Tip Squat Day Do This First Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip Squat Day Do This First This little trick will make your squat feel strong smooth and stable Check it out by Gareth Sapstead November 22, 2019March 7, 2022 Tags Training Squats Feel a Little Clunky Here's a quick and easy fix to try: Pump up your hamstrings BEFORE you start squatting. Yes, you read that right. Isolate your hamstrings and chase a pump before you start your first set of heavy squats. Banded hamstring curls work great: Grab a band and loop it around something solid. The band should be around ankle to mid-shin height. Hook your feet into the band the way I'm doing in the video. If you don't you'll end up rolling over and the band will slip off. Move far enough away so there's no slack in the band, but also the resistance is appropriate as you flex your knees. Of course, choosing the right band is key here too. Laying on a foam pad is optional. You can also roll up a towel. This helps with back and pelvic positioning and prevents unwanted movement coming from your lumbar region. Once you're in place it's pretty simple. Just pull your heels into your butt, flexing your hamstrings hard. Your goal is to get as much blood in there as you can. Do 2-3 sets of 20-25 reps. Here s What Happens Any squatting pattern will instantly feel smoother. You'll hit depth easier, meaning more efficiency and less wasted energy. Any clunky hips or knees you might've had before will feel significantly better. And because of all this, you'll build more muscle and have better longevity in your lifts. Now, I'm not saying this works for everyone. If you're an elite-level squatter and grooving that pattern regularly, it'll likely not make much of a difference. It also doesn't have as much of an effect on low-bar versus high-bar squats. If you're a more hip-dominant squatter then the hamstring fatigue will likely negate all other benefits. Just remember, this is more of a hypertrophy and longevity technique. If you're not barbell squatting, these still work great for most heavy knee-dominant exercises. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Tip Single-Leg Reeves Deadlift Single-leg trap bar exercises in the style of the Reeves deadlift (hands on plates, not bar) provides the perfect stimulus for crushing every muscle in the body. Deadlift, Exercise Coaching, Tips Joel Seedman, PhD July 30 Training Tip Inspiration vs Perspiration Which of these two phases are you in? Only one will get you the results you're wanting. Tips, Training Charles Staley January 10 Training 4 Reasons to Do the Touch-and-Go Deadlift Boneheads call it cheating, but this deadlift variation gives you a stronger and more useful body. Here's why and how to do it. Bodybuilding, Deadlift, Powerlifting & Strength, Training Lee Boyce May 11 Training Tip 4 Weeks to a One-Arm Pull-Up How many single-arm pull-ups can you do? Really, not even one? Follow this plan and fix that. Pull-Up, Tips, Training TJ Kuster March 18