Pause squats as my primary squatting movement? Yesterday I loaded up the bar with my workset for that day (180), and I failed on the 3rd rep. I've noticed that most of the lifters in my gym, when spotting me, tell me that my form is good except that I lose tightness in the bottom part of the squat. So I was thinking about it, and I decided to deload the bar to 145 and do 3x5 on pause squats (though I only paused 1.5-2 seconds, now I'm gonna do 3 seconds) to help my bottom portion. I got to thinking and was wondering if I could use 3 sec pause squats as my primary squatting tool for a while? This was my squat workout yesterday: Warmed up with lunges 5 on each leg Squats BWx10 45x5 45x5 95x5 145x3 180x3 165x3 Pause squats (1.5-2 second pause) 145x5 145x5 145x5 I was thinking that I could do my normal workout, hit a heavy 3 rep set, go for a heavy single, drop down to 60% or so, do a 3 rep set, then drop down to my workset for pause squats and do 3x5 on them? I'd ideally like to progressively overload the pause squat 5lbs per lift just like the normal squat. But from what I can tell from what I've been told by elite level lifters, I do not stay tight at the bottom in the squat and the bench press. Will this help or just hinder my progress? I'll try and get a form check video up soon. Edit: I read Keith Wassungs article from a few years ago on the bottom part of the squat, which further pushed me towards this idea. I also read a few threads mentioning it, but I came across nothing about purely pause squatting (after warming up and a few heavyish sets and one heavy single).
It's an assistance movement. The way you described doing it immediately after your regular squat work is using it as an assistance movement. It's not a primary movement just because you plan on progressing on it. Using it as an assistance if you are weak out of the hole is a good idea, and so is progressing on it. Doing it instead of squats would be a bad idea, but it doesn't sound like that's what you plan on doing.
Well idk, it'd be my main focus. My next workout will probably look something like this: Lunges 5 on each leg Squats BWx10 45x5 95x5 145x3 165x3 185x3 195x2 210x1 3 sec pause squats 150x5 150x5 150x5 I guess I was calling it the primary squatting movement because the reps and sets are the most consistent. So do you think this could be beneficial to me? Btw, the earliest I can get a form check vid up is tomorrow. Possibly later.
You aren't doing them to get better at 3 second paused squats, you are using them as a tool to increase your squat because you are weak out of the hole. This makes them squat assistance. They are a good assistance movement for people weak out of the hole. A form check would probably be a smart move.
I'm currently running Madcow using paused squats and its been working fine. I keep all my warmups and sets leading to my main one unpaused and occasionally throw in a heavy unpaused single following my main paused set. Been doing that 6 weeks and loving the results, really helping me to stay tight in the hole and remain upright. It also hasn't really negatively impacted my regular squatting, as monday I hit a 5 rep pr paused then later in the day hit 274 for 5 unpaused when my all time 5 rep max is 280 and I haven't gone over 2 heavy reps unpaused in 6 weeks. Can't really give too much advice on your exact plan as I'm not familiar with the program youre running, just thought I'd throw in my 2 cents.
At the level you're currently at, I'd probably just worry about squatting with better form and getting stronger.
Alright. The main reason I was thinking pause squats was to "teach" myself to stay tight in the hole. I can't tell that I'm getting loose, but all of the guys in my gym say I'm loosey goosey at the bottom. So I thought maybe pause squats would program staying tight into my brain.
I really want to go get a form check video today. Would it mess with my recovery if I went to the gym, warmed up, and did one set of 5 with like 175 then left (the 175x5 would be my recorded set)?
You're probably not tight enough at the beginning of each rep if you can't tell that you're getting loose at the bottom. Like Cratos said, just squatting with better form and getting stronger is probably best. It's not like it's a knock against someone to say that the best thing to improve a lift is lots of practice with that lift (with weights where you have to work to make them as technically good as possible), and that it's not about assistance exercises or variations.
Well that's part of my problem. I don't know how to cue my body to stay tight, even with lighter weights. Hopefully the form check video will help you see what I mean (cause I'm not even sure what I mean). Thanks for the responses, by the way.
You should see immediate improvement in your ability to stay upright in the hole from going fap free.
