1# Squat heavy

Regardless if you are female or male, it can help you to squat heavy. Lets say you normally squat 180 lbs for 12 reps, 3 sets. Every few weeks do a strength day. On that day you go down with your reps to 3 to 5 reps for 4 or 5 sets. If you do so, a few things will happen. First your body will be overwhelmed. He just isn't used to squat that heavy. The next day your legs will feel sore. The second thing that will happen is, that your nervous system will adapt to that. In your next normal workout the weights will feel easier to move for you.

2# Have someone to spot

Nothing is worse than rack the barbell because you aren't sure you can do that next rep. You know exactly this next rep would be the one that would you move forward. Of course you could try it. If you cant get up, just drop the weight. Sadly in most “gyms” this isn't a real option. A better, and safer, way is to have someone who can spot you. Finding someone who actually can spot you is not easy but if you find one, your performance will rise.

3# Use monkey grip

This is an short one. Use the monkey grip when you squat (I know there are other opinions on that because you could break your thumbs). By doing so it is easier for me to get my arms and elbows under the bar.

4# Go deep

The first few years I don’t go deep when I do squats. Mainly because I thought that squat deep would be bad for your knees. This is simply not true. It is even worse, if you go down to an exact angle of 90° in your knees. In that angle the mechanical force is the highest. Stopping there and turn to go up is one of the baddest things you can do. I recommend to go as deep as you can. At least to a point where the floor and your upper legs are on one level.

5# Make some technique check

If you learned to squat by yourself you should ask someone to look at your technique. If you don’t know someone who you think can do the job, just make a video and post it in some internet forum.