The Juggernaut Method Squal Manual

JUGGERNAUT SQUAT MANUAL 1
J UGGE RNAUT
SQUAT
MANUAL
BE COME UNSTOPPABL E
by TEAM JUGGERNAUT
TABL E OF CONTE NTS
7 HABI TS OF HI GHLY E F F E CTI VE SQUATTE RS 4
8 WE E KS TO MASSI VE L E GS 11
HOW I BUI LT MY BE ST SQUAT E VE R: F RONT SQUATS 18
HOW I BUI LT MY BE ST SQUAT E VE R: SAF E TY SQUAT BAR SQUATS 21
WORL D RE CORD SQUAT TRAI NI NG 23
HOW I BUI LT MY BE ST SQUAT E VE R: L OW BAR GOOD MORNI NGS 29
SQUAT DE VE L OPME NT F OR WE I GHTL I F TI NG 32
HOW I BUI LT MY BE ST SQUAT E VE R: SPL I T SQUATS 49
STRE NGTH I N THE HOL E 52
BUI L DI NG THE SQUAT 56
VANI L L A GORI L L A SQUATTI NG 61
WORL D RE CORD SQUATTI NG 64
200 POUNDS OF PR 70
7 HABI TS OF HI GHLY E F F E CTI VE SQUATTE RS
BY CHAD WESLEY SMI TH
Run faster, j ump hi gher, tackl e harder, whatever your athl eti c goal i s,
i mprovi ng your squat wi l l hel p you reach them. The squat i s ul ti mate
devel oper of quad, hamstri ng, gl ute and hi p strength and these are
the muscl es that are responsi bl e for spri nti ng speed and j umpi ng
abi l i ty. It i s no coi nci dence that Ol ympi c spri nters, the fastest
athl etes on the pl anet, possess tremendous l ower body
devel opment. Ben Johnson, the former Worl d Record hol der i n the
100m was sai d to have squatted 600 pounds for 6 reps at a
bodywei ght of onl y 175 pounds. Whether your goal i s powerl i fti ng
domi nance, l egendary strongman performances or tremendous
athl eti c feats, these squat trai ni ng ti ps wi l l get you there.
CLI CK HERE TO VI EW CHAD S SQUAT TRAI NI NG TI PS
1. I MPROVE YOUR MOBI L I TY
A l ack of mobi l i ty wi l l make i t di ffi cul t to for you to hi t proper depth
and i f you are abl e to hi t depth, i t wi l l be di ffi cul t for you to mai ntai n
your strongest body posi ti on. Thi s i nabi l i ty to mai ntai n proper body
posi ti ons i s more l i kel y to
l ead to i nj ury and i f you are
i nj ured you cant squat.
Consi stentl y stretchi ng your
hi ps, quads, hamstri ngs wi l l
For Chad Wesley Smith, becoming American
Record Holder in the squat didnt happen by
accident but from forming these habits.
hel p you mai ntai n better squatti ng posi ti ons and stay heal thy so you
can trai n hard.
2. SQUAT TO DE PTH AL L THE TI ME
If you are goi ng to be a great competi ti ve squatter you must squat
to depth al l the ti me. Do not fool yoursel f i nto thi nki ng that you can
squat hi gh i n trai ni ng and then wi l l hi t l egal depth i n a meet. I have
al ways made i t a motto to Leave No Doubt i n my squatti ng. I dont
want to have to even l ook for 3 whi te l i ghts when I fi ni sh a squat
because I shoul d al ready know that I hi t proper depth. Fi l m your
squats from the si de to check your depth or havi ng your trai ni ng
partners assess your depth for you and remember, fri ends dont l et
fri ends squat hi gh.
3. SPE E D, SPE E D, SPE E D!
The best way to squat bi g wei ght i s to squat fast. Generati ng great
speed and force i s the best way to dri ve through sti cki ng poi nts.
Focus on i mparti ng maxi mal speed to the bar al l the ti me. From 135
to your max, you need to be tryi ng to dri ve the bar through the roof.
When you are l ooki ng to devel op great bar speed you need to j ump
and do speed work.
Jumps of al l ki nds (box j umps, squat j umps, j ump for di stance,
depth j umps) wi l l al l hel p i mprove your Rate of Force Devel opment
so make sure you are j umpi ng at l east once per week. Jumps wi l l
al so serve to acti vate your central nervous system pri or to a heavy
squat sessi on. When you are doi ng speed work for the squat, I
suggest you use strai ght wei ght (no bands or chai ns) i n the 55-70%
percent range for sets of 2-4 reps and focus on performi ng at l east
1 rep per second. Get out a stop watch and ti me your sets.
CLI CK HERE TO SEE SHANE HAMMON S SPEED AS HE SQUATS 925LB
4. DOMI NATE THE WE I GHT
Do you know how I put 905 pounds on my back and smashed i t for
the Ameri can Record (raw w/ wraps-308 cl ass)? Confi dence. One of
the most common mi stakes I see peopl e maki ng when attempti ng a
max squat i s to sl ow down thei r descent. Thi s happens for 1
reasonfear. There can be no fear when getti ng under heavy
wei ght. Thi s supreme confi dence comes from proper preparati on,
both physi cal l y and mental l y. If you have trai ned to the best of your
abi l i ti es there i s no reason to have a doubt i n your mi nd when
steppi ng on the pl atform.
Not onl y must your trai ni ng be great, you must al so prepare your
mi nd. 905 was a number that was constantl y i n my mi nd l eadi ng up
to squatti ng i t, mental l y I owned 905. I had squatted i t hundreds, i f
not thousands of ti mes i n my mi nd. Fi l l your mi nd wi th posi ti ve
mental i magery and know that you own whatever wei ght i s goi ng on
your back, unrack i t powerful l y, descend wi th i t confi dentl y and then
expl ode wi th i t out of the hol e; be on a mi ssi on to l ockout.
5. BUI L D STRE NGTH OUT OF THE HOL E
The most common pl ace for a raw l i fter to mi ss a max squat i s ri ght
out of the hol e (i e. The bottom porti on of the l i ft). Putti ng extra
attenti on to thi s porti on of the l i ft i s what
I bel i eve i s most responsi bl e for
i mprovi ng my squat from 800 to 905
pounds over a 10 month peri od.
The two best exerci ses to i mprove your
strength out of the hol e are dead squats
and pause squats. Dead squats are
performed by pl aci ng the pi ns i n a safety
rack at 1 above paral l el , getti ng under
the bar i n that posi ti on and squatti ng up
from there. Try thi s 3 week trai ni ng cycl e
of dead squats
WEEK 1-10 SETS OF 1 AT 60% WI TH 30 SECONDS BETWEEN SETS
WEEK 2-7 SETS OF 1 AT 67. % WI TH 45 SECONDS BETWEEN SETS
WEEK 3-4 SETS OF 1 AT 75% WI TH 1 MI NUTE BETWEEN SETS
Pause squats are another great opti on to i mprove your strength and
power out of the hol e i n the squat. Pause squats done wi th 1, 3, 5
or a 7 second pause wi l l not onl y hel p you bui l d strength by
di mi ni shi ng or el i mi nati ng the benefi ts of the stretch refl ex out of the
hol e, they wi l l al so bui l d stati c, supporti ve strength i n the l ower
back, hi ps and abs, teach you to stay ti ght and hel p your body fi nd
i ts strongest posi ti on. Try thi s 3 week trai ni ng cycl e of pause
squats
WEEK 1-3 SETS OF 5 REPS WI TH 50% USI NG A 7 SECOND PAUSE
6. BUI L D UP YOUR BACK
Bi l l Kazmai er, arguabl y the strongest man of al l -ti me, sai d that A
strong back equal s a strong man, I dont argue wi th Kaz and
nei ther shoul d you. Back strength i s often the l i mi ti ng factor i n
someones abi l i ty to squat. If you back (upper and l ower) i s weak,
you wont be abl e to support heavy wei ght. Your hamstri ngs, quads,
hi ps and gl utes may be strong enough to squat 500 pounds, but i f
your back cant support i t, you arent goi ng to squat i t.
A great starti ng pl ace to i mprove your l ower back strength i s to
avoi d weari ng a l i fti ng bel t as much as possi bl e. Not weari ng a bel t
wi l l make your mi dsecti on work much harder to support the wei ght
and i n turn, make i t that much stronger when a bel t i s worn. Another
great exerci se to bui l d the stati c supporti ve strength necessary i n
the l ower back for a huge squat are deadl i ft hypers.
A deadl i ft hyper i s a combi nati on of a 45 degree back rai se and a
deadl i ft. Set up the bar on the fl oor, take a snatch gri p on i t and do
a back rai se whi l e hol di ng the bar. I have personal l y gone over 300
pounds on thi s exerci se for a set of 5. Addi ng i n a 1-3 second stati c
hol d at the top of each rep wi l l al so be effecti ve. When l ooki ng to
strengthen your upper back to i mprove your squat, al l type of rowi ng
and pul l i ng vari ati ons wi l l hel p.
My personal favori te i s the chest supported row and agai n addi ng i n
a stati c hol d at the top of each rep for 1-3 seconds wi l l be of
tremendous benefi t. Front squats or safety squat bar squats are al so
a great way to bui l d up your upper back i n a very speci fi c manner. I
woul d defi ni tel y encourage you to i ncl ude these vari ati ons i n your
trai ni ng.
7. HONE YOUR TE CHNI QUE
If your techni que i n the squat i s
poor you are wasti ng your
strength. Great techni que i s
what al l ows great strength to
be expressed effecti vel y. Not
everybodys techni que wi l l be
the same, i ndi vi dual body
di mensi ons, l everages,
strengths and weaknesses wi l l
di ctate what techni que i s most
effecti ve for you. From an
empty bar to your max, you
must practi ce great techni que
on every rep.
Great techni que starts wi th a great setup so get TIGHT and create a
good shel f for the bar whi l e dri vi ng your sternum up and your head
i nto your traps. Techni que can onl y be perfected through practi ce,
so make sure you are turni ng the vol ume up on your squat trai ni ng. I
have had squat sessi ons wi th as many as 18 work sets of squats
and squat vari ati ons. Wi th that bei ng sai d, i f you want to be a great
squatter and have great techni que, you must practi ce that ski l l , you
must squat.
The Barbel l Back Squat must be the foundati on of your trai ni ng and
front squats, box squats, pause squats, dead squats, etc are there
to suppl ement that work. I start every squat sessi on wi th the back
squat and work on other thi ngs after. If you want to be great at
somethi ng you have to do that thi ng, not j ust somethi ng si mi l ar to i t.
I can confi dentl y say that my best squat ever, 905 pounds, was al so
my most techni cal l y profi ci ent squat ever.
These 7 ti ps are onl y a gl i mpse i nto what i s necessary to become a
great squatter and strength athl ete but they wi l l gi ve you a great
start on the road to success and bui l di ng a l egendary squat.
