Squats: 295

[DannyP]

These were definitely hard and I know form suffered a bit. Main issues I saw were head coming up before descent and a bit of back rounding. Can't tell from the side, but maybe a tiny bit of knee twitching (though knees are staying shoved out) Looked to me like hips/knees breaking in unison improved. Does forward knee slide still look as problematic?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0UjV_x0XaI

Been running advanced novice; will see how much longer I can keep making gains. First time I tried 295 (last Monday) I only got 4 reps on the final set. Going to try 300 on this coming Monday; I don't know that it'll go particularly well but it's a number I at least have to attempt!

[Adam Skillin]

Wrong attitude about 300, Danny. You have 300 in you. Rest sufficiently between sets.

Get your torso more rigid. Lift the chest up hard before you begin each rep and keep it that way. Don't drive the chest, just lift the damn thing. I'd still like your knees to get to their spot sooner. Can't tell from this angle whether they're sufficiently shoved out.

Overall, these look much better than some of your previous videos. You're making good progress. Don't let your brain limit you. 300 will fall to you. 300 WILL FALL.

[DannyP]

Wrong attitude about 300, Danny. You have 300 in you.

Oh, it's getting done; "going well" was a form reference, NOT a "getting it done" reference! 300 is going down (and then back up).

[Adam Skillin]

Oh, it's getting done; "going well" was a form reference, NOT a "getting it done" reference! 300 is going down (and then back up).

If you get that trunk tighter and keep it that way, 300 should feel significantly lighter than 295 did. Now what magical cue will help you get tight is the big question. It's almost never something simple, like "get tight." That would be too easy. I want you to think "chest stays up, hips drive" or something.

[DannyP]

Looking at my head in the clips, I wonder if what I'm doing is telling myself "get chest up" at the top, but am in reality just rotating my head up (activating neck, not upper back/chest). Similar to when I used to cue myself to tighten my lower back I was actually tightening my mid back (which my last coaching session fixed).

[DannyP]

Well, gave it all I had today, and hopefully just an off day, but four reps at 300 just killed me. Had to de-load quite a bit (down to 275) just to get another two "heavy" sets. And while I'm pissed at myself I couldn't even get a full set, I guess I can't be too pissed since I'd never done 300 for more than a single in the past. So, next time the goal will be to make it through two sets. And so on.

[Miro]

You might consider switching to 3x3 if this happens again. Andy Baker recommends this route for advanced novices who keep failing a rep on the first set.

Of course, that's assuming recovery is sufficient.

[DannyP]

I take 6-7min rest in between heavy squat sets, so hopefully that's not what's doing it. 3x3 I'm confident I could do at 300 next time, but my fear is that I'll find it very difficult to add back those fourth and fifth reps (unless you're never supposed to do that).

[Miro]

That's right, you are not supposed to add any fourth or fifth reps. If you get to the point where you switch to 3x3, you just ride it out for the remainder of your LP. Fail once or twice, then switch to intermediate programming for good.

[DannyP]

Cool. Thanks. May just have to try it on my next heavy day. Could also be helpful on my form, since I think my failures have as much to do with form collapse as lack of strength. Definitely potential to try this for OHP too.