Day 1
- Barbell High Bar Squat3 × 3 · 75% e1RM
- Barbell Pin Squat1 × 8High effort (H): close to failure.
Candito Advanced 9 Week Squat Program
Advanced squat specialization: 3 weeks of high frequency (5 days a week) → 2 weeks of high volume → 5RM transition → max strength → test, with two checkpoints along the way to calibrate your max.
- Weeks
- 9
- Days / week
- 5
- Exercises / day
- 1–4
Run this program in TopSet
Copy it to your plans in the free app. TopSet works out each set’s target weight from your training max or 1RM.
Download on the App StoreWeek structure
Week 1High-frequency phase
Day 2
- Barbell High Bar Squat3 × 3 · 75% e1RM
- Barbell High Bar Squat1 × 8 · tempo 0-2-0Paused squat: pause about 2 seconds at the bottom. High effort (H)
Day 3
- Barbell High Bar Squat3 × 3 · 75% e1RM
- Barbell Pin Squat1 × 6High effort (H).
Day 4
- Barbell High Bar Squat3 × 3 · 75% e1RM
- Barbell Pin Squat1 × 3High effort (H).
Day 5
- Barbell High Bar Squat3 × 3 · 75% e1RM
- Barbell High Bar Squat1 × 3 · tempo 0-2-0Paused squat: pause about 2 seconds at the bottom. High effort (H). Checkpoint 1: use this set's paused triple to calibrate your training max (no change within the 80-87.5% range; outside it, reset with the doc's formula)
Week 2High-frequency phase
Day 1
- Barbell High Bar Squat3 × 1 · 90% e1RMHeavy single.
- Barbell High Bar Squat3 × 3 · 75% e1RM75% or 80%, your choice
- Barbell Front Squat1 × 20High effort (H): front squat or high-bar squat, 20-rep big set
Day 2
- Barbell High Bar Squat3 × 3 · 75% e1RM75% or 80%, your choice
- Barbell High Bar Squat5 × 1 · tempo 0-2-0Paused squat single: pause about 2 seconds at the bottom. Medium effort (M).
- Barbell Pin Good Morning1 × 20High effort (H).
Day 3
- Barbell High Bar Squat3 × 3 · 75% e1RM75% or 80%, your choice
- Barbell Pin Squat5 × 1Medium effort (M) single
- Barbell Front Squat1 × 15High effort (H): front squat or high bar
Day 4
- Barbell High Bar Squat3 × 3 · 75% e1RM75% or 80%, your choice
- Barbell High Bar Squat5 × 1 · tempo 0-2-0Paused squat single: pause about 2 seconds at the bottom. Medium effort (M).
- Barbell Good Morning1 × 15High effort (H).
Day 5
- Barbell High Bar Squat3 × 3 · 75% e1RM75% or 80%, your choice
- Barbell Pin Squat5 × 1Medium effort (M) single
Week 3High-frequency phase (this week, accessory work of your choice: 2 sets of 8-12 reps + 2 sets of 20 reps, see doc)
Day 1
- Barbell High Bar Squat1 × 3 · 90% e1RM
Day 2
- Barbell High Bar Squat3 × 3 · 80% e1RM80% or 85%, your choice
Day 3
- Barbell High Bar Squat3 × 3 · 80% e1RM80% or 85%, your choice
Day 4
- Barbell High Bar Squat3 × 3 · 80% e1RM80% or 85%, your choice
Day 5
- Barbell High Bar Squat3 × 3 · 80% e1RM80% or 85%, your choice
Week 4High-volume, low-frequency phase
Day 1
- Barbell High Bar Squat10 × 3 · 80% e1RMFrom week 4 the percentages are based on the target max (it is advisable to update your in-app squat 1RM to this cycle's target value at that point; see the doc for the calibration mechanism)
- Barbell Pin Squat1 × 20High effort (H).
Day 2
- Barbell High Bar Squat8 × 3 · 80% e1RMUse the day 1 weight plus 2.5-7.5kg, aiming to complete 5-10 sets (8 sets entered here).
- Barbell High Bar Squat5 × 3 · 70% e1RMNo-belt back-off sets: only if you hit both the max weight and the max number of sets; remember to warm up again
- Barbell Pin Squat1 × 15High effort (H).
