Squat Parallel

Going to parallel is the general recommendation, and your results will be fine just going to parallel. Parallel is defined as where the tops of your thighs are parallel to the floor. If the knee is not tracking over the toes during the movement this results in twisting/shearing of the joint and unwanted torque affecting the ligaments which can soon result in injury. The knee should always follow the toe. Have your toes slightly pointed out in order to track the knee properly.

Squat Heavy, Squat Often

Every day, I see people pushing their conditioning to the max. It’s just that I don’t think they look at a heavy barbell lifting the same way. Many people don’t know strength.


Go heavy, but recognize that heavy doesn't mean you need to grind. I hit at least 90% of my max 5 days per week on the various squats. No issues for recovery. A session can be an all out 5x5 or, as simple as 5 singles up to decent weight. A quick 15 minute squat session works well with a MetCon. Recover and unload by dropping volume. Leave the weight on the bar. Don't practice meaningless reps with light barbells. You are probably fit and rather strong. But most likely not at your peak. Try and push further and harder as an athlete. I think you likely have more in the tank. Fatigue is relative.

Smolov Squat program

How Smolov Works. The Russian Smolov Squat routine is split into 3 phases for a total of 13 weeks. As always, start with a weight you're 100% sure you can Squat instead of starting too heavy and hitting plateaus. The 4 Smolov cycles...

• Weeks 1-2 - introduction cycle to prepare your legs. Week 1 you Squat 3 day in a row working up towards heavy singles, rest of the week is stretching to speed up leg recovery. Week 2 you Squat every other day.
• Week 3-6 - the base cycle where you'll Squat 4x/week for 3 weeks. 4 sets of 9 reps Monday, 5x7 Wednesday, 7x5 Friday, and 10x3 reps Saturday. The weight increases each workout, each week. Week 4 is a rest week where you'll only Squat once and attempt to break your PR.
• Week 7-8 - the switching cycle is a 2 week deload to give you a well deserved physical and mental break before the next cycle.
• Week 9-13 - the intensity cycle where you'll only Squat 3x/week, but 44% of the time it will be using weights between 81 and 90% of your maximum... and for 4 weeks on. Most guys agree this is the hardest part of Smolov. Week 5 you attempt to break your previous Squat PR.

THE BASICS Press-Squat-Deadlift

It has been said that the lost secrets of strength and development can be found through hard and heavy basic movements. The basics can be simple to learn, but never easy to perform if done with proper technique and intensity. There are far too many programs with too many bells and whistles that have no place in most trainees programs. Pure and simple, basics work. Following a unique program for the sake of being different will likely get you little results or even injured. Especially as a novice trainee, nothing could be worse than training with too much variety, or too many variables to screw around with.

The Squat

The squat targets the quadriceps. It also hits the glutes, hip adductors (inner thigh), and calves. There are many types of squats, but we are going to talk about the at the squat. Well, start with bar placement: The bar should rest below the top of your shoulder, at the bottom of the traps. You head should be up and you should be looking forward. This should be with shoulders back and chest out. As far as the stance goes, each person has to find a stance with which they feel comfortable. Your feet should be pointed out while placing most of your weight on your heels.

Squat= you do it everyday

The squat utilizes power from the hip to propel the torso through a complete range of motion. If the spine is rounded and the torso is loose, power is lost and the torso becomes difficult to move. Find the mid-line stability. If the spine is kept in a neutral or arched alignment and the torso is rigid, as proper form dictates, power flows freely and the load is easy to move.

The Air Squat

If there is an exercise that could help with movements the human body goes through day in and day out, it’s the air squat. Whether lifting something heavy, standing up from a chair, or even simply walking, elements of the squat are apparent.

The Squat

The squat utilizes power from the hip to propel the torso through a complete range of motion. If the spine is rounded and the torso is loose, power is lost and the torso becomes difficult to move. Find the mid-line stability. If the spine is kept in a neutral or arched alignment and the torso is rigid, as proper form dictates, power flows freely and the load is easy to move.