Chad Wesley Smith is the founder and head physical preparation coach at Juggernaut
Training Systems. Chad has a diverse athletic background, winning two national
championships in the shot put, setting the American Record in the squat (905 in the 308
class, raw w/ wraps) and most recently winning the 2012 North American Strongman
championship, where he earned his pro card.
In addition to his athletic exploits, Chad has helped over 50 athletes earn Division 1
athletic scholarships since 2009 and worked with many NFL Players and Olympians.
Chad is the author of The Juggernaut Method and The Juggernaut Method 2.0.
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8 WE E KS TO MASSI VE L E GS
BY BRANDON LI LLY
If you have read, l i stened to, or watched anythi ng I have sai d i n the
past you wi l l know that I hate the defi ni ti ons we gi ve oursel ves. Im
a powerl i fter, bodybui l der, strongman, etc. We need to j ust get
back to a poi nt where we respect strength for strength, and stop
badgeri ng i t, and di srespecti ng others because what they choose to
focus on may be di fferent than what you do. So when I was thi nki ng
about what to share wi th you al l , I had an i dea, a chal l enge of sorts.
As a powerl i fter thi s i s a great bl ast cycl e to run after a meet, as I
have done thi s many ti mes over i n my l i fti ng career wi th much
success. Hopeful l y, you wi l l step up to the pl ate and grow from i t as
wel l .
I began doi ng thi s whi l e a geared l i fter, and after a meet to gi ve
mysel f a mental break from the gear I al ways di d a 4-8 week cycl e
raw. Bei ng an upper body domi nant l i fter I al ways wanted to
mai ntai n bal ance, and focus very hard on my l egs so that I di dnt
become the Johnny Bravo i n our gym, wal ki ng around wi th penci l
l egs. Thi s rotati on can be i mpl emented for anyone, and i s not a part
of the Cube rotati on as you wi l l see, i t very progressi ve, and very
taxi ng, but at the end of si x weeks I guarantee you wi l l be abl e to
tel l a di fference, and you wi l l need some new pants. Thi s i s a step
by step, rep by rep detai l ed pl an. You wi l l l i ft Monday, Wednesday,
Fri day, and one of the weekend days. The spl i t mi mi cs the Cube, i n
that on Wednesday you wi l l need to Bench, and fourth day wi l l be a
bodybui l di ng day. Monday and Fri day wi l l no l onger be Squat, and
Deadl i ft, i t wi l l j ust be a dedi cati on to l ower body enti rel y.
WE E KS 1- 4
WORKOUT A
Ol ympi c Squats (Feet shoul der wi dth apart)- 3 x 6-10 reps wi th 60
seconds rest
Deadl i fts Standi ng on 1-2 Bl ock- 60% x 1 x 12 reps x 20-30
seconds rest
Lunges- Short Stri des 3 x 15 x 45 seconds rest
Leg Press- Wi de Foot Pl acement 4 x 15
Ankl e Wei ght Leg Curl s- 100 reps
WORKOUT B
Deadl i ft from the Fl oor- Work up to a heavy Tri pl e
Wi de Stance (Comfortabl y Wi de)- 60% x 2 x 8 sets
Sti ff Leg Conventi onal Deadl i ft- 3 x 12 (Wei ght shoul d be l i ght
enough to move qui ckl y, but chal l engi ng for 12 reps)
Leg Press- Narrow Foot Posi ti on 5 x 10
Ankl e Wei ght Leg Curl s- 100 Reps
WE E KS 5- 8
WORKOUT A
Competi ti on Stance Squat- 3 x 3-5 reps (Use a wei ght that woul d
chal l enge you to do for 6 reps)
Deadl i ft from 4 Bl ocks or Pi n Pul l s from j ust bel ow Knee- Work up
to a Max Doubl e
Romani an Deadl i ft- 3 x 10
Si ssy Squats- 2 x 20 reps (These are brutal i f done properl y, add
wei ght onl y i f usi ng perfect form)
Leg Curl s- 4 x 15
WORKOUT B
Deadl i ft standi ng on 1 Mat- Work up to heavy 5 x 5
Front Squats- 3 x 12
Pause Squats- 3 x 6
Lunges w/DB i n Hand- 3 x 15 Stri des (Long Steps)
Leg Curl s- 4 x 15
*Squat Depth i s cruci al to thi s program as we are tryi ng to maxi mi ze
l eg sti mul ati on, thi s occurs through maxi mum range of moti on. Even
i f you enj oy squatti ng hi gh regul arl y, gi ve thi s a chance for 8 weeks
and you wi l l be shocked at the di fference.
UPPE R BODY
The desi gn of thi s program i s to al l ow you to trai n outsi de your gear
i f you are a geared l i fter, but pri mari l y for anyone that wants to
i ncrease l eg si ze and power. The upper body shoul d take a back
seat to the l ower body for thi s ti me peri od. That does not mean you
shoul d sl ack off of the upper body work, j ust take i nto account that
you are goi ng to be taxi ng your body, so trai n the upper body smart,
dont chase heavy doubl es, or si ngl es, rather keep the rep ranges at
3 or above. Al so thi s i s a great ti me to dedi cate to some upper body
mobi l i ty work, and tryi ng
new exerci ses.
PROGRE SSI ON
The fi rst week of an
exerci se, begi n by
handl i ng wei ghts that you
know you can move wel l .
Begi n at the upper end of
the al l owabl e rep range
Brandon Li l l y earned the hi ghest RAW powerl i fti ng
total i n the worl d i n 2012.
and add wei ght accordi ngl y each week. The next week, i ncrease the
number of reps from the week before but steer cl ear of fai l ure.
Repeat for the next week: keep the wei ght the same and shoot for
more reps from the week before wi thout hi tti ng fai l ure For the fourth
week, keep the wei ght the same and try to beat the numbers from
the week before, but the di fference on thi s week i s you can go to al l
out fai l ure.
Lets use the Ol ympi c Squat as an exampl e over the fi rst four-week
peri od usi ng a 3"6-10 rep scheme.
WEEK 1: 405/9 405/7 405/6
WEEK 2: 405/8 405/8 405/7
WEEK 3: 405/10-405/10-408/8
WEEK 4: 405/10 405/10 405/12
Keep i n mi nd that thi s i s j ust a reference of an exampl e. Everyone i s
di fferent, the goal bei ng to chal l enge yoursel f as much as possi bl e.
If you start hi tti ng 10s on the fi rst three weeks for al l your sets, you
need to up the wei ght. You need to be i n the l ow to mi ddl e end of
the rep ranges for maxi mum growth.
NUTRI TI ON
You better bel i eve you are goi ng to need to i ngest tons of food on
thi s. Li ke I sai d I l i ke to run thi s after a meet, and for me my onl y
focus after a meet, i s growth and recovery. I feel l i ke you shoul d be
on a food free for al l , and onl y scal e back i f you start to see a
dramati c i ncrease i n bodyfat.
RE ST AND RE COVE RY
Thi s program i s goi ng to be hard on your body, and the onl y way for
anyone to grow i s to recover. Dedi cate to thi s porti on of the
program j ust l i ke you woul d i n the gym, and you wi l l get maxi mum
resul ts.
Sl eep Make sure you get a mi ni mum of 8 hours of sl eep a day. I
say day because I tend to onl y sl eep i n bursts of a few hours at a
ti me, but I l ove to take naps, so make sl eep a pri ori ty, i f you cant
sl eep at ni ght, take a nap duri ng the day. Whatever i t takes get i t
done.
Stretch Make sure you stretch upon waki ng, when you get to the
gym, and after your workout. Im tal ki ng 20-45 mi nutes a day. Make
ti me for thi s and you wi l l see the benefi t.
Foam rol l Foam rol l i ng si ngl e handedl y changed everythi ng for me.
I started usi ng the rol l er every ni ght, and upon waki ng and I feel l i ke
a new man. I al so use i t to warm up, and al so i f I get ti ght between
sets I rol l . An ounce of preventi on i s worth a pound of cure.
Wrappi ng up thi s program i s fun, i ts hard, and rewardi ng. I
chal l enge you to try i t, and see what ki nd of gai ns you can get on i t.
But remember thi s i s not a program you want to do year round.
Once, or twi ce a year i s pl enty to maxi mi ze the potenti al of thi s
program, now go out and ki ck some ass! I wanna see some pant
l egs beggi ng for mercy!
Brandon Lilly is very well traveled, Elite powerlifter. He has trained at Guerrilla Squad
Barbell, Westside Barbell, Lexen Xtreme, and is now home at Berea Barbell. In his
strength journey he has competed in bodybuilding, strongman, and powerlifting.
Brandon is one of only 19 men to ever total over 2200 raw, having 2204 which ties him
for 16th all time (826.5 squat, 573 bench, 804.5 Deadlift). He also amassed a 2530 total
in Multi-Ply, and has best lifts of 1005 squat, 820 bench press, and 765 Deadlift.
Brandon is the author of The Cube Method and is aiming to create a paradigm shift in
the Powerlifting world.
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BONUS MATE RI AL
Check out thi s vi deo i n whi ch Bl ai ne Sumner, IPF Raw Worl d
Champi on and SHW Raw w/o wraps Worl d Record hol der (881
pounds) breaks down some techni que of Juggernaut fans
CLI CK HERE TO WATCH WORLD CHAMPI ON BLAI NE SUMNER BREAK DOWN THE SQUAT
HOW I BUI LT MY
BE ST SQUAT
E VE R: F RONT
SQUATS
BY DANI EL GREEN
The best exerci se for
i mprovi ng my squat
has been the front
squat. I l earned them
duri ng my Ol ympi c
l i fti ng years, but
rei nstated them i n my
powerl i fti ng regi men
after speaki ng wi th Mr.
Sam Byrd.
Of course the most i mportant way to i mprove the squat i s to j ust
squat and squat heavy! But for me the front squat has been huge.
Thi s i s because of the nature of the exerci se. Because the front
squat forces you to not l ean forward, you are forced not to al l ow
your l ower back strength to take over the l i ft. It forces you to squat
wi th the knees forward l oadi ng up the quads.
Thi s i s key for me because I have fai rl y l ong l egs and had al ways
had troubl e not l etti ng my back take over duri ng heavy back squats.
Dan Green i s the Worl d Record hol der at 220 and
242 pounds wi th a 2160l b i n j ust a bel t and
wraps. Dans best squat i s 826l bs. Learn more
about Dan at BossBarbel l .com
Front squats force the quads to do the work. Al so hol di ng a barbel l
racked across your chest and shoul ders wi l l provi de enormous work
for the upper backerectors and traps. I l i ke to use the front squat
i n the 5-8 rep range to real l y bui l d the quads wi th hi gh vol ume.
Maxes are ok too but I feel reps carry over to the back squat best.
For me I know that when my front squat numbers go up my back
squat i nevi tabl y wi l l too. In fact my squat tends to be about 200
pounds hi gher than my front squat! In sl eeves Ive front squatted
525"3 and back squatted 716"3. Wi th wraps I hi t 615 ri ght before
an 815 back squat.
CLI CK HERE TO WATCH DAN FRONT SQUAT 635LB
I l i ke to perform the front squat to a ful l depth wi th a moderate
stance. I rack the bar by shruggi ng my shoul ders forward as far as
possi bl e and gri ppi ng the bar bodybui l der styl e by crossi ng my
hands over the bar near the center knurl i ng. On the fi rst few
warmups Il l pause, si tti ng i n the hol e at the bottom, ti ghteni ng up
the posture of my upper back and hi p fl exors. Thi s type of stretchi ng
real l y prepares you to move wel l under the top wei ghts.
When I trai n these I try to never go for reps Im not certai n to
compl ete as that l eads to bad form at best, pl ateaui ng at worst.
Maki ng smal l progressi ons on these wi l l add up to bi g gai ns qui ckl y.
Ei ther trai n them as a second l i ft after back squats or on thei r own
day al together.
Dan Green is one of the top names in powerlifting today. The Raw Total World Record
Holder with 2030 (belt and sleeves), Dan is the dominant force in the 220 weight class.
Dan is the founder of Boss Barbell Club in Mountain View, CA where he trains team sport
and strength athletes.
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BONUS MATE RI AL
Ryan Brown of Darksi de Strength & Condi ti oni ng coaches you from
the ground up on the Front Squat
CLI CK HERE TO LET RYAN BROWN TAKE YOU THROUGH THE FRONT SQUAT
HOW I BUI LT MY BE ST SQUAT E VE R: SAF E TY SQUAT
BAR SQUATS
BY GREG PANORA
Im goi ng to l et u guys i n on a l i ttl e secret. Im not that strong. Im
not a geneti c freak or a phenom. Loui e Si mmons constantl y made
fun of my uni ceps and reverse cankl es. Im too tal l , too thi n and
my form i s pretty bad. So how di d I break the worl d record mul ti pl e
ti mes? How di d I squat 1060?
Because I have a coupl e of thi ngs that I l earned to do real l y wel l .
The mental aspect of bei ng strong has al ways been more i mportant
than the physi cal . I watched bi gger, stronger l i fters crumbl e under
squats because they coul dnt control thei r fear. Fear of the hol e
seperates a good squatter from a great one. Its bei ng abl e to push
past the pai n and awkwardness of that fi nal two i nches. How do you
l earn to do thi s? How do you teach yoursel f to thi nk when your
i nternal organs feel l i ke they are goi ng to come out your nose?
Anyone who has ever been to Westsi de Barbel l knows about the
safety squat bar. None of the speci fi cati ons make any sense. It
resembl es a safety squat bar, but i s a total l y di fferent enti ty. The
neck pad i s the same materi al as your grandparents l eather couch.
It smel l s l i ke an ol d band ai d and the faux l eather i s al l frayed. If you
l ook cl ose enough you can see the bl ood stai ns from a thousand
popped neck zi ts. The bar si ts way to hi gh on your neck and makes
135 feel l i ke 505 pounds. Ei ther you control the bar or i t wi l l control
you.
So, how di d I use thi s to squat 1060? I woul d use thi s bar for sets
of 5 raw off a 12 i nch box. Im not sure i f i t made me any stronger,
but i t taught me to confront my fear. It taught me to thi nk when my
ri bs fel t l i ke they were braki ng. It taught me to hol d ai r whi l e
swal l owi ng vomi t. It taught me to conti nue my mental cues whi l e
bl ood was pouri ng out of my nose. So, thats my bi g secret. I
l earned to thi nk and control my body when i t wanted to shut off. So,
before you put on your bri efs and sui t to do a hi gh box, reverse
band squat, ask yoursel f, shoul d I be doi ng somethi ng di fferent? Am
I ready to ready to ri de a bi g squat al l the way through?
Greg Panora is a certified legend in the sport of Powerlifting. The former World Record
Holder (and current American Record Holder) with a 2630 total (Multiply) in the 242
weight class, Panora now has his sights set on breaking the 242 raw total world record
and is off to a strong start already having recorded a 500 raw bench and 750 raw
deadlift. Greg coaches powerlifting at Crossfit Casco Bay in Portland, Maine.
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BONUS MATE RI AL
Check out this video of Chad Wesley Smith breaking down how to x the
dreaded problem of butt wink in the squat
WATCH CHAD WESLEY SMI TH TELL YOU HOW TO FI X BUTT WI NK
WORL D RE CORD SQUAT
TRAI NI NG
BY COREY HAYES
Comi ng freshl y off of a 65l b competi ti on squat PR i n the December
North of the Border meet, i t was ti me to go back to the drawi ng
board to create a pl an to take over the worl d.er, I mean worl d
record.
To start, I needed to get her re-adj usted to the hi gh vol ume that i s
pl aced on her duri ng the off-season. We al so took thi s ti me to bri ng
up some weak poi nts by trai ni ng compl etel y raw, as i n no bel t, no
wraps, no nothi ng.
Caitlyn Trout has squatted 160kg
(352 pounds) in the 123 pound
class for the World Record raw w/
wraps only a year into her
powerlifting career
As you see, we kept the wei ght the same for the enti re trai ni ng
month, onl y l oweri ng for the del oad. The work comes from
i ncreasi ng the sets and/or reps each week whi ch i n-turn i ncreases
the total tonnage l i fted each week.Next came the normal off-season
vol ume phases whi ch are qui te vani l l a and not very fl ashy but are
what real l y i ncrease Cai tl yns l i fts l i ke no other. The total number of
dai l y l i fts stay at a fl at rate (around 75) and we adj ust the total
wei ght weekl y, stri vi ng to add 10l bs a week or about 3 percent. Al l
the l i fts stay the same, al though she i s strong as shi t, she i snt an
advanced l i fter as she has onl y been trai ni ng for a year and a hal f.
I see no need to vary her trai ni ng l i fts weekl y. Duri ng thi s phase, we
re-i ntroduce the bel t onl y on regul ar squats, no bel t worn for
anythi ng el se.
PHASE 1 VOL UME L OADI NG VOL UME L OADI NG VOL UME L OADI NG
Week 1 Squat-210x8x3 Olympic Squat-160x5x5 Good Mornings-95x2x12
Assistance GHR-50 Total DB Rows-50 Total Planks-3 sets of max time
PHASE 2 VOL UME PHASE VOL UME PHASE VOL UME PHASE
Assistance GHR-50 Total DB Rows-50 Total Planks-3 sets of max time
PHASE 2- 2 VOL UME PHASE VOL UME PHASE VOL UME PHASE
Assistance
GHR-50 Total w/
Micro Mini Band DB Rows-50 Total Planks-3 sets of max time w/ weight
Two months of the vol ume phase was ran, the onl y di fference bei ng
ever i ncreasi ng wei ghts. In month two of the vol ume phase, we
i ncreased the di ffi cul ty of her assi stance work as wel l .
Next starts the fun part, the off-season work i s now done and i ts
ti me to transi ti on i nto competi ti on prep. Phase 3 of the pl an i s the
transi ti on phase as i ts a steppi ng stone between the i nsane vol ume
of the off-season and the i ncredi bl e wei ghts of the peaki ng phase.
In the transi ti on phase, we l ower the total amount of reps done per
workout to around 50 and conti nue i ncreasi ng the wei ghts on
everythi ng but good morni ngs.
The goal of good morni ngs change at thi s poi nt from a bui l der to a
mai ntai ner. ALL FOCUS IS NOW ON THE SQUAT. Agai n, the same
exerci ses are used each week. Duri ng thi s phase i s when we
i ntroduce knee wraps. I have Cai tl yn wrap her own knees duri ng
thi s phase to make sure they arent super ti ght or more than
needed.
PHASE 3 TRANSI TI ON PHASE TRANSI TI ON PHASE TRANSI TI ON PHASE
Assistance
GHR-50 Total w/
Micro Mini Band DB Rows-50 Total
Planks-3 sets of max
time w/ weight
And fi nal l y, the peaki ng phase. The vol ume drops agai n, now
droppi ng sl i ghtl y every week whi l e wei ghts keep i ncreasi ng. We al so
i ntroduce reverse band work done wi th doubl ed mi cro-mi ni bands
whi ch reduce the wei ght by about 30l bs at the bottom and zero at
the top. Thi s i s enough to have her handl e some heavi er wei ghts,
bui l d confi dence and pri me the central nervous system wi thout
ki l l i ng hersel f. Im a bi g bel i ever i n savi ng i t for the pl atform so I
never have her take more than a few pounds over an opener wi thout
the reverse bands.
Duri ng thi s phase, knees are wrapped as ti ght as possi bl e and good
morni ngs are compl etel y dropped. Vol ume on the assi stance l i fts are
al so sl i ghtl y decreased for recoverys sake.
PHASE 4 PE AKI NG PHASE PE AKI NG PHASE PE AKI NG PHASE
Week 1 Squat-290x2, 310x2, 330x1* Olympic Squat-230x2x3 Olympic Squat-230x2x3
Week 2 Squat-300x1, 320x1, 340x1* Olympic Squat-240x2x3 Olympic Squat-240x2x3
Week 3 Squat-310x1, 330x1*, 355x1* Olympic Squat-250x2 Olympic Squat-250x2
Week 4 Meet Week-Complete Deload
Assistance
GHR-25 Total w/
micro mini band DB Rows-3 sets
Planks-3 sets of max
time w/ weight
* Reverse Doubled Micro Mini Bands * Reverse Doubled Micro Mini Bands * Reverse Doubled Micro Mini Bands * Reverse Doubled Micro Mini Bands
So you see, hard work and proper pl anni ng i s abundant. Proper
pl anni ng i s a per-curser to success so why are you sti l l goi ng to the
gym wi thout a pl an? As Mi ke T says, months and years, not days
and weeks.
CLI CK HERE TO WATCH RYAN S ATHLETE, CAI TLYN TROUT, SQUAT A WORLD RECORD
Corey Hayes is an up and comer to the strength and conditioning world. He is currenty a
student at Eastern Kentucky University and a Professional level powerlifter. His best
meet lifts are 725/425/675 at 220 raw and 880/640/680 at 242 geared. He has future
plans of taking over the world and making a living doing what he enjoys, the iron game.
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BONUS MATE RI AL
Team Juggernauts Brandon Li l l y breaks down the squat techni que
of some Juggernaut fans
CLI CK HERE TO LI STEN TO TEAM JUGGERNAUT S BRANDON LI LLY BREAK DOWN THE SQUAT
HOW I BUI LT MY BE ST SQUAT E VE R:
L OW BAR GOOD MORNI NGS
BY BLAI NE SUMNER
As l ong as I can remember, the squat has al ways been my favori te
l i ft. But i t took me a l ong ti me to get good at i t. My l i fti ng from the
ti me I was a freshman i n hi gh school unti l 2011 was based around
footbal l and I was at the wi l l of footbal l strength coaches. But I can
remember as a freshman i n hi gh school I was 61 145 l bs. and had
the weakest squat on my hi gh school footbal l team. Whi ch was a
smal l 3A mountai n school i n Col orado. Fast forward to Apri l , 2012
and I set the IPF Worl d Record Raw Squat wi th 881 l bs. weari ng j ust
a bel t and knee sl eeves wei ghi ng 350 l bs.
