Dead lifts
Are there any alternatives to deadlifts?
Squats <--- squat specific please
What weight should I be aiming for? (I want to be healthy and normal all things considered)
What would be good progress?
How much wieght increase a week would be considered normal?
What would be considered a warning sign that im not doing something right?
Aim for 1.5x bodyweight, like I said in the other threads, this is generally considered the point at which you are no longer a beginner - although some say 1.3x is good enough if you just can't make any more gains with good diet rest and routine.
I'm doing the 3x5 system atm, and it recommends starting light right at the beginning and adding ~5kg per workout until you start to miss a rep in the last set (missing a rep includes poor form) then only add around 2.5kg per workout, when you start to miss a rep at the end again you only add 1kg per workout. When you miss more than 1 rep or 1 rep in more than one set you either stay same weight or only add say 1kg or 0.5kg depending on the reasons for failure (if you didn't rest enough or eat enough in the last couple of days or what ever you correct that and add some weight, if all seems fine you stay at the same weight to see if its a plateau). When you plateau they have a system of slight de-loading and then going back to adding ~5kg per workout. Since you do squats 3x a week you are adding somewhere between 3kg to 15kg a week - which slows down quite quickly to the lower number, and then slows down even further as you have to deload and get back into it etc.
I've been averaging ~7.5kg/week for the last month, but I started with only the bar so thats not a fair indication, I'd say for a beginner who has gotten past the first couple of months of easy gains that 2-3kg per week would be the average until you hit around the 1.3x bodyweight, then it will slow and eventually stop around the 1.5x mark - thats when you know your body is used to it and just won't grow without a different workout style.
Warning signs can vary depending on how much you weigh, how much you are lifting and your bodys ability to resist damage hahaha. Take a look at some videos on youtube as recommended by the people at either starting strength or stronglifts. The big warning signs are - back hurting during lift, knees hurting during lift, feeling the need to fall over forwards or backwards, having to take a step forward or backwards near the top of the lift etc.
Basic instructions are
Get your hands as close to your shoulders as possible without bending your wrists - this squeezes the shoulder blades together. Lift out of the rack and take 1 small step back and slightly to the side and then 1 step with the other to line up with your legs just over shoulder width apart, and toes pointing out at 30degs or so. Stick your butt out while clenching your stomach and lower back muscles to keep natural posture and lower yourself down with the bar staying over the middle of your foot, knees following the angle of your feet (30 deg), get right down low - you must get your legs below parallel or your not working the entire posterior chain. When coming back up you are simultaneously clenching back and stomach, pushing your ass/hips forward and pushing up with your legs making sure to concentrate on keeping your knees from collapsing inwards (use your muscles to force your legs open to 30deg if you have to). Once again as you raise the bar should stay over mid foot so you don't feel like your falling forward or backwards.
Probably the best explanation I can give - and probably needs a bunch added or clarified to really give a good idea in words. Better to watch a video of it being done right.
