12 week strength template for Squat specialization

Training Q&A [Moderated]
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First time I ran the 12 week Strength was after the bridge and I made very decent gains for a low responding 41 YO male on a slight deficit diet. But I didn’t make any considerable squat gain in both the Bridge and 12 week.

I need to plan my next training block by looking at my 12 week strength template log. Squat didn’t move at all so I want to tweak it a bit. The e1RM kept at the same level week on week till the end.

My e1Rm just didn’t seem to move. It is surprising considering that my squat and deadlift were always the same. I ended LP with a bigger squat than my DL. I have long Torso and very short legs. But after BBM templates, my DL is now 40 lbs over my squat, which in itself is not so bad but I would have loved some squat gains. Prior to BBM, I ran 531 + BBB for a long time.

What kind of tweaks would be recommended to get the squat moving?

Another information is that during deadlifts, I feel totally wasted after my back off sets. Even on bench days. I feel wasted after the workouts. And I made gains in both bench and deadlifts. Whereas I feel like I didn’t break a sweat doing my squat back off sets. Even on the very high volume days.

Also, on all squat days, my RPE 8 single would be tough or I will miss depth and the rpe 8 single would be very close to my sets of 5 @ 8. eg I can do 140 kg for sets of 5 @ 8, but my rpe 8 single is like 150 kgs. 155 kgs and I miss depth. I did 132.5 kgs for set of 8. Based off this number my e1rm are good, but singles never moved.

I was suggested to increase squat volume. What would be a good way to increase squat volume.

There was a supplemental squat which was either Leg Press or RDL. I was thinking I will do belt squat on that as well since our gym has a shitty machine leg press with weird range of motion…

Another question.

Being that I am running Bridge again, does it make sense to run 12 week strength right after it, or should I run 4 day hypertrophy again. Also should i tweak leg volume on that as well?

Thanks a ton

PS: This is an update to an earlier thread that I submitted which is yet to be approved. Please delete that and approve this. I tried to edit but I got an error message saying I wasn’t authorised to edit.

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Hi PowerBelly, and thanks for all in the info here. Congrats on your progress so far!

So looking at all of this, I don’t think I’d assume that it’s necessarily a volume problem for your squat. You seem to be making progress on the working sets, right? It looks like you’re struggling with some squat technique when it gets to heavy singles, given that you’re struggling with depth too. Add to this that you indicate that the singles as 8 were generally difficult and were often overshot (missing them at depth would indicate that it was too heavy, even if that is mental.) So you might have gotten into a pattern of being too hesitant with your singles, overshooting with weight that was just too heavy for that day, or maybe you’re depth is too inconsistent overall. I think it sounds like you will want to make clean, true @8 singles, to proper depth, your high priority in the next run of the template. And then I’d aim to increase your single gradually, so that you are ALWAYS hitting depth, not grinding out that single. If this means you repeat a weight for two weeks, that’s ok, but then you’d aim to bump it up, 2.5kg, if needed. I suspect that with some practice and focus, you can drive that single up.

The belt squat would be a great sub for the leg press here.

I would run the12 week after the Bridge. As you progress with a bit more attention to the quality of your singles, then you’d know if you really need more volume.

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Wow. Thanks Leah. This was very insightful…

I never thought about the progress on the supplemental and back off lifts. My pause and pin squats are also very strong.

And my depth issue is only on single. Sets of 5 i sink down. I will follow your advice and work on it.

Maybe psychological. Does it make sense to do more singles… Like more warm ups to get to my rpe.

Now i do 100 x 5 and then singles, 120, 140, 155

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Very happy to help! It was a great question and you provided enough to kind of hash this out together.

I would try actually warming up a tad more-
bar x5
70x5
100x5
120x3
135x1
145x1
and at that point, asses the reality of the next jump, I’d suggest starting with 150x1 and if that was fast and really more of RPE 7, THEN attempt 155
You can tinker with this a bit to push your single up, with a few singles in there that help you be physically and mentally prepared. If that means that you then bump these singles up by 2.5, go for it.

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