Frustrated with barbell back squats
- Thread starter ortho
- Start date
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- Tags
- female fitness
@ortho Do you have rather long femurs and a relatively short back? People with that build rarely post their squat videos online because they look awful. 99% of the squat videos, especially the ATG ones, are by people with great dimensions for squatting.
Second, stop trying to lose weight and gain strength at the same time and wondering why a very challenging exercise is not doing well. It may help to prioritize your goals.
Second, stop trying to lose weight and gain strength at the same time and wondering why a very challenging exercise is not doing well. It may help to prioritize your goals.
teatimebabe28
New member
@teatimebabe28 I know lol. I use a low bar squat and I lean forward. Still doesn’t help with the depth at heavier weights.
nathan2018
New member
@nathan2018 I was following a strength program my coach used to structure for me, where I do a couple of ‘warm up’ sets at higher reps and lighter weights, then go up to a ‘peak’ at 3RM, then go back down for ‘conditioning’. An example:
40kg x 12
70kg x 8
80kg x 5
85kg x 3
80kg x 8
75kg x 8
Sometimes I get too fatigued so I couldn’t do the last conditioning set.
Other than that I try to supplement with accessory lifts like leg press, hack squat, and even did pin squats (because I struggle to get out of the hole at the bottom of the squat), pause squats, raised heel squats. I feel like I tried everything and maybe some of these exercises are genuinely helpful, but idk if I’m just structuring them wrong in my program.
Also I gym 4x a week with an upper lower split, and I do barbell back squats specifically on 1 of the lower days (the other one I focus on barbell deadlifts which I am pretty good at). On the deadlift days I usually do leg press instead. Maybe I need to do squats more often?
40kg x 12
70kg x 8
80kg x 5
85kg x 3
80kg x 8
75kg x 8
Sometimes I get too fatigued so I couldn’t do the last conditioning set.
Other than that I try to supplement with accessory lifts like leg press, hack squat, and even did pin squats (because I struggle to get out of the hole at the bottom of the squat), pause squats, raised heel squats. I feel like I tried everything and maybe some of these exercises are genuinely helpful, but idk if I’m just structuring them wrong in my program.
Also I gym 4x a week with an upper lower split, and I do barbell back squats specifically on 1 of the lower days (the other one I focus on barbell deadlifts which I am pretty good at). On the deadlift days I usually do leg press instead. Maybe I need to do squats more often?
nathan2018
New member
@nathan2018 Sorry, what do you mean by autoregulating?
nathan2018
New member
@katie4469 I keep the same no. sets and reps, and try to increase the weight every week.
@ortho I'd also recommend switching up the program.
There are generally 2 kinds of programs, those that determine the working weight as % of a max weight, and those that let you pick the working weight based on perceived effort (RPE). It might feel counterintuitive, but % based programs worked for me when my squat was blocked because they forced me to push myself a little more. The program thought that if I could do X reps at Y weight, I should be able to do A reps at Z weight, and I trusted the program, so I tried it even if I was scared, and usually I could do it. The problem I had with RPE programs where I chose the weight is I would hold myself back when the weight started to feel heavy.
2 programs that helped my squat are Stronger by the Day and GZCL/Jacked n Tan 2.0.
The other thing that helped me what recognising that after a certain point, the weight just feels heavy all the time, and how heavy it feels does not correspond with whether or not I can squat it
There are generally 2 kinds of programs, those that determine the working weight as % of a max weight, and those that let you pick the working weight based on perceived effort (RPE). It might feel counterintuitive, but % based programs worked for me when my squat was blocked because they forced me to push myself a little more. The program thought that if I could do X reps at Y weight, I should be able to do A reps at Z weight, and I trusted the program, so I tried it even if I was scared, and usually I could do it. The problem I had with RPE programs where I chose the weight is I would hold myself back when the weight started to feel heavy.
2 programs that helped my squat are Stronger by the Day and GZCL/Jacked n Tan 2.0.
The other thing that helped me what recognising that after a certain point, the weight just feels heavy all the time, and how heavy it feels does not correspond with whether or not I can squat it
nathan2018
New member
@katie4469 Hm maybe worth a shot, can see the mental benefits especially. Would break up the monotony and dread of having to test my 3RM every week haha
I’ve never made a nonlinear program before, do you know any resources I can refer to for how to make one?
I’ve never made a nonlinear program before, do you know any resources I can refer to for how to make one?