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12 Week Squat Routine
Lee Moran
This is a 12-week program for intermediate lifters who can squat 600 coming into the routine. The goal of the program is to squat 640 at the end of the 12 weeks, an improvement of 40 lbs, which to me seems a realistic goal.
The first thing you must do is to make sure you have the right equipment - belt, shoes, wraps, etc. For footgear I prefer hightop, flat-soled leather tennis shoes. I like these because they seem to give me more balance and stability. For a belt, the thick suede ones seem the most comfortable for me. Wraps are an individual preference, as are squatting suits.
I do not recommend using belts and wraps during a training cycle until about one-third of the way through. For this routine I would don them at the 475-500 lb level.
Also, I do not wear my suit until the day of the meet. It's my belief that you've worn it in enough meets to know what to expect, and a little surprise on meet day is always nice, especially when the surprise comes in the form of a 40 lb increase in your squat.
As far as form is concerned, I try to keep my knees directly in line with my ankles as much as possible during the descent. On the ascent, explosion and keeping your head up are the keys.
For assistance work, after finishing up on squats I do hack squats, 5 sets of 6 reps, increasing weight on each set. Then it's on to hamstring curls for between 6-8 sets of 8 reps, depending on how I feel. This whole ordeal is ended with calf work, 5 sets of 12 reps. This routine should be done every fourth day.
On the 17th, 18th and 19th squat workouts I recommend doing 1 or 2 sets of box squats right after your top set of full squats with about 50 lbs over your top set for that day. Three reps should suffice. The box or bench used should allow you to be about 2 inches from the parallel position. You should walk out from the racks and set up just like a regular squat, only with the box or bench underneath you. The box squats are to prepare you mentally and physically for the next day.
This routine is going to seem easy in the beginning stages. This is to help the body adapt to the ever-increasing poundages without burning out the mind. Believe me, the last few weeks are going to require a lot of mental as well as physical output.
Also, I do not wear my suit until the day of the meet. It's my belief that you've worn it in enough meets to know what to expect, and a little surprise on meet day is always nice, especially when the surprise comes in the form of a 40 lb increase in your squat.
As far as form is concerned, I try to keep my knees directly in line with my ankles as much as possible during the descent. On the ascent, explosion and keeping your head up are the keys.
For assistance work, after finishing up on squats I do hack squats, 5 sets of 6 reps, increasing weight on each set. Then it's on to hamstring curls for between 6-8 sets of 8 reps, depending on how I feel. This whole ordeal is ended with calf work, 5 sets of 12 reps. This routine should be done every fourth day.
On the 17th, 18th and 19th squat workouts I recommend doing 1 or 2 sets of box squats right after your top set of full squats with about 50 lbs over your top set for that day. Three reps should suffice. The box or bench used should allow you to be about 2 inches from the parallel position. You should walk out from the racks and set up just like a regular squat, only with the box or bench underneath you. The box squats are to prepare you mentally and physically for the next day.
This routine is going to seem easy in the beginning stages. This is to help the body adapt to the ever-increasing poundages without burning out the mind. Believe me, the last few weeks are going to require a lot of mental as well as physical output.
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