8 x Mr Olympia LeeHaney says 'no' to squats?

[bradsky]

Don't think he was saying not to swuat but more something along the lines of pre fatigueing the legs prior to starting starting your squats, I have actually read and heard from a number of bodybuilders they have use this quite effectively for leg growth.

I usually superset leg extensions and squats (squat first) but take like 20 second rest intervals between supersets after 3 or 4 supersets, your pretty rooted, even with stuff all weight.

My thing with squats is go so slow on the way down that you wanna pee your panties a little, and throw some lunges in there for good measure.

But squats are a great exercise

 

[bull]

Bodybuilders that have big legs and say no to squats invariably built a massive foundation of squatting twice a week for fucking years before switching

Guess what? They have put in the time and effort to build their base first.

This.

All these pros that say don't squat have forgotten how they built their base. Squat plenty to build them and then do what you want to tinker around the edges afterwards.

 

[Jay]

What gets me is how anyone can say they dislike working their legs. Really?

Would much prefer to train my legs and then walk on clouds for the next 2/3 days than overtrain my upper body and not even be able to reach for the cereal in the morning.

Maybe my legs recover freakishly, but they're always my most satisfying days. When I walk to my car from the gym after a leg day, it feels like I'm kicking the piss out of the ground.

 

[bradsky]

Gotta love how everyone thinks that they know better than everyone else regardless of what they have achieved.

Don't listen to bodybuilders because they don't know how to build muscle.

As soon as the 531 bloke says how to bodybuild everyone had better listen.Lol..

L

O

L

 

[Neddysmith]

I usually superset leg extensions and squats (squat first) but take like 20 second rest intervals between supersets after 3 or 4 supersets, your pretty rooted, even with stuff all weight.

My thing with squats is go so slow on the way down that you wanna pee your panties a little, and throw some lunges in there for good measure.

But squats are a great exercise

Yeah this can work well, the other thing I do sometimes is super set leg extension with leg press using rep range 15-20 and then start squatting, yes you can't move as much weight but I have have some of the best leg workouts doing things this way, however, the majority of time I squat first and then do other legs stuff.

 

[Weavel]

People tend to do what there good at and avoid what they're bad at. No matter how good squatting is for you it will be avoided like the plague by the arms bigger than legs, i bench double what i quarter squat, i have the glutes of an anorexic kenyan, skinny jeans crew.

 

[Bazza20]

Gotta love how everyone thinks that they know better than everyone else regardless of what they have achieved.

Don't listen to bodybuilders because they don't know how to build muscle.

As soon as the 531 bloke says how to bodybuild everyone had better listen.Lol..

L

O

L

I kind of agree but i would listen to the 531 bloke before i would listen to 70kg Internet bodybuilders with a few months lifting experience that seem to think they know it all.

 

[Weavel]

Ps no offence to kenyans. They are athletes in there own right.

 

[popperman]

i love squats .

 

[Brick]

I think there is alot of hate for the squat in gyms cause people are scared of it. It's hard work, it's hard to master, you look like a weakling squatting with light weight.

It takes a long time to work up to a 3 plate a side squat with good form and depth but any moron can throw 4 - 5 plates on the leg press and belt out reps and look awesome. It's the same reason they load the bar and squat 1/4 reps cause they look awesome with all those plates on there and all the other peeps in the gym must be impressed right?

Squat heavy after a layoff you will have doms in your abs, upper back, calves will you get the same if you leg press, perform extensions or any other shitty isolation exercise after some time off? No

 

[bradsky]

I kind of agree but i would listen to the 531 bloke before i would listen to 70kg Internet bodybuilders with a few months lifting experience that seem to think they know it all.

Same, I don't expect people to listen to me. I know I parrot information, It just frustrates me how so many people shit on other ideals, simply because they are not their ideals.

 

[Bench Polkov]

Gotta love how everyone thinks that they know better than everyone else regardless of what they have achieved.

Don't listen to bodybuilders because they don't know how to build muscle.

As soon as the 531 bloke says how to bodybuild everyone had better listen.Lol..

L

O

L

Haney squatted as a beginner, no doubt. They all did back then. The program he is prescribing is the type he use in his pro years.

You're not a pro, don't train like a pro.

 

[JazDSpaz]

Anyone who thinks they don't need to squat when they are not at an expert/elite level are absolutely joking themselves, oh it hurts oh it's uncomfortable. It's not meant to be bloody rainbows and unicorns. It's meant to be difficult, it's the single most useful exercise there is. Anyone not doing it is selling themselves short.... By a lot!

