"Live to squat, squat to live." This is the mantra for members of CrossFit Fredericton.
“Live to squat, squat to live.” This is the mantra for members of CrossFit Fredericton. And they take it seriously.
A few years ago, Anthony Bainbridge, owner of CrossFit Fredericton, had a conversation with Dave Lipson about an unconventional squat system he'd been using. Lipson had been squatting with heavy singles every day for more than a month. Bainbridge can’t recall the numbers with accuracy, but he remembers the dramatic effect the conversation had on him. “His squat went from 500 to 600 in a couple of months. Bench went up, deadlifts went up,” Bainbridge says. “I was skeptical, but intrigued.”
He went back to Fredericton and started to experiment by doing heavy singles in the back squats daily, but varied the approaches. “We looked at different percentages, sets, reps, rest between sets, frequency, time of day, before and after other work; every single protocol produced results,” he says. “The two most important variable were heavy and frequent.”
Bainbridge’s training as a power lifter has always called for multiple squat sessions per week. But after the chat with Lipson and the experiment, he created the “Daily Squat Program.”
“It’s four to five singles, building up to 90 percent of your max. The time to complete the sets can vary, but through testing we found that eventually people will literally change the weight and go without rest,” Bainbridge says.
The frequency varies, but most members manage to squat up to six times times per week. “Again, the only variables that matter are heavy and frequent,” he says.
Bainbridge says he has seen dramatic improvement. “My raw squat went from 425 to 495 at a bodyweight of 165 pounds in 61 days. Eventually, I was using 455 to 495 on a regular basis.”
He started with sets of 135x1, 225x1, 315x1, 365x1, 405x1 with rest taken as needed. “As I became more confident, I reduced my sets to 135, 225, 315, 405 and minimized rest. When I could change the weight and go, I started to reduce the sets again: 225, 315, 405. Eventually, I got to the point where I could put 405 on the bar and squat it cold any time of the day,” Bainbridge says.
Bainbridge’s personal success was also mirrored in his group. His small group, he says, “all reported significant results — 20 to 70 pounds in two to three months.”
He extended the program to the rest of the gym with similar success. “The only negative feedback we’ve received has been regarding our gym being closed on Sunday — therefore no squats.”
He knows the approach will have its critics. “Some people might argue with the program, saying there’s not enough volume, intensity, rest to cause stimulus and therefore adaptation,” he says.
But it worked in Fredericton, and Bainbridge credits confidence and technique.
“Most people fail max attempts because they are scared,” he says. “Put something heavy on your back everyday and confidence increases. Max attempts become casual. There’s no buildup, no fanfare; it’s just another lift.”
Repetition also helps technique. “When you squat once a week, a lot of little things never become consistent. The more you squat, the more the little things stand out, allowing you to experiment with very minor adjustments. Technique improves dramatically,” Bainbridge says.
Bainbridge is also sensing a recuperative characteristic of the squat. “There were days when workouts would leave me beat-up, sore, tired … In my head there was no way I’d be able to train, let alone squat heavy. But I’d come into the gym and put 135 on the bar. The first rep made me feel like I was going to implode; 225 would bring tears; 315 would feel better. And 405 would be easy,” he says.
“My theory is that heavy squats rewired the system,” Bainbridge says. “The aches would disappear.”
CrossFit Fredericton is willing to try new things to improve. So far, it’s working.
