“When We Complete Our Squats, The Naysayers Shut Up!”

The success stories just keep pouring in. This one will boost your motivation.

John Warfield from Jackson in Michigan USA just emailed me his results with StrongLifts 5x5. Get this: in only 9 months he accomplished a 325lb Squat and 415lb Deadlift... at age 50! Read his amazing story.

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Mehdi,

You've changed my life, and my wife's life, in a major ways.

About two years ago I weighed 300 pounds and had a third chin growing. Seeing myself in pictures disgusted me and almost made me cry. I felt ashamed of my body and mind.

A year later of almost daily hour long cardio sessions, I had dropped to 200 pounds, and my energy level was soaring. However, looking in the mirror and seeing a still "loose" physique and hanging skin made me wince. Not knowing any better I embarked on adding the entire round of weight machines to shore up my body -- improve strength and pull up the loose spots.

The machines, at light weights, helped for a while, and I started to show definition that I'd never possessed before. However, as the weights grew, my muscles didn't really. Trying to increase to heavy weights on machines, with such restricted movements and no stabilizer invovlements, was both stupid and dangerous. The machines, especially the leg machines, tended to create large balls of muscle that only really worked about a third of the muscle length. I had huge globs above my knees, and balled hamstrings that always tended to cramp. One day, while "curling" with my hamstrings on the reverse leg lift, I felt one of the hamstring bands snap over another, and the pain was excruciating. I knew I couldn't keep that up.

I started hodgepodges of split routines... I benched on the smith machines... I "squatted" on the smith machines... But strength results did NOT follow, only injuries. I thought I was hot stuff 1/3 squatting 250 pounds on the smith machine with the large shoulder pad, but my hamstrings were laughing at me while my thighs were crying. I didn't know "squat" and felt unfulfilled and guilty for not being able to find a path to my max potential.

Searching for an answer brought me to StrongLifts about a 9 months ago. I really wanted to go with compound lifting, but having never lifted free weights before I was afraid. But you laid it out so plain and simple, and showed how starting with the bar was going to give me the technique to master the weights -- so I jumped in with both feet.

I started everything with the bar, and built, and built. After completing the first round of StrongLifts 5x5, I had gained 10 pounds of muscle in my legs. The muscle is sooooooo different. The entire strands have grown thicker and stronger. It's NOT bodybuilder muscle, it's growth along the entire length, and all stabilizer muscles as well. My hamstrings have gotten so healthy I can do sprints with ease. My legs, arms and chest have grown in this way, while my waist has shrunk still more, and my "looseness" from weight loss has all but disappeared. My abs and torso muscles are thick and powerful. Having once been a size 50 waist, I am now a comfortable 35.

My wife was so impressed with the results we started her on the program. After 4 babies and stubborn extra weight, she was desperate for fat loss and firmness. Her belly muscles, when pregnant, really got pulled apart and doctors had told her that there was nothing she could do to pull them back in and rehab her lower gut. But having had me blast her with a good Mehdi "BULLSHIT" and seeing the results I had achieved, she jumped in. We started training together and she has lost 15 pounds, transferred countless more pounds from fat to muscle, down-sized clothing three times, and shows leg muscles of an olympic champion. She's proud of herself and I am very proud of her.

We are currently on MadCow for intermediate, which has allowed both of us to break through plateaus in squats and deadlifts.

I'm 50 years old, 6'1", 212 pounds, and on Monday I deep squatted 325 pounds (x5). Today I deadlifted 415 pounds (x5). Having done this made me want to write. We can't thank you enough for publishing the StrongLifts site and providing encouragement. We have fallen in love with squats and now love our bodies like we have never imagined we could. We've had to endure the no-squatters, the knee blowers, the unsolicited advice givers, the curlers in the power rack, etc... and now are able to withstand the barrage of negativity that comes from the majority of gym goers...

But when we complete our lifts and walk past the naysayers with the squat or deadlift body/mind pump and steel torso, they shut up -- and silence truly is golden.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

John Warfield
Jackson, Michigan USA

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Awesome story John. Your results prove that any guy can achieve a 300lb Squat and 400lb Deadlift within a year (heck, you did it in only 9 months) IF using the RIGHT kind of methods - obviously StrongLifts 5x5, it's simply the most powerful training program on the entire Internet.

