Squat | Juggernaut Training Systems

5 Common Mistakes in the Squat

Chad Wesley Smith — Fri, 26 May 2023 20:53:26 +0000

Struggling with your squat? You may be making one of these common errors. Listen up as Chad Wesley Smith and Marisa Inda show you how to fix them.

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How To Design A Squat Program

Chad Wesley Smith — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 22:13:19 +0000

Chad Wesley Smith presents a step by step guide of how to design effective squat training programs by individualizing volume, frequency, exercise selection and progression strategy for each lifters needs.

Videos referenced here are:

Principle of Overload

Finding Your MRV

Finding Your Frequency

Undulating Periodization Strategies

Best Exercises to Improve Your Squat

Utilizing Variation for Fatigue Management

Selecting & Progressing Weights

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Treating Hip Pain from Squatting

Chad Wesley Smith — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 18:57:05 +0000

Dr. Clinton Lee works with Team Juggernaut’s Joe Hannon to assess and address some ongoing hip pain that Joe has been dealing with in the Squat.

Save on the JuggernautAI App with code CLINTON at https://www.juggernautai.app/

Get more from Clinton on Instagram @physiostrengthnyc or at http://www.physiostrengthnyc.com

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How To Squat 700+ Pounds

Chad Wesley Smith — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 18:47:01 +0000

Carlos Moran, #9 All-Time Total at 90kg/198# Class and 322.5kg/711# Squatter, shares some of his favorite tips to improve in the squat.

Use CARLOS10 to save on the JuggernautAI App at https://www.juggernautai.app/

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Squat Training w/ Kevin ‘Pitbull’ Torres

Chad Wesley Smith — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 16:41:55 +0000

Kevin ‘Pitbull’ Torres takes us through a squat training session using the JuggernautAI App

Use PITBULL to save on the JuggernautAI App at: https://www.juggernautai.app/

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Best Exercises to Improve Your Squat

Chad Wesley Smith — Sun, 11 Jul 2021 15:03:55 +0000

Chad Wesley Smith shares his favorite movements to address different weak points and improve the Squat.

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4 Tips to Improve Your Front Squat

Chad Wesley Smith — Thu, 20 May 2021 13:21:30 +0000

Max Aita brings you 4 Tips To Improve Your Front Squat. Use these simple but effective tips to improve the this lift to help you in Weightlifting, CrossFit and general strength training.

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5 Tips To Improve Your Squat

Chad Wesley Smith — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 13:35:11 +0000

Chad Wesley Smith and Team Juggernaut bring your 5 Tips To Improve Your Squat. Use these simple but effective tips to improve the king of all lifts.

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Squat Variations | How, Why & When To Use Them

Chad Wesley Smith — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 16:35:15 +0000

There are tons of different exercise variations out there being touted as a fix to this weak point or the best exercise to improve such and such. Here is a simple guide to help you understand how to do some of these more important variations, why you would perform them and when they’re best to include in your training.

Safety Squat Bar (SSB) Squat

Technique Points:

-Squat mechanics are similar to the high bar squat (Watch our Squat Pillars series on YouTube)

-Actively flex your upper back

-Avoid pushing up or pulling down on the handles

Why To Do It:

-Addresses upper back rounding during squat

-Work around sore elbows/shoulders from low bar squatting

-Builds up quads with more overload than front squatting

When To Do It:

-Hypertrophy Blocks because they support high volume squatting and won’t interfere with Bench Press training

-Hypertrophy and Strength Blocks to address rounding over weak point

-Strength and Peaking Blocks to give your upper body a break from heavy low bar squats while still giving your lower body good training stimulus

Low Pin Squat/Dead Squat

Technique Points

-Set the pins about 1” below your typical sticking point in the Squat

-Focus on keeping your chest up while initiating the movement, don’t let it turn into a Good Morning

-If performing this out of chains/straps, avoiding rocking the weight to gain momentum

-These are best performed for singles or with a reset between each rep.

-Using a SSB may be needed on this to allow less mobile athletes to get into starting position

Why To Do It

-Overcoming a sticking point at just above parallel

-Building starting strength

-This can be an injury workaround if the very bottom of the squat is aggravating to a knee or hip issue

When To Do It

-Strength Blocks tend to be the best time to use this movement as a secondary exercise to your competition style squatting

Pause Squats

Technique Points

-Descend with the same speed you would in a normal squat

-Actively hold yourself in the squat, rather than just resting in the end range of motion

Why To Do It:

-Build up starting strength to overcome weakness out of the hole

-Ingrain better positions through extended time under tension

When To Do It:

-Hypertrophy. This is good option because of the longer time under tension but you’ll likely want to use slightly lower reps than you would with an unpaused squat, ie. sets of 8 instead of 10.

