Pin Squats

[Dustin07]

What are your thoughts on pin squats in regards to

a. do them or don't do them
b. how high should I run the pins?
c. how heavy? Can I run a pin squat very high at over 100% the way I would a block pull deadlift at 110%?


I have access to great squat racks right now but no boxes so I'm trying to get creative with accessories.

 

[Dustin07]

i mean this looks pretty high but I'd love to be training heavier weight instead of repeating the same thing over and over with the same results.

 

[Smont]

This seems way too high, but honestly, idk what the point of these are, and I mean like I really don't know, I use to set a pin so that I started out of the bottom but this is the opposite.

 

[Jeremyk1]

This seems way too high, but honestly, idk what the point of these are, and I mean like I really don't know, I use to set a pin so that I started out of the bottom but this is the opposite.

Lockout strength? But yeah, that example does seem super high.

 

[Smont]

Lockout strength? But yeah, that example does seem super high.

Have you ever seen someone fail to lock out a Squat, is locking out a Squat even a thing?

I've never once seen someone fail a Squat 2.5-3 inches from the top. I just can't see any benefits to this outside of feeling some heavier weights on the bar.

For anyone else reading this I'm not trying to be a smart ass, I just genuinely don't understand what the these are helping.

I do think there's benefits to heavy partials but this height seems useless to me.

@Hyde

 

[Resolve10]

I can’t even tell you the last time I used a box for any sort of squat variations. When I was doing lots of squat variations front squats, pause squats, and pin squats were my most frequent variations.

For overload I did occasionally work in things with various loads of chains and bands or use knee wraps. Fwiw I don’t think overloading squats works well in the same way as say bench or deadlifts as usually the top is not where you’d miss a squat, but those exercises may have other utilities depending on the athlete.

When doing pin squats I always set them at or just a bit above parallel (approximating sticking point) and then started from the top did my descent like normal, then paused on the pins maintaining stiffness, then exploding from the pins. I think if people make mistakes on pin squats it’s maybe not pausing on them/losing position or potentially the wrong heights.

I ran them just as heavy as any accessory work I did once I was accustomed to them, with 5s probably the most common rep scheme, but anywhere from 3-7 at 7-9 rpe (it’s been a bit so that is just what I remember I could be misremembering the exact specifics).

I have also ran “bottoms up” or starting from the bottom for front squats on blocks/pins. Those were tougher to make sure initial position was correct, but were also as more of a clean accessory than a squat accessory in my personal use case.

I did find them quite helpful when I used to do them regularly

 

[Dustin07]

This seems way too high, but honestly, idk what the point of these are, and I mean like I really don't know, I use to set a pin so that I started out of the bottom but this is the opposite.

I can’t even tell you the last time I used a box for any sort of squat variations. When I was doing lots of squat variations front squats, pause squats, and pin squats were my most frequent variations.

For overload I did occasionally work in things with various loads of chains and bands or use knee wraps. Fwiw I don’t think overloading squats works well in the same way as say bench or deadlifts as usually the top is not where you’d miss a squat, but those exercises may have other utilities depending on the athlete.

When doing pin squats I always set them at or just a bit above parallel (approximating sticking point) and then started from the top did my descent like normal, then paused on the pins maintaining stiffness, then exploding from the pins. I think if people make mistakes on pin squats it’s maybe not pausing on them/losing position or potentially the wrong heights.

I ran them just as heavy as any accessory work I did once I was accustomed to them, with 5s probably the most common rep scheme, but anywhere from 3-7 at 7-9 rpe (it’s been a bit so that is just what I remember I could be misremembering the exact specifics).

I have also ran “bottoms up” or starting from the bottom for front squats on blocks/pins. Those were tougher to make sure initial position was correct, but were also as more of a clean accessory than a squat accessory in my personal use case.

I did find them quite helpful when I used to do them regularly

That's the only way I had known to do them in the past as well, at around parallel and I admit/agree that yeah when learning them I did have a hard time getting into solid position for sure.

 

[SweetLou321]

What are your thoughts on pin squats in regards to

a. do them or don't do them
b. how high should I run the pins?
c. how heavy? Can I run a pin squat very high at over 100% the way I would a block pull deadlift at 110%?


I have access to great squat racks right now but no boxes so I'm trying to get creative with accessories.

They can be a good assistance lift to the squat for a variety of reasons.

They can assist one with rate of force development if started near the bottom (hip crease below parallel up to no more than 1-2 inches above parallel) as there is no eccentric phase. If doing them this way, I would opt to use the SSB unless super mobile. I would also do them the way Josh Bryant advices (I was a client of his in the past), which is to do a wave like.

Just an example of many possible options with this method:
60% of 1rm for 10 singles with 30s rest (avoid building a stretch shortening cycle)
65% of 1rm for 8 singles with 30s rest
70% of 1rm for 6 singles with 45s rest
75% of 1rm for 6 singles with 45s rest
80% of 1rm for 4 singles with 60s rest
85% of 1rm for 2 singles with rest as needed
85% or 1rm then 90% 1rm with rest as needed
Work up to max

They can assist with maintaining bracing and position out of the bottom (if you tend to chest fall when squatting). To do this, set the pins to where your hip crease is around the bottom of your free squat position. Unrack the squat and walk out like a normal free squat, squat down until the bar hits the pins, weight but do not release tension, then squat up. This method can be done for sets that include reps as removing the stretch shortening cycle is not the goal here. This is favorite for Mike T of RTS. I would do this as a secondary lift for sets of 3-6 reps personally, not much more than RPE 8-9, but lower RPEs could be used too.

The last major reason I would use pin squats is to overload. I would set them to where you are about half way up in your squat, then start from the bottom or your can walk it out and squat it down, this is more of a preference thing/needs thing. Starting on pins will make it harder, thus less weight being used and better recovery. Walking out and loading down is more specific and you get the benefit of unracking and walking out very heavy loads, but this will be more taxing. At least one study supports this method. I would assume its due to getting the nervous system turned up for heavy squats structurally and helping make heavy squats feel lighter so they are less intimidatingly mentally as your unrack and walk out a PR attempt. The mental side of a PR squat is very important. I would not go much beyond 120% of current 1RM for this method as any more likely just eats more recovery up but without translating as well to your actual free squat numbers.

 

[Dustin07]

I would set them to where you are about half way up in your squat, then start from the bottom or your can walk it out and squat it down

ohhhhh that sounds like fun tbh ! set the rack at 1/2 squat, walk out with 120% and attempt controlled decent to the pins... that would be a heavy ass walk out for me too lol