# Can you do too much squatting?



## Bashy (Jun 16, 2010)

Recently started a 5x5 routine and im struggling with squatting so much.

Might not sound like much to alot of people on here but squatting 90kg for 5 sets of 5 really fcuks my legs and I dont think I will be able to squat as good tomorrow along with doing deads.

Is a day in between squat sessions going to be enough time to recover?

Cant see me doing 90kg for 5 if my legs are like this, struggling to get up off the fcuking toilet!


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## Gridlock1436114498 (Nov 11, 2004)

IMO you are going too heavy too soon. The point of most 5x5 plans is that you don't completely destroy the muscle. You work fast and brief but increase weight every workout.

You should either reduce the weight by 20kg and work back up slowly or move to a 3x5 pattern.


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## J55TTC (Nov 2, 2009)

I thought squatting and dead lifting used similar muscles? IMO you need to listen to your body, take a days rest and stretch your quads, ideally foam roll them.

Get plenty of protein in the hope of faster recovery.

Why are you squatting every day?


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## Bdub (Jan 7, 2012)

You need to leave more time between training.

I can't even walk properly for 2 days after legs, let alone train them again.


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## pdiddy (May 11, 2012)

It should take a minimum of 5 days for your legs to recover after a big squatting session. If you increase the rest time, you will see more progression.


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## J55TTC (Nov 2, 2009)

Plus, you know you grow while you're recovering right? Not while in the gym.


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## Hannibal (Jul 4, 2012)

I recommend you read the Stronglift 5x5 program. He strictly advises to start off with the bar only (20kg usually) and move up small amounts (5kgs) each session. The worst thing you can do is go in too heavy and end up missing sessions because you are too sore.


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## Bashy (Jun 16, 2010)

Gridlock said:


> IMO you are going too heavy too soon. The point of most 5x5 plans is that you don't completely destroy the muscle. You work fast and brief but increase weight every workout.
> 
> You should either reduce the weight by 20kg and work back up slowly or move to a 3x5 pattern.


Perhaps thats my problem, I felt that doing a bit less was kind of comfortable for me so my thinking was if I am able to lift heavier for 5 sets then I should be doing it


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## Bashy (Jun 16, 2010)

J55TTC said:


> I thought squatting and dead lifting used similar muscles? IMO you need to listen to your body, take a days rest and stretch your quads, ideally foam roll them.
> 
> Get plenty of protein in the hope of faster recovery.
> 
> Why are you squatting every day?


Im not squatting everyday just Monday Wednesday Friday but I thought it pointless lifting less than im capable of but its not put me in good stead for tomorrows session.


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## Bashy (Jun 16, 2010)

pdiddy said:


> It should take a minimum of 5 days for your legs to recover after a big squatting session. If you increase the rest time, you will see more progression.


I dont understand the logic of the squatting three times a week, if its to increase strength surely I should be doing what I am capable of but its not making me able to do the 5x5 routine


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## Lift (May 27, 2008)

You've not understood the 'loading' phase if you are hitting fatigue already. Also, the Wednesday squat session is often a 15% reduction on Mondays weight. Lastly, there are many regular squatting programs that work. John Broz has his atheletes hit their max on squats everyday! I followed this using front squats when I had a slight injury and pulled up to 170 in well under a month! I followed the bill star/madcow 5x5 for a long time and made excellent gains! People say it's not good for putting on size but your strength increases hugely and as long as you eat big, you'll get exactly that!


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## Rick89 (Feb 27, 2009)

Lift said:


> You've not understood the 'loading' phase if you are hitting fatigue already. Also, the Wednesday squat session is often a 15% reduction on Mondays weight. Lastly, there are many regular squatting programs that work. John Broz has his atheletes hit their max on squats everyday! I followed this using front squats when I had a slight injury and pulled up to 170 in well under a month! I followed the bill star/madcow 5x5 for a long time and made excellent gains! People say it's not good for putting on size but your strength increases hugely and as long as you eat big, you'll get exactly that!


good post

finally someone who knows about squat programmes

none of this surely you cant train legs 3 times a week crap haha


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## Lift (May 27, 2008)

My knees hurt!!


