I've been squatting for YEARS and almost gave up on them before watching this series! especially the first one, I thought my thoracic spine was shit but really I wasn't contracting properly and that made a HUGE difference for me. Thanks a lot guys!
Damn this couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. Realised today that my squat tempo has got ridiculously slow and it was making getting through my sets a real grind. Did my last set faster and it was the biggest piece of piss.
Treat 135lbs like your max, treat your max like 135lbs. 0:29 Every weight you do from empty bar to your 1RM should be treated with respect and great intent to move the bar forcefully to practice perfect technique with every opportunity. 1:03 Descent as fast as you can, as fast as your technique can tolerate. You can maintain tightness and be consistent, using the same technique and tempo for all weights, especially your 1RM. 3:16 Common Mistake - lifters go down fast in the top half but brake at the bottom which causes the bar to push them down into the hole and they cannot exploit the stretch reflex. 3:40 Tight and controlled down with acceleration the last little bit into the hole and rebound out. Do this only if you are able to maintain tightness and maintain the right positions consistently.
These pillar videos are gold, thanks so much. Picked up so many techniques to use to improve my bench and squat! I instantly subjected after the first video, you guys are the truth.
Goes for all power moves, up or down, go as fast as you can without compromising the form, it's not about "time under tension" right the oposite, moving the weight in most efficient way. That said, I don't divebomb my squats, but I do descent as quickly I can...
Excellent video series! I have my first competition this Saturday but hopefully I'll be able to use some of the cues in your videos! My setup and bracing have been shaky at best. Thanks for the advice!
It seems to me that what dictates the speed of the descent is squat width. A narrower stance stretches the quads more so a fast descent can take advantage of the stretch reflex, whereas a wider stance doesn't so there isn't much advantage to the fast descent and i would suspect increased risk of an adductor strain.
- Squat down and up as fast as your technique allows for. No matter the weight, under the condition that you do not lose your balance, whilst remaining as smooth on the descend as on the ascend.1:554:09
I can't seem to get a proper "bounce" out of the bottom of my Squat for the life of me! I tried with 275, 225, 185, 155 and finally 135 but I only got one decent attempt with the lower weight. I find the heavier the weight, the more I linger in the "hole". When I tried to go down fast, I ended up almost doing an ATG squat which is much harder. So frustrating! Suggestions?
At, first I was like wait, this is the opposite of what I need to hear. I have been descending quickly and confidently to get rebound and save as much energy as possible for the actual lifting, but when I recently started doing triples and doubles for the first time that are significantly higher than my 5rm I found that would just destroy any chance of a rebound and push me down almost ATG which ensures I have a hell of a struggle getting back up again. But I never thought of keeping it and controlled for the first 75% of the descent and then accelerating to get a stretch reflex. It sounds scary but I will try it...if I don't chicken out.
"Treat your 135 like your max and your max like 135" ---- great advice, a bit cheeky, but great advice to remember that technique is VERY CLOSE to always being the SAME no matter what the weight on the bar is. Good mental tool perhaps too, though... once you actually push against the bar with max weight, reality quickly sets your ass back to reality... There is just no way to ignore reality with a max weight on your back. You can MOTIVATE yourself with this phrases, reminding you to strive for absolute EQUAL technique but once the weight is above 90-95% of what THIS month max is, you cannot keep reality at bay, and there are slight changes in technique as you perform, yet, the phrase reminds you what to strive FOR as you do your maxes, and if you are an experience squatter, small changes in posture etc, can be forgiven and normally nothing bad happens, though if you push yourself there is always a risk of that, that is why is said you are PUSHING the limits of what you can CURRENTLY do... something like that.
I just want to make 1 thing clear for novice lifters: the technique (going down fast) is great for powerlifting because you want to push your max weight. NOT for bodybuilding! In BB you want to FEEL the muscles contract!
Hey Chad, do you think reverse band squat with weights above 1RM would help build confidence on the descent so when you try your 1RM you won't feel scared on your way down?
