Squat Is My Weakest Lift

Bench 230 --full rom

Squat 130 --ATG

Deadlift 350 –

I used to Workout then stopped for different reasons then started again neglecting my legs, so at the end of my bulk I started training legs again Now I’m nearing the end of my cut but want to raise my squat.

What workout should I follow to get my squat up to 200 atg on a maintain diet so when I start my bulk again my squat is at 200.

Currently workout everyday of the week and has worked fine for me.

Mon Back, Bi’s
tue Chest
wed legs
thur shoulders, tris

Friday–Start from back, bi’s again

I keep making progress even on a cut everywhere except legs. Should I add High volume legs at the end of back, bi day and heavy weights on leg day?

example:

Mon Back, Bi’s (high volume leg training at the end of workout)
tue Chest
wed legs (heavy)
thur shoulders, tris

Current exercises for legs are squat and leg extensions.

Thanks everyone.

bump

My thinking is that you’re probably squatting incorrectly, why don’t you put up a video of a heavy set, say 3-5 reps and see if we can give you some pointers?

so you’re saying that you stopped working out and then when you started back up you admittedly neglected your legs and now your wondering why they are weak?

You cant even squat a plate on each side? Thats just a lack of hard work right there. Get into the gym and start lifting legs seriously.

  1. Learn how to squat.
  2. Starting squatting hard and heavy.
  3. Stick with it.
    It’s that simple.

[quote]gregron wrote:
so you’re saying that you stopped working out and then when you started back up you admittedly neglected your legs and now your wondering why they are weak?

You cant even squat a plate on each side? Thats just a lack of hard work right there. Get into the gym and start lifting legs seriously.[/quote]

Never said I was wondering why they are weak. ^^ I stated why they are weak because I neglected them. I just want some tips on improving my squat.

[quote]spar4tee wrote:

  1. Learn how to squat.
  2. Starting squatting hard and heavy.
  3. Stick with it.
    It’s that simple.[/quote]

True but Im just wondering how to prioritise squats and the best rep ranges to improve.

[quote]The Peanut wrote:

[quote]spar4tee wrote:

  1. Learn how to squat.
  2. Starting squatting hard and heavy.
  3. Stick with it.
    It’s that simple.[/quote]

True but Im just wondering how to prioritise squats and the best rep ranges to improve.[/quote]

Greg and Spartee are right.

Priortise? two days a week instead of one. three days instead of two. low reps, high reps. Front, Back, Split squats. Hamstring work. Glute work. Sled drags.

As for technique you’re better off learning from someone face to face, maybe videos and books help but instruction from a more qualified lifter helps, a lot.

Do you have an O lifting gym or P lifting gym near you? Could you enlist the services of their coaches and/or senior lifters to help you with your technique?

[quote]The Peanut wrote:
Current exercises for legs are squat and leg extensions.
[/quote]

Vary this. There’s a lot more out there for your legs. And will improve your squat.

Could you Google “Meadows + Legs + T Nation”.

Also, has anyone identified if you have mobility issues? With your ankles, your height etc?

What are your leverages like?

OP: first learn how to squat. the squat is the most technical lift you could do and it takes time and work to get it done right. keeping the back arched, pinching shoulder blades, stance, sitting back etc…

find some1 who knows what he’s doing @ your gym and have him look at you squatting below parallel, not everyone have the mobility to go ATG and they lose their arch at the buttom. see what works best for you.

also IMO use CT’s template , do sets of 5/4/3/2/1 with a ramped up weight. this method allowes you to go heavy but with less reps so you are really focused on good deapth and form. keeping the reps low is a good way to focus on proper squatting.

you might wannna watch Dave Tates “so you think you can squat” video on youtube.

[quote]The Peanut wrote:
True but Im just wondering how to prioritise squats and the best rep ranges to improve.[/quote]

One of the fastest way to bring up a bodypart - ESPECIALLY when it’s strength related - is to increase it’s frequency.

Train them up to twice a week, or simply every 5 days (e.g. Mon/Fri/Wed/Mon/Fri in that order)

Do lower volume while doing higher frequency (e.g. a low rep max like 3-6 reps, and a higher rep max folling it like 15-20 reps).

Give them enough recovery. Forget crap like, “high volume then 2 days later heavy”. Train a muscle to it’s best (heavy and adequate volume), and let it recover to it’s fullest

squat early and often…practice it daily get those numbers up.

Im going to incorporate some of the information in this article ^

As for leverage’s and mobility that is definitely not a problem my form is perfect…legs muscle are just not very strong.

Although I do much prefer very close stance squats.

[quote]The Peanut wrote:

Im going to incorporate some of the information in this article ^

As for leverage’s and mobility that is definitely not a problem my form is perfect…legs muscle are just not very strong.

Although I do much prefer very close stance squats.[/quote]

I would bet just about anything that your form is not perfect.

[quote]The Peanut wrote:

As for leverage’s and mobility that is definitely not a problem my form is perfect…legs muscle are just not very strong.

Although I do much prefer very close stance squats.[/quote]

then your form is not perfect? having your feet too close together will without a doubt limit the amount of weight you will be able to handle. Just a hair outside shoulder width, i’ve read/seen/heard/tried as being the best.

dont bump your own fuckin thread 30 mins after it was posted

If i want to increase the strength on a lift like bench squat deadlift i train in the 1-3 rep range

but come on a 350 DL and a 130 squat???

something does not add up at all I would have trouble believeing you had only a 225 squat with a 350 deadlift lol but this is a bit silly

[quote]Blackaggar wrote:
If i want to increase the strength on a lift like bench squat deadlift i train in the 1-3 rep range

but come on a 350 DL and a 130 squat???

something does not add up at all I would have trouble believeing you had only a 225 squat with a 350 deadlift lol but this is a bit silly[/quote]
OP doesn’t know how squat. I also think he said he goes to ATG with a really close stance which to me sounds retarded.

Post video of the squat.

I squatted 3x a week to get mine from 135 to 300 over 17 months. But I think that kind of disparity is form-related, not strength-related.

[quote]Blackaggar wrote:
If i want to increase the strength on a lift like bench squat deadlift i train in the 1-3 rep range

but come on a 350 DL and a 130 squat???

something does not add up at all I would have trouble believeing you had only a 225 squat with a 350 deadlift lol but this is a bit silly[/quote]

Exactly. Theres no way OP isnt strong enough to squat a lot more. I went through a smiliar problem, although not as extreme, until I saw the So you think you can squat vids from elite, and realized how wrong I had been squatting. Set a giant PR the next day.