Close Ad ×

Muscle & Fitness logo Muscle & Fitness

  • Workouts

    Workouts

    • Workout Routines
    • Workout Tips
    • Fitness
    • Athlete/Celebrity Workouts
    • Exercise Videos
    Find Exercises Targeting…
    • Abs and Core Exercises
    • Arm Exercises
    • Back Exercises
    • Chest Exercises
    • Leg Exercises
    • Shoulder Exercises
  • Nutrition

    Nutrition

    • Healthy Eating
    • Lose Fat
    • Gain Mass
    • Supplements
    • Performance Nutrition
    Healthy hot dog
    Healthy Eating

    Fire Up the Grill and Put a Healthy Twist on National Hot Dog Day

    Bartender and mixologist making a gin cocktail
    Healthy Eating

    Gin Up New and Exciting Ways to Enjoy this Spirit, According to One Cock...

    Masterchef contestant Christian Green healthy Cajun Honey Garlic Salmon recipe
    Healthy Eating

    Try Christian Green’s MasterChef-Worthy Cajun Honey Garlic Salmon

    Joshua Bailey serving his Fourth of July sweet potato fries
    Healthy Eating

    Indulge Guilt-Free for the Fourth of July Weekend

  • Athletes & Celebrities

    Athletes & Celebrities

    • News
    • Interviews
    • Women
    • Pro Tips
    • Behind-the-Scenes
    • Videos
    Sheena Ohlig on Femme Flex Friday
    Interviews

    Sheena Ohlig Talks About Her Transition from Women’s Physique to Bodybui...

    Person playing pickleball and holding a pickleball paddle
    Pro Tips

    Pickleball: Learn the Basics Behind America’s Fastest Growing Sport

    Crossfit athletes competing in the 2022 Crossfit Games
    News

    Day 2 Wrapup of the NOBULL CrossFit Games 2022

    Flex Wheeler interview from the hospital on The Menace Podcast
    Interviews

    Flex Wheeler Shares Health Update on 'The Menace Podcast'

  • Features

    Features

    • Active Lifestyle
    • Muscle & Fitness: Fit to Serve
    • Gear
    • News
    • Opinion
    2022 NoBull Crossfit winners hugging the crowd
    News

    Who Won What? History Was Made At The 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games

    Crossfitter Dukic at the crossfit games 2022 riding a bike
    News

    Who won? CrossFit Games 2022 Endures Chaos During ‘Bike to Work’ Event...

    Top crossfit athlete planninng to compete in the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games
    News

    2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games Preview

    FlexiSpot Office Bike Sit2Go chair
    Gear

    Can an Office Bike Be Your Solution to Hours Behind Your Desk?

  • Flex

    Flex

    • Olympia
    • Athletes
    • Nutrition
    • Training
    • Videos
    Kamal Elgargni pointing into the crowd
    Flexonline

    Kamal Elgargni Explains Why He's Entering the Open Division

    Wellness-NY-WOS 2022
    Flexonline

    Why a Wellness Division Makes Sense for Bodybuilding

    Bodybuilding round table with King Kamali
    News

    King Kamali Joins Bodybuilding Roundtable on 'The Menace Podcast'

    Donna Salib sitting on the edge of garden box
    Flexonline

    IFBB Pro Donna Salib Went From Bodyslams To Bodybuilding

  • Hers

    Hers

    • Workouts
    • Nutrition
    • Supplements
    • Athletes & Celebrities
    • Features
    Female wrestler Brandi Rhodes working out with battle ropes exercise
    Hers Athletes & Celebrities

    Brandi Rhodes Is Balancing Business, Motherhood, and Wrestling

    Kayla Blood wearing her Monster Truck Jam Uniform
    Hers Athletes & Celebrities

    Kayla Blood Dishes on Ditching MMA for Monster Trucks

    2022 Ms. Bikini International Champion Lauralie Chapados performing her shoulder workout routine
    Hers Workouts

    Get Shoulders Like Lauralie Chapados with Just 4 Moves

    Jennifer Jacobs Performing a 20-min full body resistance band workout
    Hers Workouts

    Regarding Your Health, It's OK (and Necessary) to Prioritize You

  • Muscle&Fitness+

    Muscle&Fitness+

  • Olympia

    Olympia

    • Olympia
    • Buy Tickets
    The 2021 Mr. Olympia bodybuilders
    News

    2021 Olympia Saturday Night Recap: It Was a Ramy Repeat

    2021 Mr. Olympia Top 3 winners Brandon Curry, Big Ramy, Hadi Choopin
    News

    BIG RAMY WINS THE 2021 OLYMPIA!

