09.09.2017 Back Squat, Paused Squat, Quarter Squat

Back Squat [belt at 335, wraps at 355]
45 x 12 x 2
135 x 6 x 2
225 x 3
275 x 2
315 x 1
335 x 1
355 x 1
365 x 3 x 2

Paused Back Squat [no belt, no wraps] 315 x 1 x 3
Quarter Back Squat to Pins [no belt, no wraps] 315 x 12

Notes: I woke up at 189 and have been returning to that weight all day. My back was feeling absolutely fried still from deadlifting a few days ago. So I gave in put on the belt and then the wraps. The belt really let me push way further today than I could have without it. This has been instructive. Instead of dogmatism ("never use a belt!"), I should be pragmatic. Like I wrote years ago, a belt lets the legs work harder.

I really like the complex I used today. Ramp up without any equipment...Add belt for another ramp up or two, then add wraps for the work sets...Then back off with paused squats without any equipment. As long as the ramp up is done without equipment and the belt is only used for maximal sets, then the belt is much less likely to become a crutch.

There is that one recent study that shows for stronger athletes, quarter squats produce way more carryover than full squats when it comes to improving vertical leap and sprint time. It makes sense in terms of\ joint angle specificity. I also saw footage of Vladislav Rigert (son of legendary Olympian and coach David Rigert) doing various amazing and sometimes odd lifts and feats. One of them was high rep quarter squats to a box with 485 lbs.

So I figure as long as I just do a set of these quickly at the end of my session, there will be very little chance that any passersby will think that quarter squats are ALL I do.

It's weird. No powerlifter I have asked has ever been interested in how far they could jump or how fast they could run. I have always wanted to be strong AND powerful AND fast. That's why I take lower body training advice from weightlifting and not from powerlifting. Weightlifters squat a ton and still train to be flexible and fast.

Here is footage of my second and last triple with 365. My smartphone was very close to dying so I rushed the setup and the shot is skewed to the right.