Hey folks, I just have bought Strength III template, and very much excited run the programme next week or so!
I’ve got a question regarding the overload squat slot (if I presumed correctly) on day 2 in the first few weeks, where I chose to perform squats with knee wraps. I chose it because of a lack of other equipment proposed.
The issue is, if I cannot load more weights on the bar than the competition squat (given the same rep at same RPE), it’s no longer an overload movement, right? Last time I tried knee wraps, it was
nothing but hurt legs, and similar or less weights on the bar compared to the comp lift. Maybe because I were not used to the wraps.
So if this is the case again, I’d rather try box squats instead which also isn’t an overload squat to me.
To be clear, I don’t think it matters that much, as there is such a large amount of inter-individual variation in response to training that I think we should explore different exercises to see what works for the individual.
To answer your question:
The issue is, if I cannot load more weights on the bar than the competition squat (given the same rep at same RPE), it’s no longer an overload movement, right? Last time I tried knee wraps, it was
Not necessarily, as if you were more fatigued, less motivated, etc. on the day you train your “overload” squat, it might be heavier than you’d be able to handle on the competition squat. If you’re using significantly less weight with knee wraps, I’d investigate how you’re wrapping and the knee wraps themselves. I’d also love you to pick up a pair of mini bands, as they can be super useful for many different exercises and are relatively inexpensive.