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Thinking about how to structure training from here on, im going to try for 20 sets of squats of 5x127.5kg next friday. If i get that, i'll do 20x5x130kg 8 days later and i think that's where this high volume adventure should end. Will then taper down by 2 sets every week to maybe 12x5x140kg. I can't project that far out but that's my rough idea right now.

I have to now admit I think i picked the wrong exercise for high volume if my goal was to get stronger and bigger i should have gone with deadlift. But like #1 priority for me is to get a 2xbw/180kg squat so i haven't really done anything i prob wouldn't have done anyway.

Here is my reasoning. A couple of modest sets of deadlifts (say 90kg or 100kg) for 8 reps leave my legs burning and fatigued like nothing i feel from squatting. Keep in mind i did 100 reps with 125kg yesterday at a bodyweight of 86kg - im not really leaving any stone unturned in giving squats a chance to do something good for my leg strength. My experience is telling me having stronger legs will make me a better squat b/c every rep will become easier. However unfortunately the causality does not flow the other way for me - doing loads of squats doesn't make my leg strength go up, if it does it's marginal.

Actually this has always been the case, i remember when i used to do powercleans, it may have only been like 65-75kg but they used to give me a wicked quad burn. So the combo of an explosive pull is prob a great way for me to not only increase leg strength but also athleticism.

I dont think the squat dos anything for my athleticism either. But a big part of me deep down wants to believe the time i squat 180kg at a bw of 90kg or less i'll be a 40" jumper and sprint idk kinda fast (whatever that means). What's actually going to happen though is nothing to do with squats, i'll build the leg strength via tarpbar deadlifts which will exhibit as improved squat performance and it will be that extra leg strength which gets me from jumping 35" to 40". Actually it's awesome how im jumping so high with such modest leg strength currently, ive overachieved a lot from squats but they never came thru in the promise of leg strength.

The only thing that changes this that heavier squats task my legs relatively more which does challenge them but heavier and heavier squats lead to break down in form in part due to a lack of sufficient leg strength. Unfortunately the squat is an inefficient builder of that leg strength (for me). It may well do for someone else though. But once you have more leg strength my squats will benefit as well.

The other piece of the puzzle is how my squat behaves when i try using a belt. My form breaks down, i dont lift as well. And that's a mystery i haven't been able to reconcile. The thing is using a belt shud help use more leg strength, so if that's true then perhaps what's going on there is my lack of leg strength is being exposed by the belt by magnifying the weakness instead of what should be a strength. Most people would have the opposite experience, a belt would help more than hinder. Unless they're lacking in leg strength...?

More importantly though - overall high volume  tarpbar deads will build way more muscle in the (upper) back, tarps and even chest and arms while squats only hit areas ive alraedy probably peaked at in muscle mass (glutes and erectors). I can't wait to explore this after finishing up with my squats and putting htem on maintenance (prob in the range of 1.9-2.0xbw).

unless someone replies to this comment im gonna delete it soon, dont need to clutter the log with stream of consciousness posts no one else finds interesting