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Squat Progression Update

Posted by Andrew On September - 28 - 2011

Well as you know from my last update I am actively working on my squatting to help open up my hips to allow me to move onto olympic lifts (snatch, clean and jerk). So far the progress has been good, I have started a 5×5 program which has me squatting 3 times a week with a bit of technique work thrown in on the off days. My lifting schedule looks as follows:

Workout A

Squat 5×5
Bench 5×5
Inverted Row 3xF
Push Up 3xF
Reverse Crunch 3×12

Workout B

Squat 5×5
Overhead Press 5×5
Deadlift 1×5
Pull Up 3xF
Planks 3x30sec

The workouts are alternated ABABAB etc and I usually run this Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Weights on the main lifts are taken up by no more than 2.5kg a session so as not to overload myself and burn out. Now going from squatting once a week to squatting 3x a week is a massive change. I am sore in places I don’t ever remember being sore in, I even know when my hips are to tight now by how I feel when moving. Along with my squatting I have been throwing in some overhead squat technique work since that is the catch position for the snatch. Most of the time I find myself overbalancing backwards but this is due to not keeping tight and the muscles in my body fighting each other for control.

Here is a little video I took of my overhead squat techique work, as you can see my thighs are slightly above parallel but my back is straight which is always a worry for me due to posture issues. I have reached the goal of being able to perform an overhead squat without falling flat on my backside or not being able to drop into the hole. My next goal is to be able to get deeper, possibly glutes to calves and then start to learn the olympic lifts.

-Andrew

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