Inconsistent Squats- Advice Anyone?

jimmyhots · 11-06-2006, 12:05 AM

Hi all,
I’m having a problem with squats and am wondering if anyone here might provide some advice. The prob is my squat strength is very inconsistent on a week-to-week basis. For instance, one week I’ll do 165 lbs for 20 reps (a puny weight to some of you, I know, but pretty good for little ole me…), but the next week I can’t even do 150 for 20!

As far as diet I think I’m eating pretty well, and I try to keep my form consistent. I only lift twice a week using an upper/lower type of split, with about 11 sets across 9 exercises. So I only squat once a week. Event though I would probably be considered a hardgainer, I don’t think I’m an extreme one- squatting once per week seems pretty conservative to me?

For example I took a couple weeks off in Oct due to illness. When I came back in I did 140 lbs for 20 reps. Felt good & wrung me out. Then the next week I could barely get 7 reps at 145 lbs! I know being sick & taking two weeks off will make me weaker, but the point is lack of consistency week-to-week. I had this same problem even before I got sick, although it didn’t seem to occur until I started getting into the150 - 160 lb range.

All of my other lifts are gradually climbing, but this squat prob has got me frustrated. The only thing I can think of is I need more time between squats, but a full week seems like plenty to me?

Any advice anyone can give would be much appreciated- I need to figure this out!

Thanks,
Jimmy

**DJSTARER** · 11-06-2006, 01:24 AM

i think u need to lower your reps... but that is me. Since you are focused on strength.... keep it in the 3-6 rep range. It is easier to keep an eye on progress. There are less variables.

**romanaz** · 11-06-2006, 01:49 AM

post vids!

lower the reps imo

jimmyhots · 11-06-2006, 06:39 PM

Hmm you guys both said lower reps. What about 20-rep squats? When I do high reps it feel like it's hitting areas that lower reps miss. But maybe I should try heavier low reps for a while.

The thing is I'm usually sore for three days or so after squatting, especially when doing high reps. And I probably don't want to work again until soreness is gone, right? So that's got me at once or twice a week at most. Do you guys work when sore or wait?

I'll see about taking a vid & posting.

Jimmy

**DJSTARER** · 11-06-2006, 07:40 PM

i try not to work on sore areas unless i'm doing it on purpose (ie. recoup, overtraining on purpose)

20 rep squats are fine, but it sounds like you arn't currently responding well to them. Listen to your body and figure out what works.

jimmyhots · 11-07-2006, 02:06 AM

i mentioned over at bb.com that my trouble is coming out of the hole. even though i only go parallel, not atg, that still counts as a hole, right? anyway, it's always at the bottom where i get stuck. he suggested that my glutes might be underdeveloped compared to quads. i guess glutes are the major muslce used comign out of the hole? any others?

jh

**DarkFalcon** · 11-07-2006, 02:22 AM

My suggestion is to keep the 20 but limit it to one set. Do something like this...1x20, 1x12, 1x6, 1x4, 1x1-2 90%+ of max. Should help with both your stamina and strength.

**bubba g** · 11-07-2006, 03:42 AM

You are not doing squats more than once a week are you??? once a week is plenty.

also are you gaining weight? You may not be eating enough calories to support the muscle gain nessesary to improve your strength.. if you are not getting atleast a gram per pound of your bodyweight every day, it is no suprise that you are not consistantly improving. You also need a decent amount of carbs, and good fats..

Your body uses fat to produce testosterone, so if your diet is to low in healthy fats, that could also be the cause..

**DJSTARER** · 11-07-2006, 04:01 AM

both of the above posts give interesting insight. I don't necessarily agree, but certainly quality info.

I think squating twice/week is fine as long as you do it correctly. Nothing produces more HGH than speed work.

**bubba g** · 11-07-2006, 04:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJSTARER

both of the above posts give interesting insight. I don't necessarily agree, but certainly quality info.

I think squating twice/week is fine as long as you do it correctly. Nothing produces more HGH than speed work.

