The squat is suppose to be the overall king of all exercises. As it will
break you into a faster sprint, a more explosive athlete and teach you what
you really need to make gains. First let's start with technique..
SQUAT TECHNIQUE
Put the bar on your back, BRING YOUR FEET OUT WIDE, head
up, butt back, turn your knees out and as you come up throw out your hips!
Some exercises to help you teach proper form are box squats! Another
important exercise to increase squatting power, are the use of chains and
bands. Squatting also has speed days and maximum effort days. Some
assistance exercises for the squat are good mornings! These will really
increase your squat, as they hit your lower back, abs, hams, etc.
SQUAT ROUTINE
Here is an example of a leg routine with bands:
Week 1...box squats, bands hooked up to bottom up
Week 2- Front squats or high bar, close stance, bands the same way
Week 3. regular squats with the bands hooked from the top down.
Week 4- (deload phase) pick a completely different exercise that will give
your back a break, IE....hack squats, leg press, etc...Do 3 sets of 20, and
get a pump. Then start all over again without the bands. Your legs will not
only get stronger, but will get huge
Lots of strength legends, and bodybuilders (pros) are using these training
techniques now! The best way to get a muscle to grow, is to work all the
fibers, in order to do this you need to train the speed (speed squats)
absolute strength (Max Effort) and mid range reps (assistance work) Work up
to a 3 rep max on the Max Effort exercise, then pick an assistance exercise
( high bar, close stance squats) or leg press and do sets of 8, pull the
sled and speed squats on your other day.
SQUATTING WITH BANDS
Bands on the squat work the same way as the bench, but
the exercise is different.If you use the reverse old school bands on squat
for example, what you're actually doing is improving your squat in the squat
suit. It teaches you to "outrun" the bands before the recoil in the bands
give out. This is for explosion! The best way to hook them (if you're not
using a squat suit), is from the bottom of the rack up! This will make the
resistance heavier the higher you get. Only use the bands for 3 weeks, then
off for three, or they will lose their effectiveness, according to the
westside guru's. So try and pick 3 different Maximum Effort exercises,
(Going all out for a 1-3 rep max) and switch it every week. This is what
should generally work, if not then try something else.
Increase your protein intake and add plyometrics into your routine and this
will help you with your squat as well. Finally, Remember, if you want to get
downright strong, start squatting! In high school I was on a powerlifting
team and we always dominated! There was nothing fancy about our routine. We
just did squats, deadlifts and power cleans mostly like the Russians of old.
Well, we had a number of 600+ squatters, my friend Zach put up a 350lbs
power clean, because he kept his routine simple and trained hard! In fact
he had an amazing story, he had a 300lbs powerclean and a 610 squat, but he
wanted to get into the 1000lbs club in the worse way which included a 650lbs
squat and a 350lbs power clean. The dilemma was that Zach only had one month
to conquer this goal. Well, during these days I would scream and root Zach
on with attitude to motivate Zach to conquer the weight! Zach was also
playing tennis everyday in hot 105 degree weather over 320lbs. Well Zach
somehow kept failing, he never gave up and he kept fighting. On the last day
Zach performed a 650 deep squat and a 350 power clean!
It was truly amazing.
Even to this day, Zach will consider those days some of the most rewarding
days of his life. So Zach put everything on the line and took no prisoners!
His routine was as simple as could be and he was one of the strongest mother
f*ckers that I have ever seen!!! Hey, if you want to be hardcore, THINK
squat! The rest of the lifts will follow! So, just remember the
hardcore stuff is what makes the hardcore results and anything else is just
a fad. The secret is in the pain, that is if you are tough enough to handle
it.
The squat is suppose to be the overall king of all exercises. As it will
break you into a faster sprint, a more explosive athlete and teach you what
you really need to make gains. First let's start with technique..
