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View Full Version : You don't have to squat to get great legs.



drtbear1967
01-14-2019, 09:25 AM
Bold statement: No you don't have to squat to build great legs. Squatting is really only a must if you plan on competing in powerlifting as skill learning is key in squat strength development.
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Allowing choice (autoregulation) in your program benefits muscle growth if each muscle group is still trained with the same frequency, intensity, effort, number of sets, and so long as accessory exercises (exercises besides squat, bench and deadlifts) are performed at least once every other week.
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In terms of strength, allowing choice may enhance 1RM on a given exercise if it results in a more frequent performance of that specific lift.

Previous research has shown that some degree of choice, in and of itself, can enhance performance.
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Choosing the less important aspects of a program will likely make it more fun and thus keep you coming back to the gym.
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For example, bodybuilders can choose isolation movements and powerlifters can choose accessory movements at every workout.
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If you want big legs, but hate squatting, replace the squat with a leg press, lunge, or other squat variation. Personally, I have replaced my back squat with front squats.
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Dr Carl Juneau has put together a smart app which lets you choose exercises and then uses A.I. to create workout programs for optimal muscle growth. We've personally helped improve this app and now we use it ourselves. It has really made our workouts rewarding and helped us manage fatigue.

JackSteel
01-14-2019, 02:33 PM
Agreed 110%. In fact you don’t even have to lift heavy to get great legs. I’m no good example of that at the moment but that’s been my modo sort of for years.


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pgb
01-14-2019, 05:23 PM
i like leg presses, unfortunately i don't have a machine and can't go to a gym. i can still do lunges or some other leg exercises.

drtbear1967
01-23-2019, 12:58 PM
I don't do legs due to knee and back issues. I do good to walk.

pgb
01-23-2019, 03:41 PM
I don't do legs due to knee and back issues. I do good to walk.

i've had knee and back issues since my twenty. i couldn't run across the street, because it hurt so much on my knees after the corps. i didn't work legs for a long time, except the use of them at work. i was a laborer, so it helped with getting some leg work. now i do leg work, i just have to watch it, and often end up not working them for a couple of weeks at a time. the back likes joining the affair as well. when i first started doing anything with my legs again, i did one-legged squats off a stool. supported my self with the kitchen sink, lol. it worked and i would only do a few at a time and built up to six, eight, and ten. i found they weren't as hard on my knees, nor my back, even though i felt it. just don't get too far sideways and strain your groin, which i recently did. deca has help a lot as well.

dorian123
01-23-2019, 06:18 PM
Dorian Yates was know for his back and legs, he quit squatting early in his career due to a tear

unless a person is powerlifting or has the frame to squat (big pelvic girdle and somewhat short legs)

I also don't like hack squats they tear up the knees too bad

dpile
01-25-2019, 02:58 PM
This is great news, bad knees, and hips. Plus I hate squats.

drtbear1967
02-11-2019, 02:33 PM
I had to change a tire yesterday and when I tried to stand up, my legs shook so hard that it was all I could do to stand up. Permanent muscle and nerve damage to both legs and very little cartilage in the knee's is a killer.