    Female bodybuilder and 2021 Olympia Winner Whitney Jones
    News

    2021 Olympia Friday Night Recap: Shaw Repeats, Jones Reclaims Olympia Ti...

    Big Ramy Wins the 2020 Olympia
    IFBB

    Big Ramy Wins the 2020 Olympia!

Subscribe to YouTube Subscribe to the Newsletter Terms of Use Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Accessibility Statement Manage Cookies
  • Workouts
    • Workout Routines
    • Workout Tips
    • Fitness
    • Athlete/Celebrity Workouts
    • Exercise Videos
  • Nutrition
    • Healthy Eating
    • Lose Fat
    • Gain Mass
    • Supplements
    • Performance Nutrition
  • Athletes & Celebrities
    • News
    • Interviews
    • Women
    • Pro Tips
    • Behind-the-Scenes
    • Videos
  • Features
    • Active Lifestyle
    • Muscle & Fitness: Fit to Serve
    • Gear
    • News
    • Opinion
  • Flex
    • Olympia
    • Athletes
    • Nutrition
    • Training
    • Videos
  • Hers
    • Workouts
    • Nutrition
    • Supplements
    • Athletes & Celebrities
    • Features
  • Muscle&Fitness+
  • Olympia
    • Olympia
    • Buy Tickets
  • Resources & Highlights
    • Topics
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Contact
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Manage Cookies

Stay Connected

Success!

Thank you for signing up. Your information has been successfully processed!

I want content for...
Facebook Twitter Youtube Pinterest
Open menu button
Open search bar button
×

Search M&F

Featured Articles
Lean Muscle
Healthy Eating

28-Days-to-Lean Meal Plan

With the right plan and the right discipline, you can get seriously shredded in just 28 days.

Read article
Kate Upton Attends the 2016 Vanity Fair Oscar Party
Women

The 20 Hottest Female Celebrities

Talented stars, killer physiques.

Read article
Bench press record holder Bill Gillespie breaking the world record at age 62
Pro Tips

The 'Dos' and 'Don’ts' of Bill Gillespie’s Record-Breaking Bench Press

At age 62, "Big Bill" shares his wisdom to dominate one of the ultimate strength marks.

Read article
The 50 Best Female Fitness Influencers on Instagram
Girls

The 50 Best Fitness Influencers on Instagram

Follow these fit women we're crushing on for inspiration, workout ideas, and motivation.

Read article
Workout Tips

7 Tips From a World Class Squatter

Inflate your wheels with these strategies from a man who specializes in squatting bar-bending loads.

by Josh Bryant, MFS, CSCS, PES
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
Squat 10 7 13 B
View Gallery

7 Tips From a World Class Squatter

Close gallery popup button
1 OF 8

1 of 8

Squat 10 7 13 B

Building maximum size and strength without squatting is about as likely as catching a buzz from a six-pack of near beer. The most oft-repeated questions in this business revolve around how to get bigger or stronger. Well, the squat provides you with both – all you have to do is put in the time. Put simply, if you want to get bigger or look better – and not just in your legs – you’ve got to squat. Here are seven tips to have you get the most out of your time in the rack. 

2 of 8

Squat Chains

1. MINIMIZE THE WALKOUTThis is not an evening stroll through the park. Save your energy for the squat, don’t expend it walking out. Those steps back may seem insignificant but you are still carrying that heavy load across your back, which still requires a ton of energy (if you expect to maintain stability, that is). No more than three total steps are needed to walk a weight out and get set to squat. Step one gets you back and out of the rack. Step two sets your first foot. Step three places the opposite foot in the squat position.Some advanced lifters can do this in two steps by picking the weight up off the rack, stepping back with one foot to the set position then doing the same thing with other foot.  A walkout should be no more than three steps — save your energy for squatting heavy pig iron.

3 of 8

Squat 10 7 13 C

2. BIG BREATH, GET TIGHTThe trainers doing leg presses at Curves might tell you to breathe in and breathe out — this is not the case for squatting serious iron. Big time squatters take big breaths prior to squatting. Taking in and holding a big breath before squatting increases intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and intrathoracic pressure (ITP.) This is safer for your spine because it helps it stay stable and rigid and, of course, allows you pile more pounds on the barbell.After you have taken your breath, get your core extremely tight — brace your abs hard — now you are ready squat. Losing tightness leaks power. Hold your breath while squatting, exhale at the top, inhale deeply and repeat.

