Wednesday, September 19, 2012

30 DAYS OF SQUAT! (Day 19) - Deadlift Stud, Squatting Dud

Almost every time someone asks me how to bring up his squat, he's surprised when I suggest he isn't squatting often enough. If squatting is a skill that has not been developed, practice is what is needed. Every training session does not have to be a high-intensity, high-volume Smolov hell, but more frequent sessions with greater focus on technique and tension can't hurt. 
For most beginner and intermediate lifters, it is a truism that squat training will help their deadlift numbers. The converse of this is not true, however; most people will NOT experience a commensurate rise in their squat numbers as their deadlift improves. I'm not saying anyone should slack in their deadlift training, but you have to work your weaknesses harder than your strengths if you want your weaknesses to become strengths. 
If you are doing both the squat and deadlift in the same session, do your squats first. If you are doing both squat and deadlift work during the week, make sure squats come early in the week and before deadliest. Prioritize your squat by doing squats and assistance exercises and drills early in the week. I call this 'front-loading' your work week; by putting your 'money sets' in early and getting them over with, you avoid the tendency to slack off as the week marches on.
- From Deadlift Stud, Squatting Dud by Boris Bachmann

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