Squat Month

[ignatzami]

Before I quit lifting heavy I was putting up 285 5x5 on the squat, nearly my body weight. I think I need to get back in the swing of things for this month.

[Mr. Machette]

I don't do any squats with weights, but do somewhere between 90 and 180 bodyweight squats every time I train.

Am I missing all the goodness, and if so, what is that goodness?

Ja.

The legs being your largest muscle group trigger your body to produce more testosterone than any other parts you can excersise. Thus aiding in muscle growth throughout your whole body.

While every muscle group does this to some extent, the legs are king due to their disproportionate bulk compared to any other group. They burn the most calories, they have the bulkiest muscles, and they trigger the greatest release of hormones when stimulated.

More weight means harder work. Harder work means more testosterone. More testosterone means more muscle growth.

This is why squats and deadlifts are so important to body builders. They don't just balance a mans physique, they trigger gains all over. They are key if you want more lean mass.

Here's more qualified people than I giving better advice than I can:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bbinfo.php?page=Squats

Despite a lack of weights, tonight I'm going to work my legs till I puke. That is my goal. I'm not joking.

[Ming Loyalist]

What the **** is this and why are you giving advice to do this piece of **** exercise? Seriously, what the **** is this supposed to accomplish? It's some kind of isometric static hold?

This is not a squat, it's nothing like a squat, and will not produce results remotely like a squat unless you start loading people up on your back and squatting up and down like a squat.

i have probably spent more time doing that stance than most on this forum, also more time in horse stance, and i can tell you this... while both those exercises are beneficial, and are extremely taxing, they don't replicate a squat.

I don't do any squats with weights, but do somewhere between 90 and 180 bodyweight squats every time I train.

Am I missing all the goodness, and if so, what is that goodness?

in addition to the golden turtles shown above, and plain old horse stance, i also made bodyweight squats a big part of my routine in the past. my legs are fairly strong (proportionally a lot stronger than my upper body as well) but now that i am in judo, when i turn in, squat down and load up someone larger than me on my back in seoi nage, i don't have the strength to explode out of that position and throw them (this leaves me the much less awesome version of seoi nage where you drag them down with you - meh to that.)

there is only one exercise that i know of to solve that problem and it's the weighted squat.

AFAIK there has been a good deal written on the theory that low reps of high weight will develop more functional strength than high reps of low or no weight. it's a theory that seems to (bad pun incoming) carry a lot of weight on this forum, and is considered the way to get stronger.

[Cliff DOG]

Here is a quote from "Inside the Lions Den",By Ken Shamrock, 1998.

"Pancrase and UFC fans often comment on my well-developed upper body. I do have a strong chest and a fair-sized biceps. I can bench press more than 500 pounds, and I can press 250 pounds 50 times without stopping. But my legs are even stronger. In fact, the first thing we stress to our young fighters is the importance of lower body strength. Strong legs put more power in your kicks. But even more important, your legs give you the strength to shoot in and take an opponent down. Your legs give you the power on the ground to turn and control an opponent. And your legs give you the stamina to outlast the man you are fighting. In submission fighting, your legs are your foundation. If you don't have a strong foundation, the house is shaky.

Old Sammy Sakura had it right when he stated that squats are a great way to both test and build your endurance. So, begin your training with at least 50 squats and build, build, build. If you can' do fifty, try this: stand in a doorway and place your hands on the door frame. then, using your hands to help with balance and to pull you up, do the squats. If you can do do more than fifty, great do more. It is essential to do as many as it takes to get your quadriceps burning and your lungs puffing. If you have to stop frequently, try repeating sets of 25 or more until you can do them continuously, without stopping.

Since squats build lower body stamina and strength so well, they may be the single most important way to prepare your body for submission fighting, as well as other martial arts. They are excellent because you can do them rain or shine, night or day. As I have stated earlier, the fighters at the Lion's Den can do at least 500 squats in a row. You should spend at least half-an-hour doing squats, especially in the beginning, to build your legs into the strong, supple base you need them to be. Push yourself to the limit. In a fight or competition, you'll be glad you did.

[W. Rabbit]

piece of **** exercise?

Hardly.

[TheRuss]

I don't have access to weights. Can I do, like a million lunges instead?

There aren't a whole lot of substitutes for a heavy barbell on your back. If your life is organized such that you'll gain access to a power rack + barbell + weights in the foreseeable future, and you're looking for ways to spend your time productively between now and then:
-Locate heavy objects and pick them up, walk around with them, throw them for height/distance, etc. Sand is cheap and does not have sharp edges, and a sturdy bag to put it in usually isn't too bad either. Safety first!
-If you have a vehicle, push it around a parking lot. Best to have a buddy to steer/brake. Safety first!
-Stairs. One at a time, two at a time, three at a time. Stepping, single-leg jumps, double-leg jumps. Be careful on the descent and try not to run into anyone. Safety first!

Golden Turtle.

[Ignorami]

Anyone got any advice for a simple kettle-bell equivalent?
I have no weights, but I do have a kettle-bell sitting here gathering dust.

I reckon I could raise enough enthusiasm to last to the end of the month.

[lordbd]

This thread is awesome. I remember when I used to do my old football workout (bench, squat, deadlift, **** everything else). Has anyone had issues with losing leg flexibility as they build up their max squat? What Would CroCop Do (WWCCD)?

Also why no this yet....

[RhinoUP]

I love this thread. Squats aand dead lifts are by far the best fat burning and strength exercises.

[Res Judicata]

Kettlebells are a different kettle of fish altogether. The easiest is probably a modified front squat. You also can do overhead squats, lunges, step ups, etc. with them, but they will require good shoulder flexibility. You can do things like swings, snatches, cleans.

Really, though, these are all poor substitutes for a proper back squat.