The following is a 16 week squat program for the intermediate lifter. It is based on a 500 lb. squat in your last meet. The goal of this program is to squat 530 to 540 at the end of the 16 weeks. An improvement of 30 to 40 lbs. would be the maximum you would expect. A 20 lb. improvement would be considered good.
When Mike Lambert asked me to do this article he wanted me to include my drug free lifting experiences. I have found drug free lifting to be a completely different ball game. When I trained with drugs I could plan my training well in advance and pretty much follow that plan. Without drugs the daily and weekly fluctuations in strength are much greater, and it is difficult to follow an exact plan.
Drug free you must be able to adjust our workouts to compensate for these fluctuations. When your strength level is up you should go heavy, and when it is down you will have to back off. The differences I have encountered are too numerous to include in this type of article. If there is enough interest I would be happy to relate them if future articles.
Let's get back to planning our squat workout for the next 16 weeks. Since I am not taking drugs into consideration, you must be able to adjust when necessary.
The bench or box squat will be the key exercise for the first 8 weeks. The bench or box squat is a favorite exercise of some or the all time great squatters. I used this exercise early in my career and had great success with it.
Box squats can be done with boxes or benches of different heights. Touch and go, or dead stop can be used. I recommend tough and go. Box squats isolate the thighs because they are done with a close stance.
For this routine use a close stance on the box regardless of what your normal squat stance is.
High repetitions with very heavy weights are the best way to do box squats. The advantage of box squats over other thigh isolating exercises is that a poundage equal to or greater than a lifter's maximum single can be used for high repetitions.
For this routine use a close stance on the box regardless of what your normal squat stance is.
High repetitions with very heavy weights are the best way to do box squats. The advantage of box squats over other thigh isolating exercises is that a poundage equal to or greater than a lifter's maximum single can be used for high repetitions.
My use of the box squat is a little different than others. I recommend a rep scheme as follows:
Warmup - 10-8-6-5
Work set - 1 set of 20
The box or bench should be slightly higher than parallel.
The box squats will be done on your heavy day and all squatting equipment will be worn. The final set of 20 must really tax you. When you finish that set you well be unable to do another.
This squat program is a two day per week program, using Monday and Thursday.
FIRST 8 WEEKS
Every Squat Day: Calf Raises - 3 x 15.
Week 1, Day 1:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 375 x 6
Box Squat - 375 x 10, 425 x 8, 450 x 6, 475 x 5, 500 x 20.
Week 1, Day 2:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 420 x 4, 430 x 4 x 2 sets.
Leg Ext. - 3 x 10
Leg Curl - 3 x 10.
Week 2, Day 1:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 375 x 6.
Box Squat - 375 x 10, 425 x 8, 455 x 6, 480 x 5, 505 x 20.
Week 2, Day 2:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 420 x 4, 430 x 4 x 2 sets.
Leg Ext. - 3 x 10.
Leg Curl - 3 x 10.
Week 3, Day 1:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 375 x 6.
Box Squat - 375 x 10, 425 x 8, 460 x 6, 485 x 5, 510 x 20.
Week 3, Day 2:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 420 x 4, 430 x 4 x 2 sets.
Leg Ext. - 3 x 10.
Leg Curl - 3 x 10.
Week 4, Day 1:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 375 x 6.
Box Squat - 375 x 10, 425 x 8, 460 x 6, 490 x 5, 515 x 20.
Week 4, Day 2:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 425 x 4, 435 x 4 x 2 sets.
Leg Ext. - 3 x 10.
Leg Curl - 3 x 10.
Week 5, Day 1:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 375 x 6.
Box Squat - 375 x 10, 425 x 8, 470 x 6, 495 x 5, 520 x 20.
Week 5, Day 2:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 425 x 4, 435 x 4 x 2 sets.
Leg Ext. - 3 x 10.
Leg Curl - 3 x 10.
Week 6, Day 1:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 375 x 6.
Box Squat - 375 x 10, 425 x 8, 475 x 6, 500 x 5, 525 x 20.
Week 6, Day 2:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 425 x 4, 435 x 4 x 2 sets.
Leg Ext. - 3 x 10.
Leg Curl - 3 x 10.
Week 7, Day 1:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 375 x 6.
Box Squat - 375 x 10, 425 x 8, 475 x 6, 505 x 5, 530 x 20.
Week 7, Day 2:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 430 x 4, 440 x 4 x 2 sets.
Leg Ext. - 3 x 10.
Leg Curl - 3 x 10.
Week 8, Day 1:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 375 x 6.
Box Squat - 375 x 10, 425 x 8, 475 x 6, 510 x 5, 535 x 20.
Week 8, Day 2:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 430 x 4, 440 x 4 x 2 sets.
Leg Ext. - 3 x 10.
Leg Curl - 3 x 10.
NOTE:
You have now done 20 reps with the same weight you will single with at the end of the next 8 weeks.
SECOND EIGHT WEEKS
Week 9, Day 1:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 425 x 3, 450 x 3 x 3 sets.
Calf Raise: - 3 x 15.
Week 9, Day 2:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 440 x 2, 455 x 2.
Calf Raise - 3 x 15.
Week 10, Day 1:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 425 x 3, 450 x 3, 460 x 3 x 2 sets.
Calf Raise: - 3 x 15.
Week 10, Day 2:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 440 x 2, 460 x 2.
Calf Raise - 3 x 15.
Week 11, Day 1:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 430 x 3, 460 x 3, 470 x 3 x 2 sets.
Calf Raise: - 3 x 15.
Week 11, Day 2:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 440 x 2, 470 x 2.
Calf Raise - 3 x 15.
Week 12, Day 1, Single Week:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 435 x 3, 470 x 1, 495 x 1, 515 x 1
No More Calf Raises.
Week 12, Day 2:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 440 x 2.
Week 13, Day 1:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 435 x 3, 470 x 2, 480 x 2 x 2 sets.
Week 13, Day 2:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 440 x 2, 460 x 2, 470 x 2.
Week 14, Day 1:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 435 x 3, 470 x 2, 480 x 2, 490 x 2.
Week 14, Day 2:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 440 x 2, 460 x 2, 475 x 2.
Week 15, Day 1:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 435 x 3, 470 x 2, 485 x 2, 500 x 2.
Week 15, Day 2:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 440 x 2, 460 x 2, 480 x 2.
Week 16, Day 1:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 435 x 3, 470 x 2, 490 x 2, 510 x 2.
Week 16, Day 2:
Squat - 135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 4, 440 x 2.
You are now ready for a 530 to 540 lb. attempt. I would recommend the following:
135 x 10, 225 x 8, 325 x 6, 400 x 3, 440 x 1, 480 x 1, 510 x 1, 540 x 1.
Good Luck!