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I would like to share with you a movement that has been extremely beneficial to my athletes. This movement builds starting strength, acceleration strength, limit strength, explosive strength, relative strength and rate of force development. I’m going to explain how it works in simple, layman’s terms. This is not merely a theory I think will work, it is a movement that has worked time and time again. This keeps in the spirit of finding out what works, then finding out why later. No Harvard studies to back this bad boy, just multiple PR’s by my lifters. The movement I’m talking about is the dead squat.
From a pure raw lifting stand point, this movement is very beneficial to those who have a sticking point in the squat a few inches above parallel and to sumo deadlifters, but it will also benefit the conventional deadlifter.
Since the dead squat is performed off the pins (bottom up style) there is no eccentric phase of the lift, no elastic energy assists you on the concentric phase of the squat. You are lifting dead weight, like a deadlift. Plain and simple, you live or die on this lift based off your starting strength.
One way to take it a step further, is to use bands and chains in order to build acceleration strength. Both of these tools will increase tension as the weight is lifted off the pins, so the resistance is heaviest at the top, where most people are the strongest. This type of training complements the strength curve of the lift, which allows for limit strength and acceleration strength to be built. If the athlete doesn’t lift the weight fast enough, he won’t successfully complete the lift because the tension is increasing. This effectively bypasses the negative acceleration phase that takes place in the top half of the lift. The one draw back to compensatory acceleration training (CAT) is that it means lifting sub maximal weights with maximal force.
Dead squats develop rate of force development (RFD), which is how quickly one can develop tension in a muscle. Concentric-only muscle actions, with no negative loading phase, offer huge gains in RFD. There isn’t a stretch shortening cycle to help you, so you must develop tension in the muscle quickly if you’re going to get it moving.
Relative strength is effectively your bodyweight to strength ratio. One can gain strength by an increase in muscle size or neural adaptations. Concentric-only muscle actions, like the dead squat, are associated with increased neural efficiency, and are an inferior method for muscle hypertrophy. This means that if your goal is size alone, this is not the movement for you. If you need to remain in a certain weight class, this is an excellent choice.
The dead squat should be performed for singles. For higher volume and lower intensity, use multiple singles followed by short rest intervals. Proper progression is where many people fail in their strength programs. We can know science in and out, but if we don’t understand the true art of progression, we will not progress. Learning proper progression is done in the trenches. Some variables to increase intensity on the dead squat are shortening rest intervals between singles, adding more singles to the same weight, adding more weight, or adding bands or chains. You can also look at lengthening rest periods and decreasing the number of singles as the weight gets heavier. Looking only at bar weight is a good prescription to running yourself into the ground quickly.
Week one might be eight singles with a 45 second break, and then week seven might be three singles with a full recovery. Obviously, the weight has increased and the perceived rate of exertion may be the same both weeks. If you want to build limit strength, starting strength, and overall power, give dead squats a try.
Some Key Points to remember are:
- Squats are a reversible muscle action with a stretch shortening cycle (SSC), excessive abuse of this exercise could potentially retard the SSC. This is a supplementary exercise, not a replacement.
- This lift will benefit the deadlift and generally offers a higher degree of dynamic correspondence (transfer of training) to sumo deadlifts but will benefit the conventional puller. Remember, if you are trying to increase your sumo pull, use the same stance and start at similar hip and knee joint angles. If you sumo deadlift from a half squat, starting the dead squat in a full squat or quarter squat position won’t offer the same benefit as starting from the half squat position.
- Perform this exercise with straight bar weight and with bands and chains.
- If your primary goal is muscle hypertrophy, this exercise doesn’t have a real big benefit in your program.
- Dead squats are very beneficial to those that have a sticking point two to three inches out of the hole in the squat.
Check out this video of Big Ed McKelvey doing Dead Squats
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Josh Bryant is one of the fastest rising names in the fitness industry. He works as a speed, strength, and conditioning coach at one of the top high school programs in Texas. Currently Josh is a personal trainer who works successfully with many clients, both in person at Metroflex Gym and via the Internet. By using the Joshstrength Method, he has trained world record setting powerlifters, women fitness competitors, Olympic athletes, professional fighters, NCAA champions, and a host of high school athletes who have received collegiate scholarships.
As an athlete, he won many national and world titles in both powerlifting and strongman, and at 22 years of age was the youngest person in powerlifting history to bench press 600 pounds raw. He squatted 909 pounds in the USPF, officially bench-pressed 620 pounds raw, and officially deadlifted 810 pounds raw. In 2005, he won the Atlantis Strongest Man in America competition.
Along with ISSA certifications in fitness training, nutrition, and conditioning, Josh has been awarded the prestigious title of Master of Fitness Sciences (MFS). He was also recently named the ISSA Director of Applied Strength and Power. In addition to being certified by the NSCA as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and by NASM as a Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES), Josh completed his master of sciences degree in exercise science (July 2010). He has been published in numerous magazines, periodicals and websites.
Josh Bryant is the founder and owner of Joshstrength.com and The Joshstrength Method. To learn more about Josh Bryant or to contact him visit 
I like the idea. Seems similar to pause squats? Just pause squats have the eccentric phase added and you may not be able to do as much weight with pause squats. I have implemented a lot of these types of lifts to work on the starting strength and explosion. Pause cleans from the knees is another good one I like to use for similar outcomes instead of using the traditional hang cleans with a counter-movement. Good article, I always appreciate variations to lifts!
How do these differ from box squats? Does pausing on the box not offer the same effect? I like the idea though. Never used it on squats but I have on bench. I can max 335 pounds but struggle to do 3 dead stop reps with 135!
On box squats you still gte some help from stored energy this there is none. I think this will be helpful for sunmo deadlift. Thanks Josh
There’s a video on youtube of Bud Jeffries doing a dead squat with 1000lbs.
I am very glad to see this article on this website. Thanks a lot Josh! I have been using this dead stop squat (or bottom squat) for a little over a year and a half ago (after i read Brooks Kubiks’ book. Seriously, why did I not know about that book 10 years ago…) as an accessory exercise on squat day and have seen huge increase in power out of the hole on the regular squats and acceleration off the floor in the deadlift (i pull conventional). I have tried to convince some younger lifters I know to incorporate this move into their routines due to the awesome benefits I have personally experienced. It is (in my opinion) very different from the box squat, primarily due to the fact that there is no way your body to adjust/prepare for the lift prior to starting. You dont know how heavy it feels on your back until you are starting the lift so your body cannot adjust to the weight. even with the box squat I think you still gain some benefits fro mthe eccentric motion. not so with this move. Try them and reap the benefit as Josh explained. Love the article.
Could this be done as assistance work on 5/3/1 squat day?
@Wes-Yes it can!
How high should the pins be set? Below, at or slightly above parallel. Is your sticking point exactly where the pins should be set?
I see he Josh has Chad Smith doing them. Chad is a mediocre squatter to say the least:)
I’ve trained these for years. When you start to get really heavy, and train to beat previous maxes or reps or whatever, the biggest problem is your technique. It’s a dance recital to find that sweet spot and move a ton of weight. One inch off and you stay stapled to the rack.
Maybe it’s best to train these for reps? I don’t know. The technical aspects of this lift will become a pain in the ass but it’s a good, pure strength builder.
I’m 5’11″ tall and my best ever was 740lb (belt only) from belly button height
Great article Josh.
I have used these with great success for the last 5yrs or so. You make the science behind them very understandable.
Jim
I have added these to my squat day plan. Will report back after monday’s workout