Senin, 09 Mei 2011

Be Patient With Your Progress on Squats

Most of us would love to have a big squat to be proud of. Its a dream for many to be able to handle bar bending weights on our backs as we perform weighted squats. However it is important to understand and remember that progress in this basic exercise takes time and dedication.

A few years back this client I trained was unhappy with his rate of progress in the squats. He felt that he should be progressing at a more rapid rate and should be getting stronger a lot faster. I asked him then, how much does he expect to add to his squat every week? His answer, "it should hopefully at least go up by about 10 pounds every week". Now I must point out that he was not a beginner, he was into training for 4-5 years at that point, but was training with me for about 2-3 months.

So I explained to him that if he were were to add 10 pounds to his squats every week then he would add about 500 pounds by the end of the year, and by that calculation he should probably add 1000 pounds in 2 years. Obviously that's not going to happen. Most people will never squat 1000 pounds, let alone get there in 2 years. Hearing the calculations and my explanations, the client saw the logic, and understood my point.

So if you have been struggling with the squats, then don't be impatient. Its a tough exercise and needs time to improve. If you are a beginner, then maybe you might add 10 pounds to your squats for a few weeks, or maybe even for a couple of months. However after that expect to add maybe 10-20 pounds a month for sometime. And once you are in more advanced stages you should expect to add about 25-40 pounds in the whole year on your squats, rather than in a matter of months.

That being said you will find that with time you will hit bigger numbers and your physique will benefit from it, as you get stronger and bigger. The key point is to have a sensible goal and target in mind. After all Rome was not built in a day, and neither was a 500 pound squat reached in one day. All great things take time, effort and sacrifices to get there. So be patient and work hard while improving your form and the results will be great.

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