Back Squat, Quarter Squat, Leg Press

Back Squat [belt at 385, wraps at 405] @ 185 in a.m.
45 x 6 x 3
135 x 6
225 x 4
275 x 2
315 x 1
345 x 1
365 x 1 x 2
385 x 1
405 x 1 x 2

Deadstop Quarter Squat from Pins, position 8 [belt]
455 x 3 x 2
485 x 3
505 x 3

45-Degree Leg Press [with squat shoes] 405 x 15 x 2

Notes: I managed 365 with no belt or wraps for two good singles today as a warm up, which marks decent progress over the last few weeks. I was barely able to squat 315 no-no-no when I first came back a few weeks ago; I hit 315 just once on Aug 28, just under a month ago. Then I finally got 405 on my back again, though it was with belt and wraps. The first single was good, second not so much and I have it recorded below. Quarter squats were amazingly hard, but they got easier with each set as my nervous system got accustomed to the supra-loading. These wiped me out more than I realized and when I tried to hit paused squats as a back off, I got completely buried with 315.

But then I was able to get more volume with leg press. I hate that people don't appreciate how the leg press can supplement squats. When the torso muscles can't bear the weight anymore, the leg press is there to let the hip and knee extensors get a lot more volume. I got a total of 30 working reps with comparable weight (405 on the 45-degree leg press is roughly 275 vertically). I have done loads of volume programs with the squat and my legs clearly get even more when I add the leg press to keep getting more volume when I can't squat anymore because my torso or lower back is fried.