Last Update On April 14, 2012
Making The Squat Feel Easier Using Walkouts
by Rusi
One of the main reason why so many people hate squats is the fact that something heavy and hard is sitting on top of you. There is a simple technique to make the weight feel a little lighter. It's not the pussy pad but thanks for asking. We are talking about heavy squat walkouts.
What is a squat walkout? Squat walkout is exactly what it sounds to be - you walk out a squat out of the rack without actually squatting.
In order to “trick the mind” that the work set will be lighter we can benefit from heavy squat walkouts. After your last warm-up add 10% to 15% more weight to the bar than you are actually going to squat during your work sets. You can go heavier but it could be dangerous and is not needed. Let's say that you are going to squat 285 pounds for three reps. 10-15% would be around 320. Load that on the bar and set the safety pins much higher than usual so that if anything happens you can lower it without trouble.
After you walked out the barbell get in position. Count for 5 seconds and rack the weight. Rest a few minutes and start your actual working sets. The weight will feel a lot lighter and you will have more confidence.
Note: This technique should not be overused and you shouldn't go too heavy in order to avoid injuries. 10-15% above your work weight is about right. I've seen people go up to 30% but that's way too dangerous and you risk hurting your spine.
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