4 of 8

Squat 9

3. SQUAT EXPLOSIVELYYour muscles and your central nervous system do not know the actual amount of weight on the bar while squatting; they know muscle tension and force produced. Lifting your lighter sets with maximal force is called compensatory acceleration training (CAT). Greater amounts of force exerted into the bar will create higher amounts of muscle tension. This will not only build strength but aid in muscle hypertrophy because you recruit a higher amount of fast-twitch muscle fibers (the ones with the most potential for growth). With enough speed, you can out run sticking points.

5 of 8

Squat 3B

4. DISTRIBUTION OF WORKLOADEight sets of three reps does not provide the same training effect as two sets of 12 reps, even though both are 24 total repetitions. Your one-repetition max (1RM) is obviously one rep. Performing eight sets of three reps provides a better training stimulation for maximum strength because you can concentrate on greater force production and you get more “first reps.” For all eight sets you have to walk the weight out, get set just like you would for a maximum attempt. For two sets of 12, this would only be done twice.  More sets and fewer reps equals crazy fast strength gains.

6 of 8

Squats 10 7 13 A

5. BOTTOM POSITION OVERLOADSScience shows squats have an ascending strength curve. In bro science terms, this means as you complete the lift, it gets easier – much less force can be produced at the bottom of a squat than at the top. Ninety percent of folks at the local chrome palace gym do partial squats because they can lift much more weight, satisfying their ego in the short term. To get good at the full squat, you have to build hellacious power out of the bottom. This can be done with the dead squat.The dead squat is performed off the pins in a squat rack. There is no eccentric (negative) phase of the lift, so no elastic-like energy assists you on the concentric (positive) phase of the squat. You are lifting dead weight as in a deadlift. The only measure of whether or not you are capable of completing the rep is your starting strength.Start dead squats 1-2 inches above parallel. With normal squats, the initial spring out of the bottom is from the elastic-like energy stored on the negative portion of the squat, assisting you significantly to right above parallel. Because of the energy stored on a normal squat descent, starting a squat without it is a huge bottom position overload, attacking where you need it most: out of the hole. Build strength there and you’re bound to be beasting your way to a new PR in no time. 

7 of 8

Squats 11

6. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECTA great free throw shooter in the NBA makes 90 percent of his free throws. During basketball season as a fifth grader, I shot 75 percent from the free throw line because I had a coach that made us shoot 100 free throws a day. This taught me an early lesson: repetition is the mother of skill. I would walk up to the free throw line the same way every time, dribble the ball twice, and shoot. The repetition of doing the same skill correctly over and over became a habit. Similarly, squatting the right way over and over builds a skill. Some say that it takes 10,000 correctly performed repetitions to master a movement. Every rep you perform squatting, from your first warm up to your heaviest set, provides an opportunity to perform a rep correctly. Focus on getting proper alignment on the bar, hand spacing, walkout, foot spacing, depth and just overall technique.Some old-time powerlifting aficionados have stated that every inch of depth equates to 40 pounds. If your squat max is 400, but you squat 500 through only four inches, in theory, you are actually squatting 160 pounds “less.” You are robbing yourself of the benefits of a properly performed rep. Every rep, every set is a chance to get better.  Focus and use it your advantage.

8 of 8

Pull up

7. BUILD A STRONG BACKBill Kazmaier, one of the strongest men of all-time, said that, “A strong back equals a strong man.” Along the same lines, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Multitudes of gym rats and bodybuilders have the thigh strength to squat 500 to 600 pounds but don’t have the back strength to squat 405. This is a weak link in the chain that compromises your total potential gains in size and strength.Some ways to strength your lower back are deadlift hyperextensions, which are a hybrid a 45-degree back extension and a deadlift. To do it, set up the bar on the floor, take a wide grip on it and do a back raise while holding the bar. Also, good mornings are an effective squat-specific exercise to bring up the strength and stability of the lower back. Finally, upper back strength is very important and is most effectively built with pull-up and rowing variations.Josh Bryant, MFS, CSCS, PES, is the owner of JoshStrength.com and co-author (with Adam benShea) of the Amazon No. 1 seller Jailhouse Strong. He is a strength coach at Metroflex Gym in Arlington, Texas, and holds 12 world records in powerlifting. You can connect with him on Twitter and Facebook or visit his website at www.joshstrength.com.

