Getting Back to Barbell Squats

We moved halfway across the country in December, and, as part of the effort to lighten our move as much as possible, we got rid of as much stuff as we could.  Because we would be living in an apartment for the better part of our first year in Arizona, I knew I had to part with all of my strength training equipment, save for my PowerBlock dumbbells and adjustable utility bench.  When it came to training legs, for nine months I got by on dumbbell squats and split squats, as well as lunges.  The multi station gym in the apartment complex fitness center did feature a leg developer station, and that added some variety to my workout routine.

As soon as we knew we were moving into a house, I started searching for a squat rack to put in the garage.  Space was my primary concern and cost was a close second.  When I came across a brand-new, still-in-the-box Gold's Gym XRS 20 squat rack at a liquidation store for under $45, I grabbed it.  We didn't know if it would fit, but we figured we could sell it for at least what we paid for it if it didn't.  Turned out that if fit perfectly.  We can still park two cars in the garage; I just have to back mine out a few feet when using the rack.

With a rack now in my possession, my attention turned to securing a barbell and weights.  I searched Craigslist multiple times a day before I found a 170-pound set of Olympic plates.  A couple of weeks later I found a 45-pound CAP barbell (actual weight: 43 pounds) offered for sale by the same individual from whom I'd bought the weights. Including 12 square feet of gym floor puzzle mat which was also purchased from the liquidation store, for a total investment of $200 I was back in business.

Depending on if I decide to include barbell deadlifts in my routine on a regular basis, I may need to acquire additional weight.  But for the time being, especially considering my age and transplant recipient status, I am happy with what I have.  I'm not a heavy lifter anyway and therefore plan on advancing very deliberately with the barbell squats.  With dumbbell squats, the maximum weight I could hoist onto my shoulders was 110 pounds - 55 pounds per hand.  So in week one I went with the same weight I used when performing dumbbell squats.  I increased the weight 5 pounds for week two and plan on advancing in 5-pound increments going forward until I reach my physical limitations.  The video below is me performing my fourth and final set of squats at 115 pounds.