14 Squat Tips
Try these tips to improve your squat.
1) Squat (and deadlift) without a belt for a period of 10-16 weeks.
Lighten the weight and strengthen your technique. This will also help develop core strength. Chances are if your forms is weak, you’re trying to squat with too much weight.
2) Develop a strong core.
spread eagle sit ups
standing cable ab crunch
leg raises
sled push
ab machine
weighted carries
jack knife
inch worms
slow moving mountain climbers
timed planks
3) Use video.
You’ll understand where your weak point is. Take the initiative to develop the weak area. You don’t need to get depth if you’re not a powerlifter, but aim for parallel or below the hip crease to the top of the knee.
4) Strong ass, strong squat.
If the gluteus maximus isn't strong, your squat wont be strong. Take the time to put in place different glute exercises. Here are a few of my favorites:
Hip thrusts
Stiff leg deadlifts
deficit deadlifts
block pulls
rack pulls
pull-throughs
weighted hyperextensions
GHRs
reverse hyperextensions.
5) Box squats.
Use various heights with heavy weight and low reps and higher reps with medium weight.
6) Practice different form, stances and toe and foot placement for 10 weeks.
Try a different stance for a period of time then switch to another. Be wise and choose your weight.
7) Use weights that are around 60-65%+ of your one rep max.
Shoot for higher reps. Work outside of the reps you're used to. Instead of a one rep maximum effort, use lighter weights and rep it out for as many reps as possible.
8) 20 rep squats.
Choose a weight you can do for 10 reps and grind all the way to 20. It sucks, but it adds an a great amount of mass in a shorter amount of time.
9) Weighted carries, sled pushes and sled drags.
These develop all around body strength and will teach you to strain and brace.
10) When using a belt, choose the right belt.
Regardless if you're a powerlifter (or not), by far the best is a powerlifting belt. Any of the belts from EliteFTS are fantastic and made for support in doing deadlifts and squats. I have no affiliation to them. The website is an amazing resource. Don’t buy a belt form a chain sporting goods store. They usually suck.
11) Know what are you capable of.
If you haven’t mastered the back squat, chances are you haven’t mastered that level of exercise. Start out with the body weight squat. Progress to a front loaded squat. Some good variations are:
goblet squat
dumbbell squat
sandbag squat
medicine ball squat
Next, progress to a barbell front squat, and finally to a barbell back squat. If you can perform 12 reps of your selected squat variation, move up by adding weight or progress to the next level.
12) Pause at the bottom of your squat for 2 seconds.
Point your knees in the direction of your toes and wider. This will develop power and explosive speed when squatting out of the low part of the squat.
13) Be aware of going into the hole.
As you descend at the beginning of the lift, push your knees wide open by pulling the floor apart with your heels. Make sure your entire foot covers the floor.
14) Don’t neglect single leg exercises.
They’ll strengthen the quads and help develop better balance. These include:
pistol squats
Bulgarian split squats
front foot elevated single leg squats
step ups
lunges
The tips will help. I've used one or more on my clients and athletes. I only use the ones that can fix their form. After we have strengthen that area, we move on and find the weak link.
