Squat Better, Squat Bigger

Over the last couple of weeks I've dropped you some information on programming for the bench press and deadlift based of everything I've learned from the last 15 years of coaching. So I might as well complete the set and hit you with some information on the squat, and how I usually go about programming it for clients. Let's get into it with 5 points to better squat programming. 1) Squat Twice (+/-1) Per Week When programming the squat, the frequency for me can vary more than it might do for bench press or deadlift. Generally things will be based around a twice per week model, with one session being a heavy session early in the week, and one being more volume based later in the week. But, this can sometimes go up a session to 3p/w, or down to 1p/w in certain situations. If the deadlift is very heavy at some point in the training week, I may reduce the squat down to once per week to help manage some of the loaded on the lower body where the two lifts cross-over. Or, if the deadlift is relatively absent as the squat is a real focus, I may up the frequency to 3xp/w. In the 3 per week scenario it would likely be a Monday Back Squat (Moderate), Wednesday Front Squat (Lighter), Friday Back Squat (Heavy) format to balance the high frequency with some undulating intensity. 2) Front Squat Often Which brings me nicely to the use of the front squat. It is a great accessory movement for the back squat, and something that I will utilise with pretty much everyone who aspires to having a big back squat. It helps promote a more upright torso, loads the legs really well, and reduces the loading on the lower back slightly compared to the back squat. These make it both an awesome accessory, but also a great main lift for certain phases in your 2nd/3rd squat sessions of the week. 3) Drill Technique When coaching the squat, the task at hand is more often than not a job of keeping the lifter upright, and allowing them to keep driving with their legs throughout the lift. So the technique elements that will help with that are generally:

• Opening the hips (creating space to sit into).

• Bending at the knees and hips simultaneously (to remain upright).

• Bracing and pulling the bar into your upper back (creating stiffness in the torso to resist the load).
  

Any other cues given will generally be to improve upon those areas. To do this effectively, there may be a demand for increased mobility in certain areas, so when warming up we're looking at promoting ankle dorsi-flexion (knees over toes), hip opening (flexion, internal rotation, external rotation), and thoracic extension/rotation. Once these ranges are "opened", ensure that the technique you use helps strengthen these new ranges to progressively improve your technique. 4) Work the Weaknesses Any good program will put focus on your weaknesses, and a squat focussed program is no different. I've already addressed technique in the previous point, and as an addition technique will most often be drilled with slower tempos (3-5 second lowers) and pauses in the bottom position, so lets focus on the other common areas of weakness here. Weakness In The Hole The weakest part of pretty much everyones squat is the bottom position, as joints and muscles are closer to the always weaker end-ranges, and you generally don't spend much time in that position. So the first port of call is to spend more time in that position to help strengthen, so I'm talking pauses. These can vary from 1-5 seconds, but I'll usually stop at 3 seconds and consider that to be a long pause. Learning how to maintain/generate tension in this specific position by spending more time there will generally be the biggest bang for buck thing you can do. Weakness At The Sticking Point The "sticking point" is around half-way back up on the ascent, and is a problem more often for lifters who tend to bounce out of the bottom of the squat. This is because you're relying on the stored energy in your muscles and tendons to accelerate the bar out of the hole, and one the affect is over, the muscle isn't able to kick in sufficiently to keep the bar moving. So again, paused reps are a great way to learn how to not rely on your elasticity and improve your rate of force development from a highly flexed position, and they would often be the first stop when looking to improve here. There may also be a relative weakness in the posterior chain for a lifter who often misses a lift in the sticking point, so using assistance exercises like good mornings, back extensions and hip thrusts can help strengthen up this area if you think this is the case. 5) Work The Legs Individually Too Every squat program I write will include some single leg work too to help keep imbalances at back, work the hips/knees/ankles through different ranges of motion, and promote general lower body joint health. Because you don't make any progress on your squat when your sat on the sidelines with a grumpy back, painful hip or knee pain. A healthy body has the potiential to be a strong body. So make sure you incorporate movements like the following into your program regularly to promote more structural balance while working on some weak spots in your game.

• Split Squats

• Lunges

• Lateral Lunges

• Step-Ups

• Skater Squats

• Single Leg RDLs

• Single Leg Good Mornings

• Single Leg Hip Lifts/Thrusts

They will pay off BIG TIME in the long run, and probably the short term too. Thanks, Ian.