Squat depth should I care a little less

[jjw]

Running PB2 while I am still trying to cut. With the templates and nutrition over about 3 years of off and on with COVID, I have managed to decrease my waistline nine inches from 49" to 40" and that is with less than perfect compliance sometimes with long breaks between training so it is working. I still have a couple more inches to go to reach 20% BF. So it is working even with less than 100% compliance.

Yesterday, I didn't feel I hit full depth on the squat for 1 rep at RPE 8. When the weight gets heavy I seem to pull up shorter. My camera angle wasn't good so I couldn't tell exactly if I had depth but it was close. It wasn't a half or quarter squat but I might have missed going below parallel by just a little. When things get heavy I seem to pull up quicker as I can feel the weight pressing down when I hit the hole. Does this just mean that I am trying too much weight or possibly just not be used to a heavy single. I am in week 7 and ran BB before this so it is has been about 3 to 4 months since I finished the last PB2 template and I am out of practice with singles. I didn't notice it with 310 last week but noticed it with 315 this week. The 290 back off may have been a little short for 3 but the following 270 sets felt right. Should I just wait until I am down to 20% BF or less and do a strength template to be concerned (care a little less), drop weight a bit, or just go with it next week and see if my RPE 8 is a higher weight?

I am leaning to just care less because the main goal is inches off the waist and bar weight increasing is secondary right now but it bugs me I might not be making depth. I feel like I should be ok with dropping weight if needed but I can't seem to get off the mindset of more weight on the bar even if it is a secondary goal. I am also thinking it could be fear. A heavy squat seems to do that feeling pinned even if the safeties are set correctly. The squat is an easy lift to cheat a little on depth and not even realize it. You know it if you don't finish a deadlift, press, or bench. Without a camera it is hard to make sure you have depth but I am hoping the pause squats will help with that.

Anyway care less about being a little off and worry about depth when I hit the strength template and the primary goal is correct depth at max weight, drop a bit and make sure I have proper depth, or just see if practice over the next 3 weeks gets me more used to a 1 rep at RPE 8 and fixes the problem.

[Austin Baraki]

First of all, excellent work bringing your waist down that much so far. That is going to have a massive impact on your health, particularly when you get to the goal waist circumference.

Regarding your question: I understand that your primary goal currently is weight/fat loss. However, it sounds like weight on the bar/strength performance is still important to you, and may become a primary goal down the line, once you achieve your waist circumference goals. With this being the case, I do not see a good reason to kick the can down the road with respect to practicing the lifts to a consistent standard. I would anticipate needing to decrease the load a bit to more consistently, confidently, and comfortably hit the appropriate depth, and accumulate that practice over time. This will allow you to build the strength needed to hit that depth with higher loads at the same effort level. This is the basic concept we discuss in our podcast on "progressive overload" ep 129.