8 Things Successful Lifters Do Before Squatting HEAVY (plus 2 BONUS tips)
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Let’s cover 8 things that successful, intelligent, wily lifters do before squatting, and at the end, we’ll cover two bonus tips that you might not typically think about. Let’s dive in.
#1 Grip
First, make sure your grip is symmetrical – use either the score marks (i.e., the rings in the knurling) or, if your grip is narrow enough, use the point at which the knurling begins. Keep the grip consistent every time.
Second, take a grip that is as narrow as it can be but also as wide as it needs to be. Narrower is generally better as it helps you create a nice, tight upper back and bunches up your delts to create a solid shelf for the barbell to sit on. However, the grip also needs to be wide enough that you can slide far enough under the bar to position the bar in the proper location (i.e., a grip that is too narrow won’t permit this).
becky takes a grip that is as narrow as she can get it but also as wide as necessary to get the bar into the correct position.
Third, once your grip is set, don’t let it move as you get under the bar, and definitely don’t let it move once you’re in position under the bar. Your grip plays a pivotal role in your ability to center yourself relative to the bar, so make sure your grip is a constant.
Fourth, we typically teach a “thumbs on top” grip with relatively neutral wrists – this ensures that the bar is never supported by the hands and wrists. However, if you don’t have the shoulder flexibility to achieve this position, and this is not uncommon, you can bend your wrist backward into extension and wrap your thumbs under the bar and still utilize the low bar position. This is very common, it can work quite well, and if you use this grip, I would recommend wearing wrist wraps to provide the wrists with extra support.
#2 Bar Position
Slide under the bar far enough that the bar is sitting just below your traps and resting securely on your bunched up delts. If it’s higher than that, the bar will tend to roll up your back and you won’t be able to get into the leaned over position we want, and if it’s lower than that, the bar will have a tendency to slide down your back.
gage demonstrates the correct bar position.
If you can’t achieve this position due to a lack of shoulder flexibility, this is not the end of the world. Move the bar up a bit until it’s resting on the traps. This is referred to as a “high bar squat” and simply means that you won’t be able to lean over as much as you would in the regular squat (AKA the “low bar squat”).
#3 Unracking the Bar
Treat the unracking process as if it’s your first rep. Don’t be sloppy.
Get both feet symmetrically positioned directly under the bar, take a big breath and get tight, and then stand the bar up smoothly and under control. Everything that should be in place and tight when you squat should also be in place and tight before you stand the bar up from the rack – you shouldn’t need to make any adjustments after you unrack the bar.
#4 The Walk-Out
Be efficient with your walk-out.
Once you stand the bar up from the hooks, don’t walk back a mile to squat. Take one step back with each foot (or at least move back a distance equivalent to that) and then make any small adjustments needed to finalize your stance.
#5 Stance
Position your heels at roughly shoulder width and point your toes out about 30°. Your toes are now arrows that point in the direction you want your knees to travel.
#6 Focal Point
First, have one.
Second, it’s not the ceiling.
Instead, pick a spot about three to six feet in front of you on the floor and stare at it throughout the set – before your first rep, during each rep, and between each rep.
#7 Breathing and Bracing
Before each rep, take a big breath, hold the breath in the back of your throat (i.e., against a closed glottis, not against your lips) and clamp down tightly with every muscle in your trunk as if you expect to get punched.
Hold that breath and those tightly contracted muscles throughout the rep, and only release the breath after the bar is back in the same place it started.
If you’re not sure how to correctly breathe and brace when training, check out the very useful video below.
#8 Spotters or Safeties
Get spotters or use safeties.
Those are the only two sensible options for your work sets. Intelligent spotters – one on each side – are always ideal since you’ll squat better with two people next to you (yes, the social pressure of training buddies is real). Also, if you fail, you don’t take the bar all the way down to the pins; instead, at the moment of failure, your spotters assist, which means the bar only dips an inch or two before the three of you together stand the bar up and put it back in the hooks.
If spotters aren’t an option, then be sure to set the safeties at a height that is both low enough to not cause problems (i.e., you shouldn’t run into them when squatting) and – very importantly – high enough that you can set the bar on them and get out from under the bar in the event of a missed rep. Be sure to practice this, i.e., practice failing a rep with an empty bar and with the safeties set at the correct height.
Watch the short video below for a demonstration and explanation.
Bonus #1 Chalk
It’s not a deadlift, snatch, or clean, but the squat still benefits from chalk.
You don’t want your hands to slide even a fraction of an inch when squatting heavy, and this is doubly important for those with tight shoulders.
You won’t need to apply as much or as often as you would when deadlifting, snatching, or cleaning – simply apply some chalk at the start of your session, and you’re probably good to go for the squat.
Remember, if you train at a public gym, you’re not only dealing with the moisture and oil from your hands — you’re also potentially deadling with the moisture and oil from the hands of those who’ve used that barbell before you.
Chalk up, my friends.
Bonus #2 J-Hooks
Set your hooks at a reasonable height, and when in doubt, set them lower than you think you should.
Walking the bar back to the hooks after your set should be simple and easy, so you should never have to perform a calf-raise and stand up on your toes to rack the bar.
Remember, the height of your j-hooks is not a reflection of your worth or status as a man or woman (although some people seem to think it is judging by how many people set them too high).
Don’t be a doofus.
As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.
-Phil
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