If you haven't claimed your free copy of the 5x5 report, please download it now by clicking here (...and remember to send me your success story like John did so I can publish it on the blog, it will motivate all the other StrongLifters).

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Sep 6, Box Squats | How to Box Squat with Proper Form

Box squats are a squat variation that involves squatting down onto a box (or platform) of a given height. It provides two major benefits.

The first benefit is that it improves your body's proprioception; it's ability to know where to stop at the bottom of a rep, within the range of motion of the regular squat exercise.

The other benefit is that it distinctly breaks up the eccentric (negative rep) and concentric (positive rep) chain of movement. This makes the concentric movement more challenging because you have to initiate it from a dead stop.

The end result is that you strengthen your posterior chain, and thus, improve your explosiveness and speed out of the hole.

Plus, your strength gains transfer directly over to regular squats. This is despite the fact that box squats require using a lighter load than regular squats.

Set Up. This exercise is best done in a power rack (though a squat rack can suffice). Start by placing a box or platform inside the rack. Box Height. The box should be the right height for the depth that you'll be squatting. This may require you to be creative to change the heights by putting weights underneath or atop the box to increase its height. There are three types of box squat depths: low, parallel and high box squats. Low. The box height for low box squats can be as much below parallel as desired, so long as you don't have to "rock" your body to squat up. The box is too low if you have to "plop" yourself down in order to sit.Parallel. The top of your knees should be parallel to the crease of your hips. If only your thighs are parallel to the floor (which is considered parallel on regular squats), the box is still too high.High. A high box height is useful for improving the sticking points above parallel. So, the box height for high box squats should be set so that you're only about 1-3 inches above parallel when seated.Adjust the Safety Catches. Adjust the safety bars to prevent the barbell (or yourself) from going beyond the range of motion, in the case of a failed rep or an accident.Add Plates. Add the desired amount of weight to the bar.Get Under the Bar. Get into position in front of the box and proceed to get underneath the bar. You must use the low bar squat barbell position. That means that you place the barbell on the upper part of the middle trapezius, and across the top of the rear deltoids.Unrack The Bar. Unrack and step back into position. Assume a significantly wider than shoulder-width stance with your feet and knees pointing outward. Flex your abs, and keep them tense throughout the entire set, in order to stabilize your core, and thus protect your lower back.Position Your Body. To maintain a proper low bar squat position, push your chest out and bring your scapulae (shoulder blades) together while pulling your elbows down and tensing your upper and middle back muscles. Keep your head inline with your spine, so as to avoid hyperextending your neck. Your gaze should be directed diagonally downward, ahead of you.Negative Repetition. Begin the movement by dropping your hips back and down. Take a Seat. Lower your body at a controlled pace and carefully sit your butt down onto the box. Actually sit down. Don't just "touch and go."Tempo. The negative should take about 1-2 seconds.Midpoint. The midpoint is at the bottom of the range of motion, when you are seated. Here, you must keep your body tense. However, if you can relax your hip flexors without relaxing any other muscles, do so. This allows you to distinctly separate the eccentric and concentric chain of movement. Unless you're doing high box squats, your shins should be at least perpendicular to the floor when seated. Tempo. Pause on the seat for about 1 second.Positive Repetition. Okay, time to stop being lazy, and squat up off that box! "Grip" the Floor. Curl your toes hard by pressing them into the floor. Push through outsides of your feet to drive your hips up and off the box.Squeeze. As you're gripping the floor with your feet, you must squeeze your glutes hard in order to actually propel yourself off the box. As you continue upward, bring your thigh and core muscles into it, too.No Rocking. Do not intentionally rock your torso to gain momentum off the box. That's cheating and it puts you at risk for a lower back injury. Note, however, that some (unintentional) rocking will inevitably occur when squatting heavier loads.Lockout. Complete the repetition by squatting up until your legs are completely extended and locked out.Tempo. Squat up as fast as you can without losing control of breaking form.Repeat. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions. This exercise is often done with low reps (i.e. 1-3, up to 5) and heavy weight. Though, some folks use a more moderate rep range (e.g. 6-10) with lighter weight.

