goergen1
09-02-2007, 09:42 AM
Squats at the High School level
by Rusel Lewis
As stated before, the squat is a huge part of our weight training program. The first thing we do in a squat workout is overhead squats with a PVC pipe. This really checks for correct body position and stimulates body awareness.
Make sure they do them deep with a flat back and upright torso. Next, is the Genie squat, which has the athlete fold his arms in "Genie" style and squat again, looking for ideal body position. Flaws are corrected by positive reinforcement and descriptive teaching.
The two main squats we use are the rack squat and the stop/pause squat. I love the rack squat because of the ability to easily change the pin depth but still squat safely. I am interested in explosive quad and hip strength, not absolute squat depth.
We are not powerlifters, and all I care about is the intensity and attitude created by the heavy lifting. I have my athletes do a lot of RDL or stiff leg deads for monster hams. We use the pins in the rack for our explosive point.
We also do pause squats to break up the eccentric/concentric phases of the squat while getting great hip flexibility. We usually do 50% of the rack squat weight.
-Coach Lewis
by Rusel Lewis
As stated before, the squat is a huge part of our weight training program. The first thing we do in a squat workout is overhead squats with a PVC pipe. This really checks for correct body position and stimulates body awareness.
Make sure they do them deep with a flat back and upright torso. Next, is the Genie squat, which has the athlete fold his arms in "Genie" style and squat again, looking for ideal body position. Flaws are corrected by positive reinforcement and descriptive teaching.
The two main squats we use are the rack squat and the stop/pause squat. I love the rack squat because of the ability to easily change the pin depth but still squat safely. I am interested in explosive quad and hip strength, not absolute squat depth.
We are not powerlifters, and all I care about is the intensity and attitude created by the heavy lifting. I have my athletes do a lot of RDL or stiff leg deads for monster hams. We use the pins in the rack for our explosive point.
We also do pause squats to break up the eccentric/concentric phases of the squat while getting great hip flexibility. We usually do 50% of the rack squat weight.
-Coach Lewis