Week 5High-volume, low-frequency phase
Day 1
- Barbell High Bar Squat1 × 1 · 87.5% e1RMSingle at 87.5% or 90%, your choice
- Barbell High Bar Squat5 × 3 · 80% e1RM
- Barbell High Bar Squat5 × 3 · 77.5% e1RM
- Barbell Pin Squat1 × 20+2.5kg over last week.
Day 2
- Barbell High Bar Squat5 × 3 · 80% e1RMStart from last week's weight + 2.5kg, can progress up to 87.5%.
- Barbell High Bar Squat5 × 3 · 77.5% e1RM
- Barbell High Bar Squat5 × 3 · 70% e1RMNo belt, add 2.5kg over last week; same conditions as last week
- Barbell Pin Squat1 × 15+2.5kg over last week.
Week 65RM transition week
Day 1
- Barbell High Bar Squat1 × 5 · @105RM test. Checkpoint 2: your 5RM should be 85-90% of your target max; if it falls outside the range, reset the target using the formula in the doc.
Day 2
- Barbell High Bar Squat12 × 1 · 75% e1RM
Week 7Maximum strength phase
Day 1
- Barbell High Bar Squat1 × 3 · 90% e1RM
Day 2
- Barbell High Bar Squat12 × 1 · 75% e1RMAdd 2.5kg.
Day 3
- Barbell High Bar Squat3 × 1 · 90% e1RMAdd 2.5kg.
Week 8Maximum strength phase
Day 1
- Barbell High Bar Squat1 × 3 · 90% e1RM90-92.5% range, add 2.5kg
- Barbell Conventional Deadlift2 × 4Light intensity (L) maintenance, weight of your choice.
Day 2
- Barbell High Bar Squat12 × 1 · 75% e1RMAdd 5kg.
Day 3
- Barbell High Bar Squat3 × 1 · 90% e1RM90-92.5% range, add 5kg. Do not go for these singles if you did not hit all the triples on day 1.
- Barbell Pin Squat1 × 3Medium effort (M).
Week 9Test week
Day 1
- Barbell High Bar Squat6 × 3 · 70% e1RMAdd 5kg.
Day 2
- Barbell High Bar Squat9 × 1 · 75% e1RM
Day 3
- Barbell High Bar Squat1 × 1 · @10New max test day! After finishing, update your new 1RM for squat
Program guide
Overview
Jonnie Candito's advanced squat specialization program: Weeks 1-3 are a high-frequency phase (5 squat sessions a week, with paused/pin squat single technique sets plus high-rep supplemental work), Weeks 4-5 a high-volume, low-frequency phase (10×3 and ascending sets), Week 6 a 5RM transition, Weeks 7-8 a max-strength phase (90%+ singles and triples), and Week 9 tests a new max.
Who it's for
- A squat specialization breakthrough phase for advanced lifters; bench and deadlift are maintenance only (deadlift is an optional light 2×6 in the source sheet, and this library keeps only the one session with an explicit prescription in Week 8).
- Squatting 5 times a week has very high recovery demands.
Anchors and calibration (important)
- Weeks 1-3 percentages are based on your current max; from Week 4 they're based on the target max. When you enter Week 4, update the in-app squat 1RM to this cycle's target.
- Checkpoint 1 (Week 1 day 5 paused squat set of three): that weight should be 80-87.5% of your current max; if it's below 80%, reset your training max using "weight ÷ 0.825", and if it's above 87.5%, use "weight ÷ 0.85".
- Checkpoint 2 (Week 6 5RM): the 5RM should be 85-90% of your target max; if it's outside that range, reset your target max using "5RM ÷ 0.875".
Accessories and your choices
Pin squat/paused squat are the two main accessories entered by this library according to the source sheet's defaults; the Week 2 sets of 20/15 reps (front squat or high-bar, hip-hinge good morning) are entered as in the source sheet. The generic accessory slots in each session (3×20, 3×8-12) are exercises of your choice and have no placeholders in this library; for Week 3 especially, add 2 accessories of 8-12 reps + 2 accessories of 20 reps yourself. Effort markers: H = near failure, M = moderate, L = light.
Notes
- See the set notes for the ascending/back-off rules in Weeks 4-5 (the 5-10 set range is entered as 8 sets; beltless back-off sets have conditions to meet).
- Week 9 day 3 is the new-max test; update your 1RM when you finish.
Program by Jonnie Candito. TopSet is not affiliated with or endorsed by the program’s creator. Program names and trademarks belong to their owners. See the guide for original sources.