Progressing on everything but squats

deluxmary2000

Hey! I was wondering if someone smarter than me can help with my current program. I’ve been 3 months on a progressive full-body program, and seem to be making good progress in most of my major lifts (deadlift, cleans, bench), but I’m progressing slowly or hardly at all in squats. Should I give it a little more time, or adjust?
Current program:
M – Power Cleans, barbell bench, weighted step-ups, tricep dips, and barbell inverted row ( accessory work because I’m working on trying to get a pull-up)
T – Cardio / HIIT
W – Push press, assisted pull-ups, plank, deadlifts
Th – Cardio/HIIT
F – Squats, barbell rows, bench press, glute bridge

I only squat once a week, so should I replace the step-ups that I do on Monday with squats? Or should I look at increasing my volume? Right now for squats I’m doing 5 sets of 3, with a projected 1RM of 125. Which has only increased 10 lbs in the past 3 months. For comparison, my bench 1RM has increased from 78-95 lbs in that time.

klrenn

I'd have someone check your form. I'm in the same position in that squats are my weakest lift - I've actually gone backwards. Building back up, but my problem is that I wasn't working on Core strength enough and my bracing/form was off.

If your form is good, I'd say squat more than once a week.

Michael190lbs

I was in that boat now I squat three times a week and have made huge progress- I stay stick to the basics bench press deadlift and squats. You will get an entire body workout doing these three lifts. Once you have a good foundation throw in some extra stuff to many people do isolation stuff without the major lifts they will rarely see progresss

BrianSharpe

Try squatting a little more frequently, if you look at Stronglifts 5 x 5 you're squatting 3 x weekly.

khaleesikhaleesi

In because I have this same problem. AND I cannot seem to perfect my squat form. It's awful. I can do the girly barbells, but I can't squat at the rack to save my life. Maybe just need to practice more and make myself do it???

rileysowner

I agree with what is posted. You need to squat more times per week, and you need to have your form checked. If you can take a video of yourself doing squats and post it here there are lots of knowledgeable people who can help you with form.

deluxmary2000

Thanks everyone, I will add at least 1 more day/week. I think I may have been hesitating because I kind of hate squats (as compared to everything else). I'm super tall, with super long femurs, so they just always feel pretty awkward.
I'll try to post a video, but I'm pretty sure I know where my current weaknesses are and am actively working to try to correct. I tend to "good morning" at the higher weights, and it's a constant struggle for me to keep my knees from caving in. But I've made tons of progress on form. I just wish the progress on actual weight I can move would catch up.

jemhh

I'd definitely squat more often. I'm not super tall but I have relatively long femurs (which it the issue, not being tall in and of itself.) Squatting was extremely difficult for me for the longest time and I can't tell you how frustrating it was to read the "I've been doing SL for 6 weeks and now I squat 150" posts. I ended up finding Strong Curves and using it to work my way through trying a bunch of different types of squats to find one that fit me.

Then I dropped back squats entirely and did front squats as my main squats for 10 months with added goblet and zercher squats at higher reps. I squatted 3x/wk during this time. It helped a ton. Squatting is till my lagging lift (it's more or less equal with my bench at 110) and I have to do it at least twice a week to keep the movement feeling natural but it is so much better now. I typically do one squat day with 1-2 other squatting movements a assistance exercises (right now it's hack squats and then a goblet squat finisher.) Then on deadlift day I do 1-2 other squat movements (right now regular squats and split squats.)

shagerty777

I do squats 3 times a week too as part of the Stronglifts 5x5 program. Part of your issue is doing them on Friday after working your legs all week. Also check this out, startingstrength.com/video/lifts/main-lifts/squat

emma43312015

My pt always tells me look up this video is telling them look down

shagerty777

emma43312015 wrote: »

My pt always tells me look up this video is telling them look down

I would trust Rippetoe above all others...

ccrdragon

also, use lighter weights until you have your form nailed - most peeps try to go heavy and sacrifice their form and their bodies in the process. biggest thing on form is to keep your back straight and the weight balanced over your center - don't lean forward or backward when doing the squat!

erickirb

If it isn't a form thing, it could be when you are performing it.

You put work on your legs M,T,W,Th, then try squats on Friday:
M – Power Cleans,
T – Cardio / HIIT
W – Push press, deadlifts
Th – Cardio/HIIT

You may want to change up the order of your workouts and do squats Monday and power cleans Friday, or take a rest day on Thursdays. So either for a few weeks and see how it goes

rileysowner

Just a side question, where did this program come from?

deluxmary2000

rileysowner wrote: »

Just a side question, where did this program come from?

T-nation

rybo

Also, your cardio & HIIT, is it leg intensive? You could be frying your CNS by the time you get to squats for the week. And like others said add another squat day. Doesn't necessarily have to be back squats, you can do front squats or goblet squats, etc. The day you do add I would go higher volume rep ranges, 4-5 sets for 8-10 reps.

SideSteel

If you want to get good at the squat I would add more squats to up the frequency.

Post a video of your technique too if you're comfortable doing so as it's quite possibly something technical going on.

Variability isn't a bad thing but if you want to get good at something, specificity > variability. Not that it's an either/or like I'm making it out to be though

sappermuff

Simple answer is squat more.

arditarose

Squat moar. Yes.

mreichard

I second the notion of posting a video and just generally playing with your form until it works for you. SideSteel and others will give good advice. I am in the same boat as you with a squat that's weak and improving slowly, but a couple of form tweaks have really helped as have goblet squats.

One cue that I just tried this week that made NO sense to me until I tried it was thinking of bending the bar (pulling down with my arms and pushing up with my back). Made a HUGE difference in how deep I could go right away. In fact, after my second set squatting this way I noticed that the safety bars were one hole lower than I usually set them. I adjusted them up to my normal place before my third set and went down, only to have the barbell stop on the safety bars on the way down (and I wasn't even all the way down). I set them lower and was able to squat almost to the lower setting. My concentration wavered as I fatigued and one rep seemed hard, but when I pulled the bar down my back came back into alignment and I popped right up.

sgt1372

My impression from the initial post is that you are doing WAY too much. You are over-training (too many days and too many different lifts/exercises) which prevents your body from recovering and that this is what is causing your squats to suffer.

Doesn't make sense to do an exhausting cardio/HIIT routine Tues/Thu between your strength workout days, because it does not allow you time to recover sufficiently before your strength workouts on Wed/Fri.

You should see immediate improvement by just cutting out the cardio/HIIT routines and limiting your workouts to just 3 days a week. However, I'd also suggest cutting out the exercises, like the weighted step ups, tricep dips, inverted rows, planks, etc.

If your goal is to do pull ups, you'll develop the necessary strength to do them w/the bench press and overhead press. The other critical lifts to do (that you are already doing) are the squats, deadlifts and power cleans.

Standard barbell rows (not inverted) are an assistance exercise that work the back and arms. They are the only additional exercise that will benefit you directly in developing pull up strength beyond those already mentioned.

The way to test your strength is to do try to do REAL pull ups or chin ups. Don't cheat by doing assisted pull/chin ups on a machine. You can try doing pull/chin ups on your NOT arm (BP/OHP) workout days.

If you do a consistent linear program (increasing weights gradually) w/the primary lifts mentioned, you will get stronger and you will eventually be able to do many pull/chin ups -- it will just take time and patience to achieve it.

Good luck!