CLI CK HERE TO WATCH BLAI NE S WORLD RECORD SQUAT
Besi des doi ng tremendous hi gh vol ume squatti ng wi th hi gher than
normal i ntensi ty, the Good Morni ng has been the bread and butter
assi stance exerci se to bri ni ng my squat up to where i t i s now. For
an assi stance exerci se to carryover to your mai n l i ft; you must
understand i ts purpose and WHY you are doi ng i t. Thi s i s why you
cannot fol l ow a program bl i ndl y and what works for Li fter A may not
work for Li fter B. Because of my squat styl e, I choose to do Low-
Bar Good Morni ngs. I am a l ow-bar squatter and I have a bi g
i ntenti onal l ean so I emul ate that wi th my assi stance l i fts. A cl ose
stance, upri ght squatter woul d benefi t more from front squats and
hi gher bar good morni ngs.
When I began powerl i fti ng ful l ti me after I was done pl ayi ng footbal l ;
my squat days were basi c and consi sted of thi s: Squats, Good
Morni ngs, Box Jumps, Abs. Good Morni ngs were the onl y di rect
squat assi stance I woul d do and the resul ts speak for themsel ves. I
woul d do GMs at the same rep/set/i ntensi ty scheme that I woul d
perform my squat. When I perform GMs, I wal k the bar out and set-
up i denti cal to how I woul d squat. Then I break at the hi ps j ust as I
woul d for a squat, but i nstead of l oweri ng my hi ps down, I conti nue
to push them strai ght back. I l ean as much as possi bl e unti l I feel
that i f I l eaned any further forward I woul d l ose i t; then I come back
up.
Sounds si mpl e enough ri ght? I do not concern mysel f wi th keepi ng
my l egs strai ght I push my hi ps back and l ean forward as much as
I am comfortabl e wi th then dri ve the hi ps forward and come up. I do
not have good vi deo of me performi ng a GM but bel ow i s an
exerci se I made up cal l ed Good Weeks whi ch I began doi ng as
rehab for my torn
hi p l abrum when
I coul d not squat.
They are very
si mi l ar to my
GMs but where I
woul d usual l y
come up from
the GM, I drop
Bl ai ne Sumner hol ds the IPF RAW
Worl d Record i n the squat at 881l bs.
Bl ai ne al so set NFL testi ng records
i n the 225 bench rep test (52) and
Ki rwan Expl osi ve Index (95).
my hi ps to a box, then shoot my hi ps up i ntenti onal l y, returni ng to
the GM form. Here i s 585 X 5 agai nst green bands
CLI CK HERE TO WATCH BLAI NE S SQUAT 585X5 WI TH GREEN BANDS
As a powerl i fter, when pi cki ng assi stance exerci ses focus shoul d be
on MOVEMENTS and WEAK POINTS, not MUSCLES. So i f a l i fter
mi sses a squat i n the hol e, the answer i snt to try to bri ng up the
gl utes and hamstri ngs i t i s to focus on where he mi ssed and why.
In thi s case pause squats or box squats (not WSBB styl e j ust to
break the rebound) woul d be the answer. I, l i ke 80% of raw l i fters
mi ss a squat a l i ttl e l ess than hal fway up after the rebound from the
hol e sl ows.
As a resul t I choose to do GMs the way I do because I reverse the
wei ght about where I mi ss a squat. But because of the gap i n
rel ati on to my hi ps/bar, I am i n a compromi sed posi ti on maki ng the
l i ft harder. I hope you can take away bi ts and pi eces of thi s arti cl e
and i ncorporate GMs i nto your arsenal to take your squat to the
next l evel .
Blaine Sumner is a drug-free powerlifter who competes in the IPF and USAPL both raw
and single ply. He holds the IPF Raw World Record for Squat (881 no wraps) and Total
(2,056) in addition to winning the 2012 IPF Raw World Championship. Sumner played
Division II football at the Colorado School of Mines where he started at nose tackle for 4
years in addition to scoring 8 touchdowns as a short yardage fullback. He also set NFL
testing records for 225 bench reps (52) and Kirwan Explosive Index (95). In addition to
having a 33 Vertical Jump and 50 box jump at 350 lbs., Sumner was a 4 sport athlete
in high school (Football, Wrestling, Lacrosse, Track). He is originally from Colorado and
now lives in Oklahoma City where he trains at HATE Barbell and works as a Petroleum
Engineer.
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SQUAT DE VE L OPME NT F OR WE I GHTL I F TI NG
BY JACOB TSYPKI N
Si nce the press was el i mi nated from competi ti on i n 1972,
wei ghtl i fti ng has become a compl etel y l ower body domi nant sport.
Yet not surpri si ngl y there i s much debate over the best methods
by whi ch to devel op l eg strength for wei ghtl i fters. Someti mes very
surpri si ngl y there i s even debate over the need for wei ghtl i fters to
have strong l egs. In thi s arti cl e I wi l l attempt to di spel some
common myths pertai ni ng to the squat i n wei ghtl i fti ng, and outl i ne
the methods I use to i mprove the squat i n my wei ghtl i fters, wi th the
goal of usi ng the devel oped l eg strength to i mprove resul ts i n the
snatch and cl ean & j erk.
SOME TI ME S, PE OPL E ARE J UST WRONG.
I woul d fi rst l i ke to cl ear up some mi sconcepti ons about the rol e of
squatti ng and strength i n wei ghtl i fti ng. To be cl ear, most of these
are hel d by peopl e who are outsi de observers, perhaps parti ci pants
i n other strength sports but not competi tors i n wei ghtl i fti ng. Sti l l ,
l ets get these i deas out of the way so that the questi ons that may
accompany them need not hi nder us l ater on.
1. WE I GHTL I F TE RS ARE N T STRONG
I real l y have no i dea how thi s happened, but a surpri si ng amount of
peopl e thi nk that wei ghtl i fters arent strong. Somehow, the fact that
speed, posi ti on, rhythm, and ti mi ng are al l j ust as cruci al as strength
i n wei ghtl i fti ng, has l ed some to bel i eve that peopl e who put nearl y
600l bs overhead arent strength athl etes Il l j ust l eave thi s here
for you
CLI CK HERE TO WATCH I DALBERTO ARANDA OF CUBA SQUAT 280KG @ 75KG BODYWEI GHT
That i s 75kg Idal berto Aranda of Cuba, back squatti ng a l aughabl y
easy 280kg. Cl ose to 4x bodywei ght, no wraps, not even a bel t,
wi th such ease that he l i teral l y throws i t over hi s head when hes
done. He i s rumored to have squatted 310. Though he i s perhaps
an extreme exampl e, i t i s probabl y safe to say that wei ghtl i fters trai n
to be strong, and succeed at i t.
MYTH DI SPE L L E D. MOVI NG ON.
2. RE SE RVE STRE NGTH
The concept of reserve strength works l i ke thi s: If a wei ghtl i fter has
a 80kg cl ean & j erk, and a 100kg back squat, i f he i ncreases hi s
back squat to 120kg, then 80kg wi l l represent a rel ati vel y smal l er
percentage of hi s maxi mal strength, and the wei ghtl i fter can now
make the 80kg cl ean & j erk even i f the l i ft i s mechani cal l y
subopti mal .
Because of the rel ati ve l i ghtness of the l oad, the l i fter can make
smal l correcti ons to posi ti on duri ng the l i ft whi ch he woul d not be
abl e to make i f the l oad were heavi er rel ati ve to hi s absol ute
strength. Whi l e thi s concept seems sound on the surface, we must
consi der what those numbers represent.
A wei ghtl i fter who cl ean & j erks 80 and back squats 100 i s cl ean &
j erki ng 80% of hi s back squat. Sovi et manual s suggest that 80% i s
an i deal rati o. If the wei ghtl i fter i ncreases hi s back squat to 120,
and hi s cl ean & j erk stays at 80, he i s now onl y cl ean & j erki ng 66%
of hi s back squat. If the l i fter i ncreases hi s C&J to 90, he i s sti l l onl y
now cl ean & j erki ng 75% of hi s back squat. He has become l ess
effi ci ent.
Perhaps he can make the l i ft wi th smal l er vari ances i n form, but that
j ust means that hi s form has worsened. Onl y i f the l i fter i ncreases
hi s cl ean & j erk to 96kg, has hi s effi ci ency remai ned opti mal . A
16kg i mprovement i n the C&J i s unl i kel y merel y from i ncreasi ng the
back squat by 20kg, except i n some very parti cul ar ci rcumstances.
Over ti me, the back squat wi l l i ncrease to 120, and the cl ean & j erk
to 96, but bi asi ng trai ni ng towards qui ckl y i ncreasi ng the back squat
wi l l l i kel y reduce effi ci ency, and be detri mental to the l i fters l ong
term competi ti on resul ts.
There are obvi ousl y excepti ons to thi s rul e. Aranda, i n the vi deo
above, had a best C&J of 205.5kg, or 68% of hi s best back squat i f
the rumor of 310 i s true. Usual l y, l arger l i fters wi l l tend to be l ess
effi ci ent rel ati ve to thei r max squat. However, the vast maj ori ty of
readers are not maj or excepti ons, and al most none of you are
Aranda. If you have a 200kg back squat and a 120kg cl ean & j erk,
you dont have reserve strength, you have crappy techni que.
3. AL L MAXE S, AL L THE TI ME
Thi s one probabl y stems from the so-cal l ed Bul gari an System that
no one real l y understands (mysel f i ncl uded.) A l ot of fol ks seem to
thi nk that wei ghtl i fters j ust max thei r squat every si ngl e day (thi s
appl i es to the snatch and cl ean & j erk as wel l .)
Whi l e thi s i s certai nl y an approach used by some coaches and
athl etes, and one whi ch I have used i n certai n ci rcumstances, i t i s
safe to say that the vast maj ori ty of l i fters do si mpl e vol ume work at
some poi nt i n thei r trai ni ng. Vol ume forms the crux of the program
whi ch I uti l i ze, and most of the coaches and l i fters I work wi th use a
l ot of vol ume i n thei r programmi ng.
4. AL L F RONT SQUATS, AL L THE TI ME
Not compl etel y certai n where thi s one
came from, but I suspect i t may be
al so have ri sen from the Bul gari an
System peopl e. Whi l e there are
i nstances of wei ghtl i fters who do not
back squat, or who predomi nantl y
front squat, most wei ghtl i fters shoul d
and do back squat.
CLI CK HERE TO WATCH JACOB BRI EFLY I NTRODUCE THE
FRONT SQUAT
The front squat i s the vari ant whi ch i s
most speci fi c to the Ol ympi c l i fts,
si nce i t i s the bottom posi ti on of the
cl ean. Note the ful l depth, very upri ght
torso, and acute hi p and knee angl es.
BS DE ALT WI TH. L E T S MOVE ON.
