This is the squat workout I used to squat my first 500 pounds and how I trained back in the mid 1980s. I pulled this program directly from one of my old training logs.
Week 1
Suit used with straps down.
135 X 10
135 X 10
135 X 10
225 x 5
These first sets were to really focus on technique.
315 X 2
350 X 1
375 X 3
380 X 3
300 X 5
300 X 5
Week 2
Suit used with straps down.
135 X 10
135 X 10
135 X 10
225 X 5
These first sets were to really focus on technique.
315 X 2
350 X 1
380 X 3
385 X 3
305 X 5
305 X 5
Week 3
Suit used with straps down.
135 X 10
135 X 10
135 X 10
225 X 5
These first sets were to really focus on technique.
315 X 2
350 X 1
385 X 3
395 X 3
315 X 5
315 X 5
Week 4
Suit used with straps down.
135 X 10
135 X 10
135 X 10
225 X 5
These first sets were to really focus on technique.
315 X 2
Suit used with straps down and wraps.
350 X 1
395 X 3
405 X 3
325 X 5
325 X 5
Week 5
Suit used with straps down.
135 X 10
135 X 10
135 X 10
225 X 5
These first sets were to really focus on technique.
315 X 2
Suit used straps down and wraps.
350 X 1
375 X 1
405 X 3
415 X 3
335 X 5
335 X 5
Week 6
Suit used with straps down.
135 X 10
135 X 10
135 X 10
225 X 5
These first sets were to really focus on technique.
315 X 2
Suit used with straps down and wraps.
350 X 1
375 X 1
415 X 2
425 X 2
340 X 5
340 X 5
Week 7
135 X 10
135 X 10
135 X 10
225 X 5
These first sets were to really focus on technique.
315 X 2
Suit used with straps down and wraps.
350 X 1
375 X 1
405 X 1
425 X 1
Suit used with straps up and wraps.
445 X 1
405 X 3
405 X 3
Week 8
Suit used with straps down.
135 X 10
135 X 10
135 X 10
225 X 5
These first sets were to really focus on technique.
315 X 2
Suit used with straps down and wraps.
350 X 1
375 X 1
405 X 1
Suit used with straps up and wraps.
435 X 1
465 X 1
415 X 3
415 X 3
Week 9
Suit used with straps down.
135 X 10
135 X 10
135 X 10
225 X 5
These first sets were to really focus on technique.
315 x 2
Suit used with straps down and wraps.
350 X 1
375 X 1
405 X 1
Suit used with straps up and wraps.
445 X 1
465 X 1
480 X 1
425 X 2
425 X 2
Week 10
Suit used with straps down.
135 X 10
135 X 10
135 X 10
225 X 5
These first sets were to really focus on technique.
315 X 2
Suit used with straps down and wraps.
350 X 1
375 X 1
405 X 1
Suit used with straps up and wraps.
455 X 1
475 X 1
490 X 1
440 X 1
440 X 1
440 X 1
Week 11
Suit used with straps down.
135 X 10
135 X 10
135 X 10
225 x 5
These first sets were to really focus on technique.
315 X 2
350 X 1
375 X 1
Suit used with straps and wraps.
405 X 1
425 X 1
450 X 1
Week 12
Meet week
Warm-ups
135 X 3
135 X 3
135 X 3
225 X 3
225 X 3
315 X 1
Suit used with straps up and wraps.
365 X 1
405 X 1
Suit used with straps up and wraps.
425 x 1
Meet attempts
First: 450 pounds
Second: 480 pounds
Third: 500 pounds
Accessories:
Good mornings - 3 sets 10 reps
Weighted sit-ups – 3 sets 20 reps
Back raises – 3 sets 20 reps
*Other movements that were more squat-related were done on deadlift day. While this was squat day, the accessories were deadlift-related.
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+120 in nine weeks. Wow.
Was this a once-a-week routine, or were you doing this multiple times per week? (I can’t wrap my head around doing it more than twice every seven days, like Mon/Thurs or Weds/Weekend).