I knew you would have something to say...lol

The posters goal is to add muscle, not to be a powerlifter. When you are bodybuilding, the increased muscle mass is where you get your increased strength from. In powerlifting you train your CNS to be more efficient with the muscle you have.

So yes from a strength building prospective speed work one day, and strength work in the same week is ok.. From a bodybuilding perspective once a week is plenty..

jimmyhots · 11-07-2006, 04:42 AM

I think I'm eating okay I guess, roughly 3100 cals a day, 30% fat, 40% carbs, 30% protein. I'm 5' 10", bulked up lately from 165 lbs to 175 lbs, maybe about 18% - 20% body fat (little bit high from the bulk). Get about 6-8 hrs sleep/night (wish I could get maybe another hr in there).

I'm gaining muscle but it's slow, maybe around 1.5 lb/month or something. That's one reason why I'm trying to step up my heavy lifts like the squat and start hitting em hard and pump up the weight!

Some suggestions said I should work on strengthing out of the hole. But even if that's true it still doesn't explain the inconsistency, unless maybe my form is crappy and inconsistent. If it is a matter of training to get out of the hole better, what's the best way to go about doing that?

JH

**bubba g** · 11-07-2006, 04:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmyhots

I think I'm eating okay I guess, roughly 3100 cals a day, 30% fat, 40% carbs, 30% protein. I'm 5' 10", bulked up lately from 165 lbs to 175 lbs, maybe about 18% - 20% body fat (little bit high from the bulk). Get about 6-8 hrs sleep/night (wish I could get maybe another hr in there).

I'm gaining muscle but it's slow, maybe around 1.5 lb/month or something. That's one reason why I'm trying to step up my heavy lifts like the squat and start hitting em hard and pump up the weight!

Some suggestions said I should work on strengthing out of the hole. But even if that's true it still doesn't explain the inconsistency, unless maybe my form is crappy and inconsistent. If it is a matter of training to get out of the hole better, what's the best way to go about doing that?

JH

well DJSTARER knows his stuff when it comes to gaining strength. You could follow his advice to increase your strength, then go back to lifting for hypertrophy..

on the diet you should be getting 40% protein.. 40%carbs, and 30% fats... at the very least up the protien higher than your carbs, and make sure you are getting 1 gram per pound of bodyweight minimum...

**romanaz** · 11-07-2006, 04:49 AM

drop the reps down to ~5 and tape it, post it. most people here know what they are talking bout for form.

look @ how DC organizes the splits... 3 times in 8 days? cmon and most people on that are HUGE. I do heavy squats (did anyhow) twice a week and my quads have definitly grown since i started. its all in ur recovery, and i personally think, for bbing hitting a muscle group once a week is just plain stupid, its been proven u gotta hit it as much as u can!

**DJSTARER** · 11-07-2006, 05:12 AM

i do cross my lines on occasion. PLing has slanted and biased everything i write these days...

I am still a believer in hypertrophy.... it is an important part of training and essential for those looking to put ON mass. But although I am not a huge believer in linear periodization, it does work for most intermediate lifters. Because of this, I simply suggest the best thing the poster can do for his squat is change things up.

As for the HGH in speed work, it's just a suggestion for recovery.

**DJSTARER** · 11-07-2006, 05:15 AM

also, are the times at which you train during the day consistent? I know, due to a plethera of variables, my lifts do better during certain parts of the day. Hydration and glucose stores can effect lifting up to 48 hours ahead of time. That is, binging on pizza the day before a heavy day is WAY better than binging the day of. Of course, binging is an extreme, but it proves a point in regards to how important "off day" nutrition is for "on day" results.

**powerman2000** · 11-07-2006, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmyhots

Any advice anyone can give would be much appreciated- I need to figure this out!

Thanks,
Jimmy

I guarantee that if you start squatting 2x or even 3x a week that you'll not only be more consistent, but you'll start getting stronger almost immediately.

