The Novice Athlete

If you’re just starting, building a stronger squat is mostly about adding weight to the bar and repeating the same movement. This approach, in conjunction with platform coaching and program management, works for a good deal of time, perhaps, for as long as 6 months.

However, at some point, the lifter will have dialed in the basic pattern, learned how to push hard into “heavy” weights, and has demonstrated the commitment and consistency necessary to keep growing.

The Post Novice Athlete

It is typically around this time, where we begin using targeted supplemental exercises. We do this to address weak points, improve technique, and build additional strength where it’s needed most (muscle groups / range of motion). It also become increasingly difficult to just squat heavier each session or week, thus a major rationale for supplemental exercises is that of fatigue management. Below, I will get into programming variables in the broader context but we are (mostly) interested in the exercise selection (programming variable #4) portion today.

Programming Concepts

I’ve written extensively about program design on our site. The 2 major areas we are concerned with are (1) programming principles, and (2) programming variables. In the interest of keeping this article to a reasonable length, I’m simply going to link the section on principles. You can find that info here: A Quick Review of Programming Principles

On the other hand, variables are more closely related to our discussion so I’m going to include those here.

We will define variables as inconsistent items not having a regular pattern. Our programming principles guide our decision-making process while programming variables allow us to amplify those decisions for the given athlete. Program variables must change from athlete to athlete given our acceptance of the programing principle #4, individual differences.

Programming Variable 1: Intensity

Intensity can easily be defined as the weight on the bar. More specifically, intensity refers to weight on the bar relative to the athlete’s maximal potential to put weight on the bar.

Do not confuse intensity with effort. Protocols can be very low intensity while being very high effort. Take a hard set of 20 squats (about the worst thing ever), the weight on the bar will be very far away from your estimated 1 rep maximum but the effort involved in completing this task is through the roof. As you might expect, protocols that are truly high in intensity must be relatively low in volume.

Finally, we know that effective resistance training (i.e. training that increases force production) is most often performed in the range of 65-95% of an athlete’s capacity, with the bulk of the training occurring in the 70-80% range.

Programming Variable 2: Volume

Volume is the amount of work we complete. You can easily calculate volume by taking sets x reps. If an athlete performs 5 sets of 5 reps, he completes 25 reps total reps. His session volume would be 25 reps.

Taken a step further, volume can also be expressed in terms of tonnage and/or intensity. Let’s take our athlete performing his 25 reps noted above. Let’s assume he used 75% (100 lbs.) for his squats:

The athlete’s tonnage would be (5 x 5 x 100) = 2,500 lbs.
The athletes’ tonnage would also be (5 x 5) @75% = 25 reps @75%

In my opinion, the more useful volume metric would be expressed in terms of intensity. 25 reps performed at 40% of an estimated 1 rep max will do little to drive strength, however, 25 reps performed at 75% will do wonders for strength improvements. When considering adjustments to programming, volume must be examined in the context of intensity.

Programming Variable 3: Frequency

Frequency is simply the number of times you performed something in a given time frame. Typically examined on a weekly basis, frequency can be calculated for specific lifts or total sessions.

If an athlete squats on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday her squat frequency would be 3 for the week. I like to think of frequency in terms of “exposures” as this makes more sense to me when I’m writing a program for an athlete. In this example, the athlete is getting 3 squat exposures per week. This will work wonders for some but might be too much for others. Frequency can be manipulated to reduce or increase overall training volume.

Programming Variable 4: Exercise Selection

For the most part, the exercises that allow us to train the best for strength are variations of the basic squat, overhead press, bench press, and deadlift. We’re not suggesting that you only need 4 exercises for the rest of your life, we’re simply aiming to highlight the value of “compound” exercises as the foundation of quality resistance training program(s).

Compound exercises involve large amounts of muscle mass and include most of our joints, thus they provide a potent mechanical stimulus to our muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, and tendons. In simple terms, these exercises represent an efficient way to train the entire body. This doesn’t mean you don’t have time for curls. If you like specific, isolation exercises then you should train them / choose programs that include them.

