Squat Frequency

[DCP]

I am curious to get your guys' opinions and experiences with programs that have you squatting heavy once a week. Today was my first Squat training day on 5/3/1 and I was surprised how heavy a weight that I did 5x5 a month and a half ago (295) felt heavy after 9 days of not squatting at all.

[Rob Israel]

I took 9 days off from squatting once and it sucked. I don't plan on doing that again. 1) I did a reset and the weight was 40 pounds less and felt like 40 pounds more since my last volume (5x5) day. 2) I was more sore for the next two days than ever before. Never since I started squatting was I sore like that. It was brutal.

I don't understand the idea that squatting once a week would be enough. Twice maybe, but once? That doesn't compute.

[DCP]

I took 9 days off from squatting once and it sucked. I don't plan on doing that again. 1) I did a reset and the weight was 40 pounds less and felt like 40 pounds more since my last volume (5x5) day. 2) I was more sore for the next two days than ever before. Never since I started squatting was I sore like that. It was brutal.

I don't understand the idea that squatting once a week would be enough. Twice maybe, but once? That doesn't compute.

I remember searching through the archives and Rip said he would want intermediates to at least squat twice a week. On the other hand he commented that he thinks Jim Wendler is a great coach and if he was still lifting today he would want him to coach him. I understand that to make progress you need to essentially Stress the system-->Recover-->Supercompensate and lift heavier. So with a program like 5/3/1 where the squat is being trained heavy once a week is that too much time inbetween squatting for the body to test itself and squat heavier? I would think the answer is yes but going through logs and testimonials on other sites it seems many people have thrived on the program.

I think part of my worry is because for the last 15 months or I have been squatting 3x a week and the shift to once a week makes me feel like I am doing something wrong. I guess I will just have to see how this works for a few months.

[Alberto Velazquez]

I squat everyday ala Broz.

[Carlos Daniel]

So with a program like 5/3/1 where the squat is being trained heavy once a week is that too much time inbetween squatting for the body to test itself and squat heavier?

It's more than enough time for slight detraining. I don't like it.

[william jackson]

i have read that a common cure for this issue is to do squats as assistance on deadlift day. key word being assistance. do them to keep the movement pattern fresh without thrashing yourself. the deadlift should drive the adaptation for the day, not the assistance squats.

[Rob Israel]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you should not squat only once a week. I would never do that and I would never recommend that to anyone who would care to listen to me. There's a reason Rip encourages, no, pretty much insists on 3 days a week, and while you can "get away" with only two days, one day is not going to drive adaptation.

What William suggests makes some sense-- but I would do a recovery squat day. Or I would TM it and not do the recovery day, just do a volume and an intensity day.

I know a lot of people love 5/3/1 and respect Wendler immensely, (including my very own coach) but squatting once a week is no way to train IMHO. Squatting is the king of the exercises, and all the lifts should be subjects to his supremacy.

Don't only squat once a week. There I said it.

[jmo84]

I squat once 5x5 a week (Mon) and once at 80% weight for 5x4 (Fri) and feel I would have probably gained strength quicker using a more frequent approach.. I've stuck with my current program for close to 5 months and I'm looking forward to a program change and squatting more frequently. Sometimes when Monday comes around it feels like a lifetime since I have had that much weight across my shoulders

[msingh]

Rip's a lowbar belted squat specialist. That's why all his programs involve doing the same boring lowbar belted squat 3 times a week forever. Doing this leads to a specialisation in the lowbar belted squat. If that's your goal then do that.

Squatting once a week is a far better choice for anyone who isn't planning on squatting 3x a week for the rest of their life.

[hamburgerfan]

But why would anyone not want to squat 3x a week?