For someone with more modest goals (say, 405 – I’m still relatively new to lifting, and on the small side (5’8″ / 170#), would this simply scale at 80%, other than the warmup sets remaining at 135?
It’s good to be reminded that everyone has goals that today seem “easy,” but, back in the day, took this kind of focus and hard work to reach.
Thanks for your insight.
is that rich gaspari in the top picture?
That is some righteous hair. I have to ask, were you using Def Leppard as your training music?
Dave,
Was your previous “max” close to 500, or was it was down near 405?
Good use of periodization. lol
What was your max if you recall when you started this program? Wanted to figure out the percentages.
My start max was 465 and this workout was done 1 x per week. Deads were trained on another day.
Dave, could this be used as a Deadlift cycle too for a goal of 500?
Thanks for sharing Dave. I’m curious, like Rafe, about how I might scale this down. I’m a beginner, aiming for 300 lb squat, the most I’ve done up to now is 225.
Or, I’m on my 3rd cycle of 5/3/1 right now, I should probably just stick with that huh?
Ray. The 5/3/1/ Program is a great program for beginners and advanced lifters alike. Just stick with it and you’ll make some great progress.
Just one question…When is EFS going to start selling Zubaz pants. Nothing screams hardcore like zebra patterned pants.
Seriously though this is personally inspiring. I told my buddy after hitting 450 last week that I’m gonna squat 500 before I die (of course once I hit that it will be 550 before I die and so on).
Yeah, its call JUICE. 120lbs in 9 weeks is IMPOSSIBLE without filling your body with excess testosterone. When you hit 400lbs you don’t just magically go up week I dont care what diet your on and if you eat 10,000 calories a day with 1000g of protein. Stop misleading people.
Joe,
where do you get 120 pounds? My best before was 465 and I went to 500. I was in high school at the time. Not unheard of gains at all.
Dave,
I’m going into my first meet in a month. I’m aiming for a 365 squat at 181. I’m going to try this cycle next in a future meet. Thanks a million for your contributions!
This is great. I’d like to see similar articles for raw lifters. My understanding is that training programming with gear is quite different than without it.
Yeah, its call JUICE. 120lbs in 9 weeks is IMPOSSIBLE without filling your body with excess testosterone. When you hit 400lbs you don’t just magically go up week I dont care what diet your on and if you eat 10,000 calories a day with 1000g of protein. Stop misleading people.
He took 8 weeks to work up to his previous best. It’s called peaking and its pretty common. That’s pretty elementary stuff so let me redirect you to a site more appropriate for your knowledge base. http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Starting_Strength_Wiki
Dave, just wondering is there any cycles like this to increase the bench press? thank you.
@Joe
Joe you’re a gimmick. Hard work and correct diet leads to extraordinary gains. Juice is for the people that don’t want to work hard. I’ve been doing some russian conjugate methods along with periodization and some days your max can go up 10-20 lbs. It’s all about method
Thanks for sharing your program Dave. I will adapt what you have presented here for my own needs and give it a go. The volume seems okay for a natty to tackle. If I can manage Smolov Base Cycle, I think I can manage this. Hope so anyway.
IMO, hard work, smart programming and a swig of the old juice, leads to better results than hard work and smart programming alone – assuming diet is in order. However, it’s still possible to continue to make headway, albeit at a slower rate.
So far, without ASS, I have fought my way to a 420lb squat and a 475lb deadlift. I have seen others, who have started on the sauce, accelerate past me to new heights (that I can only dream of). I may never attain the lift numbers of the young and assisted, but I will always feel a great sense of personal accomplishment with every extra 5lb I add to the bar.
Dave…the background in the picture looked familiar (USPF Ohio State Meet at Rootstown H.S.) and so I looked closer and I am in the background getting ready to squat. Small world.
good routine, lot of sets though. i just got done with a timed routine you published for that t mag for hypertrophy and cant get my legs into my squat suit, i dont think i could do that many sets in a training session, course i have kids out of high school these days and my grand kids call me papa
good article. Thanks!
What percentages were used for this program? And did you base them off of 465 or 500?
You made some good points there. I did a search on the topic and found most people will approve with your blog.