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## Rick89 (Feb 27, 2009)

Lift said:


> My knees hurt!!


I love squatting 3 times a week but yes knes take a brutal beating haha

quads blew up and every gym lift went up from this though FAST


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## Bashy (Jun 16, 2010)

Lift said:


> You've not understood the 'loading' phase if you are hitting fatigue already. Also, the Wednesday squat session is often a 15% reduction on Mondays weight. Lastly, there are many regular squatting programs that work. John Broz has his atheletes hit their max on squats everyday! I followed this using front squats when I had a slight injury and pulled up to 170 in well under a month! I followed the bill star/madcow 5x5 for a long time and made excellent gains! People say it's not good for putting on size but your strength increases hugely and as long as you eat big, you'll get exactly that!


Cheers for this mate, would you drop it again on Friday then or not?


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## Lift (May 27, 2008)

Rick89 said:


> I love squatting 3 times a week but yes knes take a brutal beating haha
> 
> quads blew up and every gym lift went up from this though FAST


Haha I was being sarcastic  I hear it way to often in my gym!

I sumo squat, so my knees stay perpendicular to my ankles and therefore take little pressure. I do obviously sacrafice a little quad involvement, but I make it therefore up in hip

mobility and glute/ham/errector involement and I'm a keen deadlifter, so this has a positive carryover!

I can never squat to often


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## dalboy (Sep 16, 2009)

I done 5x5 for about 2 years.

Started off with the bar and add weight each session as suggested in the routine.

My quads blew up and yes it was taxing but I saw great gains. I found that doing it 3 times a week was fine. The soreness wears off as your body gets used to the weight.

If I took a week off the doms would be back again and it was agony! Form is key, hence why you build up the weight gradually.

I also got a rather large ar5e too


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## Lift (May 27, 2008)

Bashy said:


> Cheers for this mate, would you drop it again on Friday then or not?


Ok. Start like this: Friday do 5 sets on a taper up. So start light and work up to max. Your 4th set should be at the weight you squatted at on monday, your 5th set should be a 2.5kilo/or % mark up on Mondays weight. Monday - squat the 5th set weight from Friday for 5x5 after warming up. So all 5 sets, at that new weight. Wednesday is a 15% reduction on Mondays new weight. Friday is then again a taper up. Your 4th being what you squatted as a new weight on Monday gone your 5th a mark up.... Set your sights in a reasonable weight or % increase on where you are now and in 3 weeks using this method achieve it and repeat for 2 weeks max then taper down again.. This should get you going on this kind of routine


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## cub (Jul 14, 2011)

Bashy said:


> I dont understand the logic of the squatting three times a week, if its to increase strength surely I should be doing what I am capable of but its not making me able to do the 5x5 routine


If you're starting Stronglifts then you should start doing less than what you're capable of. If you start squatting 5x5 with the heaviest weight that you can currently do 5x5, you're not going to progress as much as if you started out light. The Stronglifts report repeatedly emphasises starting too light rather than too heavy:



> This is why I say: *it's better to start too light than too heavy*. Heck, they may all laugh when they see you start with that empty bar, but when you're Squatting 225lbs for sets of 5 only 12 weeks later, their laughter will change to amazement. How many guys do you see Squatting 225lbs in your gym? Not much. Yet you can accomplish this strength feat in only 12 weeks by starting with the empty barbell and adding 5lbs each workout. I therefore urge you to start with the empty Olympic barbell on the Squat, Bench and Overhead Press. It may feel too light at first, but this will allow you to practice correct technique.





> If you have been lifting weights during the past months then starting with the empty barbell may feel too light. My advice remains though: it's better too start too light than too heavy. Avoid soreness, avoid early stalling, and spent some time mastering technique on all the lifts. If you want to start heavier anyway, then start with 50% of your 5RM. So if your max Bench Press is 5x220lbs, you should start with 110lbs for 5x5. That will still be fairly light, but remember you'll be adding 5lbs per workout, and so you'll be Benching 190lbs for sets of 5 reps within 12 weeks. Every single guy who does StrongLifts 5x5, even the ones who have been lifting for years already, set new records on this program. Gains will come fast if you're patient. Starting too heavy doesn't make you progress faster, it hurts gains.





> "5x5 Three Times Per Week Is Too Much" This is bull**** piled high and stinking strong. Whether 5x5 is too much or not depends on the intensity - the amount of weight - you're using. When you start StrongLifts 5x5 with an empty barbell as I urge you to do, you're not going to "overtrain" from doing 5x5 3x/week because the weights are far too light. Eventually, yes, 5x5 will become too much but then you simply move to 3x5. And when that also gets too stressful, you finally move to 1x5. It's not rocket science and it's proven to work





> In all cases, you will achieve better strength and muscle gains if you start too light rather than too heavy. If you're confident you can handle more weight, use bigger increments to get there faster. Just remember strength training is a marathon not a sprint.


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## Magnum26 (Jul 19, 2012)

There are two couples in the gym by me that do nothing but squats and deadlifts, they drop the weights a lot and it gets on my tits! I train my legs once a week just like all my other muscle groups two at a time.


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## Rick89 (Feb 27, 2009)

Lift said:


> Haha I was being sarcastic  I hear it way to often in my gym!
> 
> I sumo squat, so my knees stay perpendicular to my ankles and therefore take little pressure. I do obviously sacrafice a little quad involvement, but I make it therefore up in hip
> 
> ...


My knee pain i feel may have been due to yoke and strongman work anyway

I hit my PB one rep max on deads while not training them and hammering squats/front suqat 2-3 times a week

as you say superb carryover, im the same


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## Bashy (Jun 16, 2010)

Lift said:


> Ok. Start like this: Friday do 5 sets on a taper up. So start light and work up to max. Your 4th set should be at the weight you squatted at on monday, your 5th set should be a 2.5kilo/or % mark up on Mondays weight. Monday - squat the 5th set weight from Friday for 5x5 after warming up. So all 5 sets, at that new weight. Wednesday is a 15% reduction on Mondays new weight. Friday is then again a taper up. Your 4th being what you squatted as a new weight on Monday gone your 5th a mark up.... Set your sights in a reasonable weight or % increase on where you are now and in 3 weeks using this method achieve it and repeat for 2 weeks max then taper down again.. This should get you going on this kind of routine


Will teach me to do more research before I start. Appreciate that though thank you.


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## Bashy (Jun 16, 2010)

cub said:


> If you're starting Stronglifts then you should start doing less than what you're capable of. If you start squatting 5x5 with the heaviest weight that you can currently do 5x5, you're not going to progress as much as if you started out light. The Stronglifts report repeatedly emphasises starting too light rather than too heavy:


Great thank you, did you get this from the stronglifts website?

Keeps saying its down when I try to get on there


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## cub (Jul 14, 2011)

Bashy said:


> Great thank you, did you get this from the stronglifts website?
> 
> Keeps saying its down when I try to get on there


Hope this link works:

http://s3.stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-report.pdf


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## Phil D (Feb 21, 2010)

Bill Stars/ madcow 5x5 is a very good programme. Most common problem is people overestimating their 1RM so they end up failing sets at week 4 or 5. Theres a spreadsheet you can download from here: http://madcow.wackyhq.com/geocities/5x5_Program/Linear_5x5.htm which gives you blanks to fill in your 1RMs for each lift and it will calculate what you should be hitting each session, just be honest with yourself about your 1RMs none of this e-lift bull****. Literally couldnt be made any easier.


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