-Strength. This is a good time to use it as a primary exercise to address a weak point out of the hole.

-Peaking. Use Pause in the Hole Squats during peaking as a secondary movement to complement your competition squats.

Pause Above Parallel Squat

Technique Points

-Descend with the same speed you would in a normal squat

-Explode up to the point of the pause and come to a full, hard stop at just below (.5-1”) your normal sticking point

-Accelerate from the pause through the completion of the lift

Why To Do It

-Overcome a sticking point just above parallel

When To Do It

-Hypertrophy. This is good option because of the longer time under tension but you’ll likely want to use slightly lower reps than you would with an unpaused squat, ie. sets of 8 instead of 10.

-Strength. This is a good time to use it as a primary exercise to address a weak point out of the hole.

-Peaking. Use Pause Above Parallel Squats during peaking as a secondary movement to complement your competition squats.

Front Squat

Technique Points

-Front rack, crossed hands or straps are all fine for Powerlifters or General Strength training

-Keep pressure through full foot and drive knees forward as ankle mobility will allow

-Anticipate the reversal out of of the hole

Why To Do It:

-Build up quad strength at lower fatigue cost than high bar squat

-Helps address rounding over or relatively weak legs weak points

When To Do It:

-Hypertrophy Blocks because they support high volume squatting at slightly lower fatigue costs and won’t interfere with Bench Press training

-Strength Blocks are possible too if used as a secondary or tertiary variation to build up volume at lower fatigue cost while addressing rounding over or weak legs weak point.

Belt Squat

Technique Points

-Wear the belt low on your hips so that you can keep a very upright posture

-Focus on pushing your knees forward to emphasize pressure in your quads

Why To Do It

-Focus on building quad strength to overcome an issue of relatively strong back/weak legs

-Add squat volume at a low fatigue cost

-Workaround low back or upper body injuries that are hindering traditional squat training

When To Do It

-Hypertrophy Phase. This is the best option because belt squats lend themselves to high volume and won’t interfere with with Bench or Deadlift training

-Strength Phase. Belt Squats can be useful here as an assistance movement to bring up leg strength relative to back strength.

-Peaking Phase. Belt Squats have a limited use here but could be included to keep volume up for less experienced lifters

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Warming Up for the Squat

Chad Wesley Smith — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 21:15:28 +0000

Chad Wesley Smith demonstrates a simple warmup to utilize before your squat training sessions.

An effective squat warmup entails raising the core temperature, facilitating the muscles that will be used during the movement and priming the nervous system to maximize force output. Here is a sample Squat Warmup that moves through all these goals:

90/90 Breathing

-Use Hamstrings to Raise Hips Off Ground

-Low Back Flush Against the Floor

-Breathe In Through Nose, Filling Low Back > Stomach > Chest

-Hold Air In for 3-5 Count

-Breathe Out Through Mouth with a Forceful Exhale Like Breathing Through a Straw

-Hold Empty Position for 3-5 Count

-10 to 15 Breaths

Dead Bugs

-Ribs Down and Low Back Flush Against the Floor

-Move with Intention and Control

-Maintain Neutral Trunk Position Throughout

-10 Reps On Each Side

Glute Bridges

-Ribs Down and Low Back Flush Against the Floor

-Pressure Through the Full Foot

-Extend Only As Far As You Can Maintain Neutral Ribs

-15 to 20 Reps

Ankle and Big Toe Dorsiflexion

-Brace the Back of the Ankle with One Hand

-Pull the Foot Into Dorsiflexion with the Other Hand

-Adding Some Rubbing To the Achilles Can Be Beneficial

-10 Reps Each Foot

Bird Dogs

-Align Hands Under Shoulders and Knees Under Hips

-Ribs Down and Straight Line from Head to Tailbone

-Maintain Stable Low Back, As If You Were Balancing A Glass of Water On Your Lumbar

-Achieve a Straight Line from Extended Hand to Opposite Side Extended Foot

-10 Reps On Each Side

Bear Crawl Rock Backs

-Hands Under Shoulders. Knees 1” Off Ground

-Actively Press Hands Into Floor

-Move With Control and Intent

-Keep Hips Level Like Balancing A Glass of Water on Your Low Back

-Drive Weight Over Shoulders and Then Rock Back Into Squat Position

-10 Reps

Goblet Squat

-Assume Regular Squat Stance

-Hold KB/DB 6-18” From Chest

-Adjust Foot Pressure, Toe Angle and Stance Throughout Reps

-Some Reps Focus On More Pressure At Forefoot, Some Reps More Toes Out, Etc

-Pause In Hole As Needed To Feel Comfortable In Position

-Press the Weight Away From You In The Hole To Turn On Abs More

-10 to 20 Reps

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