Thread: adding to squats scares me...

4 x's a week?!.

"But how do you know when you should add more weight to your squat?"

when you man up

lol im gonna come here tomarrow and have a sore body. . . damn you john. lol

I use to think maxing at 300 was going to hurt me. Now I could max closer to 400. Stick with it, and you body will adapt if you practice good form.

ive read that your supposed to pretend your sitting in a chair... thats correct right? (thats how far down you go?)

ass to ground

If you want to gauge depth, try squatting with an empty bar while straddling a bench. It's a little higher than you want to be, but it will give you a guide. If your flexibility is good, your ass will be about 12-15 inches off the ground.

As for going up, one way is to set a rep range (6 - 10, for instance, like in HIT training). If you can't get 6, it's too much. If you can get 10, add weight next time. Always focus on perfect form for protection. You only go up when you earn it, so you should stay safe from overloading.

Of course, if you are only interested in lifting you max or doing 2 rep sets...well, you're going to have to suck it up and add the weight.

My opinion was always to squat as if you are competing

Powerlifters are required to bring their Femurs parallel
to the platform they squat on

To ensure your Mind-Body memory learns to go to the
proper depth in competition, you train to squat 5 degrees
below parallel.

JMO

if you are nervous about putting on more weight right now or you need to focus on your technique, then look to changing other variables besides load.......

rep tempo
rest interval
sets
reps

Originally Posted by P-funk

if you are nervous about putting on more weight right now or you need to focus on your technique, then look to changing other variables besides load.......

rep tempo
rest interval
sets
reps

Lloyd!, Lloyd!

thanks guys, i like this forum a lil more now.

Originally Posted by The Monkey Man

Lloyd!, Lloyd!

you'd shut your mouth if you knew what was good for ya. you pumpkin pie hair cut little freak.

Originally Posted by P-funk

you'd shut your mouth if you knew what was good for ya. you pumpkin pie hair cut little freak.

Pills are goooood! Pills are gooooooooood!

I feel your pain. After having times where I've been stuck in the hole and couldn't get up, I fear loading too much weight on too. It's not that bad though, just shrug the weight off your shoulders on the catcher.

Originally Posted by Gazhole

Pills are goooood! Pills are gooooooooood!

"Eat up and we'll tell ya."

Originally Posted by yuppy

i can do 185 no prob, but i fear that if i add much more than that im gonna get hurt..

i mean, squats are some of the more dangerous moves (and effective) in the gym. but how do you figure out how much you can squat.... (i can bench max 225 and weigh about 190, just started lifting again)

I feel like i could do more but i dont want a set back to my training due to injury or something like that..... (*and i kinda expect a reply saying "dont risk injury or whatever"*)

But how do you know when you should add more weight to your squat? (i do it about 4 times a week)

You say you can do 185 no prob. What does "no prob" mean? That that is your 1 rep max or you can do 10? If 185 is no problem then try 195. What's the problem?

just ask one of the guys at ur gym 2 spot u or if u work out at ur house u could look in to geting a squat rack

Originally Posted by FatCatMC

"Eat up and we'll tell ya."

lol, one of my favorite lines.

You could also increase the weights in really small increments. Just bump the weight to 190 and stick there working up the reps for a bit., then 195, etc. Once you are real comfortable with a weight you should be able to give 5 pounds more a try.

ya i prolly should do it that way... i jsut feel like such a pussy putting 5 pound plates on... on and i can do 185 10x

You could also try some walkouts. Just load up 205 or even 225 and just walkout from the rack the bar on your back and stand there for a good 5-10 seconds. Just get used to having the weight on your back. Then go back and try and squat with somewhat less, like 195. It will probably not feel quite as bad.

Why do you want to max out on the squat if you only just started lifting again? Are you a powerlifter?

i dont wanna max out, i just wanted to figure out if there was a usual increment to adding weight or w/e im just tryin to get myself a 6 pack, fuck everything else... ;-P