Training the Equipped Squat Without Equipment

Novel exercises to improve equipped squatting performance.

My Squatting C.V

I have squatted over 372.5kg in equipped Powerlifting competition, I have squatted over 360kg five times in my lifting career. I have broken national and international records in the 93kg and 83kg weight classes and still continue to push the limits of what I can do in the squat.

I have achieved these results while rarely wearing the squat suit in training.

This is not a common approach, many equipped Powerlifters will wear the squat suit and knee wraps for long periods in preparation for competition. I believe this is the wrong approach to maximising the result on competition day. When I mention this to people I get the comments “but your have years of experience” or “but your must have worn the equipment loads earlier in your career”. I have been training this way for over 12 years now, I still wear the same squat suit that I wore in 2012, meaning I have worn it less than 30 times in that period including competition.

My belief is that training in the squat suit and wraps is far to intensive to be done for long periods of time. And that people who do it are missing out on kilos on the platform.

If we were to apply normal training logic and practices to equipped squatting I think most people would feel similar to me and not wear the equipment as much. If, for example, you had an athlete who was trying to get as strong as possible and you were to prescribe supra-maximal (above 100% 1RM) methods to stimulate more strength development how many repetitions would you prescribe? How many sets would you prescribe? How long would you prescribe it for? What other considerations would you have for the rest of the training program?

If I were to answer these questions, I would say;

How many reps? No more than 3 per session

How Many Sets? Between 1-3 sets

How many weeks? No more than 2 consecutive weeks

What other considerations: The ability to train with higher volumes of work and the impact on strength and muscle size. The impact on the joints involved. The ability to sustain the arousal required for supra-maximal lifting.

With the above considerations for supramaximal methods, what would you do in equipment?

Would you prescribe lots of volume for weeks on end? I know for a fact I would not. The risk of overreaching, burn out and injury are all to high to warrant extended periods training in the squat suit and wraps. The reason for wearing the equipment is for specificity, I would be fully aware that removing the kit will take away from the specificity of the competition lift.

So we have to find another way.

This Is The Way

I like to look at the equipped squat differently, I personally find the process of full equipment far too intensive.

The below is the process I have used to build my squat programme for the past 12 years. Not wearing the equipment but looking at two key elements.

1 - Mimicking the specific force curve found using equipment.

2 - Understanding the mechanics of the squat suit.

The Force Curve

In the regular squat peak forces are achieved at depth then once you work past the sticking point on the way up the forces reduce. The reduction is due to the lift becoming biomechanically more efficient.

The force curve in equipped squatting is very unique, as most know the suit and wraps will be taking kilos away from the muscular system at depth, but as you work closer to lockout the support lessens and the muscle system has to produce more force. The peak muscular forces are likely the reverse of the normal squat.

This has to be accounted for in your exercise prescription so you can mimic this unique force curve without wearing the kit and requiring the loads used in equipped squatting.

Squat Suit Mechanics

The squat suit is essentially a big harness, if you were to take away the panels of the suit you would be left with something that looks like harness that works over the shoulders and under the hips. When you use this harness system properly you can take your equipped squatting to a whole different level.

This requires the lifter to maintain a neutral shin and really ‘sit’ into the harness. Again, if you are not wearing the equipment how can you practice this?

You are now looking at exercises that promote these positions and challenge technique to enhance specific skill development.

The Exercises

Below are a list of exercises I would commonly use to improve my equipped squat without wearing the equipment. If used properly and for the correct reasons they are incredibly powerful tools. I won’t cover sets, reps, loads etc in this article but more highlight these novel variations for you to play around with and try in your training and to stimulate thought around how you can prepare differently. There is no ‘one way’ to do it.

Paused Box Squats

The grandaddy of equipped squatting, popularised by Westside Barbell in the early 2000’s and still used across a multitude of sports as a way to develop a great squat. This exercise is firmly in the skill bracket and for enhancing squat suit mechanics. The box provides the constraint, forces you to sit back and maintain a neutral shin angle. My version differs a little to Westside style as I would promote not relaxing and rocking on the box. Descend, stay really tight, kiss the box, hold for 1s, then explode up utilising more hip extension rather than leg drive.

Weight Releasers Squat

Another variation for developing technical skill, with the weight releasers you must control the descent and that control will carryover to the equipped squat. I use these sparingly due to the set up but whenever I feel that my descent is not on point I will use the weight releasers to practice under heavier loads.

Reverse Band Squats

An exercise that will improve your ability to walk out the biggest of weights without the negatives of wearing equipment. The use of heavy bands (orange or blue) would be required to get the greatest carryover. This will be the closest you will get to the transfer of force from depth through the sticking point to lockout. It requires impeccable form as the band tension - once gone - will punish you if you adopt poor technique out of the hole. My first successful 370kg attempt was down to this exercise and the carryover to the walk out and finish of the lift.

Banded Squats

We have had bands from the top, now we have bands form the bottom. A great variation to really overload the top half of the squat and reinforce using the hips to finish. A much more aggressive variation and you will have less absolute weight on the bar meaning the bottom will feel very easy, then once the bands kick in you can feasibly be adding 100kg + of band tension at the sticking point.

When To Introduce The Suit?

This is a difficult question to answer and I have narrowed down my approach to 3 scenarios.

1. New Suit

If the suit is brand new it will need breaking in at some stage. In this scenario I would wear it for 3 sessions prior to the competition.

2. Confidence Builder

If you feel you need to have the suit on at least once before the competition then I would wear it 5-7 days before the competition just to get the ‘feel’ of it again. Pushing close to an opening weight and not being concerned about depth.

3. The Old Pro

Just putting the suit on at the competition, usually a suit you are very familiar with and have competed in many times. This is not a gamble but a very deliberate decision based on the KPI exercises you have completed in training. For me this would be Paused Box Squat between 280-290kg, Reverse Band Squat 340kg +. I know I have technical proficiency and good force production through the curve.

Good luck with your future training, equipped lifting is for the most dedicated of lifter you just have to find the right things to improve performance. Maybe that means not wearing the kit every now and again.