Obviously with max weights the descent HAS TO be slower, I would imagine that the guy who goes down faster can put a bit more weight on the bar, if he went slower, but habits like that are super hard to break or modify, specially with people at that level who NECESSARILY look at most others like we don't know what is like, and is partially true, ------the bar gains momentum and if it is MAX WEIGHT the turn around from the bottom can be harder then it has to be, and it is already hard enough. You say keep the same technique we practice, at first; and then, you say to keep as fast a descent as your technique can tolerate... but technique has to change some (not form, not positioning) as the weight increases to max, you cannot even MOVE the same (obviously) with max weight on your back than with even half that. I would rephrase it to lower yourself as fast as you can as long as you control the descent and turn around. The more velocity it gains the more it costs to get it to zero and back again, even with the stretch reflex. I like what you CONTRADICTORILY right AFTER you said the previous things, you modified that to "descend SLOW at the top half" and accelerate the descent at the bottom part, good modification there, since the bar doesn't have long to accelerate as it would from the top. I hope you take this as CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, since in other occasions you got butthurt with what I said, but I mean it in the best way possible and you don't have to agree of course. I guess I am not too subtle, I am though, with discussing technique. Good luck.
Sarunas J Why do you need to warmup? I used to do a whole 20-30 minute routine before I lifted. I later found that just doing an extra set or two with just the bar pretty much did the same thing and took a quarter of the time to warm up. I think the vast majority of lifters don't actually need to "warm up"
Looking down is fine, I wouldn't look at my own feet but at the ground several feet in front of you is ok (I talk about this in Pillar #5), in regard to not using the quads as much, they can think that is what they're trying to do but it isn't happening that way regardless of their hope: www.strongerbyscience.com/hamstrings-the-most-overrated-muscle-for-squat-2-0/
High bar and low bar aren't different exercises, just a different place for the bar to rest on your back while squatting: ruclips.net/video/QhlNbTsvxbE/видео.html
Ironically im going to try stan efferdings tempo. Im tired of trying to max out with a quick descent, the bar falls, hits the racking, and everyone looks at me like im trying to kill myself.
isn't going down fast on a heavy weight damaging for your knee and hip joints? especially the knee, I mean too much force on the descent and it can literally pop out..
Does accelerating at the bottom can cause lower back pain?....my doubt is that it will be a jerky moment at the bottom so can it affect the lower back...please explain
Bruh you need a map to get out chads eyes
That second girl has to be his sister. How can i be the only one noticing that they have the same eyes?
Jokes on you...... 135 is my max
Went to comments just to say this lol
A Person hahahhaha
Baby Blues get me everytime there
Chads eyes :D !
I've been squatting for YEARS and almost gave up on them before watching this series! especially the first one, I thought my thoracic spine was shit but really I wasn't contracting properly and that made a HUGE difference for me. Thanks a lot guys!
every single flaw he described is in my “arsenal “
Love the cue: "Move quickly, but don't hurry" -Silent Mike
Thanks for the quality content!
Are yall going to do pillars for bench press too!? that would be awesome!
Damn this couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. Realised today that my squat tempo has got ridiculously slow and it was making getting through my sets a real grind. Did my last set faster and it was the biggest piece of piss.
David Perkins piece of piss. Love it hahaha
He's gotta be a Brit! Lol
This series is great! Please do it for each big three! 😁
Treat 135lbs like your max, treat your max like 135lbs.
0:29 Every weight you do from empty bar to your 1RM should be treated with respect and great intent to move the bar forcefully to practice perfect technique with every opportunity.
1:03 Descent as fast as you can, as fast as your technique can tolerate. You can maintain tightness and be consistent, using the same technique and tempo for all weights, especially your 1RM.
3:16 Common Mistake - lifters go down fast in the top half but brake at the bottom which causes the bar to push them down into the hole and they cannot exploit the stretch reflex.
3:40 Tight and controlled down with acceleration the last little bit into the hole and rebound out. Do this only if you are able to maintain tightness and maintain the right positions consistently.
I just figured out how to do this today, finally, feels fucking amazing when it’s executed correctly.