This Exercise Is Great for All Lifters. It does not matter if you're a beginner, intermediate or advanced weight lifter. Box squats can be the right exercise choice for anyone...

...That said, beginners should be doing it for a different reason than intermediate or advanced lifters. As a beginner, your aim should be to reinforce proper squat depth and range of motion.

By training with box squats (assuming you use a proper box height), it's impossible to not perform the complete range of motion.

Additionally, as a beginner, you should use lighter weight and adhere to a moderate rep scheme on this lift. You can go heavier once you become more exeperienced.

Similar to beginners, some intermediate and advanced lifters (mostly powerlifters) may also use box squats to reinforce a given squat depth and range of motion. However, they often have additional or altogher different objectives.

If you're an intermediate or advanced lifter, box squats are an effective means for increasing your explosiveness and speed out of the hole. In contrast to beginners, the movement will generally be more productive if using heavier loads and lower reps.

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Aug 27, Reverse Band Squats | How to Do Reverse Band Squats

Reverse band squats improve the lockout and explosiveness on the squat exercise. This squat variation is a precise tool for advanced lifters who seek to target these aspects of the lift.

The attached resistance bands on this exercise enable you to experience constantly changing levels of resistance as you go through each rep. This is why it emphasizes the above-mentioned aspects of the squat (again, explosiveness and the lockout).

One might ask: What's the difference between this technique and regular band squats?

Well, on reverse band squats, the resistance bands are attached to the barbell from the top of the power rack to the ends of the barbell. Whereas, on regular band squats, the bands are attached to the barbell from the bottom of the power rack.

Also, on the regular version, the load never becomes lighter than the total weight of the barbell and plates (i.e. the bands add resistance). But with reverse band squats, the load never becomes heavier than the total weight of the barbell and plates (i.e. the bands reduce resistance).

So in this way, the mechanics of the reverse version are actually more similar to chain squats...

...On both exercises, the loads are heaviest at both the very start and the very finish of each rep; and they're lightest at the midpoint (i.e. the very bottom of the range of motion).

As you go through a rep, the varying levels of resistance you feel models a parabola: It goes from heavy to moderate to light, and then back to moderate and finally back to heavy again...

Set Up. This exercise must be done in a power rack. Start by putting the barbell on the pins, just below shoulder level. Adjust the Safety Catches. Adjust the safety catches to the bottom of the range of motion. This way, it will prevent an accident by catching the barbell in case you lose control or fail during a rep.Attach Bands. Ideally, reverse band squats should be done in a power rack with upper band pegs for easy and secure attachment of the resitance bands. However, if your power rack doesn't have upper band pegs, then you can get creative and hook the bands on the top of the frame. Next, attach the end of the bands to the ends of the barbell.Add Plates. Load the desired amount of weight onto the bar. The bands should be to the inside of the plates (but still on the thick ends of the barbell). To prevent the any possibility of the band slipping off the thick part of the barbell and onto the thin part, you may want the band positioned between plates.Unrack the Bar. Position yourself under the barbell. It should be on your trapezius, not against your back bones. Hoist the bar off the pins and take a step back.Negative Repetition. Squat down by lowering your hips and butt, and flexing your knees. The bands will resist the load as you perform the negative repetition, making it so the load becomes increasingly lighter as you approach the bottom of the rep. Thus, the barbell is at it lightest when you reach the lowest point in the range of motion (i.e. the midpoint). Go to Parallel (or Below). Keep going until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. Go a little further if you can do so without breaking form.Tempo. Control the weight carefully. Go slower as you transition into the midpoint. The negative should typically lasts about 1-2 seconds.Midpoint. The midpoint is at the very bottom of the range of motion. It's the transition point between the positive repetition and the negative repetition. Tempo. Since this is just a transitory point in the movement, you don't really need pause at all. If you do, it should be very brief. That said, you should have slowed down as you were finishing the negative rep so that you don't "bounce" into and out of the midpoint. Doing this would be dangerous for your knees.Positive Repetition. Squat up... fast! The tension in the bands decreases more and more as you squat up, making it so the load becomes increasingly heavy as you approach the top of the repetition. Once you reach the top of the rep, the load is equal to that of the starting weight. Squeeze! Keep your entire body tight, but flex your your glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings, with particular emphasis.Tempo. Explode upward as quickly as possible, without breaking form.Repeat. Repeat the movement for desired number of reps. Like all lifts that emphasize strength and explosiveness, it's generally best to use lower reps (around 1-5) with relatively heavy weight.

