Squat Program for Olympic Lifts

[quote]Pangano wrote:
Preferring front squats to back squats is weird, but would perhaps give you an advantage in weightlifting…

I might try something similar to your workout. It’s been too long since I front squatted.
Do you ever add inn back-off sets?

[quote]flightposite wrote:

kelly is some sort of stretchy mutant. i dont know how i can put my ankles together and squat down atg while barefoot. i am 6ft3 and i dont know how tall kelly is but damn. [/quote]

Hehe, I shared that opinion before. I guess I’ve almost become a stretchy mutant as well. :stuck_out_tongue:
I can do this most days after my usual mobility session. Some days I’m a bit stiff and have to curve the back to keep balance though.
I’m 5ft10 however…[/quote]

i probably need to focus more on mobility. although i can do this with a counter balance ie weight held in front or in Olifting shoes. but barefoot without a weight seems almost impossible for my build.

[quote]Pangano wrote:
Preferring front squats to back squats is weird, but would perhaps give you an advantage in weightlifting…

I might try something similar to your workout. It’s been too long since I front squatted.
Do you ever add inn back-off sets?
[/quote]
I don’t ever do back-off sets, but that’s just because I’ve still got Snatch and/or Clean & Jerk to perform later in the session, and I need to keep relatively fresh.

What does the rest of your training look like?
If you don’t have the intensity or frequency that I do with the main lifts, I could totally see doing some more work squatting, but it would be tough if you’re diving under near-maximal weights a lot.

I checked out that Nick Horton guy you mentioned earlier, he seems like a really awesome guy, and a great coach.
His Squat Nemesis program looks pretty perfect to me if you’d like to do some back-off sets, but like I said earlier, keep the rep speed up.

[quote]iVoodoo wrote:

[quote]Pangano wrote:
Preferring front squats to back squats is weird, but would perhaps give you an advantage in weightlifting…

I might try something similar to your workout. It’s been too long since I front squatted.
Do you ever add inn back-off sets?
[/quote]
I don’t ever do back-off sets, but that’s just because I’ve still got Snatch and/or Clean & Jerk to perform later in the session, and I need to keep relatively fresh.

What does the rest of your training look like?
If you don’t have the intensity or frequency that I do with the main lifts, I could totally see doing some more work squatting, but it would be tough if you’re diving under near-maximal weights a lot.

I checked out that Nick Horton guy you mentioned earlier, he seems like a really awesome guy, and a great coach.
His Squat Nemesis program looks pretty perfect to me if you’d like to do some back-off sets, but like I said earlier, keep the rep speed up.

[/quote]

I was training the olympic lifts every training day, but with this sprained wrist it’s not much I can do. So I squat.

I tried your way yesterday by the way.
It was surprisingly hard to do back squats after front squats.
Perhaps it’s just something I could get used to. Nice doing fronts again though…
Worked up to the following:
Front: 60/5, 80/5, 100/5(really easy), 110/2 (the first rep felt light, but the second became a grind)
Back:60/5, 80/5, 100/5(super light), 120/3(surprisingly slow compared to the usual speed at this weight)

Good stuff man, let me know if it works out for you. :slight_smile:

[quote]iVoodoo wrote:
Good stuff man, let me know if it works out for you. :)[/quote]

Sure thing. I’m guessing the front squats will increase quickly, seeing as my max back squat is a moderately slow 155kg. It’ll be a readjustment of course. :slight_smile:

I think you may be on to something, iVoodoo!
I’ve been PR’ing almost every day now. 125/1 in the front squat yesterday. (and a 60kg sots press as well)

Perhaps a speedy 5rm in the sots press could be a valuable addition to the program?

Voodo, I am going to give your squat method a try. As a matter if fact, I’m in between sets right now. I always had good gains going high frequency/low rep for squats too.

[quote]Mikestew87 wrote:
Voodo, I am going to give your squat method a try. As a matter if fact, I’m in between sets right now. I always had good gains going high frequency/low rep for squats too.[/quote]

How did it work out for you?

My front squat has reached a hard, but fast enough, 1RM of 140kg, 3RM 135kg and 5RM 130kg.
… and the back squat 3RM has gone to 145kg, which was moderately easy (although after a front squat max).
I haven’t pushed the back squat very much though.

It has helped more than anything else on recent memory. Back squat went from 153 to 159kilos, front squat 132 to 135 kilos (both 1rm). This was over about four weeks before I went add and tried something else. Today is my first day back on the train, hit 143 for a double.

My squat really sucks (I’m 6’2 and weigh 110kilos) and my lifts aren’t going to go up much more unless I start adding weight to my squats again soon. 170 at least by Christmas!