A common misconception among athletes and younger coaches is the idea that if your squat increases, so will your olympic lifts.

While this is true, they will not happen AT THE SAME TIME.

We must first increase the squat, then shortly after, the olympic lifts will see an increase, once the CNS has had time to recover from the stress of increasing the squat. During this phase, the olympic lifts will be taken to the 90% plus range more frequently, while the squats will stay in the 75-85% range with the emphasis on SPEED.

One way I like to do this is by using pause doubles emphasizing the speed of the concentric, or a double with a pause on the first rep. Keeping the intent on speed helps make sure we are training more explosive qualities which will aid in the increase of the olympic lifts, while slow, grindy squats will detract from the increase in olympic lifts in this particular phase.

I recommend following this phase progression for training the squat leading up to an important competition.

Phase 1: Hypertrophy 16-12 weeks out from competition

Phase 2: Strength 12-8 weeks out from competition

Phase 3: Squat Peak 8-4 weeks out from competition

Phase 4: Olympic Lift Peak, Squat Explosiveness Increases 4-0 Weeks out from competition

Looking to take your weightlifting to the next level? Check out our teams and programs on TrainHeroic, and start your FREE 7 Day Trial.