RUL E S OF SQUATTI NG F OR WE I GHTL I F TE RS
When devel opi ng the squat to i mprove the snatch and cl ean & j erk,
there are some i mportant keys to remember. These shoul d gui de
your techni que, your programmi ng, and the preval ence of the squat
i n your trai ni ng.
1. YOU ARE A WE I GHTL I F TE R.
You compete i n the snatch and the cl ean & j erk. Nei ther the back
nor the front squat are contested events i n the sport of wei ghtl i fti ng.
Whi l e there may be ti mes for some l i fters when i t i s appropri ate to
pri ori ti ze squatti ng strength at the temporary expense of resul ts i n
the competi ton l i fts, thi s i s l i mi ted to parti cul ar i ndi vi dual s i n
parti cul ar ci rcumstances. If you show up at a meet, go 2/6, and
fi ni sh l ast, no amount of but I back squat 3x bodywei ght! i s goi ng
to make you feel better about getti ng your ass ki cked. YOU ARE A
WEIGHTLIFTER. TRAIN THE SQUAT ACCORDINGLY.
CLI CK HERE TO WATCH JACOB BRI EFLY I NTRODUCE THE LOW BAR BACK SQUAT
The l ow bar back squat i s the l east
speci fi c squat vari ant for the Ol ympi c
l i fts. It i s so far removed that I woul d
strongl y recommend agai nst i ts use
at al l for l eg strength devel opment i n
wei ghtl i fti ng. Note the cl ear di fference
i n torso, hi p, and knee angl es.
Trai ni ng the l ow bar back squat wi l l
l i kel y l ead to poor recei vi ng posi ti ons
for both the snatch and cl ean.
2. GRI NDE RS ARE OKAY.
Shi tty squats are not. Real l y thi s one
appl i es to al l strength athl etes, but
i ts of parti cul ar i mportance for wei ghtl i fters. Whi l e a powerl i fter
may ri sk i nj ury, ei ther chroni c or acute, by doi ng shi tty squats al l the
ti me, he can sti l l wi n a meet wi th a heavy bel ow-paral l el good
morni ng. Regul arl y squatti ng i n thi s fashi on i s detri mental i n a more
di rect way for the wei ghtl i fter, because i t wi l l i nfl uence the way he
i nteracts wi th heavy l oads i n the snatch and cl ean & j erk.
Squatti ng wi th an i ncl i ned torso and rounded back wi l l l ead to these
trai ts carryi ng over to the competi ti on l i fts, and thats goi ng to l ead
to mi sses. An occasi onal ugl y squat on a PR attempt i s okay, and
probabl y i nevi tabl e, but the maj ori ty of your squatti ng shoul d be
done wi th good posi ti ons whi ch effecti vel y approxi mate the
posi ti ons of the snatch and cl ean & j erk.
3. HI GH BAR BACK SQUATS
I wi l l make thi s cl ear now. The l ow bar
back squat does not carry over effecti vel y
to the l i fts. It l eads to a l ess than i deal
bottom posi ti on i n the snatch. IT MOST
CERTAINLY DOES NOT MIMIC THE PULL
FROM THE FLOOR. Wei ghtl i fters hi gh
bar back squat. Thi s i s onl y a debate
amongst peopl e who dont actual l y know
what they are tal ki ng about. That i s al l .
CLI CK HERE TO WATCH JACOB REVI EW THE HI GH BAR BACK
SQUAT
The hi gh bar back squat i s l ess task-speci fi c to wei ghtl i fti ng than
the front squat i s, but i t i s si mi l ar enough to carry over very wel l to
the snatch and cl ean & j erk, whi l e al so al l owi ng the l i fter to trai n
wi th heavi er l oads. Note that the torso, hi p, and knee angl es are
very si mi l ar to those of the front squat.
NOW. L E T S GO TO WORK.
ME THODS
The pri mary method I use i s based on the same framework as the
program Coach Pendl ay uses at MDUSA. It i s a vari ati on of the so-
cal l ed Texas Method.
The setup i s very si mpl e. On Monday, back squat for vol ume. On
Wednesday, front squat, usual l y heavy tri pl es. On Saturday, attempt
to back squat some type of PR. We typi cal l y push the set of 5 i n
the back squat more than any other rep range, somethi ng el se I
pi cked up from Coach Pendl ay. It seems to carry over to the cl ean
& j erk better probabl y because of the i ncreased ti me under
tensi on. In my experi ence, l i fters are al so l ess l i kel y to sacri fi ce
form for a new PR set of 5 than they are for a new PR si ngl e.
Cl oser to a meet, we wi l l l ower the vol ume and i ncrease the
i ntensi ty, and do more front squatti ng than back squatti ng.
I general l y dont do much work wi th percentages, and I al so dont
often di ctate changes i n rep ranges, but prefer to l et them happen
natural l y. When a l i fter can no l onger perform 3 sets of 5 on
Monday, wel l move to 4 sets of 4. When he has fai l ed a new 5RM
attempt two weeks i n a row, wel l move to 3RM. However, for the
sake of havi ng a concrete exampl e of the program, the fol l owi ng i s a
depi cti on of how thi s may l ook over the course of 12 weeks, wi th a
13th taper week, at the end of whi ch the l i fter competes.
DISCLAIMER: Thi s i s an exampl e of the basi c framework I use to
devel op the squat. The real i ty i s that i t i s more fl ui d and vari abl e,
dependent on i ndi vi dual needs and ci rcumstances. As Coach
Pendl ay once tol d me, Theory and practi ce are the same i n theory,
but not i n practi ce.
Al so, thi s program assumes that the l i fter has al ready gone through
and moved beyond a basi c l i near progressi on for devel opi ng the
squat. Al l of my l i fters start thei r trai ni ng wi th 3"5 back squat on
Monday and Saturday and 5"3 front squat on Wednesday unti l they
can no l onger make i mprovements. Then they swi tch to the
program outl i ned here.
*Al l notati on i s Sets x Reps where l oad i s NOT i ndi cated, Load x
Reps x Sets where l oad IS i ndi cated.
WE E K 1
Monday Back Squat 75%x5x3
Wednesday Front Squat 75%x3x5
Saturday Back Squat 5RM (I actual l y advocate starti ng
somewhat conservati vel y, a very hard but not qui te maxi mal set of 5)
WE E K 2
Monday Back Squat 3"5, add l oad from previ ous Monday
Wednesday Front Squat 5"3, add l oad from previ ous
Wednesday
Saturday$ $ Back Squat 5RM
WE E K 3
Wednesday
WE E K 4
Wednesday
WE E K 5
Wednesday
Saturday Back Squat 5RM OR 3RM (*DO NOT move to 3RM
unl ess you have mi ssed your new 5RM attempt for two weeks
strai ght)
WE E K 6
Wednesday Front squat 6"2, add l oad from previ ous Wednesday
Saturday$ $ Back Squat 5RM or 3RM
WE E K 7
Wednesday
Saturday Back Squat 5RM or 3RM
WE E K 8
Wednesday
WE E K 9
Wednesday
Use SMALL i ncreases i n wei ght, parti cul arl y on Mondays and
Wednesdays. You shoul d not mi ss reps on Monday or Wednesday.
You are putti ng work i n, not setti ng records. If necessary, stay at
the same l oad for a few weeks at a ti me. Saturday i s your day to
make PRs.
WE E K 10
Monday Front Squat heavy si ngl e (NOT maxi mal ,) then
90%x2x2 *90% of todays si ngl e
Wednesday Front Squat heavy si ngl e (NOT maxi mal ,) then
90%x2x2 *90% of todays si ngl e
Saturday Front Squat 1RM
WE E K 11
Monday Front Squat 1RM
Wednesday Front Squat heavy si ngl e (NOT maxi mal ,) 90%x2x2
*90% of todays si ngl e
WE E K 12
Monday Front Squat 1RM
Wednesday Front Squat heavy si ngl e (NOT maxi mal )
WE E K 13 ( TAPE R AND COMPE TI TI ON)
Monday Front Squat 85%x1x1
Wednesday Front Squat C&J opener for si ngl e
Saturday No squatti ng
Sunday Compete
BRE AKI NG PL ATE AUS
Li ke anythi ng el se, eventual l y thi s wi l l stop worki ng, and you wi l l
need to do somethi ng to move past your current l i mi tati ons.
The program outl i ned above i s a mi x of i ntensi ty and vol ume work.
To break through pl ateaus, I typi cal l y j ust use a program whi ch
bi ases ei ther vol ume, or i ntensi ty. The methods I commonl y use are
presented here.
VOL UME : SMOL OV J UNI OR
I have seen qui te a few vari ants of Smol ov Juni or fl oati ng around the
i nternet. Thi s one may or may not be the correct or ori gi nal one.
Im not sure. Whatever i t i s, i t seems to work pretty wel l . Rather
than the tradi ti onal 4 days/week that Smol ov cal l s for, I sti ck to our
normal Monday-Wednesday-Saturday schedul e for thi s program. It
al ternates between 4 rep schemes:
3"9
4"7
5"5
6"3
The fi rst four workouts woul d l ook l i ke thi s:
Wednesday Back Squat 75%x7x4
Saturday Back Squat 80%x5x5
For the next workout, go back to 3"9 and move up by 5%. Do the
same wi th each of the fol l owi ng workouts. For the thi rd cycl e,
i ncrease by 2.5%. After that, you can back off for a week, and
retest your back squat, at whi ch poi nt you may choose to repeat
Smol ov Juni or, or return to our regul arl y schedul ed programmi ng.
Though there i s an i ntensi fi cati on phase for Smol ov, whi ch I assume
coul d be adapted for Smol ov Juni or, I have never tri ed to use i t wi th
my wei ghtl i fters.
PROS
1: LOTS OF SQUATTING. If you need to gai n si ze, thi s wi l l l i kel y
hel p. And i ts more than l i kel y goi ng to push your squat up, unl ess
you are one of those fi ew i ndi vi dual s whose strength endurance i s
good enough that hi gh vol ume squatti ng doesnt necessari l y
i mprove 1RMs.
2: INCREASED WORK CAPACITY. Squatti ng l i ke thi s wi l l hel p
i mprove your tol erance to heavy l i fti ng i n general , whi ch i s defi ni tel y
a good thi ng.
CONS
1: IT IS GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS. Not as bad as the ori gi nal
Smol ov, but bad enough that you can expect your snatch and cl ean
& j erk to take a hi t. Its al so an absol utel y terri bl e way to squat i f
youre tryi ng to l ose wei ght, because you are goi ng to need to eat
your face off.
2: NO FRONT SQUATS. I suppose you coul d work i n a heavy si ngl e
front squat before your back squats once or twi ce a week, but
beyond the fi rst cycl e, the l ast thi ng youre goi ng to want to do i s
more squatti ng.
I NTE NSI TY: DAI LY SQUATTI NG
And here are the famed dai l y maxes. But l ets cl ear a few thi ngs
up about how thi s works.
1. A dai l y max i s not a true max. Dont expect to hi t a PR every day.
Set a mi ni mum number that i s a goal for you to work up to
probabl y around 80% or a l i ttl e bi t l ess of your PR. Try to hi t that
every day, and gradual l y bri ng that number up to 90%.
