Squats are just not going up.

Winter

Winter

PR Hungry
I've been having a lot of trouble with my legs lately. My squat numbers are just not going up and my legs/knees always feel extremely, etremely weak.

This is what my usual leg workout looks like:
Squats
135x10
235x5
255x5
275x5
295x5
175x20

SLDLs
135x10
185x8
205x6

Calve Raises on Legpress
460x25
570x25

Glute/Ham Curls
35x12
45x10
55x8

My squat number have been the same for quite some time now. What can I do to fix this? I'm trying to incorporate more leg work in my routine now. I'm going to add 2leg workouts next week to see if that will help.

Also, for my knees, they feel extremely weak. I'm thinking about getting some straps for them, but I'd like to get some thoughts about it. On top of that, everytime I go down to squat, my knees feel very tense and there is a lot of pressure around it.

Are kneecaps supposed to be small?
 
where are you missing?

also throw some more warm ups in there
i dont think its best to go from 135 to 235 especailly if your work sets are not far off from 235

135 then 185 then 225 then hit 255
also wm-up doesnt mean u need to perform 10-20 reps..a triple or a set of 5 is all theat is needed to feel the weight
 
Alright, I'm going to throw in some more warmups.

What about my knee issue? Should I try kneewraps? My knees are way too strained when I squat and it feels like they're going to snap if I go any lower than I usually go (A tad bit lower than parallel).
 
My max squat went up significantly over the last six months by strengthening my posterior chain with heavy good mornings, glute ham raises, pull throughs, etc. Also, when I didn't go heavy on the good mornings, I did low box squats for my heavy squats.

As for the knee issue, like stated above it is probably form. This probably isn't going to make sense, but you shouldn't start your squat by bending your knees. You should start by sitting your ass back/down. You can train yourself to squat like this doing box squats.

And don't increase the volume of your training. Lower your reps and go heavy only once a week. I would also forget the glut/ham curls and do something else.
 
Last edited:
Squats
135x10
185x5
225x5
265x5
275x5
295x5
315x

Calve Raises on Legpress (add at least 2 sets)
460x25
570x25

Glute/Ham Curls (alternate between this and leg ext)
35x12
45x10
55x8
 
Although I don't think glute/ham curls are a great exercise to increase squats,,,I think it would be better than doing leg extensions done for that purpose.
 
Winterlong said:
I've been having a lot of trouble with my legs lately. My squat numbers are just not going up and my legs/knees always feel extremely, etremely weak.

This is what my usual leg workout looks like:
Squats
135x10
235x5
255x5
275x5
295x5
175x20

SLDLs
135x10
185x8
205x6

Calve Raises on Legpress
460x25
570x25

Glute/Ham Curls
35x12
45x10
55x8

My squat number have been the same for quite some time now. What can I do to fix this? I'm trying to incorporate more leg work in my routine now. I'm going to add 2leg workouts next week to see if that will help.

Also, for my knees, they feel extremely weak. I'm thinking about getting some straps for them, but I'd like to get some thoughts about it. On top of that, everytime I go down to squat, my knees feel very tense and there is a lot of pressure around it.

Are kneecaps supposed to be small?
Click to expand...


take that 175x20 shit out...that'll do absolutely nothing for strength...my recomendation is to lower those reps...i like to hit triples, doubles, and sometimes even singles when i want to get my strength up. also take that leg curls shit out, instead do barbell lunges and glut raises(check youre gym to see if they have this machine, its one of those machines that you never ever see guys on) and do hip ab and adductors, those will help those squats out.
 
so basically i set it up like this

squats 5 working sets of 3-5(not including warmup sets)

bb lunges 2x6-10

leg press 5x6

glute raises 2x6-10

(and throw the hip ad and abductors in for a few sets)

i dont go crazy on calves because squats hit calves so i do calve raises 2x15
 
Slayer said:
Although I don't think glute/ham curls are a great exercise to increase squats,,,I think it would be better than doing leg extensions done for that purpose.
Click to expand...

ghr is a great way to increase your squat. strengthens the posterior core which is huge in squatting.
 
steez said:
take that 175x20 shit out...that'll do absolutely nothing for strength...my recomendation is to lower those reps...i like to hit triples, doubles, and sometimes even singles when i want to get my strength up. also take that leg curls shit out, instead do barbell lunges and glut raises(check youre gym to see if they have this machine, its one of those machines that you never ever see guys on) and do hip ab and adductors, those will help those squats out.
Click to expand...


20 reppers do build strength. =0l
 
pullinbig said:
ghr is a great way to increase your squat. strengthens the posterior core which is huge in squatting.
Click to expand...


GHR is one of my favorite exercises. But isn't a glute/ham curl a totally different exercise, done laying on your stomach curling the lower part of your legs up, rather than pulling your body up?
 
Slayer said:
GHR is one of my favorite exercises. But isn't a glute/ham curl a totally different exercise, done laying on your stomach curling the lower part of your legs up, rather than pulling your body up?
Click to expand...
My bad if I wrote the excercise wrong, but let me explain. There's basically a preacher curl like pad with handles coming out and I'm "sitting" almost upright with a kneesupport and one of my legs is hanging down. Then there is a little pad where my achilles pushes back on and I curl my leg up. I wasn't sure of the name for the excercise... so sorry for any confusion.

Thanks for all the help so far guys.
 
You numbers for hams are quite different than those of your quads. I'm not saying you have to post huge numbers for hams, but they do need a bit of balance. You'll never have symmetry with out hitting hams harder. This in turn will indirectly help your squats. As for a more immediate reponse in squat, try rest pauses, bench squats, cut out last set (20reps),warming up properly....with leg extensions, then 1-2 on squats. This should also alleviate your knee issues. Good luck.
 
Also, unless you compete, stay away from knee wraps. They actually compress your knees, not good. Have a trained pro wrap em if you are dead set on it.
 
stnspn_44 said:
Also, unless you compete, stay away from knee wraps. They actually compress your knees, not good. Have a trained pro wrap em if you are dead set on it.
Click to expand...

dumb.

if you have sore knees wrapping is a good idea.

and if hes having knee probs leg extensions is the last thing he needs to do.
 
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