Reverse Band Squats Are Best for Advanced Lifters. This exercise is for seasoned vets who need to focus on their lockout and the explosiveness of their squat. Essentially, it is an exercise technique to fine tune an otherwise strong squat.

It's not efficient, however, for beginners or intermediate lifters, who need not worry about specific aspects of the squat. Rather, as a beginner or intermediate, concentrate on achieving an overall stronger squat.

The reverse band squat is too specific a tool for such a general objective. Until you reach an advanced level and encounter real plateaus, good ol' fashioned squats will suffice.

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Aug 28, Band Squats | How to Do Band Squats

Band squats are a useful technique for advanced weight lifters hoping to bust through plateaus and boost their squat numbers.

By taking advantage of the properties of resistance bands, this exercise enables you to train specific aspects of the squat technique; namely, explosiveness and the lockout.

The band squat technique involves attaching resistance bands from the bottom of the power rack to each side of the barbell. Tension is created when the bands are stretched from the rack to the barbell. The tension places downward pressure on the load.

Maximum tension, and therefore the heaviest weight you feel when squatting, occurs when you're standing erect. That is, both at the beginning and the end of the range of motion.

Although the heaviness of the load is at it's maximum at the start of a repetition, it becomes lighter and lighter the further you squat down. This is the easy part of the rep.

The most challenging portion of the rep is when you're squatting up. Although the load's heaviness is lightest at the bottom of the rep, it becomes heavier and heavier as you squat up. It's like swimming against the current.

If you're interested, you can also check out the variation of this exercise: the reverse band squat.

Set Up. Find a power rack. Place the barbell on the rack pins below shoulder height. Adjust the Safety Catches. Set the safety catch bars to the bottom of the squat range of motion. This way, you won't be you don't have to worry about an accident happening if you fail during a rep or lose control of the barbell.Attach the Bands. Attach a resistance band from the bottom of the power rack to the thick part of the barbell, on each side. This is best done if your power rack has lower band pegs, which are made precisely for attaching bands. However, you can try other creative ways of attaching them (e.g. if you have an extra pair of safety catches, put them on the lowest setting and attach the bands to them). Be sure that your rack is securely fastened to the ground (or sufficiently heavy) so that it does not lift up during the set.Add Plates. Load the desired amount of weight onto the bar. The weights should be to the outside of the resistance band. However, some people like to put the bands in between plates so that there's no chance of the band slipping onto the thin part of the barbell.Unrack the Bar. Position the bar on your back so that it rests on your trapezius muscle, not on your spine. Lift the bar off the rack pins and step back into an athletic stance.Negative Repetition. Squat down by lowering your butt and hips while bending your knees. Go to Parallel (or Below). Go down until the top of your thighs are parallel or below parallel to the floor.Tempo. Aim for about 1-2 seconds. Maintain control of the weight and slow your pace as you near the midpoint.Midpoint. This is the halfway point; at the bottom of the range of motion, between the negative and positive. Tempo. There's no need to pause at the midpoint, since you are really just transitioning between a downward and upward direction. If you do pause, though, it shouldn't be for more than a split second. On the other end of the spectrum, don't "bounce" straight from the negative to the positive rep. Ease into it. Otherwise, you risk a knee injury.Positive Repetition. Squat back up with a vengeance. Flex! Flex your glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps like there's no tomorrow. You'll be squatting against an increasing amount of resistance, so you'll need the initial momentum generated from the bottom of the squat, to help you through the rest of the movement. Keep flexing until you've squatted all the way up and are standing straight with your knees locked.Tempo. Make like a rocket ship, and blast off! But don't crash. (I.e. go as fast as you can without using poor form.)Repeat. This is a strength and power exercise, so use low reps (i.e. around 1-5) with heavy weights.

