Petedacook wrote:
One more thing off topic that boggles my mind; if you take your 10 rep max, and squat it 20 times, is it really your 10 rep max? How can someone do a set of 20 for their 10 rep max?
[/quote]

Because your 10 rep max is what you can do at a normal pace. Maybe a short pause at the top, 2 seconds down, no pause at the bottom, then 2 back up. Use the same weight, but take three big breaths or more between each rep. As much time as you need. If you give it all you’ve got, you should be able to knock out 20. These are called 20 rep squats, or breathing squats. The old timers were big on them, and there’s even been a book written about the program; Super Squats.

On topic, soreness doesn’t get you anywhere. But, what it sounds like is you don’t need any tricks, just more effort. Put more weight on and have two people spot you or go to a rack. Possibly practice more balance work.

The most sore I’ve ever been in my legs was doing three ladders of one legged squats. 1 on the left, 1 on the right, 2 on the left, 2 on the right. No rest in between. Go until you know you’re going to fail the next set, then take a minute rest.

If balance is your issue, just go straight to failure since you will fall over before your muscle is entirely fatigued.

16

[quote]Petedacook wrote:

One more thing off topic that boggles my mind; if you take your 10 rep max, and squat it 20 times, is it really your 10 rep max? How can someone do a set of 20 for their 10 rep max?
[/quote]

Yeah, I’ve wondered this too…

And for the OP… My squat, although increasing, is limited due to tightness/weakness in my lower back. Not because my legs were giving out.

In my gym, we have a leg press machine right next to the squat rack so I superset (10 reps) with that and when I am done, my legs are toast. As an added benefit, it seems to alleviate the tightness before the next set.

17

With great difficulty.

Seriously, like all the other guys said, if you want to feel so goddamn sore you’ll wonder why you crawled out of your mother, do 20-rep squats.

(The massive growth and weight gain is a bonus.)

18

[quote]travisimo wrote:
Petedacook wrote:
One more thing off topic that boggles my mind; if you take your 10 rep max, and squat it 20 times, is it really your 10 rep max? How can someone do a set of 20 for their 10 rep max?

Because your 10 rep max is what you can do at a normal pace. Maybe a short pause at the top, 2 seconds down, no pause at the bottom, then 2 back up. Use the same weight, but take three big breaths or more between each rep. As much time as you need. If you give it all you’ve got, you should be able to knock out 20. These are called 20 rep squats, or breathing squats. The old timers were big on them, and there’s even been a book written about the program; Super Squats.

On topic, soreness doesn’t get you anywhere. But, what it sounds like is you don’t need any tricks, just more effort. Put more weight on and have two people spot you or go to a rack. Possibly practice more balance work.

The most sore I’ve ever been in my legs was doing three ladders of one legged squats. 1 on the left, 1 on the right, 2 on the left, 2 on the right. No rest in between. Go until you know you’re going to fail the next set, then take a minute rest.

If balance is your issue, just go straight to failure since you will fall over before your muscle is entirely fatigued.[/quote]

I have had this same question and seen this answer and still think the term “10 rep max” is misleading.

When I hit failure just holding on to the weight for a few seconds or even longer does not let me recover enough to keep going.

I wonder if there is such a thing as a “10 rep max”. I know there is a 1 RM and a 2 RM based on maximum strength.

10 RM seems to be based on some sort of strength endurance combo and is much harder to judge.

19

[quote]travisimo wrote:
Petedacook wrote:
One more thing off topic that boggles my mind; if you take your 10 rep max, and squat it 20 times, is it really your 10 rep max? How can someone do a set of 20 for their 10 rep max?

Because your 10 rep max is what you can do at a normal pace. Maybe a short pause at the top, 2 seconds down, no pause at the bottom, then 2 back up. Use the same weight, but take three big breaths or more between each rep. As much time as you need. If you give it all you’ve got, you should be able to knock out 20. These are called 20 rep squats, or breathing squats. The old timers were big on them, and there’s even been a book written about the program; Super Squats.

On topic, soreness doesn’t get you anywhere. But, what it sounds like is you don’t need any tricks, just more effort. Put more weight on and have two people spot you or go to a rack. Possibly practice more balance work.

The most sore I’ve ever been in my legs was doing three ladders of one legged squats. 1 on the left, 1 on the right, 2 on the left, 2 on the right. No rest in between. Go until you know you’re going to fail the next set, then take a minute rest.

If balance is your issue, just go straight to failure since you will fall over before your muscle is entirely fatigued.[/quote]

Book on it or not, he’s right… a 10 rep max is just that, 10 reps - after that it should be close to impossible to do any more reps.

What you’re talking about sounds like 10 reps followed by a bunch of low rep sets thrown in after.

In my mind, if you lose muscular tension in the target muscle group for more than a few seconds that set is over. If you decide to squat back down 10 seconds later for 1 rep, then you just did a set of 1.

I think Charles Poliquin would agree with me too.

20

I’ve been doing 20 rep squats for a few weeks now and I’ve seen some serious improvement. If you take some time between reps it doesn’t mean the set is over, having 345 on your back for 2-3 minutes is a workout in itself. Just put on something you thought you could do 10 times and just keep going with 2-3 spotters, you will be able to do more usually. If not just lower it till you can next time. Its one hell of a workout, especially if you add some more excercises in afterward right away.