I'm doing squats

I've been on a hit and miss journey to build squat strength needed for Olympic lifting. The good old-fashioned squat with a barbell like my Dad taught me about 40 years ago. Problem is that years of not doing them has made it a challenging task.

I remember as a skinny teenager accompanying my Dad to the YMCA and being instructed by him how to squat. He was a big believer in the squat. In his younger days he squatted 330 lbs. at a bodyweight of 148 lbs., getting as high as 460 lbs. for a single rep at a bodyweight of about 200 lbs. And it was an old-school squat, deep in the hole or ass-to-grass as it is sometimes called nowadays.

I started off doing half-squats, descending until my butt touched a bench. Then I gravitated lower to a full squat. I don't remember details that well but for sure I was full squatting 135 lbs. for multiple reps when my bodyweight was about the same. It was cool working with the big wheels on the Olympic bar.

I remember doing squats at the gym while in the Army stationed at Osan Air Force base in South Korea. My knees were young and I went low because that is how I was taught. I also remember one time at this gym when an older person, concerned for my safety and well being, told me it wasn't good to squat that way as it was bad for my knees. I appreciated his concern but gave more weight to my Dad's instruction.

But later, along the way of chasing an education and career, fitness training took a big time out and so did lifting weights and doing squats - a big time out as in over 25 years.

Resuming fitness training, squatting is something I didn't do. I know why - it was hard. Machines seemed easier when I returned to the gym. Later when I adopted bodyweight-only training, I did squats except with no weights - bodyweight-only squats - lots of them as in sets of 100 reps or more. I got as high as 300 reps for a single set in my goal of 500 reps, one I never achieved.

So now I do barbell squats and it has been a struggle due to years of neglect and an ACL surgery along the way. I'm doing both back squats and front squats Olympic style, deep in the hole with my upper body as upright as possible. Multiple sets of low reps with challenging weights. It's hard work and the progress has been slow.

I've asked my 82-year-old Dad what he attributes to his good posture and strength. He still lifts weights twice a week in his garage. He's told me more than once that doing squats as a young man gets a lot of the credit.

If it is good for him then it is good for me. So when I go to the gym, I'm doing squats.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum