So I’m repeating my squat cycle, because I want to work on depth. I noticed I might cut a rep a bit high here and there, and of course that’s not desirable. Thus, I’d prefer to repeat the cycle, hit good depth, build better confidence, and that’s still progress.

Another factor is my descent. I’ve noticed as things get heavier than my descent isn’t solid. I change how I descend depending on what I’m doing: light or heavy. It shouldn’t be that way, but I can see a bit of what it is. With a lighter weight I’m a little more upright, and as I descend the bar path changes because gravity — or it doesn’t, because it’s light enough and I can resist it. But with a heavier weight then, resistance is futile and the weight WILL change to assume its rightful path. That’s not ideal. Ideally the bar should be over the mid-foot to start and go straight up and down, not deviating. So I need to start a little more forward, a little more “bent over” so the bar starts in the right place. Then as I go down everything is tight, rebound out of the hole, etc.. Speed of descent is in play as well, because I don’t want to go super-slow, but too fast doesn’t work either — it’s that proper pace, and I don’t always have it.

So I worked to focus on that today. Descend well, hit depth, come up and out. It was harder, but mostly because it just felt different. That said, I got 6 reps on the top set, which is better than the same time 3 weeks ago. And I know I was down in a hole. I’m weak, but I’m working on it.

• Squats
  • bar x whatever
  • 145 x 5
  • 180 x 5
  • 215 x 3
  • 235 x 5
  • 270 x 5
  • 305 x 6
• Pause Squat
  • 235 x 5
  • 235 x 5
  • 235 x 5
• Bodyweight Squats
  • BW x 15
  • BW x 15
  • BW x 15
  • BW x 15
• Crunches
  • BW x 20
  • BW x 17
  • BW x 13