I feel like I should know this after 30 years of weight training - and I guess I do, but want some verification or validation, or whatever.
On the "negative", meaning going down from standing to squatting, once the knees go past about 90 degrees and the quads are approaching parallel with the floor, the hams and glutes begin to primarily handle the load and the quads less so. Right? The deeper one squats, the quads become less and less involved. Correct?
This becomes very ebident to me on my heaviest set. I can squat 315 smoothly, all the way to parallel x 10 reps no problem. Well, what makes me stop is I have to catch my breath. I could probably do 12 or 13 reps if I stopped at the top and took a few deep breaths. My next set, though, at 365, is a different story. I have to really concentrate and watch myself in the mirror to get low enough for my quads to be close to parallel, and by the last rep - usually the 5th one - I'm fatigued enough that I feel my quads turn off lije someone pulled the plug as I go deeper than the 90 degree knee angle. 365 is suddenly MUCH heavier when my quads and glutes take over! I struggle to get back to 90 degrees, then the weight goes up more quickly.
So, to successfully increase my squat, I'm thinking maybe I should throw in some stiff-leg deadlifts some time between squat and leg press workouts. Maybe strengthen the quads and glutes that way and my squat will improve.
Right idea? Or should I add a set between the 315 and 365? Say a 335 set? Do it a little more incrementally that a 50 lb jump in weiggt.
Thoughts?
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