An "easy" way to gain strength

This post give a little insight into my training as of late. I haven't had a lot of time, my sleep has been irregular, and yet I've still managed to improve a little on one of my weaker lifts, the squat.

My training life has gone through several phrases, all of which were effective to some extent. Lately, my training has reverted back to a model that integrates the best features from a couple of those phases. I've combined the HIT/Hardgainer training frequency, with a more "progressive" Pavel Tsatsouline-type volume-building set and rep approach. Squatting once per week, I use the same working weight every week and strive to do one more double every week. The training requires patience and restraint, but it really is quite simple. It's not that difficult to add a double every week, but by the end of a 2 month training cycle, I've gone from doing 2x2 with a moderately heavy weight to 10-12x2 with that same weight--something I could not do at the beginning of the cycle. And, once my volume is high enough with a given weight, increasing the weight by 30 pounds and dropping back to 2x2 isn't that difficult either. Finally, as opposed to combining the reps into a single high-rep set, it is not that difficult for me to recover from a once weekly session of multiple doubles. Hence, it is a slow, but "easy" way to gain strength.

Point of interest: I like to supplement the squatting with some hamstring work to balance out the knees. In the past, I've used band good mornings for high-reps, kettlebell swings, natural glute-ham raises, or my personal preference, stiff-leg deadlifts done from either the floor or standing on a box. Whichever exercise I choose, I usually only do ~2 moderate sets after I've finished squatting.

My results
Tthe first time I used this training model I went from doing 300x2x2 to 300x12x2, dropped back to 325x3x2, and increased to 325x12x2. At this point, I easily squatted my previous 1RM on a whim, 1 day after a volume training day, at the end of a 2 hour grappling session, after doing 2x2 pistols on each leg with 100 lbs additional weight. I consider repeating my former best effort under significantly worsened conditions to be progress. The weight was 425, done in a smooth, deep, upright high-bar style.

This is my second time using the training model. Over a period of 8 weeks, I increased from 355x2x2 to 355x10x2. A couple of those weeks I squatted 405x2 on a second squat day. I went out of town before getting to test a heavy lift, but since getting back, I've made the jump to 385, restarting at 2x2. The weight felt a bit heavy, but a day later I'm not sore. I expect to be able to start building volume with this weight.