Bottom-up squat test

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Scott Birdby Scott Bird | August 19, 2005
Filed in workouts | 6 comments

Bottom upI like these. Starting the squat from the pins provides a great opportunity to check out my form in the bottom position - where things are at their worst. It also makes it easy to check depth.

Whilst my form wasn’t too bad for the first few sets, things started to deteriorate as I neared bodyweight. By the end I was almost doing good mornings (still, at 80kg it’d be a new PR).

Slowly, but surely.

Squat (from pins) 2×10@20/44, 10@40/88, 5@60/132, 5@70/154, 3@80/176


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Discussion

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Comments

1

I halfway thought about doing a bottom up squat for those ding dongs at the gym that loaded the bar up with 205. But I decided not to. Evil or not I haven’t decided!

Posted by: Christian Dorr | August 19, 2005 11:11 PM

2

A nice way to set depth and ensure proper form at the bottom of the lift. It probably takes a bulletproof core to do these with a good amount of weight.

Posted by: Jon | August 20, 2005 4:45 AM

3

I haven’t tried squats off pins, but I have a feeling it would be much harder to sit back and keep back erect having to juggle in under the bar, especially if you do legal depth. This might contribute to the GM problems. Video would be nice.

Posted by: Kris | August 20, 2005 6:35 AM

4

Kris, it probably does make it a bit harder to sit back (although getting in under the bar correctly is actually easier - you’ve got a chance to look around and check position). I don’t mind the fact that it’s hitting the lower back a bit harder, as I’m working on knee and hip positions. Just easier to see this way.

As for video, did you see the 1,000lb lift on the Strongerman site a while back? Well, it isn’t anything like that :)

Posted by: Scott | August 20, 2005 10:52 AM

5

You’ll get there, Scott. As a beginning squatter in the early 90s, I couldn’t figure out how to cure my excessive forward lean, M&F and Ironman and trainers at the gym never explained, either. Years later, after reading Westside, the RDL and good mornings were worth the sweat equity, totally fixed that problem.

Brent Mikesell once told me (through a question on his forum)that GMs should be about about 75-85% of one’s full squat (when I squatted 330, my arched back GM was 280 - - - almost 85%- - - and my RDL was 300), so that may be a goal to shoot for for the back strength necessary for a strong squat with a straight back.

Posted by: Alberto Caraballo | August 21, 2005 10:47 PM

6

That’s very interesting. My GM max is only about 60-65% of max squat - will have to work on that. A set of ‘structural balance tests’ for the lower body and posterior chain sure would be handy :)

Posted by: Scott | August 22, 2005 1:44 PM

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