STRENGTH STACK

Raise the bar (literally) on your squat sessions with the aid of these potent, strength-building suppsSUPPLEMENT        DOSEWhey protein            20 grams 30-60 minutes pre-workout; 40-60 grams immediately post-workoutCaffeine                     200-400 mg 1-2 hours before workoutsCreatine                     3-5 grams with pre- and postworkout shakes; on rest days take 3-5 grams with breakfastBeta-alanine             1-1.5 grams with pre- and postworkout shakes; on rest days take 1-1.5 grams with breakfastRibose                        5-10 grams with pre- and postworkout shakes; on rest days take 5-10 grams with breakfastTaurine                       1-3 grams with pre- and postworkout shakesTribulus terrestris      250-750 mg with breakfast and one hour before workouts; do not take it on rest daysFish oil                        4-6 grams in 2-3 divided doses with meals

Back to intro

Building maximum size and strength without squatting is about as likely as catching a buzz from a six-pack of near beer. The most oft-repeated questions in this business revolve around how to get bigger or stronger. Well, the squat provides you with both – all you have to do is put in the time. Put simply, if you want to get bigger or look better – and not just in your legs – you’ve got to squat. Here are seven tips to have you get the most out of your time in the rack. 

1. MINIMIZE THE WALKOUT

This is not an evening stroll through the park. Save your energy for the squat, don’t expend it walking out. Those steps back may seem insignificant but you are still carrying that heavy load across your back, which still requires a ton of energy (if you expect to maintain stability, that is). No more than three total steps are needed to walk a weight out and get set to squat. Step one gets you back and out of the rack. Step two sets your first foot. Step three places the opposite foot in the squat position.

Some advanced lifters can do this in two steps by picking the weight up off the rack, stepping back with one foot to the set position then doing the same thing with other foot.  A walkout should be no more than three steps — save your energy for squatting heavy pig iron.

2. BIG BREATH, GET TIGHT

The trainers doing leg presses at Curves might tell you to breathe in and breathe out — this is not the case for squatting serious iron. Big time squatters take big breaths prior to squatting. Taking in and holding a big breath before squatting increases intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and intrathoracic pressure (ITP.) This is safer for your spine because it helps it stay stable and rigid and, of course, allows you pile more pounds on the barbell.

After you have taken your breath, get your core extremely tight — brace your abs hard — now you are ready squat. Losing tightness leaks power. Hold your breath while squatting, exhale at the top, inhale deeply and repeat.

3. SQUAT EXPLOSIVELY

Your muscles and your central nervous system do not know the actual amount of weight on the bar while squatting; they know muscle tension and force produced. Lifting your lighter sets with maximal force is called compensatory acceleration training (CAT). Greater amounts of force exerted into the bar will create higher amounts of muscle tension. This will not only build strength but aid in muscle hypertrophy because you recruit a higher amount of fast-twitch muscle fibers (the ones with the most potential for growth). With enough speed, you can out run sticking points.

4. DISTRIBUTION OF WORKLOAD

Eight sets of three reps does not provide the same training effect as two sets of 12 reps, even though both are 24 total repetitions. Your one-repetition max (1RM) is obviously one rep. Performing eight sets of three reps provides a better training stimulation for maximum strength because you can concentrate on greater force production and you get more “first reps.” For all eight sets you have to walk the weight out, get set just like you would for a maximum attempt. For two sets of 12, this would only be done twice.  More sets and fewer reps equals crazy fast strength gains.

5. BOTTOM POSITION OVERLOADS

Science shows squats have an ascending strength curve. In bro science terms, this means as you complete the lift, it gets easier – much less force can be produced at the bottom of a squat than at the top. Ninety percent of folks at the local chrome palace gym do partial squats because they can lift much more weight, satisfying their ego in the short term. To get good at the full squat, you have to build hellacious power out of the bottom. This can be done with the dead squat.

The dead squat is performed off the pins in a squat rack. There is no eccentric (negative) phase of the lift, so no elastic-like energy assists you on the concentric (positive) phase of the squat. You are lifting dead weight as in a deadlift. The only measure of whether or not you are capable of completing the rep is your starting strength.

Start dead squats 1-2 inches above parallel. With normal squats, the initial spring out of the bottom is from the elastic-like energy stored on the negative portion of the squat, assisting you significantly to right above parallel. Because of the energy stored on a normal squat descent, starting a squat without it is a huge bottom position overload, attacking where you need it most: out of the hole. Build strength there and you’re bound to be beasting your way to a new PR in no time. 

6. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

A great free throw shooter in the NBA makes 90 percent of his free throws. During basketball season as a fifth grader, I shot 75 percent from the free throw line because I had a coach that made us shoot 100 free throws a day. This taught me an early lesson: repetition is the mother of skill. 

I would walk up to the free throw line the same way every time, dribble the ball twice, and shoot. The repetition of doing the same skill correctly over and over became a habit. Similarly, squatting the right way over and over builds a skill. Some say that it takes 10,000 correctly performed repetitions to master a movement. Every rep you perform squatting, from your first warm up to your heaviest set, provides an opportunity to perform a rep correctly. Focus on getting proper alignment on the bar, hand spacing, walkout, foot spacing, depth and just overall technique.