Bottom line, you're not training enough.

**powerman2000** · 11-07-2006, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bubba g

You are not doing squats more than once a week are you??? once a week is plenty.

I think this is the first time that I've disagreed with you.

I was shocked when I read this.

11-06-2006, 12:05 AM	#1
jimmyhots New Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: St. Louis, Missouri Posts: 20 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	Inconsistent Squats- Advice Anyone? Hi all, I’m having a problem with squats and am wondering if anyone here might provide some advice. The prob is my squat strength is very inconsistent on a week-to-week basis. For instance, one week I’ll do 165 lbs for 20 reps (a puny weight to some of you, I know, but pretty good for little ole me…), but the next week I can’t even do 150 for 20! As far as diet I think I’m eating pretty well, and I try to keep my form consistent. I only lift twice a week using an upper/lower type of split, with about 11 sets across 9 exercises. So I only squat once a week. Event though I would probably be considered a hardgainer, I don’t think I’m an extreme one- squatting once per week seems pretty conservative to me? For example I took a couple weeks off in Oct due to illness. When I came back in I did 140 lbs for 20 reps. Felt good & wrung me out. Then the next week I could barely get 7 reps at 145 lbs! I know being sick & taking two weeks off will make me weaker, but the point is lack of consistency week-to-week. I had this same problem even before I got sick, although it didn’t seem to occur until I started getting into the150 - 160 lb range. All of my other lifts are gradually climbing, but this squat prob has got me frustrated. The only thing I can think of is I need more time between squats, but a full week seems like plenty to me? Any advice anyone can give would be much appreciated- I need to figure this out! Thanks, Jimmy

11-06-2006, 01:24 AM	#2
DJSTARER eating more folate... Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: State College, PA Posts: 3,979 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 113	i think u need to lower your reps... but that is me. Since you are focused on strength.... keep it in the 3-6 rep range. It is easier to keep an eye on progress. There are less variables. __________________ My philosophies on training: "Extreme training yields extreme results" "Just because you can, does not mean you should" "The best program is the one you are not doing" Penn State Powerlifting-181 lb weightclass PGA Professional of America Current Stats: 474 Squat 601 Deadlift 320 Bench Goals for next training cycle: 500lbs squat and a total over 1400 in competition

11-06-2006, 07:40 PM	#5
DJSTARER eating more folate... Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: State College, PA Posts: 3,979 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 113	i try not to work on sore areas unless i'm doing it on purpose (ie. recoup, overtraining on purpose) 20 rep squats are fine, but it sounds like you arn't currently responding well to them. Listen to your body and figure out what works. __________________ My philosophies on training: "Extreme training yields extreme results" "Just because you can, does not mean you should" "The best program is the one you are not doing" Penn State Powerlifting-181 lb weightclass PGA Professional of America Current Stats: 474 Squat 601 Deadlift 320 Bench Goals for next training cycle: 500lbs squat and a total over 1400 in competition

11-07-2006, 04:01 AM	#9
DJSTARER eating more folate... Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: State College, PA Posts: 3,979 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 113	both of the above posts give interesting insight. I don't necessarily agree, but certainly quality info. I think squating twice/week is fine as long as you do it correctly. Nothing produces more HGH than speed work. __________________ My philosophies on training: "Extreme training yields extreme results" "Just because you can, does not mean you should" "The best program is the one you are not doing" Penn State Powerlifting-181 lb weightclass PGA Professional of America Current Stats: 474 Squat 601 Deadlift 320 Bench Goals for next training cycle: 500lbs squat and a total over 1400 in competition