Band Squats Are Best for Advanced Lifters. If you're an advanced trainee, then band squats may be a good choice for you.

Have you hit a plateau on squats? Do you need to improve your lockout strength? Are you weak out of the hole (i.e. the bottom of the squat)? Maybe you need to improve your lower body power and explosiveness for a sport.

Anything resembling the preceding scenarios makes you an ideal candidate for this exercise (again, an advanced level of experience is a prerequisite).

If you're still in the novice or intermediate phases, then hold off on this technique. Doing band squats in a relatively early stage is not only unnecessary, but inefficient...

...Stick to the basics. Traditional squats will give you more bang for your buck. If you have problems increasing your squat, then you simply need to do some troubleshooting – You may need to modify your workout volume (reps x sets), frequency (sessions/week) and/or intensity (weight).

Alternatively, you may need to change your diet, fix your technique, get better sleep or whatever. However, using an advanced squat variation such as this one certainly isn't the solution.

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Aug 23, Partial Squats | How to Do Partial Squats with Proper Form

Partial squats, or "partials" for short, are an advanced exercise technique used to help bust through plateaus and sticking points on the traditional squat exercise.

Partials involve doing only part of the range of motion of a full squat repetition. However, they are meant to be done for one to a few reps, using heavier weight than that your one rep max.

The the range of motion of your partials should generally be determined by your sticking point within the range of motion of a traditional squat (i.e. the point at which you struggle, squatting up from the bottom of a full repetition).

For many folks, their sticking point is halfway through. This is why it's common to hear partial squats referred to as "half squats." But you can also do partials with 1/4, 3/4, etc. of the squat's full range of motion.

By using heavy weight within a specific range, this squat variation forces your body becomes more accustomed to handling heavier weight. And more specifically, it emphasises the quadriceps and improves your strength and explosiveness within the chosen range of motion.

Video credits: YouTube user "koklyaevmisha"

Set Up. For safety reasons, you should always do partials in a power rack. Set the barbell on the rack pins to right below shoulder height, just as you'd do for regular squats. Proceed to load the bar with the desired amount of weight. Set Safety Catches. Decide the range of motion that you're going to train based on where your sticking point is (e.g. half squat). Then set the safety catches accordingly (i.e. the barbell should touch, or almost touch, the safety catches at the bottom of each partial rep).Get Under the Bar. Position yourself underneath the barbell. It should be resting across your upper back, atop the trapezius. The trapezius should cushion the bar so it doesn't press against your spine.Unrack & Assume Stance. Unrack the bar and take a step away. Assume a comfortable and slightly wider than shoulder-width stance.Breathe & Brace. Take a deep breath and hold it in. Tense your body, especially your abdominals.Negative Repetition. Squat down in a slow and controlled fashion. Continue until the bar touches, or is just above, the safety catches. Do not slam the barbell, or try to bounce it off of the catches. Also, don't rest the bar on the catches. Tempo. Go slow enough to maintain control over the weight. This will take around 1-2 seconds, though it can vary based on how far down you're squatting, how heavy the weight is and how fatigued you are.Positive Repetition. After reaching the bottom of the range of motion, squat back up. Extend your legs until you are standing up straight with your knees locked. Tempo. Squat up as explosively as possible without losing control or sacrificing proper form.Repeat. Repeat the movement for the desired number of reps. Partial squats are most effective using heavy weight and a lower rep range of approximately 1-6 reps.

Partials Are Best for Advanced Lifters. The purpose of partial squats is to bust through plateaus and sticking points. You do this by performing only a portion of the full range of motion using heavier weight than you could otherwise lift on regular squats.

Therefore, this technique is most fitting for you if you're an advanced trainees, because truly challenging plateaus (as opposed to easy-to-break plateaus encountered by less experienced lifters) are a common occurence in your training.

Additionally, as an advanced trainee, your body can safely handle and respond to extra heavy loads.

On the other hand, beginners and intermediates should stick with good ol' fashioned traditional squats. As a beginner or intermediate, you can overcome any plateaus you may encounter through much simpler and safer means...

