Squat numbers dont match

S

saurabhtopno42

New member
Hey everyone - my squat numbers are disproportionately low and wanted some feedback. I included a video of my current squat which is 185@5

33 y/o male @ 164 lbs

My current best numbers for big lifts are

S - 185@5
D - 315@5
B - 195@5
OHP - 120@5

I have been lifting for 10 years, but serious for the last 3 years. I have arthritis in my right knee, which actually has improved since i started squatting more. I originally ran sl 5x5 for about a year and struggled with my squat just as much then and actually started only squatting 2 days a week due to recovery issues. I also was bulking at this time.

Currently i am running a hybrid 3x5 and ppl
Program. From march to June i cut from 185 to 164 (current weight) and I have been progressing on all lifts since then and i am currently maintaining my weight and other lofts continue to improve. I am eating approx 1650/calories a day and tend to gain if i eat more. I am
Working out 3-5 times a week and additionally spend another 1-3 times a week doing some sort of outdoor sport.

Help me get stronger!
 
@saurabhtopno42 Not bad form! It looks like you may need to focus on keeping your chest up a bit more and making sure your knees trace your feet angle. Also, the way you're holding the bar might end up causing you some tendonitis in the long run (it happened to me. tennis elbow is a bitch). Watch this video:

You also might want to check out the 5/3/1 program by Jim Wendler. If you do one of the BBB templates, you end up going heavy and higher rep each week. I do the second template, so do a heavy 5/3/1 squat on Monday (for example), then 5x10 squat on Wednesday at a lighter weight.

Last but not least... you need to eat more. At 165 (which I'm at, at 37 y/o and 5'7), you should be eating eat least 2500 calories.
 
@jvberryjr Thank you for the video - I will check it out! I ran a 5/3/1 bt strong lifts and my current routine. I got injured and lost track of my program. I then realized how large ive gotten (185) and went to the hybrid routine. I worry about eating more because i want to keep a lean look and not blow up again
 
@saurabhtopno42 i have two thoughts.
  1. You don't get tight, your head and neck are bent over, not straight and strong. And you can see it later when you fold a little bit on one. Upper back strength is key to squats (strangely enough). Keeping it strong and in place. Get under the bar and get straight and TIGHT and holding it solid.
  2. you lose back extension at the bottom. (your back rounds). You are folded over before you even start back up. Need to work on flexibility at the bottom. Maybe widen your stance, almost everyone is too narrow.
Good for you on getting deep, way too many go 1/4 squats. But I think the reason it's behind is because your mid section from hips to neck aren't set up correctly. Tight and strong and straight. Watch any good video and you'll see them set up and their back never moves, just a big old piston. You're losing tons of strength because the legs are pushing but it's not going anywhere.

Try some goblet squats to fix your stance and get your back straight and strong. Then try a zercher squat or a SSB or cambered bar if they have one at the gym. I think you'll see that your back and mid section is failing before your legs.
 
@jesusdaughter155 You have a lot of valuable ideas in this post. I can see the whole back thing and the piston idea was a good metaphor. Would you suggest I completely abandon low bar back squats at this time or add zerchers into my current routine(which is posted in another reply
 
@saurabhtopno42 my suggestion is actually to start with goblet squats, fix your stance and a good goblet squat will also help engage the back. Then maybe try some zercher's to engage the upper back and again get that engagement feeling. (also you stance).

I'd probably keep doing back squats but thinking about these things and fixing your stance and middle body engagement. But start over, drop the weight and work your way back up.
 
@saurabhtopno42 I watched your video and your squats looked pretty easy and clean to me. You need to engage your mid back and get your head and chest up, but I think that's a separate issue. Subjectively, what feels like the problem to you when you're doing them?

If I had to read your mind while watching the video, I would guess that you don't have confidence in your quad strength to get you out of the hole. If that is the case, you could switch to front squats or split squats for a while and focus on building strength and confidence there. Front squats would also be good for forcing you to improve your upper-back posture when you squat.
 
@jtgabq Coming of the hole is so hard! Even at 95 lbs its not easy and it just feels like such a hard exercise in comparison to anything else I do. I honestly hate squats for this reason and feel like i am doing them because i need to and often finish feeling demoralized. This is why Im reaching out for help
 
@saurabhtopno42 Well, squats are hard. Deadlifts are hard, too, and you seem to be doing OK with them. There are a couple of things you could try depending on your goals with your training.

One thing you could try is doing box squats. Basically it is just a squat where you sit on a box or bench (pick one that is low enough to be parallel or slightly below parallel for you) at the bottom. This is a common exercise for powerlifters who need to be strong coming out of the hole. It's also good if confidence is part of the problem because the worst thing that can possibly happen to you is...sitting on a box.

I also stand by my recommendation to try front squats. They are harder than they look especially at the start -- the first time I tried them, I could back squat about 180lb but front squats with just the (women's) bar had sweat pouring off of me -- but they strengthen the quads and all the postural muscles. They will force you to stand up straight under the bar rather than hunch forward. They're also nice because unlike back squats you are never in danger of falling under the bar.

And if your goal is really just to feel strong and durable in your other sports...I know this is crazy talk, but you may not need to do squats at all. For some sports there is a school of thought that weighted lunges are a better exercise than squats for sport-specific strength than squats.
 
@saurabhtopno42 This might sound like a stupid question, but do you dislike that they're hard, or do you feel like they're harder for you than they should be and maybe you just suck at them and maybe you're doing it all wrong because it shouldn't feel that hard with that light weight, and that's what you hate? I had that latter feeling for a long time because I had that "holy crap this is hard" feeling coming out of the hole even with my warmups, and I thought it meant that I just sucked at squats, and I got a mental block about them and never progressed.
 
@dawn16 I dont care that they are hard, all my lifts are hard and I want to feel challenged. Like you said, the issue is that they are so hard even at light weight and its demoralizing. Also, to your point, maybe I don't grind out reps the same way with squats as i would with the other lifts. It was a very astute observation
 
I read a lot of good feedback and these are my overall conclusions

1) My body's shape makes squats a bit more challenging for me and that's okay!

2) My form is good enough, but working on tightening up could lead to better results

3) I don't eat enough to gain muscle, but probably am still at a level where weaknesses in muscles are the bigger problem. I need more quad strengthening

4) Maybe squats can be replaced with lunges for what i am trying to accomplish

Guys and Girls! Thank you. Awesome Community and honestly was just hoping for 1 reply for someone, so expectations were absolutely exceeded!

If you think I missed something in my summary please reply and clarify it for me because my main goal out of all of this, is not to be the strongest in the world, but to have a healthy and strong body that will carry me through life
 
@saurabhtopno42 One additional suggestion. It's hard to see in your video, but if you normally squat high bar, try low bar. And if you normally squat low bar, try high bar. People sometimes do find one variation more natural than the other. I know I do.
 
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