Occasi onal l y, when you feel great, go bi g. You shoul d al most never
mi ss a rep.
2: Fi nd the ri ght bal ance between back and front squats. I thi nk
most l i fters shoul d do 2:1 back squat:front squat, but that may not
be what works best for you, parti cul arl y i f you are a weak front
squatter. Thi s method i s about functi onal , not structural adaptati on.
Its practi ce wi th heavy wei ghts. So i f your front squat i s what
needs to come up most, that may be what you do more frequentl y.
3. Dai l y squatti ng does NOT have to be a dai l y si ngl e. Thi s i s
general l y how I prescri be the program: Start by hi tti ng 80% of your
max i n ei ther the back or front squat at l east 6 days/week.
Gradual l y i ncrease that number over ti me. Occasi onal l y do a doubl e
wi th your dai l y wei ght or a l i ttl e bi t hi gher. Occasi onal l y do 2"2 wi th
sl i ghtl y bel ow your dai l y wei ght.
4. Increase al l wei ghts gradual l y. When you go for a PR, i t shoul d be
a SMALL PR. If you make i t, cal l i t a day. Bri ng up your dai l y
wei ght gradual l y, a few workouts at a ti me. Let yoursel f adapt. If
you dont, thi s can end poorl y.
PROS
1: TASK SPECIFIC. Wei ghtl i fters trai n to do one rep, thi s method
wi l l get you good at doi ng one rep.
2: HIGH FREQUENCY SQUATTING, PROGRAMMED
INTELLIGENTLY, WONT HAVE MUCH OF AN EFFECT ON YOUR
SNATCH AND CLEAN & JERK. Its rel ati vel y easy most days and
you can get through i t i n about 10 mi nutes.
3: SHOCKINGLY, THIS WAS A GREAT WAY TO DEAL WITH MY
KNEE PAIN. My knees feel far better doi ng thi s than they di d when I
was squatti ng 3x/week, and I am squatti ng heavi er than I have i n
cl ose to a year. I have heard si mi l ar reports from other l i fters.
CONS
1: IF YOU DO NOT CHECK YOURSELF, YOU WILL WRECK
YOURSELF. Let your ego take control and you wi l l pay the pri ce.
2: TO BE DONE CORRECTLY, A LIFTER NEEDS TO KNOW HIMSELF
PRETTY WELL. Thi s i s a very i ntui ti ve method and you need to be
fai rl y experi enced to empl oy i t correctl y.
CONCL USI ON
It i s cl ear to any cri ti cal observer that devel opi ng l eg strength i s
cruci al for the wei ghtl i fter. It i s al so not as compl i cated as i t may
seem at fi rst gl ance. I hope that i f you choose to try the outl i ned
program, you fi nd i t benefi ci al . However, of greater i mportance i s
understandi ng the foundati ons upon whi ch thi s program i s bui l t, and
those are what I hope you take away from thi s arti cl e.
As to the methods there may be a mi l l i on and then some, but
pri nci pl es are few. The man who grasps pri nci pl es can successful l y
sel ect hi s own methods. The man who tri es methods, i gnori ng
pri nci pl es, i s sure to have troubl e.
Ral ph Wal do Emerson (1803-1882)
Jacob Tsypkin is a CrossFit and weightlifting coach, and the co-owner of CrossFit
Monterey and the Monterey Bay Barbell Club in Monterey, CA.
Website, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter
HOW I BUI LT MY BE ST SQUAT E VE R: SPL I T SQUATS
BY COREY HAYES
After si tti ng and thi nki ng about an assi stance move that has hel ped
me the most throughout the years and goi ng back throughout my
ol d trai ni ng l ogs, one movement kept poppi ng back up. It was a
movement that I hadnt ever thought about much but i t j ust so
happened every ti me my squat was at i ts best, I had been doi ng thi s
movement for weeks before hand. What i s i t? The spl i t squat.
I feel l i ke the spl i t squat i s honestl y a fl awl ess assi stance movement.
Why? The spl i t squat i s a perfect combi nati on of strength, mobi l i ty,
coordi nati on and bal ance.
CLI CK HERE TO WATCH AN ATHLETE DOI NG A HI GH REP SET OF HEAVY SPLI T SQUATS
The muscl es bei ng worked are mostl y the quads, gl utes and core
whi ch you can never real l y have enough of, I bel i eve that the
movement acti vates my gl utes l i ke no other. Many peopl e real l y
dont take advantage of the gl utes, these are the peopl e that tend to
stal l at the top on dead l i ft. The core gets ti ed i n due to the fact that
your standi ng on one foot wi th a bar on your back, unl ess you have
the bal ance of a ti ght rope wal ker you are goi ng to be goi ng si de to
si de some whi ch wi l l destroy your core.
The mobi l i ty aspect i s cruci al for
me to keep a heal thy back i n my
opi ni on. On the eccentri c porti on
of the l i ft, the hi p fl exors are
stretched out. For you guys that
arent bi g i nto the anatomy, the
i l l i opsoas connects at the front of
the hi p and wraps around to the
back, whi ch can l ead to an offset
pel vi s and messed up back i f too
ti ght.
A good goal for these, whi ch Im
worki ng towards i s body wei ght
for men and 75 percent of body
wei ght for women for 10 reps.
Start l i ght to l earn the movement
and once you fi gure i t out, bl ast
Flexibility in the illiopsoas is critical to
maintaining lower back/hip health and
hitting proper depth in the squat.
them every workout unti l you get your goal , I promi se youl l end up a
better squatter and dead l i fter.
Corey Hayes is an up incomer to the strength and conditioning world. He is currently a
student at Eastern Kentucky University and a Professional level powerlifter. His best
meet lifts are 725/425/675 at 220 raw and 880/640/680 at 242 geared. He has future
plans of taking over the world and making a living doing what he enjoys, the iron game.
Facebook, YouTube
BONUS MATE RI AL
Chad Wesl ey Smi th coachi ng an athl ete from square one i n the
squat
CLI CK HERE TO WATCH SQUAT 101 WI TH CHAD WESLEY SMI TH
STRE NGTH I N THE HOL E
BY BRANDON LI LLY
Bei ng focused on my raw trai ni ng for the l ast year or better I have
faced numerous chal l enges si nce taki ng off the gear. One of those
maj or i ssues was l ack of stoppi ng power, and reversal power
comi ng out of the hol e on my squats.
How can that be? You have squatted over 1000 l bs.? The gear was
my savi or. Thi s i s somethi ng I have been tryi ng to preach to l i fters
si nce I found my own fl aws. There are some weaknesses that you
can never fi x unti l you trai n a cycl e or two raw, and heavy. But l ets
exami ne why a raw l i fter needs to do away wi th the box, and, i f not
al l the bands/chai ns, at l east some of them.
Before anyone bl asts me for what Im about to say, FOR GEARED
LIFTERS THE BOX, BAND/CHAIN COMBO or WESTSIDE STYLE OF
TRAINING IS PROVEN, AND GREAT.
In gear, a l i fter has the benefi t of the equi pment bi ndi ng up, and
bei ng the ti ghtest i t wi l l ever be. So l i ke a catapul t that i s pul l ed
taught, when rel eased there wi l l be a certai n amount of rebound,
and the body can dri ve outward agai ns the materi al keepi ng i t
stressed al l the way to the poi nt of l ockout.
That works wel l wi th a box as a gui de to si t on, and the wei ght
doesnt have to be at a maxi mum i n the hol e to get maxi mum resul t,
the wei ght needs to be at a maxi mum at l ockout so the l i fter can
accommodate to the wei ght bei ng l i fted. Thats why bands and
chai ns have worked so wel l i n mul ti -pl y.
For a raw l i fter, there needs to be a maxi mum l oad i n the bottom,
thi s i s where the maj ori ty of them fai l . So i n my opi ni on the best way
to bui l d the power needed i n the hol e to actual l y l i ft massi ve
wei ghts, i s to l i ft actual bar wei ght up to 85% for reps, and then do
overl oads wi th very l i ght bands. Do not exceed 110% at the top, as
the del oad to the hol e shoul d keep you i n the 80-85% range.
Getti ng beyond that can cause breakdown.
The Sovi ets have proven over and over that you dont need to trai n
at 100% to hi t 100%+ i n your meets, so understand that by trai ni ng
sub-maxi mal l y, and wi th pl anned overl oads you can sl owl y bri ng up
a naggi ng poi nt for l ots of raw l i fters.
The second way to remedy thi s i ssue i s to use pause reps. Thi s i s
somethi ng that I real l y empl oy due to the fact when you pause a
squat i n the hol e you can never be out of posi ti on. Your body wi l l
fi nd i ts strongest bal ance poi nt, and i f practi ced enough you wi l l
l earn to fi nd that spot every ti me you squat. I have worked up to
90% for a si ngl e wi thout a bel t, but dont feel l i ke there i s much
benefi t to that type of trai ni ng. At Berea Barbel l we use 65%-80%
for vari ous reps of 3-8, and for hol ds of 1-5 seconds. Thi s type of
trai ni ng wi l l al so brutal i ze your core. So for a 3 week cycl e thi s i s
what you woul d see.
WEEK 1- 70% x 3 x 6 sets, 90% x 2 w/Reverse mi ni bands
Pause Squats-65% x 6 x 2 sets wi th 3 second pauses
WEEK 2- 85% x 2 x 3 sets, 95% x 1 w/Reverse Mi ni Bands
Pause Squats- 75% x 3 x 2 sets wi th 2 second pause
WEEK 3- 90% x 1, 92.5% x 1, 105% x 1 w/reverse mi ni bands,
110% x 1 w/reverse mi ni bands,Pause Squat-85% x 1 x 2 sets wi th
1 second pause
Wi th some dedi cati on, and understandi ng of what your body needs
you can fi x any i ssues, but thi s wave, has hel ped not onl y me, but
al l of my trai ni ng partners, and numerous Cube cl i ents. If the hol e i s
your probl em, thi s i s a good step towards your sol uti on.
JUGGERNAUT S BRANDON LI LLY GI VES YOU 5 GREAT TI PS TO HELP YOU I MPROVE YOUR SQUAT
The squat i s the ki ng of l i fts and Team Juggernaut i s home to the
ki ngs of squatti ng. The authors of thi s arti cl e have raw squatted
905@308, 881@SHW (no wraps), 881@275, 826@SHW, 760@220
(no wraps) and 715@220 and are among the best, i f not THE BEST,
squatter i n the Worl d i n thei r wei ght cl asses i n the hi story of
powerl i fti ng.
BUI L DI NG THE SQUAT
BY BRANDON LI LLY
In honor of Squat Week I am goi ng to share wi th you my best squat
cycl e to date. The i mportant thi ng when pl anni ng a cycl e i s to
remember the same cycl e WILL NOT work over, and over. You have
to l ook at many factors i n movi ng forward, and that i s why
competi ng i s so i mportant you get a reference poi nt of
eval uati on, and you get to determi ne your strengths, and
weaknesses movi ng forward.
