Attacking the Heavy Single: A Coach's Guide to the Back Squat
I put together a video breaking down my entire thought process for building up to a heavy single on the back squat. I'm talking about everything from the warm-up to the final attempt. This is the blueprint.
Watch this video. Internalize the process. This is how you build real, usable strength safely and effectively.
The Key Principles: More Than Just Lifting Weight
For those who want the key takeaways, here are the non-negotiable principles we covered in the video. This is the "why" behind the work.
1. The Warm-Up is a Weapon, Not a Chore.
Your warm-up has one job: to prepare your body to perform at its absolute peak. We do a general warm-up (like toe touchers and downward dog) to raise the body temperature and break a sweat. Then we do a specific warm-up (air squats, empty bar work) to groove the exact motor pattern we're about to load. A proper warm-up wakes up your nervous system and tells your body that it's time to get ready for war.
2. The Standard is the Standard: Full Depth.
Let me be blunt: partial squats build partial athletes. Period. The strength you build in the bottom of a full-depth squat is the strength that gets you out of the hole in a deep scramble. It's the strength that lets you drive through an opponent to finish a takedown. If you're not hitting full range of motion, you are leaving your most valuable strength gains on the table.
3. Respect the Weight: The Art of the Build-Up.
You have to earn the right to put heavy weight on your back. We do this with smart, incremental jumps. You don't go from an empty bar to a 90% lift. You take deliberate steps, adding weight with each set, "listening" to your body and feeling how the weight is moving. This process builds confidence, refines your technique under load, and dramatically reduces the risk of injury.
4. The Big Picture: Resource Management.
Wrestling is always Priority #1. Your S&C serves your wrestling; it does not detract from it. You have a finite budget of time and energy. It's your job to learn your body's limits. Some days you'll feel like a monster and can push the numbers. Other days, you might be beaten down from a hard week of wrestling practice, and the smart move is to hit a solid, technical heavy single and live to fight another day.
The Final Word: A PR is a Receipt
A new 1-rep max isn't a gift; it's a receipt. It's the proof that you respected the process. It's the tangible evidence that you showed up, you did the work with perfect technique, you were smart about your jumps, and you managed your recovery.
The number on the bar is just the final confirmation of the discipline you put in for weeks beforehand.
Now go put in the work.
Sound Off in the Comments.
What's the one thing from this video that you're going to focus on the next time you work up to a heavy lift? Let's see it.