Progress Towards 500 Lb Squat Goal

[Wolfox]

i've had all my injuries from either front squats or cleans

What was your best front squat?

[anabolichalo]

What was your best front squat?

155kg @ 82

[jr]

I watched some rugby dude with 190kg on his back go all the way down, pause for a 3 count then squat up. Sets of 5. Pretty impressive to me.

I've been squatting like this, this year. High bar, narrow stance, rock bottom with a few second pause, I even relax the muscles a bit at the bottom (I'm not sure if this is dangerous, it feels ok and safe to me), then explode the weight up. Only need to use 100kg at the moment using this method, intense muscle contraction in order to break inertia and build momentum. Feels like 140+kg barbell worth of tension on the muscles, but only 100kg of stress on the joints, ligaments and tendons.

I've been doing less ego lifting lately as getting older, finding techniques to make the exercises harder with less weight.

[James28]

Joe, you're knowledgeable on this subject. Do you think taller guys should stick to leg presses and hack squats? Squats fuck my back up so I very rarely do them. I've had countless people check my form and they maintain I'm pretty much spot on. This even goes for the S&C trainer of a professional rugby team in the UK. AND a world champion power lifter (Google 'Genesis Gym' in Alperton if you don't believe me) My back still hurt. Like a pins and needles tingling in the lower part of my spine. Therefore I don't bother. What say you?

[ProudVirgin69]

Trained legs today with two 22 year old cats.

Squats

135 x 10
135 x 20
135 x 30
135 x 40
135 x 50

No sitting down between sets. No hanging on to anything between sets. Full, smooth bodybuilding squats. When one guy finishes his reps another guy starts their set immediately. It hurt- a lot.

Cool workout, I did something like that with a girl before to impress her

[Coach is Back!]

have you ever injured yourself deadlifting ?  

No.

[Coach is Back!]

Joe, you're knowledgeable on this subject. Do you think taller guys should stick to leg presses and hack squats? Squats fuck my back up so I very rarely do them. I've had countless people check my form and they maintain I'm pretty much spot on. This even goes for the S&C trainer of a professional rugby team in the UK. AND a world champion power lifter (Google 'Genesis Gym' in Alperton if you don't believe me) My back still hurt. Like a pins and needles tingling in the lower part of my spine. Therefore I don't bother. What say you?

IMO, there are a lot of variables. Increasing weights to fast, volume, recovery, weak transverse abdominis, weak posterior chain, bad technique, etc. Taller people would have more of a risk for back injury just because longer limbs and tight hips. To beat this, you should progress slowly, less volume. Slow your progressions. With deadlifts, we ALWAYS start with rack pulls instead of off the ground.

[Melkor]

i hurt my back a few times a year to the point it was hard to sit down or get up

i quit before i did big damages


most lifters have these things but will not talk about it because too proud, in denial etc

If you're consistently hurting your back doing big compound lifts, then you likely have some weakness there and/or structural issues (or use too much weight/poor form).

The key to being bull strong, is having a strong, stable back. I broke two bones in my back a few years ago (not training related) and slowly built it back up using high rep stiff-leg deadlifts, good morning, back extensions etc.

As for the big compound lifts, you're one hundred percent right - you shouldn't treat them as "ego lifts", that's when stuff snaps and breaks. Instead focus on getting strong slowly, with good form. Tweaking your back or a knee or a shoulder or whatever is bound to happen if you train hard in any way, its recognising when to back off to avoid major injury.

[Coach is Back!]

That's a good squat.  How old is he?

Post the video!

16. I'm reluctant about posting his video here.

[Darren Avey]

16 and he s squatting more than 4 wheels a side! 

[Mawse]

16. I'm reluctant about posting his video here.

 it was an 18" box, rolling forward off it with no deload on the box I assume.


a 425 box squat to a below parallel box with a pause and relaxing the hips is the equivalent of @ 500 lb regular squat.

Squats even when done perfectly can still tweak your back.. unfortunately there's no good horizontal leg press at any of my current gyms so I'm stuck with slow, paused squats as my only leg work

[Coach is Back!]

it was an 18" box, rolling forward off it with no deload on the box I assume.


a 425 box squat to a below parallel box with a pause and relaxing the hips is the equivalent of @ 500 lb regular squat.

Squats even when done perfectly can still tweak your back.. unfortunately there's no good horizontal leg press at any of my current gyms so I'm stuck with slow, paused squats as my only leg work

We have 12" squat boxes here in the gym. It was the box plus 2 1"pads. My son is 5'11 so he was at parallel. There is video on my instagram of him hitting 405 about a month ago. I will be posting his 425lbs this evening. Tonight is ME upper so he's looking for a 275lb bench.  

[James28]

16. I'm reluctant about posting his video here.

We all fuck around on here but I doubt anyone will go as low as to attack your son.

[Coach is Back!]

We all fuck around on here but I doubt anyone will go as low as to attack your son.

It's happen before. About 6 years ago

[James28]

People slagged a 10yo boy? Wow, what classless scum   

[Coach is Back!]

People slagged a 10yo boy? Wow, what classless scum   

Worse, pedos photoshopped his pic.

[James28]

Worse, pedos photoshopped his pic.

I hope they got smashed in the face with the ban hammer?

Horrible scum.

[Darren Avey]

Whereas I think many people on here are tossers I would never insult their kids that's just low. These people need a good mauling.

[chaos]

16. I'm reluctant about posting his video here.

I would hope for one day your son should meet chaos.

[GymTime]

Coach,

Put up the video of you doing 550.  Would like to see that.

[chaos]

Coach,

Put up the video of you doing 550.  Would like to see that.

You don't need a video, I spotted him.

[Grape Ape]

it was an 18" box, rolling forward off it with no deload on the box I assume.


a 425 box squat to a below parallel box with a pause and relaxing the hips is the equivalent of @ 500 lb regular squat.

Squats even when done perfectly can still tweak your back.. unfortunately there's no good horizontal leg press at any of my current gyms so I'm stuck with slow, paused squats as my only leg work

I use a 17" box which is about an inch below my kneecap, then swap to the 14" but the weight difference I can handle is staggering.   I wonder if I'm doing this shit right, lol.

[Coach is Back!]

I would hope for one day your son should meet chaos.

He will. I FINALLY started back training last week. You, SF, my son and myself will train again soon!!

[Coach is Back!]

You don't need a video, I spotted him.

 

[Mawse]

I use a 17" box which is about an inch below my kneecap, then swap to the 14" but the weight difference I can handle is staggering.   I wonder if I'm doing this shit right, lol.

the difference is HUGE with box squats. I shake my head at the tiny tits I see bouncing off the bench with far too much weight and horrible form.

I use a 10" box and take 3 seconds to lower, pause a second then squeeze up, 8-10 reps

 If you go wide stance, monolift, parallel box with foam etc it becomes much easier, but regular stance with a low box are brutal when done like a bodybuilder not a donut muncher

theres a video on youtube of a legit 700lb Olympic squatter barely making high 5's off a deep box.