"Feeling the weight"

[pshotsb17]

Hi Folks,

In an effort to increase my squat alongside perfecting technique and better programming, I am debating considering walk-outs and negative of greater-than-max weights. This means adding 20%-30% to my max squat and just walking it out as well as descending to the safety bars.

I think that a certain component of my lack of squat efficiency (160kg at 105.5 BW @ 20% BF) is psychological: deep down I am scared of what could happen at new max weights. Will I get stuck at the bottom? Will I re-injure myself (have a history of disc herniations)? Etc. Part of me thinks that if I know what the weight feels like I wont be scared of it.

My question: are heavy walkouts and descents an effective way to increase weight awareness and squat capacity? Does this improve my neural pathways to handle bigger weights?

[manveer]

Walkouts work for some people. I haven't found them to be that helpful, personally. Stuff like benching with Slingshot has helped, IMO. Try it and see.

I'd guess that getting pinned by a supermaximal weight would hurt confidence rather than help it. You could use weight releasers instead (weight drops off at the bottom of the first rep), or squat with wraps, or use bands or chains.

[mjrpwrlfting]

If u have a safety Squat Bar, Hatfield squats will allow an extra 20% safely...

[mjrpwrlfting]

Another option is weight releasers. Add the extra 20% with weight releasers and then, you can squat back up and finish the set...
Or if u squat with friends, have them strip the weight at the bottom...
Last, reverse band squats allow you to lower heavier weight and assist on your way up...

[pshotsb17]

I'd guess that getting pinned by a supermaximal weight would hurt confidence rather than help it. You could use weight releasers instead (weight drops off at the bottom of the first rep), or squat with wraps, or use bands or chains.

Another option is weight releasers.

Thanks for the suggestions! I am not considering walk-outs or descents in the same context as one would with weight releasers, bands or chains (actually doing a full movement with the intent of creating a training adaptation). I don't necessarily want to do the full movement. I just want to know that my body can hold the weight without something bad happening to it. I think in this instance it is highly mental.

If 160kg is my max and I have never had 200kg on my back, would 200kg be dangerous to put on my back? What I am getting at is: does training your way up to being able to squat 200kg prepare your body to hold that weight in a way that would make it a bad idea to just to a hold with a weight you've never squatted? Will a disc explode or a bone break or a tendon tear just from holding a high load that the body has never experienced before?

[John Hanley]

If 160kg is my max and I have never had 200kg on my back, would 200kg be dangerous to put on my back?

Yes.

[manveer]

I think I tried walkouts with 585 a few days after I squatted 565 to depth (absolute 1RM). Even that felt ridiculously heavy and I ended up getting ab cramps (weird). When I walked out 565 to squat it, it felt like there was no way I was going to be able to complete a rep, but I was at a meet and people were watching.

Point is I don't think the walkouts need to be that much heavier than your max.

[mjrpwrlfting]

There is a T-nation video and article that talks about this.... BUT IT IS DANGEROUS....enjoy!

4 Crazy Ways to Squat More Weight | T Nation

[Jeff Illingworth]

I first did a walk out with more weight on accident. I was supposed to squat 485 pounds but because I'm an idiot and was using both imperial and metric plates, I loaded 530. I walked it out and realized this was not going to go well, so I put it back, checked the math, fixed the load, and the 485 felt much easier than I expected (almost easier than the 460 that preceded it). So, walkouts may help a little here and there. I don't know what the point is of taking a heavy weight to the pins and leaving it there as the real point of a squat is to stand back up with it. Seems like taking it down and leaving it would be a waste of time and/or a way to teach yourself to not stand back up.

[pshotsb17]

So I tried it today. Pretty happy with how it went. Considering my daughter was born Tuesday after a 3 day labor process I am a little underslept. So I worked up to 155k x1 @ 8. It felt good, first time bracing properly into my belly rather than into my upper chest ( I dont have a belt yet). After a few sets of 4 with 140 I then just stood up in the pins with 160, 165 and 175, and lowered 175 a foot to safety bars.

They felt fine, and I'll keep doing these from time because I realized that they show me how much MORE bracing and control and tightness I will need to actually squat those weigts, and where I am missing it. It was also clear why throwing 200k on there would be dumb. But psychologically it gave me confidence at little cost.

And then I watched Mike T bench 455lb for fun and cried a little inside.