How to increase your squat

Brace like you mean it

Plenty of squats fail not because the legs give out but because the torso folds forward. That usually traces back to a weak brace. Before each rep, take a big breath into your belly and sides, tighten your trunk as if bracing for a punch, then descend while holding that pressure.

Breathe and re-brace at the top between reps, never halfway down. On heavy sets, many lifters take a fresh breath before every rep. We go through this in depth in how to breathe and brace when lifting.

A belt can help on heavy sets once you have learnt to brace without one. It gives your trunk something to push against rather than doing the work for you.

Squat more often, not just heavier

Squatting once a week is enough to maintain, but most people progress faster with two or three squat sessions a week. Not every session needs to be heavy. A simple structure:

• Day one (heavy): work up to 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 reps at around RPE 8.
• Day two (volume): 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps at a lighter weight, focusing on speed and position.
• Day three, optional (variation): pause squats or front squats, 3 sets of 3 to 5.

Progress the heavy day with small jumps of 2.5 kg and let the volume day build work capacity. When the heavy day stalls for two or three weeks in a row, change the rep range or take a lighter week rather than grinding harder.

If you already load your legs in other ways, such as HYROX lunges or plenty of running, count that as part of your lower body work and keep squat volume modest.

Variations that fix weak points

Where the squat slows down tells you what to work on:

• Stuck just out of the bottom: pause squats, holding two to three seconds at the bottom, build strength in the hole and punish any loss of tension.
• Chest drops forward: front squats and high bar squats demand an upright torso and strengthen the upper back and quads.
• Knees cave on the way up: tempo squats with a slow three second descent, plus split squats to build single leg control.
• Lacks confidence under heavy load: more practice at 80 to 90% for sets of 2 to 3, with safety bars set correctly.

Change only one or two things at a time, and run a variation for four to six weeks before judging it. Swapping exercises every week makes it impossible to know what worked.

Accessories that carry over

The squat relies mainly on the quads, glutes and adductors, with the back and trunk holding position. Good supporting exercises include:

• Bulgarian split squats for quad and glute strength one leg at a time.
• Leg press for extra quad volume without much fatigue on the back.
• Romanian deadlifts for the hamstrings and glutes.
• Rows and back extensions for the upper and lower back.
• Planks, dead bugs and carries for trunk stiffness.

Two or three accessories after your squat, for 3 sets of 8 to 12, is plenty. Hip thrusts and leg curls are useful if your glutes or hamstrings clearly lag, but nothing replaces squatting itself. Keep accessory weights challenging but clean; they are there to build muscle, not to be tested.

Mobility, shoes and the small things

If your heels lift or you cannot reach depth without your lower back rounding, ankle mobility is often part of the story. Try ankle rocks with your knee driving over your toes before sessions, and consider squatting with small plates under your heels or in weightlifting shoes. Our guide to lifting shoes explains when they help.

Hip structure can limit depth as well. If your hips pinch at the bottom, try a slightly wider stance and a little more toe turn-out before assuming you need months of stretching.

Warm up properly, too. A few ramp-up sets from the empty bar let you rehearse the groove before the heavy work starts.

Sleep, food and body weight all matter. A lifter in a big calorie deficit rarely sets squat records, and that is normal. If your squat has stalled while you are dieting, aim to hold it and push again once you are eating at maintenance.

If knee, hip or back pain is holding back your squat rather than strength, get it assessed rather than squatting through it. Lycan Strength has on-site physiotherapy, and gym members get 20% off treatment.