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tl;dr version
Current: Squat 420, weigh 210
July 1st: Squat 440, weigh 210-215
Sept 10th: Squat 415+, weigh 185 (2.25x bw squat is goal)

I also want to incorporate plyos. How?








My plan is to max my squat at least 440lbs by July 1st, while weighing between 210-215lbs.
Currently, I'm at ~420lbs and weigh ~210lbs.
I need 20lbs more in 6 weeks, or 3.3lbs a week.

After July 1st, I'll be on summer vacation in Europe, where it is ALWAYS VERY EASY for me to lose weight. I regularly lose about 15-20lbs every summer (within 45 days) without even trying. This time, I will try.

I want to drop to about 185lbs by September 10th, while trying to maintain my max squat as much as possible (no lower than 415lbs). Assuming I'll be at 215lbs on July 1st, this is a 30lb drop in 72 days. But hey, I might weigh less, or my squat might not drop that much so I don't even need to lose as much weight to get to 2.25x bw in my squat.
Also
, since I measure myself in clothes, and since I'm creatine loaded right now, and since I'll fast for Ramadan for a part of the summer, about 10lbs of this will be VERY easy to get off (clothes and a lot of water weight). Then there's the other 20lbs, which I'll work for.

At the same time, however, I would like to work on my plyometric ability. I have not done heavy plyos in about a year.
I mean, if I'm just trying to maintain my squat, I might as well do some plyos, right?

So, this is where I need your help. This is what my workout looks like right now:

Mon
Squat 3x5 (355lbs)
Bench 3x5 (200lbs)
Chin up 3x5 (+45lbs)

Wed
Squat 1x1 (355lbs) [light day]
Bench 3x8 (185lbs)
Chin up 3x8 (+35lbs)

Fri
Squat 3x5 (360lbs)
Bench 3x5 (205lbs) <-------- So basically I go up 5lbs every workout on squat, bench, chin once I complete all 3x5.
Chin up 3x5 (+50lbs)


Question is,

Can somebody create a workout template for me where I focus on squat (mon-wed-fri, wed being light) but introduce some plyos for 4 weeks?
(keep in mind I don't mind gaining weight here)

THEN

Can somebody create a workout template for me where I can focus on heavy plyos, while maintaining squat for 8 weeks?
(keep in mind I'm trying to lose fat here)

Thanks for the help ^^^

How does this look?

sets x reps



Intro Plyo Phase (4 weeks)

Monday

Lateral Cone Hops 2x10
12" Depth Jumps 2x3
Squat 3x5 (87%)

Wednesday

10yd Sprints 5x1
Max Effort RVJ 5x1
Squat 1x1 (87%)

Friday

Single Leg Slaloms 2x20/leg
Squat 3x5 (87%)

Heavy Plyo Phase (8 weeks)

Monday

Lateral Cone Hops 3x10
18" Depth Jumps 4x4
Squat 3x3 (87%)

Wednesday

Tuck Jumps 3x8
40yd Sprints 4x1
Squat 3x1 (87%)

Friday
Lateral Cone Hops 3x10
24" Depth Jumps 5x3
Squat 1x1 (87%), 1x8 (55%)

In the heavy plyo phase I decided to squat 3x a week because even if I miss a single day, my squat immediately drops buy about 10-15lbs and I don't want that. The 8 rep squat on Friday is to facilitate some blood and just promote recovery.

I disagree with steven-miller.  I actually think the squats are TOO intense.  Your sqauatting 3 days a week close to 90% of your 1 rep max.  This is during your REACTIVE PHASE, when you're not even trying to get stronger, but more explosive. 

Compare this to Westside Barbell powerlifters.  Those guys ONLY focus on strength and they are only squatting/deadlifting heavy 1 day a week. 

For your body to be stimulated optimally, you have to send it the right signals.  You need to throw a shit ton of speed and explosive exercises for your body to adapt to the stimulation and for your nervous system to be firing properly.  If you do too much strength exercises, you will not only be telling your nervous system to move SLOWLY, you also will never feel fresh because you're working close to your max and never recovering optimally.   

I don't think the squats are too heavy at all. Anyway, the main focus of my program is to increase my relative squat by maintaining it while losing bodyweight. I just figured that I may as well add some plyos if I'm not going to go too hard on the squats.