Some old-time powerlifting aficionados have stated that every inch of depth equates to 40 pounds. If your squat max is 400, but you squat 500 through only four inches, in theory, you are actually squatting 160 pounds “less.” You are robbing yourself of the benefits of a properly performed rep. Every rep, every set is a chance to get better.  Focus and use it your advantage.

7. BUILD A STRONG BACK

Bill Kazmaier, one of the strongest men of all-time, said that, “A strong back equals a strong man.” Along the same lines, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Multitudes of gym rats and bodybuilders have the thigh strength to squat 500 to 600 pounds but don’t have the back strength to squat 405. This is a weak link in the chain that compromises your total potential gains in size and strength.

Some ways to strength your lower back are deadlift hyperextensions, which are a hybrid a 45-degree back extension and a deadlift. To do it, set up the bar on the floor, take a wide grip on it and do a back raise while holding the bar. Also, good mornings are an effective squat-specific exercise to bring up the strength and stability of the lower back. Finally, upper back strength is very important and is most effectively built with pull-up and rowing variations.

Josh Bryant, MFS, CSCS, PES, is the owner of JoshStrength.com and co-author (with Adam benShea) of the Amazon No. 1 seller Jailhouse Strong. He is a strength coach at Metroflex Gym in Arlington, Texas, and holds 12 world records in powerlifting. You can connect with him on Twitter and Facebook or visit his website at www.joshstrength.com.

STRENGTH STACK

Raise the bar (literally) on your squat sessions with the aid of these potent, strength-building supps

SUPPLEMENT        DOSE

Whey protein            20 grams 30-60 minutes pre-workout; 40-60 grams immediately post-workout

Caffeine                     200-400 mg 1-2 hours before workouts

Creatine                     3-5 grams with pre- and postworkout shakes; on rest days take 3-5 grams with breakfast

Beta-alanine             1-1.5 grams with pre- and postworkout shakes; on rest days take 1-1.5 grams with breakfast

Ribose                        5-10 grams with pre- and postworkout shakes; on rest days take 5-10 grams with breakfast

Taurine                       1-3 grams with pre- and postworkout shakes

Tribulus terrestris      250-750 mg with breakfast and one hour before workouts; do not take it on rest days

Fish oil                        4-6 grams in 2-3 divided doses with meals

Topics:
  • Build Muscle
Author picture
Written by Josh Bryant, MFS, CSCS, PES
Related Articles
Group fitness class performing resistance band workouts
Workout Routines

These 3 Band Workouts Can be Done Anywhere, Anytime

Sheena Ohlig on Femme Flex Friday
Interviews

Sheena Ohlig Talks About Her Transition from Women’s Physique to Bodybui...

Stay up to date

Sign up below to receive our newest workout routines, recipes, news stories, and offers from our partners

Success!

Thank you for signing up. Your information has been successfully processed!

I want content for...

Follow us

Facebook Twitter Youtube Pinterest

More news

Muscular man performing banded exercises using a resistance band to improve his deadlift
Workout Tips

Try These 3 Resistance Band Exercises To Help Improve Your Deadlift

The list of benefits of adding bands to your workouts keeps growing. Here are three more.

Read article
Overweight man running on a treadmill in an empty gym
Workout Tips

This Weight-loss Specialist Shares Her Best Tips To Lose Weight

Angela Fitch, MD, explains why losing weight is so hard and how you can change that.

Read article
Muscular-Man-Putting-Additional-Plates-On-Barbel attachments
Workout Tips

These 6 Barbell Attachments Should be in Every Weightroom

As training technology keeps getting better, it’s time your gym keeps up with the times.

Read article
All Workout Tips
  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Workouts
  4. /
  5. Workout Tips
  6. /
  7. 7 Tips From a World Class Squatter
Muscle & Fitness logo
  • Workouts
  • Nutrition
  • Athletes & Celebrities
  • Features
  • Recipes
  • Topics
  • Videos
  • Exercise Videos
  • Podcasts
  • RSS Feed
  • Muscle&Fitness +
  • Buy Olympia Tickets
  • Archives
  • Sitemap
Facebook Twitter Youtube Pinterest

Newsletter Signup

Success!

Thank you for signing up. Your information has been successfully processed!

I want content for...

Muscleandfitness.com is part of A360 Media LLC Fitness & Health Network

Contact Us Terms of Use Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Manage Cookies Accessibility Statement

JW Media, LLC

Copyright 2022 JW Media, LLC, parent company of Muscle & Fitness. All rights reserved.