Here is some additional context for exercise selection (i.e., why we might make changes to an athlete’s program)

Sport Form -this represents sport specific practice, i.e. the athletes’ competition lift. Keeping some level of specificity at all times is typically useful for competitive strength athletes. The average adult looking to improve their blood pressure and waistline need not be concerned with “sport form” as health improvements do not require specific exercises to be performed.

Weak Range of Motion – we can use variations to highlight a portion of a given lift. If a lifter is “weak off the floor” with his deadlift, we may opt for a few weeks of deficit deadlifts to emphasize this part of the lift. Note, a deficit deadlift places the athlete on a small box or mat, so he/she has to pull the bar a further distance. Typical box/mat heights are 1-2.5”.

Hypertrophy – these are lower-fatigue producing variations that allow a lot of work to be performed across a long range of motion. For example, if we want to grow our quads, we may opt for moderately heavy sets of 15 in the leg press. This will allow a lot of work to be performed while sparing the back for deadlifting.

Orthopedic/Rehabilitation – we may use a variation of a lift that allows an injured lifter to perform effective training. An example here would be the use of box squats with restricted knee range of motion. We may progressively lower the box over time requiring more range of motion from the knees.

Technique – certain exercises can also be used to highlight movement “issues” we may want to clean up. While we do not think there is a “right” or “wrong” way to move, eliminating certain inefficiencies can dramatically improve an athlete’s performance. A great example here would be elbow flare on the bench press. While it may not result in pain, keeping a vertical forearm will result in heavier weights moved during training.

Transference / Carryover – certain exercises will “carryover” to a larger degree to a given task. If we want to get better at bench pressing, some portion of our program should likely contain the bench press and its close variations. This can also be used to set up non-specific resistance programs. If we want our athletes to get stronger in the patterns of general human movement, we can pick general squatting, pushing, and pulling patterns. Namely, we would prioritize large, compound exercises like squats, leg presses, lunges, deadlifts, presses, bench presses, seated machine presses, and rows as these movements have the potential to strengthen the athlete in a very effective, efficient manner.

Now that we understand WHY certain exercises might be used, let’s look at a few we really like at Brentwood Barbell.

3 Supplemental Exercises to Build a Bigger Squat

Supplemental Lift #1: The Pause Squat

The pause squat is a simple but brutally effective variation. By coming to a complete stop at the bottom of the squat (usually 1–3 seconds), you eliminate the stretch reflex and force your body to develop true strength out of the hole. This variation builds confidence in the bottom position and reinforces proper depth.

Best for: Lifters who struggle with speed or control at the bottom of the squat. Also great for knee / hip pain and fatigue management. Using a paused squat will certainly lower the weight on the bar, thus making it a great way to keep effort high for the athlete but absolute fatigue low.

Supplemental Lift #2: The Pin Squat

The pin squat is performed by setting the safety pins in a rack just above parallel (or at your sticking point) and squatting until the bar rests briefly on the pins. Starting the lift from a dead stop eliminates momentum and teaches you to apply maximum force at your weakest range of motion. It’s also a great tool for refining bar path and bracing.

Best for: Lifters who stall “out of the hole”, also great for helping lifters consistently find depth, and maintain high integrity in the bottom position. The pin squat makes the lifter come to the bottom of the squat in a mostly symmetrical position making it great for working on rotation or bar drop on 1 side.

Supplemental Lift #3: The Bulgarian Split Squat (we actually consider this an accessory lift)

While not a squat variation in the strictest sense, the Bulgarian split squat is a fantastic single-leg exercise for developing balance, stability, and leg strength. By training one leg at a time, you uncover and address imbalances that often hold back your bilateral lifts. This movement also builds hip and core stability, both of which carry over to stronger barbell squats.

We dub this an accessory exercise as it works the “squat muscles” but doesn’t really look like a squat. This classification is purely for program design purposes.

Best for: Building unilateral strength and addressing imbalances between legs, hypertrophy, and fatigue management.

Bringing it Together

If you want to improve your squat, look beyond just squatting more. Variations like the pause squat and pin squat sharpen technique and power in specific ranges, while the Bulgarian split squat balances your foundation. Add them strategically to your program, and you’ll see your squat—and your overall strength—move to the next level.

Want help with this? Book a Meeting and one of our coaches will get moving in the right direction.

Talk soon,

James