 

[lex]

Good answers have been said but I'll still add my view.

You don't have to but if it is a mobility issue then you should really look into fixing that problem so you can more around properly past the age of 50. Squatting also adds a lot more functional strength ability than leg press etc. If mass gain is your goal then forgo them but at least work on getting your body right so you can move properly.

+1 on the mobility

Don't just jump straight in , work up to it.
Body weight , empty bar and kettlebell squats with full range of movement.

Do dynamic mobility exercises not static stretching

 

[dave]

+1 on the mobility

Don't just jump straight in , work up to it.
Body weight , empty bar and kettlebell squats with full range of movement.

Do dynamic mobility exercises not static stretching

Dynamic and static stretches have their places in mobility work. Specific static stretches for problem areas that are held for about 2min in total are quite effective at mobilizing problem areas in a joints ROM.

They are not always good for warming up unless a muscle is causing movement issues and even then they should not be held for that long in that circumstance eg hamstrings and adductor magnus in the squat.

Dynamic movements should accompany them as well. Joint mobilization exercises (known as mobs) are a great option as well as soft tissue work (foam rolling or ball work) in certain areas can also help free up some movement for the exercise you are about to perform.

Also full ROM movements are what YOUR full range of motion is , not ass to grass or parallel etc. If you don't have that movement don't push it under load instead do what you can and work on slowly accumulating the ability to move properly then increase your loaded range of motion.

It is a lot more complicated than I can go into in this post.

 

[Matt]

i love how most of you seem to have continued going off on your little crusade about how squats are king and anyone who doesn't do them is clearly retarded.

thinking outside the box is how the world progresses. if i could find a way to train my legs to get maximum benefit, with minimum risk to back/hips/everything else, it's probably not a bad idea to look into doing so, even if ACTUAL EVIDENCE suggests it's otherwise

Yeah this can work well, the other thing I do sometimes is super set leg extension with leg press using rep range 15-20 and then start squatting, yes you can't move as much weight but I have have some of the best leg workouts doing things this way, however, the majority of time I squat first and then do other legs stuff.

So I've just read the above, hearing that, in his leg training seminars, he advocates high reps on super-slow leg extensions as his main weapon, leaving squats to be done at a much lighter weight, later in the program. going to try n get my hands on said seminars to verify this as i HATE squats

Which what I said to begin with. Thank You

have u even thought about stretching before u do a squat? sounds like its half ur problem

I stretch for 15mins before i start on leg days, trying to stretch my legs n lower back from several different angles for about 45sec each, then go through them all again.

Let me get this straight, you want to eat sheep placenta and bovine colostrum to increase your gains, but don't want to squat...?

Fuck me.

a) read the first fucking post
b) so you're saying optimal diet is irrelevant if you squat?

Don't think he was saying not to swuat but more something along the lines of pre fatigueing the legs prior to starting starting your squats, I have actually read and heard from a number of bodybuilders they have use this quite effectively for leg growth.

this

Bodybuilders that have big legs and say no to squats invariably built a massive foundation of squatting twice a week for fucking years before switching

Guess what? They have put in the time and effort to build their base first. If you want the go ahead to not squat then be my fucking guest just don't rationalise it by polluting this board with stupid shit

mate, you're constantly touted as the most inconsistent, shit-dribbling, forum polluting liar amongst all of regular members on this site. people in glass houses shouldn't be total **** and expect people to listen.

 

[Shrek]

The answer is simple.
No you don't have to squat but your denying yourself the most productive exercise.

 

[Bench Polkov]

You were very unclear in your first post. I read it as an excuse to get out of squats too.

Further, considering this and some of your other ideas, rather than thinking outside the box I would actually suggest that you don't spend enough time in the damn box itself.

Either way it sounds like, more than anything else, that you have mobility issues why might be best addressed by seeking professional help about rather than trying to avoid squatting too much. If you truly have a problem that is inhibiting squatting then maybe pre-exhausting with leg extension might be a good idea but I doubt this will be the case. If you're a beginner lifter who wants to make any gains then you should be squatting for both strength and physique development. Full stop. No arguments. No excuses. The end.

Get it the fucking box!!!

 

[BigJim]

The answer is simple.
No you don't have to squat but your denying yourself the most productive exercise.

+ 1 kazillion

I like front squats.

 

[Goosey]

The answer is simple.
No you don't have to squat but your denying yourself the most productive exercise.

Everyone!
Past that as a quote and leave it there for one month.