Dbc, Liftbig, Bob...

[spatts]

I want to hear it from those of you who actually TRAIN AT Westside (or did), do they, or do they NOT, squat (1RM, FULL ROM) regularly?

I need help with my squat game plan, and I'm starting to feel like I don't squat often enough. Out of the 2 comps I've done, I was shocked about my squat both times, because I always go into it clueless, for lack of practice.

I want 450 by June. I need a game plan.

 

[Liftbig]

i wouldnt say regulary. about 98% of squatting is done off a box, so if you mean free squat then no not regurly. but as far as box squat, on me day every few weeks we will do a low box, or hassock with different bars. do you know what kind of carryover you get from box squats to you comp squat?

 

[Imnotdutch]

I cant answer your question........I was just wondering what your squat PR is.

I want to hear it from those of you who actually TRAIN AT Westside (or did), do they, or do they NOT, squat (1RM, FULL ROM) regularly?

I need help with my squat game plan, and I'm starting to feel like I don't squat often enough. Out of the 2 comps I've done, I was shocked about my squat both times, because I always go into it clueless, for lack of practice.

I want 450 by June. I need a game plan.

 

[spatts]

Gym or comp, imnotdutch?

Liftbig, I hit you on AIM. I don't do low box squats nearly that often. Perhaps I should bring them up in the rotation. Also, I thought the hassock squats got phased out...they're still doing those? I've been training for strength for 10 months, and was only able to secure my squat form (with the help of Bob Youngs) weeks before my first comp, in November 2002. I have the form down now, I have excellent speed, but I need to squat more weight...plain and simple. The first meet, I went down and up with 365 like there was nothing on my back at all. This last comp, I was suffering from a kidney infection and failed a 405. I got to the bottom headed up, and felt (for lack of a better way to say it) like I as going to give birth to a kidney, right there. No more "making weight" for me. Anyway...I'm not sure of the carryover because I'm still in a very experimental stage.

FWIW, I went through a circamax phase based on a 365 squat this last time, and the WHOLE cycle felt too easy. I topped out at greens plus 204 pounds, and still had decent speed. Perhaps this means I need to work the bottom part more.

 

[DBCooper]

The only time I've taken a weight with straps up and free squatted was a few weeks out and still only worked up to under my opener-usually trying a new/different suit on. Like last meet I went up to 675 free weight and did 875 at the meet, my circa max was the hardest tho 455 with the large blue and green bands. Heavy back work is key if your back and hips are strong all you need to do is fine tune your speed. So basicly besides a meet I will do full squats about 3 times a year in full gear. BTW what meet in June?

 

[spatts]

That's exactly what we do/did.

 

[DBCooper]

Remember you have ME day so go heavy on back work etc, we work heavy on 10/12/14" red bar box squats9w/wo bands-chains) , hassock squats, belt squats, standing good mornings with the cambered bar/red bar/out of chains, rack pulls from diff heights, pulls standing on mats, pulls with bands around the bar, reverse band pulls, and then sometimes for 3 reps on any/all, hell if I can good morning 725 I can sure as hell squat it, if I can pull over 7 on standing on mats I can pull it at any meet. If you want take a couple heavy box squat days before your meet. Change your ME stuff weekly.

 

[Imnotdutch]

Gym lift will do.......sounds like you were capable of more in that comp if your kidneys didnt play up.

 

[spatts]

Most of that sounds like what we do.

For example, two weeks before the meet, I did 36" chain suspended GM's 415 x 3, and wasn't totally spent. Then I crap out on a 405 squat? WTF? Granted...the kidney thing, but still. In general, my squat is messing with my head. I love to deadlift, and my bench...well, I never expected to have a bench, so I'm ecstatic that 270 was easy. I guess I just take what I can get on bench...I work hard, but I'm not as upset about a weaker bench (given the rehabbing shoulders) than I am a weak squat.

 

[DBCooper]

One thing we do before a meet the last 2-3 weeks we tend to focus on our hard ass circa max on fridays and will ease up on Monday to assure recovery, like work up to a set of 3-5 and then just do accesory(sp) lol work.