How much can you squat??

[b fold the truth]

It shits me that my squats suck so much.

I can do 275 pounds (125 kg) (very deep squat), but that's the same as my bench.

What is up with that? I'm going to drastically cut the cardio and try to bulk, so I'm hoping that this will mean greater leg recouperation and i will be able to improve. I've completely plateued on squats, despite the fact that i really enjoy the exercise

Are you eating enough?

Where is your weakness?

 

[19psi]

It shits me that my squats suck so much.

I can do 275 pounds (125 kg) (very deep squat), but that's the same as my bench.

What is up with that? I'm going to drastically cut the cardio and try to bulk, so I'm hoping that this will mean greater leg recouperation and i will be able to improve. I've completely plateued on squats, despite the fact that i really enjoy the exercise

are you sure that's all you can do, or is your mind freaking out and holding you back? the mind is the most important think when it comes to squatting imo. once you feel that weight across your shoulders and back your mind can easily say " oh shit that's a lot of weight, i dno't know if i can do this, it feels like a house, what if i don't make it up, my legs already hurt, oh shit..."
its' one of those things where it will always feel heavy, but if you keep adding weight, it seems to just keep going up (to a certain point).
you have to approach it where you are absolutley pissed off mad at the weight but still confident that you will kick it's ass.
of course your form has to be good and you have to be eating quite a bit to have the energy to be able to do it.

 

[Sim882]

are you sure that's all you can do, or is your mind freaking out and holding you back? the mind is the most important think when it comes to squatting imo. once you feel that weight across your shoulders and back your mind can easily say " oh shit that's a lot of weight, i dno't know if i can do this, it feels like a house, what if i don't make it up, my legs already hurt, oh shit..."
its' one of those things where it will always feel heavy, but if you keep adding weight, it seems to just keep going up (to a certain point).
you have to approach it where you are absolutley pissed off mad at the weight but still confident that you will kick it's ass.
of course your form has to be good and you have to be eating quite a bit to have the energy to be able to do it.

I think its all I can do (I'm estimating it though based on a 5 rep max of 115kg, same as bench). I don't think its pshychological because I do squats to failure on a squat rack, and most sets end with me not able to get the weight up.

It shits me how little progress I have made on it, given I haven't been training too long, don't use any sups, and IMO have made great progress on all other exercises (my bench seems better than my friends who have trained similar period and started from about 55-60, and I do 5 rep wide pulls ups with 25 kg, dips with 40, which I think is decent, given I weigh about 70).

I think the lack of improvement could be
- not eating enough, as pointed out, which i now completely rectifying. I get stomach cramps though when I go about 3500 cals, which I'm now experiencing.
- overtraining legs. I love the body part simply because its excruciating, so often I have done 2 leg sessions which are endless (4 sets of: back squat, front squats, deadlifts, SLDL, good morning: 6 sets of walking lunges in all directions; 4 sets of hack squats; 5 minutes of non-stop alternating between extensions/hyperextension machine). I also had been doing endless cardio (9km runs, sprint interval HIIT on oval etc, on all days except leg training days) because of comp tennis, which I'm now stopping

I'm going to now
- only doing cardio once or twice per 5 days (I enjoy it, so I will keep a bit, but this represents a much smaller load);
- weight train legs once per 5 days and do fewer sets.

Hopefully, with little cardio, I should see rapid improvement. I'm hoping I have reasonable genetics on this because my father was national judo player, and could squat and deadlift 3 times his body weight, and was stronger enough to do one arm chins

 

[b fold the truth]

I weigh about 70

I think the lack of improvement could be
- not eating enough, as pointed out, which i now completely rectifying. I get stomach cramps though when I go about 3500 cals, which I'm now experiencing.
- overtraining legs. I love the body part simply because its excruciating, so often I have done 2 leg sessions which are endless (4 sets of: back squat, front squats, deadlifts, SLDL, good morning: 6 sets of walking lunges in all directions; 4 sets of hack squats; 5 minutes of non-stop alternating between extensions/hyperextension machine). I also had been doing endless cardio (9km runs, sprint interval HIIT on oval etc, on all days except leg training days) because of comp tennis, which I'm now stopping

I'm going to now
- only doing cardio once or twice per 5 days (I enjoy it, so I will keep a bit, but this represents a much smaller load);
- weight train legs once per 5 days and do fewer sets.

Sounds like you are on the right path now big man. Never forget it takes time!

My first ever session in the gym I attempted to squat the 60 lb smith machine bar and got pinned at the bottom.

 

[19psi]

i think you're on the right track cutting back. i made my best strength gains for squats training them once every 7 days for 3-4 sets. that doesn't sound like much but i would be sore for 5 days following every week. this is after years of training too.

 

[binö]

with a belt and wraps i moved 525 @180
never did a cycle
get scared and haven't gone over 455 since

 

[DaveTSI]

I hit 585x5 all below parallel on wednesday in my centurion, no knee wraps. weighed 206 that night

 

[Varga]

Sticking with 405 for now, I like my knees too much to risk a knee blow out especially having right knee scoped.
If I wana push it may be mid 400's with belt and wraps

 

[b fold the truth]

I hit 585x5 all below parallel on wednesday in my centurion, no knee wraps. weighed 206 that night

Nice freaking job man!!!

I've got a pinched nerve or something that is keeping me from placing the bar on my back. Even the empty bar touching parts of my back kills me. Still working through the cortisone treatment side-effects.

I've set 2 deadlift PR's in 3 weeks though. 731 raw 2 weeks ago and then 750 raw this week...after light box squats.

 

[DaveTSI]

Nice freaking job man!!!

I've got a pinched nerve or something that is keeping me from placing the bar on my back. Even the empty bar touching parts of my back kills me. Still working through the cortisone treatment side-effects.

I've set 2 deadlift PR's in 3 weeks though. 731 raw 2 weeks ago and then 750 raw this week...after light box squats.

oh that sucks it would kill me if i couldnt squat because of some bullshit like that. sick pr's on the deads though, is that with a belt? im assuming so.

ive got 1 week left to train then im taking one off for a USPF meet on the 16th, my training feels on point and i hope to break 1900, thats my goal anyhow. Im still up in the air as to what i should do about my weight, i could go 198 because im so close, but i really dont want to sacrifice any strength (if i did go down and missed 1900 by like 10lbs i would be so pissed at myself.)