squat
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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).
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).
Last edited: