Squat 315 lbs / 142 kg

Proof required

Submit: a video of a 225 lb (102 kg) back squat to full depth, filmed from the side at approximately hip height. The video must show the full descent (hip crease below the knee), the ascent, and the bar re-racked. Include a note with the exact loaded weight.

What gets checked

• Full depth is visible from the side — the video must show the hip crease dipping below the top of the knee at the bottom position; high squats (hip crease above or level with the knee) do not pass; a side-angle camera at hip height captures depth accurately; a front-on or above-eye-level angle often fails to show depth clearly
• Weight is verifiable — the plates on the bar must be countable in the video; 225 lbs is typically loaded as two 45lb plates per side on a 45lb bar (45 + 90 + 90 = 225); if the plate configuration is unusual (e.g. metric loading), a note confirming the exact weight is required
• Spine is neutral throughout the descent — excessive forward lean or rounding of the upper back at the bottom indicates a mobility or technique limitation that becomes more problematic at higher loads; the lift should show a controlled descent with the chest up and spine neutral

Common mistakes

• Not reaching full depth and not realising it — squat depth is notoriously difficult to self-assess; most people who think they squat to depth are actually high-squatting; film every heavy set from the side and check depth; if the video shows high squats, address depth before attempting this milestone
• Prioritising weight over depth — adding weight while squatting high produces a false result and builds a pattern increasingly difficult to correct at heavier loads; if depth is absent at 225 lbs, reducing to 185 lbs and rebuilding depth is the correct response
• Neglecting ankle and hip mobility — many squat depth failures are mobility-limited, not strength-limited; daily mobility work (ankle circles, hip flexor stretches, goblet squats as a drill) should begin in week 1 of the training block

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Watch the descent for depth — the hip crease must dip visibly below the top of the knee at the bottom position; if the video angle makes this unclear, ask for a re-film from hip height side-on
• Count the plates and verify the total — confirm 225 lbs (typically 45 + 45 + 45 + 45 on a 45lb bar); if metric loading is used, confirm the exact total in the submitted note
• Check for back rounding — a rounded lower back at the bottom is a technique failure; the chest should be up and the spine neutral throughout; rounding that would be red-lighted at a powerlifting meet is reason to ask for form correction before approving

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Proof required

Submit: a video of a 275 lb (125 kg) back squat to full depth, filmed from the side at hip height, with the loaded weight visible and countable. Include a note confirming the exact weight.

What gets checked

• Same technical standard as milestone 1 — full depth (hip crease below knee), neutral spine, weight countable from video, side-angle camera
• No depth regression from milestone 1 — if depth was borderline at 225 lbs and shallower at 275 lbs, that indicates a technical regression under load; address the technique before submitting the 315 lb milestone
• Descent is controlled — a controlled 2–3 second descent is a sign of strength through the full range; a fast collapsing descent suggests the weight is slightly above true current strength

Common mistakes

• Hitting a plateau and not adjusting programming — linear progression works until it doesn't; most people hit their first squat plateau in the 225–275 lb range; when 3 consecutive sessions fail to add weight, switch to wave loading rather than grinding at the same weight
• Not addressing depth regression under load — squat depth often regresses when weight increases because of hip and ankle mobility limits; if depth was full at 225 lbs and is high at 275 lbs, reduce weight, address the limitation, and rebuild
• Using a safety bar as the primary training tool without practising the standard back squat — safety bars are useful accessories; they build strength in different positions; if the milestone requires a conventional back squat, training primarily on a safety bar produces an unfamiliar gap at test time

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Apply the same depth standard as milestone 1 — watch specifically for depth regression under load; a student whose squat was full depth at 225 lbs but is high at 275 lbs has not met the milestone
• Check for controlled descent — a fast collapsing descent suggests the student is above their true 5-rep strength; controlled descents are cleaner proof of strength through the full range
• Verify the weight — confirm 275 lbs from the plates visible in the video; a common misconfiguration is 45+45+45 per side = 315, not 275; confirm the exact loading

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Proof required

Submit: (1) a video of a 315 lb (142.9 kg) back squat to full depth, filmed from the side at hip height, with all three plates per side visible, or (2) a powerlifting meet official result showing the squat was judged at 315 lbs (142+ kg) with three white lights.

What gets checked

• Three plates per side are visible — 315 lbs is loaded as three 45lb plates per side on a 45lb bar; this configuration must be visible in the video; a different loading totalling 315 lbs requires a note confirming the exact plate configuration
• Full depth is present, consistent with milestones 1 and 2 — depth must not regress; if a student squatted to full depth at 275 lbs but is high at 315 lbs, the milestone is not met regardless of weight moved
• No significant technique breakdown — knee cave, excessive forward lean, and back rounding that would be red-lighted at a powerlifting meet are technical failures; the lift should look controlled even if the effort is maximal

Common mistakes

• Attempting the 315 lb test without adequate recovery — the test should follow a proper taper of 3–5 days of reduced volume and good sleep; attempting it in a fatigued state produces either a missed lift or a sloppy lift that does not pass the technical standard
• Not attempting at full depth because 'it's close enough' — the depth standard is binary: hip crease below the knee or not; a 315 lb squat to parallel-but-not-full-depth is not the milestone
• Relying on a knee sleeve or belt without having trained with them — if using these aids for the test, train with them for at least 4 weeks before test day to avoid unfamiliar sensory feedback

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Verify three plates per side — count the plates in the video; 315 lbs is three 45lb plates per side on a 45lb bar; confirm both plate count and bar weight
• Watch for depth consistency with the previous milestones — depth regression under increased load is common and disqualifying; if milestone 2 showed borderline depth, watch more carefully here
• If the proof is a powerlifting meet result — search the meet on British Powerlifting, IPF, or the national federation's results database; confirm the squat was white-lighted; a red-lighted squat that was still completed does not pass the depth standard

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