Lost in the descent into those blue eyes!
These pillar videos are gold, thanks so much. Picked up so many techniques to use to improve my bench and squat! I instantly subjected after the first video, you guys are the truth.
Love this series!
@juggernauttrainingsystems
These pillars to the squat vids are GOLD!
Fantastic Series
Slow and controlled descend, then accelerate at last. Great tip. Can't wait for the next video!
These vids are absolute gold
Thanks for the tip!
I've been really enjoying this series. The cues from each video so far have helped my squat tremendously. Thanks Chad!
Never thought going down fast was good, but I'll try it out and see if I can stay tight in the hole. Thanks!
Goes for all power moves, up or down, go as fast as you can without compromising the form, it's not about "time under tension" right the oposite, moving the weight in most efficient way. That said, I don't divebomb my squats, but I do descent as quickly I can...
Best videos ever
Great video!
Excellent video series! I have my first competition this Saturday but hopefully I'll be able to use some of the cues in your videos! My setup and bracing have been shaky at best. Thanks for the advice!
Are you going to do these for bench and deadlift?
segason6 he has the bench one up on youtube
@@PeterSodhi What about DL? I'm also looking for a very good tutorial to optimize OHP.
It seems to me that what dictates the speed of the descent is squat width. A narrower stance stretches the quads more so a fast descent can take advantage of the stretch reflex, whereas a wider stance doesn't so there isn't much advantage to the fast descent and i would suspect increased risk of an adductor strain.
I love that shirt! I want one.
Thank you so much for these videos! You are awesome!
Damn, these tips are really gonna help, thanks man.
- Squat down and up as fast as your technique allows for. No matter the weight, under the condition that you do not lose your balance, whilst remaining as smooth on the descend as on the ascend.1:55 4:09
Interesting and important cue. Thanks
great stuff chad...
Always really enjoy watching your guys videos, I really admire what you do. Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge and insight!
great series guys
Game changer 👌🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Love this series
If I tried squatting like the dude @2:22 I'd fall flat on my back lol. Great video Chad!
Drummer G3 hahaha same!
AWESOME
Chad’s left quad is equal to all the muscles in my body.
"the speed of gravity"
I can't seem to get a proper "bounce" out of the bottom of my Squat for the life of me! I tried with 275, 225, 185, 155 and finally 135 but I only got one decent attempt with the lower weight. I find the heavier the weight, the more I linger in the "hole". When I tried to go down fast, I ended up almost doing an ATG squat which is much harder. So frustrating! Suggestions?
Shaine MacDonald maybe dont go down so deep?
At, first I was like wait, this is the opposite of what I need to hear. I have been descending quickly and confidently to get rebound and save as much energy as possible for the actual lifting, but when I recently started doing triples and doubles for the first time that are significantly higher than my 5rm I found that would just destroy any chance of a rebound and push me down almost ATG which ensures I have a hell of a struggle getting back up again.
But I never thought of keeping it and controlled for the first 75% of the descent and then accelerating to get a stretch reflex. It sounds scary but I will try it...if I don't chicken out.
"Treat your 135 like your max and your max like 135"
---- great advice, a bit cheeky, but great advice to remember that technique is VERY CLOSE to always being the SAME no matter what the weight on the bar is.
Good mental tool perhaps too, though... once you actually push against the bar with max weight, reality quickly sets your ass back to reality... There is just no way to ignore reality with a max weight on your back. You can MOTIVATE yourself with this phrases, reminding you to strive for absolute EQUAL technique but once the weight is above 90-95% of what THIS month max is, you cannot keep reality at bay, and there are slight changes in technique as you perform, yet, the phrase reminds you what to strive FOR as you do your maxes, and if you are an experience squatter, small changes in posture etc, can be forgiven and normally nothing bad happens, though if you push yourself there is always a risk of that, that is why is said you are PUSHING the limits of what you can CURRENTLY do... something like that.
I just want to make 1 thing clear for novice lifters: the technique (going down fast) is great for powerlifting because you want to push your max weight. NOT for bodybuilding! In BB you want to FEEL the muscles contract!
