Increase your Back Squat!
Have you ever struggled to squat, either in the bottom or just half way up? It’s demoralising when you want to get that personal best, but you just can’t seem to make progress. Don’t worry - we’ve been there, and we can help you. When it comes to strength based movements such as the squat, it’s time to look at it at a different perspective. Throw away the leg extensions - because that just ain’t gonna cut it.
To increase a movement like the squat, we look into 2 things.
First - it’s about building the muscle. Like I said, stop that nonsense with the leg extensions and hamstrings curls. I’m talking about real muscle builders.
Secondly - it’s about the movement. In this section, we treat the movement as a skill.
Let’s get started.
Muscle Builders
The squat is a push based movement of the lower body. So we have to treat the movement to build the muscle as a push itself. That is why the leg extension won’t help you - because the leg straightening like a door hinge isn't the same as pushing through the floor!
So to develop the muscles in the squats, let’s think about push based movements, and some will be more specific than others. Lunges are less specific to front squats - so there is a pecking order. To simply this - I’ve made a table below which shows the specificity that can help you develop your quads and lower body strength.
Exercise (In order from least specific to most specific to Barbell Back Squat)
Walking Lunges
Bulgarian Split Squat
Split Squat
SL Leg Press
Leg Press
Goblet Squat
Front Squat
Back Squat
Overhead Squat
Of course, this is subject to my opinion, as some exercises are more relevant to one person than another.
The Big Movers
So now it’s time to talk about the squat as a movement and a skill rather than the muscle itself. This part gets a little tricky since everyone will have a different point which you might get stuck. Now you’re probably thinking, why is that?
There are several factors that go into this, including leverages and sticking points in the movement. But we can categorise these movements by sticking points of either
From the bottom
(Imagine yourself at the bottom of the squat and can’t get up!)
or
Half way Up
(You’ve gotten out of the bottom of the squat, then you can’t get back up to finish it!)
Sticking Point At the Bottom
2-4 seconds Pause at Bottom
Pin Squats at Bottom
3-4 secs Tempo Squats Downwards
Sticking Point Half Way Up
2-4 seconds Pause Mid Way
Pin Squats Mid Way
1½ Squat Pulse
Squats with Chains
Squats with Bands
What happens with these movements over the “muscle builders” is the work on speed and the stretch reflexes on the muscles in various positions. We can also call this “positional” strength as we can push through and produce higher amounts of force at given points in the movement.
So there you have it, you now have the two ways of knowing how to increase your barbell back squat. There is a lot of information here, and implementation also becomes another factor - and that’s another can of worms. So I recommend you implement just one of the movement makers that I’ve listed above, and see which muscle builders you are using and how far down it is in the specificity to your squat variation.
Give it a go, make a few mistakes, and see what works. It’s after all - a little science project to see which works well for you and how you can change variables for your cause.
If you ever need help and support in your training, programming and performance, don’t be afraid to contact Momentum Active Remedy for a consultation. We have a team of University Qualified Exercise Physiologists and high quality Personal Trainers that can provide you with the support you need to achieve your goals.
Call us on 0423 568 356, email sean@momentumactiveremedies.com or book online on www.momentum-active.com to book yourself in!
Remember, #MomentumIsKey. You just need to get started.
Sean Koh
Exercise Physiologist, Exercise Scientist, Personal Trainer & Strength Coach
Post Graduate Diploma (Exercise Physiology) & B.Sc. (Exercise, Sports & Rehabilitation)