Many people like to squat to the bottom and then stand up. They get weirded out when they see a Russian or Bulgarian weightlifter doing squats. Powerlifters often pause for one to two seconds at the bottom of a squat rather than immediately rising up. This is an important strength-building secret for weightlifters.
Many people actually use the rebound to stand up during squats. If they slowed down, they wouldn't be able to squat the original weight. Using rebound squats can often give you the illusion of increasing strength, but it is very detrimental to your joints. Intermittent squats are very safe for joints and must rely on absolute strength growth.
In weightlifting competitions, athletes often need to adjust their center of gravity when reaching the bottom of a squat, or to accumulate strength for exertion. If you rush to stand up, you will usually fail. Therefore, for weightlifters, it is more beneficial to practice interval squats than ordinary squats.
Intermittent squats imply a premise, which is to squat to the lowest point. You can't do an interval squat without squatting to the bottom. This ensures that you can develop strong bottom starting strength, which is the basis for powerful ultimate strength and explosive power.
Many experienced weightlifting and strength-building athletes have realized that when lifting heavy weights with ordinary squat movements, the upward process of the bell is intermittent. When standing up from an interval squat, it is often a smooth acceleration process. This reflects a basic principle of strength training. The more unfavorable the work is at the starting point of exertion, the more powerful the force will be.
Quadriceps, glutes, and biceps strength are the most important strengths. Many experienced weightlifters and powerlifters struggle with these areas of strength stopping. An effective way to revive growth is to provide additional stimulus. Static stimulation is the best additional stimulation. After many athletes practice interval squats, the weight of ordinary squats increases again.
In the weightlifting teams of Russia, Germany, Bulgaria, and Türkiye, almost all back squat and front squat exercises are completed in intervals. Sultan Rahmanov back squats 430kg, pausing for 1 second at the bottom. Aslanbek Yenaldiev back squats 455kg, pausing for 1 second at the bottom. Leonid Taranenko back squats 380kg, pausing for 2 seconds at the bottom. Antonio Krastev front squats 335kg, pausing at the bottom for 2 seconds.
When weightlifters practice interval squats, they often alternate between back squats and front squats. The Russian weightlifting team usually practices intermittent back squats on the first, third, and fifth days, and intermittent front squats on the second, fourth, and sixth days. The Bulgarian weightlifting team practices interval back squats in the morning and interval front squats in the afternoon.
Many bodybuilding athletes also add interval squats to their training plans. European champion Jaroslaw Olech alternates interval squats and ordinary squats, practicing interval squats twice every day.
We believe that no matter what your training goals are, you can benefit from interval squats. We recommend that you practice interval squats at least 1 to 2 times a day, with 8 to 10 groups each time. By practicing interval squats consistently, you can gain additional growth in your squats, deadlifts, and performance in various strength events.