Thankful for The Powerlifting Community

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Happy (early) Thanksgiving! We hope you’re enjoying time with the ones you love most and spending as much time as you want in the gym. Last week some of you asked for squat and deadlift advice, so we will cover that below. We will also share a few early Black Friday offers we spotted. And please let us know what you’re working on. We will be sending out more articles, advice, and powerlifting resources soon.

Resources

• Which Type of Squat is Hardest? (14 Examples)

• Black Friday Sale: 50% Off Powerlifting Courses

• The Ultimate Squat Progression Guide

• Squat Weight Standards by Age (YouTube)

• Why Do My Legs Shake When I Squat: Answered

• Share this Powerlifting Newsletter

• Smith Machine Sumo Deadlift Advice (YouTube)

• What to Know About Banded Deadlifts

• 50% Off Beats Headphones (Amazon)

The Hardest Type of Squat

The hardest squat variations are the ones that have the greatest range of motion, time under tension, and challenge weaker muscle groups. Additionally, certain squat variations have increased levels of mobility, balance, and coordination, which can make them harder based on your body’s proportions.

“Time Under Tension” also plays a role. Almost any exercise that exists can be made more difficult by increasing time under tension, or in simpler terms, slowing the exercise down.

So finding the hardest type of squat depends on what you’ve been working out. Narrow Stance Squats are harder than regular squats, especially for people whose anatomy prefers a wider squat stance. Check out the full guide to find which will provide the greatest challenge for you.

Black Friday Deals on Powerlifting Courses

This year, instead of a promo code, we just slashed the price of every powerlifting course we offer by 50%. That’s the best price we’ve offered all year on these courses, and it’s our way of saying thank you to the community.

Whether it’s your first time powerlifting or you’re looking to build strength before a major competition, you’ll find expert advice and actionable tips to improve your powerlifting technique.

And we found discounts on Beats headphones. This is part of Amazon’s early Black Friday deals. Tons of lifters listen to music at the gym, so we wanted to mention this as an option for the community. Check out the rest of Amazon’s Black Friday deals here.

Partner Message

We’re also thankful for partners like this. Check out what they’re offering.

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The Ultimate Squat Progression Guide

Mastering the squat can increase your strength in the gym and lead to success in powerlifting and weightlifting competitions. But how do you progress from a beginner to an advanced squatter?

The guide covers these 10 squat progression exercises:

• Assisted Squat

• Stability Ball Wall Squat

• Bodyweight Squat To Box

• Goblet Squat

• Split Squat

• Bulgarian Split Squat

• Front Rack Squat

• Barbell Back Squat To Box

• Barbell Front Squat

• Barbell Back Squat

Our coach explains each, how to perform them, and how to progress to the next advanced variation.

Weight Standards by Age: The Definition of a “Good Squat”

So many lifters work out in their own bubble. They push themselves in the gym, often a solo task, and they wonder how they stack up against others. If you aren’t at a powerlifting competition, it can be tough to tell. Coach Lucero weighs in on the subject with weight standards by age. Here’s what makes a “good squat”.

Prefer the written word? Check out our guide to squat weight standards by age.

Smith Machine Sumo Deadlift Advice

The Smith machine is a great tool for sumo deadlifts, especially for beginner lifters who need some form of assistance or are apprehensive about doing a conventional deadlift with a barbell.

Read the full guide to Smith Machine sumo deadlifts to see how to do it, common mistakes, and how to add them to your workout.

Why Do My Legs Shake When I Squat?

Here’s a common issue for powerlifters: legs shaking during squats. This issue usually happens due to muscle fatigue, which occurs with high rep training.

Your legs can also shake when introducing new movements, lifting with poor technique, or due to muscular imbalances. Factors that increase the chance of shaking are: being under recovered, underfed, or dehydrated.

We wrote a whole guide on this powerlifting issue, including how to fix it.

What to Know About Banded Deadlifts

Adding band resistance to a barbell deadlift can help you accelerate the barbell at the mid and top of the lift and help strengthen your lockout.

However, many lifters use the wrong stance and tension and miss out on maximizing their gains. That’s why we made this guide and discussed how to avoid common injuries and pitfalls.

Here are three common mistakes I see:

• Spinal flexion (rounded back)

• Not using correct band tension

• Incorrect stance

Our guide has so much information on this, including frequently asked questions and exercise alternatives. Check it out for all the details.

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