The real take-away from this one is this: rather than looking for ways to make your lifts feel or seem easier, look for ways to make them more difficult. At some point progressive overload results in strength gains (at least it should). As the strength goes up, so should the load or other factors surrounding the load.

Pause squats are, essentially, an isometric hold (or holds) at some point or points throughout the eccentric and/or concentric portion of the lift.