Yes, I'm squatting 3 days close to 90% of my max, but the weight I use never goes above my 6RM! Think of it that way. I did 365x5 last week. I want to get up to 375 for 3x5 (making my 375 a 6RM). Doing 3x3 with that weight (2 less reps each set) on Monday is the hardest I go. Then I just do 3 singles with that weight on Wednesday, then I workup to just one single at that weight on Friday. To me it feels a little bit light actually.

If you are able to squat 90% of your 1 rep max 6 times then you are not explosive enough.

I can't.

This shows that you have a nervous system more geared toward strength than you do speed.  Because of this, you should focus more on speed and do less squatting or strength dominant exercises.

Possibly, but actually, I can't tolerate higher rep work (>5 reps). If my last rep on a squat slows down a little, there's a rare chance I can get more than an extra rep. I've been told that I'm pretty explosive in my squats: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMbuo7PetZw I need long pauses in between reps if I want to survive. Not only that, but in person, that 5th rep felt like HELL and there was NO WAY I coulda done another rep, yet some people thought I had another 2 or 3 in me.

The reason I say squat once a week is so you can feel fresh enough do plyo's and sprints 2-3 times a week.

Friday is a recovery squat workout. It will help me feel fresher. In addition, the wednesday workout looks like it wont hurt too much that it'll hinder my friday workout. Of course, I can auto-regulate that if I'm wrong.

 Since you will be losing weight, it is more draining on you to have to squat 3 times a week then it is to do low volume speed workouts.

Of course it will be, but that Friday recovery squat will not drain me whatsoever. I've done them before. Plus, even if it were a tiny bit draining, i have 2 days of rest after that, not 1.

Have you ever tried only lifting heavy once a week?  You think you will lose strength, but in actuality you will not.  If you are slightly overtrained than it is possible to make gains.

My experience tells me that squatting once a week makes me lose a bunch of poundage.... actually.... JUST THIS WEEK IT HAPPENED AND IT MAKES ME ANGRY  

Friday (04/29/11)--------------Squat 335 x 5, 5, 5
Monday (05/02/11)------------Squat 340 x 5, 5, 5
Wednesday (05/04/11)--------Squat 315 x 1 (light day)
Friday (05/06/11) -------------Squat 345 x 5, 5, 5
Monday (05/09/11)------------Squat 350 x 5, 5, 5
Thursday (05/12/11) ----------Squat 355 x 5, 5, 5
Saturday (05/14/11) ----------Squat 315 x 1 (light day)
Tuesday (05/17/11) -----------Squat 360 x 5, 4, 3
Friday (05/20/11) --------------Squat 360 x 5, 5, 5
Sunday (05/22/11) ------------Squat  365 x 10sec, 10sec, 10sec, 10sec, 10sec (just unracks to feel the weight)
Tuesday (05/24/11) -----------Squat 365 x 5, 4, 3

Friday (05/27/11) --------------Squat 315 x 1 (light day)

Wednesday (06/01/11) --------Squat, 365 x 2, 1


Yep. High frequency has always been better for increasing my strength. Whenever I don't squat for about 4 or 5 days I always lose strength. In fact, the reason I did smolov jr for squats a while back was because I missed a few days of squatting and my squat PLUMMETED. And since high frequency works for me, smolov jr exploded my squat numbers up 80lbs in 9 weeks.

In my log snippets up there, notice the constant increasing weight as I squat about 3x a week, and then the drop in the number of times I can rep out 365lbs by the end when I squat less frequently. I went from 365x5 to 365x2 (420 1RM to 385 1RM) simply because I squatted heavy only once in that final week.


And these two cases are not the only times this has happened. There are others, but now I've learned my lesson.

If you lose strength, it will mainly be due to the fact that you're losing weight.  Trust me, if you cut to 185, (35 pounds in 1 summer) you will feel like complete shit, and the last thing you'll want to do is get your ass under a heavy bar 3 times a week.

I will probably feel like crap... my prediction is that I will auto-regulate a lot and lower the weight to 83% instead of 87% on Wednesdays. Actually, it would be better to switch my wed squat with fri squat since the wed is a little tougher, and i can lower the percentage like i said and have 2 days rest after it. then I should be good to go.

You will, however, feel much more agile and springy.  Take advantage of this by training for power and speed. Once you start eating at optimal levels again your gains will be significant.