11-07-2006, 05:12 AM	#14
DJSTARER eating more folate... Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: State College, PA Posts: 3,979 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 113	i do cross my lines on occasion. PLing has slanted and biased everything i write these days... I am still a believer in hypertrophy.... it is an important part of training and essential for those looking to put ON mass. But although I am not a huge believer in linear periodization, it does work for most intermediate lifters. Because of this, I simply suggest the best thing the poster can do for his squat is change things up. As for the HGH in speed work, it's just a suggestion for recovery. __________________ My philosophies on training: "Extreme training yields extreme results" "Just because you can, does not mean you should" "The best program is the one you are not doing" Penn State Powerlifting-181 lb weightclass PGA Professional of America Current Stats: 474 Squat 601 Deadlift 320 Bench Goals for next training cycle: 500lbs squat and a total over 1400 in competition

11-06-2006, 06:39 PM	#4
jimmyhots New Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: St. Louis, Missouri Posts: 20 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	Hmm you guys both said lower reps. What about 20-rep squats? When I do high reps it feel like it's hitting areas that lower reps miss. But maybe I should try heavier low reps for a while. The thing is I'm usually sore for three days or so after squatting, especially when doing high reps. And I probably don't want to work again until soreness is gone, right? So that's got me at once or twice a week at most. Do you guys work when sore or wait? I'll see about taking a vid & posting. Jimmy

11-07-2006, 02:06 AM	#6
jimmyhots New Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: St. Louis, Missouri Posts: 20 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	i mentioned over at bb.com that my trouble is coming out of the hole. even though i only go parallel, not atg, that still counts as a hole, right? anyway, it's always at the bottom where i get stuck. he suggested that my glutes might be underdeveloped compared to quads. i guess glutes are the major muslce used comign out of the hole? any others? jh

11-07-2006, 02:22 AM	#7
DarkFalcon I've got a RAGING clue! Join Date: May 2005 Location: dnyc99's cleaning staff Posts: 12,526 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 309	My suggestion is to keep the 20 but limit it to one set. Do something like this...1x20, 1x12, 1x6, 1x4, 1x1-2 90%+ of max. Should help with both your stamina and strength.

11-07-2006, 03:42 AM	#8
bubba g Moderator Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 3,179 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 178	You are not doing squats more than once a week are you??? once a week is plenty. also are you gaining weight? You may not be eating enough calories to support the muscle gain nessesary to improve your strength.. if you are not getting atleast a gram per pound of your bodyweight every day, it is no suprise that you are not consistantly improving. You also need a decent amount of carbs, and good fats.. Your body uses fat to produce testosterone, so if your diet is to low in healthy fats, that could also be the cause..

11-07-2006, 04:42 AM	#11
jimmyhots New Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: St. Louis, Missouri Posts: 20 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	I think I'm eating okay I guess, roughly 3100 cals a day, 30% fat, 40% carbs, 30% protein. I'm 5' 10", bulked up lately from 165 lbs to 175 lbs, maybe about 18% - 20% body fat (little bit high from the bulk). Get about 6-8 hrs sleep/night (wish I could get maybe another hr in there). I'm gaining muscle but it's slow, maybe around 1.5 lb/month or something. That's one reason why I'm trying to step up my heavy lifts like the squat and start hitting em hard and pump up the weight! Some suggestions said I should work on strengthing out of the hole. But even if that's true it still doesn't explain the inconsistency, unless maybe my form is crappy and inconsistent. If it is a matter of training to get out of the hole better, what's the best way to go about doing that? JH

11-07-2006, 05:15 AM	#15
DJSTARER eating more folate... Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: State College, PA Posts: 3,979 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 113	also, are the times at which you train during the day consistent? I know, due to a plethera of variables, my lifts do better during certain parts of the day. Hydration and glucose stores can effect lifting up to 48 hours ahead of time. That is, binging on pizza the day before a heavy day is WAY better than binging the day of. Of course, binging is an extreme, but it proves a point in regards to how important "off day" nutrition is for "on day" results. __________________ My philosophies on training: "Extreme training yields extreme results" "Just because you can, does not mean you should" "The best program is the one you are not doing" Penn State Powerlifting-181 lb weightclass PGA Professional of America Current Stats: 474 Squat 601 Deadlift 320 Bench Goals for next training cycle: 500lbs squat and a total over 1400 in competition