What am I doing wrong? (Weak squat)

[brendanscott]

Hi there,

I started training again in a general sort of way in May, and I began following Starting Strength in earnest about a month ago. I’ve made some decent progress but my squat gains have lagged way behind gains in my other lifts. Weirdly, I can bench more than I can squat. I’m 34, 6’3”, 208 lbs, est. body fat 25-30%. I’ve never responded that well to weight training, but then again I never followed any kind of sustained, organized approach, so who knows.

Here’s my #s:

May 17/23 2011:

Squat: 3 X 5 X 115
Bench: 3 X 5 X 95
Deadlift: 1 X 5X 115
Press: 3 X 5 X 65
Pendlay Row: 3 X 5 X 75


August 21/24 2011:

Squat: 3 X 5 X 135
Bench: 3 X 5 X 140
Deadlift: 1 X 5X 175
Press: 3 X 5 X 90
Pendlay Row: 3 X 5 X 100

So my % increases per exercise are as follows:

Squat: +17%
Bench: +47%
Deadlift: +52%
Press: +38%
Row: +33%

After reading Starting Strength, I had the impression that squats were the exercise that improved most dramatically with training. My diet is pretty good, I’m eating much more than I used to and supplementing with protein powder, but squatting is just tough as hell for me.

I’m wondering if I should add in some lunges, ab/adductor exercises, running etc. to address some as-yet unknown weakness that is stalling my squat?

I’m also okay with just sticking to the program and seeing what happens, continuing to improve my form, etc. But I thought I’d ask if there’s something I’m missing.

Any input is appreciated.

[PeterGibbons316]

Your squat should have gone up that much in the first week, but it has taken you months.....

You are doing something wrong. Have you been increasing the weight every single session? Have you been gaining weight? Did you start too high? How many times have you stalled, where did you stall, and where did you reset to when you did stall?

Do you have videos of your form?

[jdaquilanea]

It's your deadlift that should see the biggest gains and go the longest without stalling; but squat isn't usually far behind and it looks like your deadlift is your biggest lift.

Its really hard to say what the problem is without vids and your nutrition. I've only been doing it a little longer than you have and in my experience with starting strength pretty much -any and all stalls- I've had so far have been from mistakes in my form (very small ones even) when, after correcting, started improving again. Part of it could also be mental; I know for myself at least bar speed is a lot better when I'm more focused and psyched up.

I found that vids of ripp explaining the form have been really helpful; you can find them easily with a search on youtube.

[abg]

Don't take this the wrong way, but not a single one of your lifts has progressed in any meaningful way over the past 3 months.

Do not add anything yet. You are nowhere near needing assistance work to help increase your core lifts. Off the top of my head, I can only imagine one or more of the following is the case:

1) You started too high. This is relative to every lifter, and our pride usually gets in the way of going low enough.
2) You aren't adding 5lbs every session like you should, and it should have been pretty easy to first month or so.
3) You aren't eating enough. Over the past 3 months your weight should have gone up. Has it?
4) You aren't sleeping enough.

Items 1 and 2 are about failure to follow the programming. Items 3 and 4 are about failure to provide adequate recovery.

[brendanscott]

Don't take this the wrong way, but not a single one of your lifts has progressed in any meaningful way over the past 3 months.

Do not add anything yet. You are nowhere near needing assistance work to help increase your core lifts. Off the top of my head, I can only imagine one or more of the following is the case:

1) You started too high. This is relative to every lifter, and our pride usually gets in the way of going low enough.
2) You aren't adding 5lbs every session like you should, and it should have been pretty easy to first month or so.
3) You aren't eating enough. Over the past 3 months your weight should have gone up. Has it?
4) You aren't sleeping enough.

Items 1 and 2 are about failure to follow the programming. Items 3 and 4 are about failure to provide adequate recovery.

Hey thanks for the feedback...

I know I'm not sleeping the prescribed amount, but there isn't much I'm going to be able to do about that in the foreseeable future (working full time and writing a dissertation). I haven't been tracking my caloric intake but I basically doubled what I eat every day. Probably need to sort that out more accurately.

As for starting too high, I don't know. I started pretty damned low as it was, but perhaps this is the case.
For the past month I've been adding weight every workout, and have only failed to get all the reps on squats. I feel like my deadlift, rows, and presses are going to keep progressing for a while longer without a problem, while bench feels tougher and I haven't been able to get all my reps on squats when adding the prescribed amount.

My weight has gone up by about 5 lbs. (202-207) but my waist size has gone down and I've gotten a bit leaner and more muscular, but nothing dramatic.

[dexistence19]

Hi, what do you guys recommend if I started with too high of a weight and have pretty much hit a plateau?

[SuffolkPunch]

Hi, what do you guys recommend if I started with too high of a weight and have pretty much hit a plateau?

Reset to a more realistic starting point.

[Saschlitt]

Hey thanks for the feedback...

I know I'm not sleeping the prescribed amount, but there isn't much I'm going to be able to do about that in the foreseeable future (working full time and writing a dissertation). I haven't been tracking my caloric intake but I basically doubled what I eat every day. Probably need to sort that out more accurately.

As for starting too high, I don't know. I started pretty damned low as it was, but perhaps this is the case.
For the past month I've been adding weight every workout, and have only failed to get all the reps on squats. I feel like my deadlift, rows, and presses are going to keep progressing for a while longer without a problem, while bench feels tougher and I haven't been able to get all my reps on squats when adding the prescribed amount.

My weight has gone up by about 5 lbs. (202-207) but my waist size has gone down and I've gotten a bit leaner and more muscular, but nothing dramatic.

There's most definitely something wrong with your form. Your squat should have increased 30 lbs in the first week if you were following the program correctly. 20 lbs in 3 months is a clear sign of something amiss.

Explain to me how you are failing your squat reps?

[seanfl02]

There's most definitely something wrong with your form. Your squat should have increased 30 lbs in the first week if you were following the program correctly. 20 lbs in 3 months is a clear sign of something amiss.

Explain to me how you are failing your squat reps?

You do realize the post you quoted is from 2011....

[Saschlitt]

You do realize the post you quoted is from 2011....

Oh fuq. Didnt realize dexistence19 re-opened it haha.