What accesory lifts worked you the best for improving squats?

[Alexlarex]

I’ve noticed that including variation in accessory lifts has helped me improve squats a lot faster than doing always the same. Is the smith machine squat a good (as a finisher after squats and deads) What worked the best for you?

[WolfRose7]

Pause Squat
Pin Squat
Tempo Squat
High bar Squat

Nothing else comes close

[Alexlarex]

Pause Squat
Pin Squat
Tempo Squat
High bar Squat

Nothing else comes close

What tempo do you recommend in tempo squats?

[WolfRose7]

What tempo do you recommend in tempo squats?

510 or 303

be prepared to drop weight a lot lower than you want

[SuffolkPunch]

510 or 303

0 second concentric?

I agree OP, squat more to get better at squat. It's just one of those exercises that doesn't need any different movement to improve them. Variant are good for various parts of the lift like learning tightness in the hole (yes haha), passing the sticking point etc.

[WolfRose7]

0 second concentric?

I agree OP, squat more to get better at squat. It's just one of those exercises that doesn't need any different movement to improve them. Variant are good for various parts of the lift like learning tightness in the hole (yes haha), passing the sticking point etc.

Well as explosive as possible haha.
Just how we write it init.

Keeping in mind I usually count -
One thousand one, one thousand two
Not
One, two

[pondman]

If you want a big squat, you have to have a strong body. I see a lot of people with no back, especially a lack of lats trying to squat heavy. They just aren't able to stabilize their back and have weak abs. This will be a limiting factor until you bring your whole body up to where in needs to be.

I squat on a very short step stool that is only about 10 inches tall. I don't use a lot of weight, but it actually helps my mechanics and smooths out the squat. And I drive off of this stool with flat feet from the heels.

I actually do bent over rows and bar shrugging with a smith machine. It helps build the stabilizing muscle of the back.

[MyEgoProblem]

Doing heavy singles will likely drive your squat up faster than anything else in the short term..

Pause squat and a beltless squat (assuming you wear a belt) will likely be your goto "builder" lifts for some time.

It all very much depends on what you are doing NOW tho including any other lower work like deads and upper work.

Sorry. But It really does matter. As its not just squat in a vacuum

[socalivin]

Hip abductor machine to stop your knees from caving in on heavy squats

[BeginnerGainz]

1) Leg press to build up quad strength and size
2) stopped trying to get my hamstrings involved
3)Did more than just 5 reps a set

YMMV

[daudi81]

Usually just squatting more with variances in rep range / programming will get your numbers up the quickest.

As far as accessories, everyone is unique with different weaknesses or imbalances.

My very anecdotal 2 cents: lots of heavy hip thrusts got me past a really annoying sticking point and added 35-40lbs to my squat fairly quickly. Go figure.

[Alexlarex]

Usually just squatting more with variances in rep range / programming will get your numbers up the quickest.

As far as accessories, everyone is unique with different weaknesses or imbalances.

My very anecdotal 2 cents: lots of heavy hip thrusts got me past a really annoying sticking point and added 35-40lbs to my squat fairly quickly. Go figure.

. What I do have is a little bit stronger my glutes and hamstrings than quads. But not that much. Will more sets of squats help with that slight imbalance or should I isolate the quads a little bit more?

[Alexlarex]

1) Leg press to build up quad strength and size
2) stopped trying to get my hamstrings involved
3)Did more than just 5 reps a set

YMMV

I already did leg presses and didn’t help much to increase my strenght, but I also improved when I stopped trying to engage the hamstrings 👍🏻

[MyEgoProblem]

Given your hams are bi-articulated..

You cant use them to squat anyway. Just a dynamic stabsliser. Unless you butcher the rep so badly that you extend your knees, and ur ass pops up and the bar doesn't move, turning it into a good morning.

In that case, 'not using hams' means... Squatting.
🤷‍♂️

Adductors on the other hand. Huge hip extensor for the squat.

[WolfRose7]

Given your hams are bi-articulated..

You cant use them to squat anyway. Just a dynamic stabsliser. Unless you butcher the rep so badly that you extend your knees, and ur ass pops up and the bar doesn't move, turning it into a good morning.

In that case, 'not using hams' means... Squatting.
������‍♂️

Adductors on the other hand. Huge hip extensor for the squat.

why do you have to bring up muscles I don't have

[BeginnerGainz]

I already did leg presses and didn’t help much to increase my strenght, but I also improved when I stopped trying to engage the hamstrings ������������

A lot of people don’t use leg presses with a purpose. Same is true for hack squats, which for me were harder than regular squats. When I squat, my legs share the load with my back which after a lifetime of manual labor, is really strong.

But when I leg press or use the hack squat, my legs are doing all the work. Since dropping squats in favor of those two movements, I’ve noticed my quads, especially my VMO, have grown pretty significantly.

For the leg press or hack squat, I do 2 warm up sets, both for 10-12, then 1 work set of 8-10, the last couple reps with a weight that makes me hate my life. I keep my feet up higher, toes pointed out, basically the same as my squat position.

Again, what works for me might not work for you, everyone is different.

Edit: I stopped trying to use hamstrings more when I studied anatomy and realized how retarded I was listening to the likes of Mark Rippetoe about squatting mechanics.

[ECGordyn]

All good replies. OP do you high bar or low bar?

Pause squats
Tempo squats
Split squats or Platz squats at higher reps
Lunges

Programming is a big part. Candito 6 Week has a good squat progression, for one.

Also working your jaw muscles by chewing and swallowing lots of food will build your squat.

[TAWS6]

I might be going crazy but I feel that sumo deadlifts had some good carry over.

[MyEgoProblem]

I might be going crazy but I feel that sumo deadlifts had some good carry over.

I don't think you're going crazy....

I get that too, I squat pretty wide So I expect some direct transfer.

But more quad, hip and adductor mass is sure to help even a closer stance squatter.

[TheShadowMan]

I find warmup stretching to assist in my skill moving in a particular movement pattern, squats included. As far as accessory movements, for squat in particular I suppose I could say doing good mornings and split squats(knees weren't letting me do lunges, which I originally wanted to do instead) has helped work my weak points a bit. Particularly the split squats though, it shows me exactly what's going on with each side when I couldn't see it before. You really can't bs your way through these, if you're weak or lacking mobility in either side, it will immediately expose the problem and you will have trouble completing even a light set. Very helpful exercise.

[Xpiro]

Before my gym re-opened and I was stuck at home without a rack, I introduced Zercher Squats and heel-elevated hack squats. The former helped me with posture and the latter helped me learn to explode instinctively from my mid-way sticking point (which mimics the depths of the hacks), and my squat improved past pre-lockdown quickly as soon as I got back under the bar. I was surprised.