...For example, breaking through a plateau as an beginner or intermediate may be as simple as increasing or reducing your squat training frequency (i.e. number of times you squat per week); or changing the number of sets and/or reps you perform for squats.

Ironically, a whole lot of beginners unknowingly perform partial squats instead of full squats. For whatever reason, they just don't (or can't) perform the full range of motion. If that sounds like it might be you, then start squatting deeper! (If you really can't squat any deeper without using crappy form, then start stretching your quads and hip flexors to improve your flexibility.)

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Aug 25, Squat with Chains | How to Do Chain Squats with Proper Form

The squat with chains, or chain squat, is an advanced technique for increasing your overall squat strength and explosiveness. It adds a new layer of dynamic intensity to your squat training.

Squats with chains are different from traditional squats in that it makes the load heavier at the top of the rep and lighter at the bottom of the rep. Whereas, the load is static throughout the movement with regular squats.

Thus, you train explosiveness when doing squats with chains because the reduced weight at the bottom of the rep translates to the ability to squat up rapidly and powerfully. In fact, it forces you to squat up with great force since you need to generate enough momentum to counteract the increasing load as the chain is picked up.

Additionally, you emphasize the latter portion of the positive repetition – especially the lockout – because the weight becomes heavier as you begin picking up the chain's slack while squatting up.

Set Up. This should be done in a power rack or a squat rack. Start by putting the barbell on the pins, just below shoulder level. Adjust the Safety Catches. If you're using a power rack, adjust the safety catches to prevent the barbell from going beyond the bottom of the range of motion, in case of a failed rep or accident.Add Plates. Load the weight plates before attaching chains to the ends of the barbell. A 2006 study shines some light on the optimal load to use. According to the findings, the optimal total load (including both chains and plates) is around 85% of your one rep max. Of that, eighty percent should be non-chain weight. Note that this study was on squat training using band resistance (see band squats and reverse band squats), not chains. Still, it provides relevant insight and applicable information.Attach Chains. Figure out the chain weight and length to use. Attach the chains accordingly. The optimal chain weight, based on the findings of the above-mentioned study, is 20% of the total load. Optimal chain length varies based on your objective – The shorter the chain, the lower the point in the range of motion will be when the load starts decreasing. For this tutorial, I'll outline the standard practice for chain length: When the barbell is racked, there should be a few inches of chain draping onto the floor. This way, the ends of the chains should be only slightly touching the floor after you unrack the bar.Unrack the Bar. Get underneath the bar. It should be resting on your trapezius muscle tissue, not against your spine. Proceed to lift the bar off the pins and step back.Negative Repetition. Lower your hips, drop your butt and bend your knees. Go Parallel or Lower. Continue until the top of your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.Tempo. Perform the negative in a controlled fashion. This should take about 1-2 seconds. Slow down as you approach the midpoint.Midpoint. The midpoint is at the very bottom of the range of motion. It's the transition point between the positive repetition and the negative repetition. Tempo. Do not pause here for more than a split second. Don't "bounce" through the midpoint, either. Bouncing puts your knees at risk for injury.Positive Repetition. Squat up explosively. Flex! Keep your whole body tense while flexing your glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings with focused intensity.Tempo. Aim for a tempo of zero seconds. That is, go as fast as humanly possible without sacrificing proper form.Repeat. Chain squats are generally used to build strength and explosiveness. Thus, heavy weights (see step 1, bullets 2 and 3) and lower reps (i.e. approx. 1-5) are most effective.

Chain Squats Are Best for Advanced Lifters. Squatting with chains is best left to the big (and strong) boys (and girls). It is meant to improve specific weak aspects (i.e. explosiveness, lockout) of an already strong lift...

...So if your squat itself is weak – which is the case for beginners and intermediates (at least, relative to their potential squat strengths) – then squatting with chains is a misallocation of your training time and energy. Instead, the more sound decision is to stick to traditional squats until you truly reach a more advanced level of strength and conditioning.

The only time I'd say it's fine for intermediates (not beginners) to squat with chains is when advised by a competent strength coach, for the purpose of training a sports specific skill/ability.

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