Why Won't My Squat Go Up?

You have hit a plateau; it happens to everyone who has ever lifted a weight. You have been lifting for a while now, progressing along, but now you have run into a wall and you haven’t PRd your squat in a while. I know you are probably frustrated, but before you go run and start a Russian squat cycle or Smolov consider these things.

Are You Squatting Enough?

Yes, when you first started, squatting once or twice a week was enough to make good progress. At some point however, your body has adapted to that stimulus and is going to need more. Whether that means more volume in those one or two days, or maybe adding another day all together; your body needs more.

Are You Squatting Correctly?

This may seem obvious, but unfortunately it is not to some. If you are squatting with subpar technique in your working sets, there is little to no chance that your body miraculously figures it out on your top sets. You may be able to get away with lazy technique at lighter weights, but it will catch up to you when you build to higher percentages. Be diligent in your technique and build a base with all your sets and when you get to your new PR, your technique will hold up.

Be Honest, Are You Trying Harder Enough?

This is really what it all comes down to. If you are not making progress, ask yourself if you really are trying hard enough. Are you leaving training with more in the tank? Could you have put a couple more kilos on the bar for those last couple of sets? Did you cut a couple sets or reps out, because it just felt hard today? I promise you, if you leave the gym everyday and can answer “no” to those questions, you will be making progress.

Below is a sample week of squats and what most weeks look like for me. Hopefully you find this useful, now get after it!

Monday: Back Squats with a volume emphasis

Wednesday: Front squat variation (pause, slow eccentric, etc), lower volume/higher intensity

Friday: Back squats, intensity emphasis.

Saturday: Front squat, build to a heavy 2-3 with drop set volume

Interested in working with Logan 1-on-1? You can reach out to him on Instagram, so make sure to give Logan and his weightlifting accessory equipment business @buildtoheavy a follow!