When did squats start to get legitimately hard for you?

[the dio]

Just did 180x3x5 tonight. I weigh ~185 +/- 2lb. It was pretty fucking hard, noticeably more difficult than 175. Maybe an off night, but it sure seems this is progressively increasing every workout.

Is 1xBW about right for this?

[mstrofbass]

Just did 180x3x5 tonight. I weigh ~185 +/- 2lb. It was pretty fucking hard, noticeably more difficult than 175. Maybe an off night, but it sure seems this is progressively increasing every workout.

Is 1xBW about right for this?

225 lbs. or thereabouts for me...I probably hit that a couple of times at weights between 185 and 200, and it was a sticking point each time.

There was a discussion about this in Rip's Q&A, posted by Steve in ATL I think. Might be instructive.

[the dio]

Cool. Will look for it, thanks.

[savage]

I did 235 x 5 x 5 on Saturday and felt gassed and a bit dizzy after. I weigh 143.

[Kyle Schuant]

Around bodyweight on the bar does seem to be the most common time when people start to go "ooof" when they put the bar on their back, and feel a bit daunted by it.

[MikeC1]

Kyle, do you notice that with both men and women lifters? I remember that ~bodyweight-on-bar squat was still in 'work up a sweat' territory for me at the time.

OP, once it starts to feel hard is a good time to start making 5 lb jumps.

[hamburgerfan]

Mid 200s.

[the dio]

Around bodyweight on the bar does seem to be the most common time when people start to go "ooof" when they put the bar on their back, and feel a bit daunted by it.

Yeah, sounds about right. I've been doing your suggested "stand with ~25lb more on the bar for a bit before work sets" and it helps. Fear of the weight is definitely increasing. After the first set it's not too bad, though. Tonight when I started the first rep of the first set my initial thought was "I can't do this." Haha. I did it, but damn. That's never happened before.

Kyle, do you notice that with both men and women lifters? I remember that ~bodyweight-on-bar squat was still in 'work up a sweat' territory for me at the time.

OP, once it starts to feel hard is a good time to start making 5 lb jumps.

I'm starting to sweat a bit now, too. I've been making 5lb jumps for quite a while--since maybe 100lb or so.

[MikeC1]

I'm starting to sweat a bit now, too. I've been making 5lb jumps for quite a while--since maybe 100lb or so.

Ah gotcha. I somehow dyslexically misread your first post.

[mstrofbass]

Yeah, sounds about right. I've been doing your suggested "stand with ~25lb more on the bar for a bit before work sets" and it helps. Fear of the weight is definitely increasing. After the first set it's not too bad, though. Tonight when I started the first rep of the first set my initial thought was "I can't do this." Haha. I did it, but damn. That's never happened before.

I find the weights seem to get progressively heavier in a linear fashion, then every now and then I'll hit a weight that seems much heavier than the previous jump. Once I get over that hump, it's pretty predictable and I'm fine until I get to the next point.