Building power out of the bottom of the squat is the key to developing a massive squat.
This technique is going to shock you with how effective it is...it will allow you to use heavier loads than your body is used to while still helping blast out of the bottom, building squat strength and power FAST.
To use this method, you'll need a few things...
1. A "hands-free" squat bar, such as a safety squat bar or a Marrs Bar (which is what I'm using here).
2. A fairly thick band (the thicker, the better).
3. A rack that you can either hook the band onto or a rack that has rails that you can slide out and loop the ends of the band around.
This method is specifically for heavy, explosive loading with low-reps (1-3 reps is a good range, I've found).
How to Set Up Band-Bounce Squats
The method itself is very similar in setup to Hatfield Squats, where you're holding onto a bar or handles in front of you while you squat.
That exercise is fantastic for increasing squat strength...this setup takes it a step further.
First, you'll need to set up the rack just as you would for normal squats with the bar you're using.
Second, you'll need to attach the band around the safety rails somehow. The rack I have has holes for dip handles. I put the handles on the outsides then used those as posts to loop the band around (just putting one end on, then stretching it over the other handle).
If you have a rack with pins that can be used for this, that'll work, too.
Alternatively, if you have a rack that has rails that slide out, you can just put the ends of the band around the rail, then slide it back in.
I'm using a thick, black band for the heavier sets. I used a medium green band for some of the lighter sets, and it worked well but the thicker the band you use, the better this will work, especially with heavier weights.
Click here for my recommended store for bands. (use coupon code rbtfitstep for 10% any band package).
Start with a lighter weight until you get comfortable with the setup and how it works.
Unrack the weight then step back just a little bit.
Set your hands on the band.
Now perform the eccentric of the squat.
Key point...DO NOT push down on the band during the negative. We want the FULL load of the bar to be on your body on the way down (I've got 385 lbs on the bar here, for reference). The band is just for balance on the way down.
Lower down under complete control, just as though you were prepping to come back up out of the hole on your own.
Now the fun begins...
Push down HARD against the band while at the same time explosively coming up out of the bottom of the squat.
This should be a simultaneous action with an explosive squat.
Keep powering through the squat all the way to the top.
That burst out of the bottom should carry you through the sticking point of the exercise, leaving you with the full load of the bar on you again for the top half of the exercise (where you're stronger).
Now repeat (if you're doing more than one rep). As I mentioned above, this method should ONLY be used for heavy, explosive, low-rep training. Once you start getting past 3 reps, you lose the explosiveness that you need for this to be most effective.
You can follow this up with higher-rep, "normal" squats, if you like, for a complete squat workout, or do these as your whole squat workout for the day. Just make sure you START with these, if you do something else for legs. Power and explosiveness training should always be done when you're freshest.
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