Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy
Some suggestions for the squats: in your workout, do seated rows and hyperextensions before squats to warm up your back. Try doing sets of 30 squats, not going beyond, or much beyond, the knee bend which you have at the top of the pedal stroke. I don't think you'll have issues with the squat rack if you approach it this way. But oh yeah, it'll be difficult all right.
I would definately disagree here. The best way to warm up for a movement is TO DO THE MOVEMENT. Warm up for a squats by doing squats with light weight, taking a few sets to get to your working weight. Also do some dynamic mobility work to warm up. Check out the writings of Mike Robertson and Eric Cressey for the best info out there. And as a strength coach, I'd never recommend sets of 30 squats. Of course, if you don't know how to do them properly, don't do them at all. Finally, I recommend front squats over back squats all day long. You use less weight, but it places better stress on the quads, you can go way past parallel, and you basically can't cheat by leaning over and thereby risking your back.