My squat is increasing rapidly, but I am fighting fear...

[Zank]

I had a guy take video of me squatting - I am about 2-3 inches above parallel and the bar is coming about 2-3 inches in front of the mid foot. I am also bent over alot. It's fear of missing the rep.

Clearly, I need to de-load and reset squats. Any thoughts on how much? AND, how to handle the fear of not making the squat? The fear of missing a rep is weighing on me.




Background: 51 years old, 6'6" 235 lbs. CrossFitter for last 3 years. Decided to TRAIN after buying and reading SSBBT.


My last few weeks:
Dec 31: Deadlifts 5/5/5@185 Bench 4/4/4@155 PClean 5/5/5@125 Pull-ups 2
Jan 2: Squat 5/5/5@185
Jan 16: Squat 5/5/5@185
Jan 17: Squat 5/5/5@195 Pull-ups 2
Jan 22: Squat 5/5/5@205 Deadlifts 5@285 Bench 5/5/5@135 Pull-ups 2x2
Jan 23: Squat 5/5/5@210 PClean 5/5/5@130 Press 5/5/5@85
Jan 24: Bench 5/5/5@145
Jan 26: PClean 5/5/5@135 Squat 5/5/5@215 Press 5/5/5@90
Jan 28: Bench 5/5/5@150 Press 5/5/5@95 Pull-ups 2×2
Jan 29: Squat 5/5/5@220 Deadlifts 5@295 2x3 Pull-ups
Jan 30: Bench 5/5/5@155 Press 5/5/5@100 Pull-ups 2x2
Feb 1: Squat 5/5/5@225(!) Bench 5/5/5@160 PClean 3/3/3/3/3@140
Feb 3: Squat 5/5/5@230 Bench 5/5/5@165 Deadlifts 5@305.
Feb 5: Squat 5/5/5@235 Press 5/5/5@105 PClean 3/3/3/3/3@145 Pull-ups 2/2/2
Feb 8: Squat 5/5/5@240 Bench 5/4/3@170
Feb 10: Squat 5/5/5@245 Press 5/5/4@110 Deadlifts 5@315 Pull ups 2/2
Feb 12: Squat 5/5/5@250 Bench 5/3/3@170
Feb 14: Squat 5/5/5@255 Press 5/5/5@110 PClean 3/3/3/3/3@150
Feb 17: Squat 5/5/5@260 Bench 5/5/5@170 Deadlift 5@325 (squat form starting to break down)

[Mugaaz]

Don't ritualize the deload because the weight is now heavy. If you need to work on your technique then get your camera out and go do some technique work. You don't need to deload x% and and Z weight every week because technique isn't perfect. Just go in there and work on it, video it, use enough weight where the technique work is a struggle and move it up. You are always going to be working on your technique. What with all this fear, you used the word multiple times. If you miss a weight so what? Its not the end of the world as long as you have a rack. I usually miss on something at least once a week. Get over it, get angry, make it next time.

[Zank]

I have video, off my iPhone. Don't know how to load it.

"Fear" is a slightly overwrought description. During CrossFit, I had bumpers and would just let the weight fall off my back. Now, at a gym, I am just concerned about letting the weight drop on the bars. I know it's silly.

[ambivalens]

Ever since passing 260 on the squats, I have fear every time I'm going to squat. Tomorrow is 320, and an hour or two before my workout my pulse will start elevating. Before walking up to the bar, I have to calm myself and really focus on taming that fear. But so far, the bar has moved up each and every time. I'll just have to control it.

[Adam Skillin]

nobody's posted this yet?

You embrace the fear. You love it when it feels heavy. You hate variety. You think people who make up bullshit excuses to justify their desire to do something easier are just scared, and you are not one of them. You are a lifter, and you lift heavy things. When you walk into the gym, you look around at all the bros doing arm work and five different chest exercises, and you smile because you know they don't know what you know. Or, maybe they do, but they don't have the balls to stay the course, put more weight on the bar and squat something they're afraid they can't squat. But you do that. You do that three days a week. You face your fear over and over and over. And sometimes you fail. Sometimes you can't get another rep. But you show up for your next session, and you try again. You stick to your plan. You learn how to fail. You learn how to try again. You learn that it won't kill you. And that, my friend, is more important that how much weight is on the bar. It's supposed to feel heavy. You're supposed to be scared. If you're not, you're not living.

[matthewswogger]

I have video, off my iPhone. Don't know how to load it.

"Fear" is a slightly overwrought description. During CrossFit, I had bumpers and would just let the weight fall off my back. Now, at a gym, I am just concerned about letting the weight drop on the bars. I know it's silly.

You should be concerned about letting the weight drop on the safeties, that's not how you fail a squat when using a squat rack, it will bend the bar if it free falls down to the safeties. Set the safeties to the correct height that will allow you to both hit proper depth and if you cant finish a rep place the bar on the safeties and get out from under it without hurting yourself or the bar. The correct height for the safeties is about nutsack height, that's how I measure it. Once you've done this put 135 on the bar, squat down to proper depth, pause there, and then go down until the bar is on the safeties. Now you know that you can fail safely and that it isn't the end of the world if you do.

[JamesW]

Once you've done this put 135 on the bar, squat down to proper depth, pause there, and then go down until the bar is on the safeties. Now you know that you can fail safely and that it isn't the end of the world if you do.

Good advice. I didn't attempt a 5th rep the other day because I was in a new rack and realized after a hard 4th rep that I had not tested setting the bar on the safeties.

[Tiburon]

Good advice. I didn't attempt a 5th rep the other day because I was in a new rack and realized after a hard 4th rep that I had not tested setting the bar on the safeties.

Why are you thinking while squatting? Think about your set the night before, the morning of, the day after. But not during

[JamesW]

Why are you thinking while squatting? Think about your set the night before, the morning of, the day after. But not during

Well I could see out of the corner of my eye there was a decent chance I could lose a finger between the bar and the pins. But I hear you. My point was get safety issues sorted out ahead of time so you don't have to think about them during the set.

[BarryF]

Why is your grip so wide that your hands would be that close to the safeties? And failing on purpose with a lighter weight as someone mentioned works great to alleviate any fear of failing a rep.