Thanks for this, I was wondering if it was just me going slow the whole way through for balance sake....
Hey Chad, do you think reverse band squat with weights above 1RM would help build confidence on the descent so when you try your 1RM you won't feel scared on your way down?
It could be useful yes.
Obviously with max weights the descent HAS TO be slower, I would imagine that the guy who goes down faster can put a bit more weight on the bar, if he went slower, but habits like that are super hard to break or modify, specially with people at that level who NECESSARILY look at most others like we don't know what is like, and is partially true, ------the bar gains momentum and if it is MAX WEIGHT the turn around from the bottom can be harder then it has to be, and it is already hard enough.
You say keep the same technique we practice, at first; and then, you say to keep as fast a descent as your technique can tolerate... but technique has to change some (not form, not positioning) as the weight increases to max, you cannot even MOVE the same (obviously) with max weight on your back than with even half that. I would rephrase it to lower yourself as fast as you can as long as you control the descent and turn around. The more velocity it gains the more it costs to get it to zero and back again, even with the stretch reflex. I like what you CONTRADICTORILY right AFTER you said the previous things, you modified that to "descend SLOW at the top half" and accelerate the descent at the bottom part, good modification there, since the bar doesn't have long to accelerate as it would from the top.
I hope you take this as CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, since in other occasions you got butthurt with what I said, but I mean it in the best way possible and you don't have to agree of course. I guess I am not too subtle, I am though, with discussing technique. Good luck.
What do i do if 135 is my max?
What about training a slow, controlled descent, slight pause, then explode out of the hole?
That moment when Chad just stops talking, and staring away.
Great videos guys. Does anyone fot a good way to warm up before training. Takes too long for me (about an hour)
Sarunas J have a look at defranco agile 8, I’ve varied a bit for my own needs, but it gets the job done in 15 to 20 minutes
Sarunas J Why do you need to warmup? I used to do a whole 20-30 minute routine before I lifted. I later found that just doing an extra set or two with just the bar pretty much did the same thing and took a quarter of the time to warm up. I think the vast majority of lifters don't actually need to "warm up"
Inb4 leverages
what do you think of people who say that in lowbar squat you shuld look down and not use your quads as much?
Looking down is fine, I wouldn't look at my own feet but at the ground several feet in front of you is ok (I talk about this in Pillar #5), in regard to not using the quads as much, they can think that is what they're trying to do but it isn't happening that way regardless of their hope: www.strongerbyscience.com/hamstrings-the-most-overrated-muscle-for-squat-2-0/
so it is ok to use leg drive and chest up on both high bar and lowbar squat?
High bar and low bar aren't different exercises, just a different place for the bar to rest on your back while squatting: ruclips.net/video/QhlNbTsvxbE/видео.html
well thats make things alot easier thank you
1:20 "as they're warming up in the squat" - cut to Chad repping out a 5 plate squat. That feel when his warmup squat is your deadlift PR
Help I followed instructions and got confidant and now I am in pain 😂
No but seriously, those tips were very helpful I had the best session 🙏🏻
Supportive comment
I don't get it. How come this channel has 133k subscribers only?
When 135 is your max
I thought rebound was unwanted as it's using it to assist with the weight? I don't go down too slow but I come to a full stop.
Ironically im going to try stan efferdings tempo. Im tired of trying to max out with a quick descent, the bar falls, hits the racking, and everyone looks at me like im trying to kill myself.
Hay-ree-buddy...
4:43 if Rory Gilmore lifted
isn't going down fast on a heavy weight damaging for your knee and hip joints? especially the knee, I mean too much force on the descent and it can literally pop out..
Does accelerating at the bottom can cause lower back pain?....my doubt is that it will be a jerky moment at the bottom so can it affect the lower back...please explain
What if my max is 135?
quit?
same here.. this is almost offensive
Squat more weight
Git gud
treat your 65 like it's 135
Yes so sweaty 😍
Those famale lifters look like models nice