The human body wi l l never al l ow you to conti nuousl y progress i n al l
areas, so you have to try and mi l k your strengths, and strengthen
your weaknesses, and hope to fi nd a happy bal ance that l eads to
PRs.
After my meet i n June where I squatted 800 l bs. I was very happy
wi th thi s, but I al so found gl ari ng weaknesses, as wel l as i denti fi ed
strengths. They are as fol l ows:
STRE NGTHS
$ $ Quads
$ $ Lower Back
$ $ Stabi l i ty
$ $ Power on Reversal
WE AKNE SSE S
$ $ Hamstri ngs
$ $ Gl utes
$ $ Upper Back
$ $ Mobi l i ty/Fl exi bi l i ty (Ease of getti ng down and up wi thout
$ $ compromi si ng form)
I reasoned that many of my weaknesses were due to trai ni ng
domi nantl y i n squat gear. Thi s i s i n no way the gears faul t, but mi ne.
I had l et mysel f hi de behi nd the l ayers of materi al , and i t covered my
weaknesses pretty wel l .
Competi ng raw was goi ng to compl etel y expose them, so thi s i s
how I went about fi xi ng them. I pi cked two meets i n consecuti ve
weekends the XPC Semi Fi nal , and The SPF Backyard Meet of the
Century. I started by mappi ng backwards That i s i mportant, never
map forwards, trace backwards. Si nce I squatted 800, and woul d
resume trai ni ng al most i mmedi atel y I based my numbers off of 780,
because I feel that I coul d repl i cate a 780 at any ti me, and I wanted
to keep my wei ghts i n check so thi s i s what I di d.
WE E K 1
Rep Week- Wi th wraps 510 (65%) x 5 for 5 sets
Pause Squats- 500 x 3 x 2
WE E K 2
Expl osi on Week- 430 (55%) x 2 for 10 sets
420 x 20
WE E K 3
Heavy Week- No wraps up to 475 (60%) x 3, then add knee wraps
and work up to 625 (80%) x 2, 665 (85%) x 1, add reverse mi ni
band to 705 (90%) x 1
600 x 5
WE E K 4
Rep Week- No wraps up to 475 (60%) x 3, then add knee wraps up
to 550 (70%) for 3 sets of 3
WE E K 5
Expl osi on Week- 510 (65%) no wraps, 3 sets of 2.
Pause Squats- 420 x 8 x 2
WE E K 6
Heavy Week- Work Up to 475 (60%) x 3, then add wraps and
worked up to 740 (95%) x 2, then add Reverse Mi ni Bands 800
(102.5%).x 1, 820 (105%) x 1
500 x 15
WE E K 7
Rep Week- No wraps up to 475 (60%) x 3, then add wraps and work
up to 625 (80%) for 2 sets of 2
Pause Squats- 500 x 5
WE E K 8
Expl osi on Week- 550 (70%) for 3 sets of 2.
500 x 8 x 3 sets
WE E K 9
Heavy Week- Work up to 720 l bs. Add Reverse Mi ni Bands, 805 x 1,
825 x 1, 840 x 1
WE E K 10
Rep Week- 665 (85%) x 5
600 x 8
WE E K 11
Expl osi on Week- No Wraps to 475 (60%) x 3, 525 x 2 x 2 sets wi th
wraps
420 x 3 x 5
WE E K 12 ME E T WE E K
Monday and Tuesday I al ways do Ful l Body Workouts. These take
about 15-30 mi nutes, al l ow me to break a good sweat. I do a pl ate
on squats for very deep reps, and bench j ust to stay fl exi bl e. I do
l ots of push ups, band good-morni ngs. Anythi ng I feel wi l l l oosen
me up.
Thursday- (If l i fti ng Saturday, I do thi s on Fri day i f l i fti ng Sunday)
Work up to 50% of openi ng squat for 3, 50% of openi ng bench for
3, and repeat ful l body workout. *If you dont have the abi l i ty to do
reverse bands, j ust make smal l j umps i n wei ght when i ndi cated,
15-30 l bs. at most.
Thi s squat cycl e al l owed me to compete at the XPC Semi Fi nal and
achi eve a 3 for 3 day i n squats goi ng 727.5, 788, 804.5. The very
next weekend I was abl e to go 760.5, 810, and 826.5 at the SPF
Backyard Meet of The Century, and my total s were 2138.6, and
2204 l bs. I bel i eve thi s method of rotati ng my l i fts over the course of
3 weeks, and doi ng the speci al ty work on my second movement
real l y made i t possi bl e for me to i mprove, but al so bui l d the abi l i ty to
repeat the effort wi thi n seven days after fl yi ng across the country.
VANI L L A GORI L L A SQUATTI NG
BY BLAI NE SUMNER
Thi s cycl e i s what I have used numerous ti mes and has hel ped my
raw squat more than any other. I have tri ed many programs and
vari ati ons out there and thi s has been the most benefi ci al to me. I
woul d say i t i s cl osest to Western or Li near Peri odi zati on, but has
evol ved i nto somethi ng of i ts own through my years of tweaki ng i t.
Here i s the concept of why thi s works:
WE E KS 1- 4: HYPE RTROPHY
Thi s bui l ds the base for the cycl e. The fi rst week wi l l probabl y make
you excruci ati ngl y sore but i ts i mportant to break through thi s and
have your muscl es condi ti oned for the hi gh rep, hi gh vol ume work
that wi l l fol l ow.
WE E KS 5- 8: STRE NGTH
Thi s 5 X 5 bl ock i s the ul ti mate pursui t of hi gh vol ume. The body wi l l
be condi ti oned for i t after the Hypertrophy bl ock. The 5 X 5 wi l l be
l ots of reps and al l ows you to hone and nai l down your techni que.
WE E KS 9- 12: POWE R
Thi s 3 X 3 push has al ways been key for i ncreasi ng the wei ght and
thi s i s the money maker i n terms of usi ng the resul ts from the fi rst
two bl ocks and transi ti oni ng those hypertrophy and strength gai ns
i nto seri ous squats l eadi ng up to the meet. Thi s bl ock i s a maj or
taper i n vol ume from the previ ous bl ock but the i ntensi ty i ncreases.
WE E KS 13- 16: PE AKI NG
Thi s i s the fi nal push towards the meet. The strength and techni que
are nai l ed down at thi s poi nt and i t becomes about accl i mati ng your
body to heavi er l oads and achi evi ng the perfect taper towards i nto
the meet. Vol ume comes way down and i ntensi ty peaks 2 weeks
pri or to the meet. Week 16 i s the meet.
The overal l goal of thi s squat cycl e i s to l ead i n wi th hi gh reps to
condi ti on the muscl es and prepare for the work ahead, then to
i ncrease the vol ume and i ntensi ty and bui l d a sol i d foundati on wi th
the 5 X 5, fol l owed by putti ng the hard work to good use and
i ncreasi ng the i ntensi ty and droppi ng vol ume wi th 3 X 3, and fi nal l y
peaki ng for the meet.
I l i ke to hi t my opener for two si ngl es when I am two weeks out, and
del oad the week before. Thi s i s how I have achi eved the best super-
compensati on headi ng i nto a meet. Some wi l l scoff at the %
numbers as they seem to be i nsi gni fi cant; but they have a sol i d
purpose and are i mportant for mani pul ati ng the Vol ume/Intensi ty
curves l eadi ng i nto a meet. I al so del oad every 4th week and treat
thi s as a speed week. Throughout the cycl e the speed day
i ntensi ti es i ncrease and the vol umes decrease.
As for assi stance work you shoul d be so enti rel y drai ned that you
dont have the energy to do a bunch of assi stance. I do 3
assi stance exerci ses a squat sti mul i , abs, and box j umps. For the
l ow bar/l eani ng squatters, do 3 weeks of good morni ngs/1 week of
front squats. For hi gh bar/upri ght squatters, do 3 weeks of front
squats/1 week of good morni ngs. Then do heavy abs, fol l owed by
box j umps. Keep the sets/reps i n l i ne wi th what the mai n squat
protocol i s. Good l uck and trai n hard!
WORL D RE CORD SQUATTI NG
BY ERI C LI LLI EBRI DGE
The best trai ni ng cycl e Ive ever had on squats was the previ ous one
I j ust di d back i n September/October when I was trai ni ng for the
backyard meet of the century at Super Trai ni ng gym i n Sacramento,
Cal i forni a. I di d a 6 week trai ni ng cycl e for that meet. The fi rst squat
Eric Lilliebridge is undeniably one of
the greatest squatters of all-time with
the World Record of 400kg (881
pounds) in the 275 class raw w/ wraps
and a 906 exhibition squat to his credit
at only 23 years old
workout I si ngl ed up to a max rep set of 5 reps, my previ ous best
before that was 740l bs x 5 i n bel t and wraps and that fi rst workout
for the trai ni ng cycl e I beat i t wi th 755l bs x 5 i n bel t and wraps, so
at that poi nt I knew I was a head by qui te a bi t from the l ast cycl e. I
went 15l bs above my previ ous best because I was feel i ng real l y
good that day.
The next squat workout 2 weeks l ater I si ngl ed up to a max rep set
of 3 reps, my best before that was 800l bs x 3 i n bel t and wraps and
I beat that by doi ng 820l bs x 3 whi ch was the most Ive ever done
for reps and was by far my best squat set ever. I was actual l y
pl anni ng on doi ng 810l bs for reps that workout but agai n I fel t real l y
good and strong that workout so I went a l i ttl e heavi er on my top
set. After that workout I knew I was i n the ri ght path to hi tti ng a bi g
PR at the meet.
2 weeks after that squat workout, I worked up to a wei ght I was
pl anni ng on hi tti ng for my 2nd attempt. I si ngl ed up to 850l bs i n bel t
and wraps and hi t i t easy wi th a l ot more l eft i n me. After that I had
2 weeks to rest on my squats unti l the meet and my pl an was to
break my previ ous meet PR 854l bs on my 2nd attempt.
At that meet I opened up wi th 352.5kgs/777l bs, took 390kgs/859l bs
on my 2nd for a meet PR and tri ed 410kgs/903l bs on my 3rd but
l ost my bal ance at the top after I fi ni shed the l i ft and got back on my
heal s a l i ttl e too much. I pretty much onl y tri ed that wei ght because
Stan Efferdi ng tri ed i t too and i t woul d have been an al l -ti me worl d
record.
I di d another meet 2 weeks after that meet because I real l y wanted
another shot at breaki ng the al l -ti me worl d record squat and
because I knew I coul d keep my strength peaked for another 2
weeks. Al l I di d between meets was l i ght hi gh rep accessory work
and j ust rested up unti l the next meet.
At the UPA Power Weekend (2 weeks after the Super Trai ni ng meet)
I opened wi th 350kgs/771l bs, took 375kgs/826l bs on my 2nd and
went for the al l -ti me worl d record on my 3rd attempt. The previ ous
al l -ti me worl d record raw w/ wraps @ 275l bs was 395kgs/870l bs
and I broke i t wi th 400kgs/881l bs and had a l i ttl e bi t l eft i n me too. I
made a smal l er j ump on my 2nd attempt to save i t al l for my 3rd
attempt squat and i t fel t great.
Thi s squat trai ni ng cycl e i s somethi ng that I have repeti ti vel y done
for my squat cycl es meet after meet for years. Thi s i s what has l ed
me to my al l -ti me worl d record raw squat i n my wei ght cl ass. Doi ng
heavy max rep sets l eadi ng up to a meet has bui l t my squats to
where they are now and has made my squats strong al l year round.
I can pretty much hi t a heavy si ngl e any day of the week when Im
fresh and not peaki ng for a meet and sti l l be wi thi n 93-95% of my
al l -ti me best due to the trai ni ng I have put mysel f through to get to
where I am now. The heavy max rep sets real l y hel p you devel op
strength i n al l areas of your squat because youre taki ng yoursel f to
al most fai l ure i n that one set and everythi ng i s fati gued by that l ast
rep.
Im standi ng there wi th al l that wei ght on my back, gaspi ng for ai r
and not knowi ng i f Im goi ng to come back up wi th that l ast rep or
not, but I fi ght through i t and gi ve i t everythi ng Ive got and my
spotters and trai ni ng partners push me and yel l at me to get i t. That
ki nd of trai ni ng wi l l real l y show what youre made of and wi l l ei ther
make you or break you. It al so bui l ds up my confi dence l i ke crazy
and I feel l i ke I can smash heavy si ngl es come meet day.
I have had other peopl e try thi s trai ni ng too and i t has worked great
for them, most are surpri sed at how much they can put on thei r
squat by doi ng j ust one max rep set for each workout l eadi ng up to
a meet.
*Bel ow Ive l ai d out how my
squats woul d l ook over an 8
week peri od but techni cal l y i t
i s onl y a 6 week trai ni ng cycl e
because 2 weeks before the
meet i s de l oadi ng*
8 WE E K ALTE RNATI NG
SQUAT CYCL E
WE E K 1
Si ngl e up to one max rep set of 5 reps (try for PR by 5l bs or more
from previ ous cycl e)
WE E K 2
Deadl i fts
WE E K 3
Si ngl e up to one max rep set of 3 reps (try for PR by 5l bs or more
from previ ous cycl e)
WE E K 4
Deadl i fts
WE E K 5
Al l si ngl es, try a wei ght around a pl anned opener and 2nd attempt
for the meet (2nd attempt i s a wei ght usual l y around 94-95% of my
goal 3rd attempt for the meet)
WE E K 6
Deadl i fts
WE E K 7
Li ght Squat/Deadl i fts to de l oad, worki ng on speed and j ust to go
through the movements
WE E K 8
Meet day
As you can see, I dont l i ft heavy at al l 2 weeks before a meet. The
l ast heavy trai ni ng day i s on week 6, and between weeks 6 and 8
(meet day) i s al l l i ght trai ni ng and de l oadi ng to be 100% recovered
and peaked for competi ti on day.
Eric Lilliebridge had a top #3 raw total ranking in world in the 275 weight class at just 19
years old. He had successfully totaled 2,065lbs raw in belt and knee wraps and
deadlifted 800lbs raw in competition at only 19 years old. Now being the age of 22, he is
currently ranked #2 in the world in the 275!s with a 2,204lbs raw total w/ wraps. His
best competition lifts up to date are an 881lbs raw squat w/ wraps (World Record at
275s), 529lbs raw bench and an 821lbs raw deadlift. He is currently chasing after the all
time world record total in the 275!s held by Jon Cole with a 2,259lbs raw total w/ wraps.
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200 POUNDS OF PR
BY CHAD WESLEY SMI TH
I began trai ni ng for powerl i fti ng after fi ni shi ng my track and fi el d
career i n l ate May 2010 and experi enced a meteori c ri se i n my
strength, addi ng 200 pounds to my PR squat i n the fi rst 14 months
of trai ni ng and competi ng. I competed i n 3 meets duri ng thi s ti me
span, squatti ng 800 at the USPA Central Cal i forni a Champi onshi ps
i n October 2010, 865 at the SPF Ironman Pro/Am i n March 2011
and 905 for the Ameri can Record i n August 2011 at the SPF
Powerstati on Pro/Am, al l i n the 308 pound cl ass.
Begi nni ng wi th a hi gh 600 pound/l ow 700 pound squat (raw w/
wraps) I used hi gh vol ume work, heavy trai ni ng and speci al
exerci ses to add 200 pounds to my squat i n thi s short ti me peri od.
Trai ni ng for my fi rst meet uti l i zed the program that became The
Juggernaut Method and focused on hi gh vol ume work to bui l d si ze
and practi ce techni que. Thi s i s when I l earned how to trai n hard,
how to strai n and began my ascent i nto the upper echel on of
squatters i n the Worl d.
Assi stance work for the squat duri ng thi s trai ni ng cycl e was very
l i mi ted and often done by feel . At most I woul d do 3-5 sets of 8-15
reps of GHRs, 3 sets of 8-12 reps each l eg of wal ki ng l unges and
3-5 sets of 10-20 reps of wei ghted ab wheel . Dependi ng on my
energy l evel s for the day that was reduced to ei ther l ess sets, l ess
exerci ses or on occasi on, nothi ng at al l .
Week 1-405x4x10, 405"12
Week 2-455x4x8, 455"14
Week 3-Up to 500"14
Week 4-Del oad
Week 5-445x4x8, 445"11
Week 6-495x3x8
Week 7-Up to 550"11, was extremel y happy wi th thi s effort
Week 8-Del oad
Week 9-490x5x5, 490"8
Week 10-545x4x5
Week 11-Up to 595"7
Week 12-Del oad
Week 13-535x6x3, 535"5
Week 14-585x5x3
Week 15-Up to 635"5
Week 16-Del oad
Week 17-Up to 675"3 w/ knee wraps
Week 18-405x8x2 w/ 120# of chai n
Week 19-Up to 765"1 w/ knee wraps
Week 20-Del oad
Week 21-Meet, Opener-725, 2nd-800, mi ss, 3rd-800, make
Thi s trai ni ng cycl e created my strength base and work capaci ty for
the work that sti l l l ay ahead of me. After thi s meet I sought out the
advi ce of Josh Bryant, who took over my deadl i ft and bench
programmi ng for my next meet.
My deadl i ft was l aggi ng behi nd my squat and I knew that more
attenti on must be gi ven to i t. Josh created a great and extremel y
demandi ng deadl i ft program, whi ch forced me to become more
strategi c i n my squat trai ni ng. I needed to al l ow my body recover
from Mondays deadl i ft trai ni ng whi l e sti l l bui l di ng strength duri ng
Fri days squat trai ni ng. Thi s was done wi th l ower vol ume work,
accommodati ng resi stance to al l ow me to sti l l feel heavy wei ghts
wi thout overstressi ng my body and CNS and further hone my
techni que.
Week 1-Pause Squats 385, 455, 525"5
Week 2-Squats w/ 160# of Chai n-405x10x2, Add Knee Wraps,
455/485/525"1
Week 3-Squat w/ Wraps-Up to 700"5
Week 4-Del oad
Week 5-Pause Squats-425, 495, 565"3
Week 6-Squats w/ 160# of Chai n-445x8x2, Add Knee Wraps,
495/545"1
Week 7-Squat w/ Wraps-Up to 765"2, pl anned to do 3 but knew I
was goi ng to mi ss 3rd
Week 8-Del oad
Week 9-Pause Squats-455"5, 525"3, 585"1
Week 10-Squat w/ 160# of Chai n-485x6x2, Add Knee Wraps,
585"1
Week 11-Squat w/ Wraps-Up to 805"1
Week 12-Del oad
Week 13-Meet, Opener-785, 2nd-835, 3rd, 865
Thi s was a great meet that resul ted i n my hi ghest total to date, 2165
pounds. 865 fel t strong and I knew there was more i n me. Josh and
I col l aborated on my next trai ni ng cycl e wi th the si ngul ar goal of
breaki ng the Ameri can Record i n the 308s, whi ch was 903 pounds
by Troy Nash. My squat was on the ri se i n a hurry and the
weaknesses we i denti fi ed was a sti cki ng poi nt about 2 above
paral l el and a l ack of upper back strength/thi ckness to support
heavy wei ghts wi thout roundi ng over.
To squat 900+ I knew that I had to make squat trai ni ng a hi gher
pri ori ty, i t coul dnt be secondary to the deadl i ft thi s cycl e. Thi s l ead
to the devel opment of The 9 Day Work Week, i n whi ch we stretched
out the normal 7 day trai ni ng week to a 9 day week, deadl i fti ng on
day 1 and squatti ng on day 6, al ong wi th 2 bench days and a
dedi cated back trai ni ng day.
WE E K 1
1) Squat, wi th knee wraps-Up to 675"3
2) Speed Squat-545x5x3, 1 mi nute rest
3) Dead Squat w/ SSB, from 1 above paral l el -495x8x1, 1 mi nute
rest
4) Si ngl e Leg Squats Standi ng on Box-3"12 wi th BW
5) Si ngl e Leg DB RDLs-3"5 w/ 80s
6) Hangi ng Leg Rai ses-5"15

WE E K 2
2) Speed Squat-545x6x3, 1 mi nute rest
3) Dead Squat w/ SSB-525x8x1, 1 mi nute rest
4) Si ngl e Leg RDLs-3"3 w/ 90s

WE E K 3
2) Speed Squat-545x7x3, 1 mi n rest
3) Dead Squat w/ SSB-535x8x1, 1 mi n rest

WE E K 4 ( DE L OAD)
1) Squat-Up to 585"3

WE E K 5
2) Speed Squat-600x5x3, 90 seconds rest
3) Dead Squat w/ SSB-585x5x1, 90 seconds rest

WE E K 6
2) Wal kout and 10 Second Hol d-860 for 1"10 seconds
3) Speed Squat-615x4x3, 90 seconds rest
4) Dead Squat w/ SSB-545, 575, 605"1, 90 seconds rest

WE E K 7
1) Squat, wi th knee wraps-Up to 805, mi ssed, pl anned to do 2
reps
2) Speed Squats-635x3x3, 90 seconds rest
3) SSB Dead Squat-555, 585, 615"1, 90 seconds rest

WE E K 8 ( DE L OAD)

WE E K 9
2) Squat-675x3x2
3) Dead Squat w/ SSB-565, 605, 635"1

WE E K 10
2) Squat-695x2x2

WE E K 11

WE E K 12
WE E K 13
Meet: Opener-835, 2nd-905, 3rd-935 mi ss
There you go, over a years worth of my squat trai ni ng that hel ped
me add 200 pounds to my squat.
THANKS F OR YOUR SUPPORT
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hel p you reach your trai ni ng goal s. We are trul y commi tted to
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Stay up to date wi th al l thi ngs Juggernaut through our newsl etter
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