Gimme squat alternatives

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need2eat

New Member
I hate to admit this but..well..my quads are none responders...haha

Id like to say due to total neglect, trust me, Id tell you if it was but thats not the case, my calves are cool IMO, the upper legs just refuse to freakin grow in relation to the rest of my body...been like this since day one. (think many years)


Now Ive encountered a problem of sorts, recently my squats were going up as they should, life is good, then one lovely morning, I hear a pop in my back on rep three of squats and well...if I never do another squat again, Id be happy just the same.  Its not worth it, ive had back issues, training aside for many many years, so Im looking for a solid alternative...


Im doing lunges and weighted step ups, boring as hell.  With that said, if someone has a routine or suggestion, throw it my way...as I just have no idea what it is im missing...maybe I need to go with high rep sets, as what ive done thus far has proven useless and thats the only thing I haven't done.   This would also require less weight and be ideal for my current situation.


Right now all im using is dumbells, no bar, no leg extension, so any idea should have that in mind....


I pretty much now which exercises targets the quads:   lunges, step ups, and variations of but I guess what I really wanna know is......does anyone else have to do high rep sets to get any progress with the quads?   Maybe a billion reps with little weight and continue doing squats....

Thanks
 
You just made me go measure early. I have EXACTLY the same problem as you. I've been doing 20-rep lever machine squats for the last 18 workouts now, in linear progression, beginning at 140 lbs. and now I'm at 320. They're getting brutal enough (had to cluster the last set) to have to start lowering reps as strength demands (I'm staying on the progression regardless of reps, as I posted in my linear progression thread) and now I hope to see some results. I've only gained 1/4" so far (now a meagerly 23"), but the shape looks more muscular, so I do have something to show.
I would say it looks like the experiment was not working, but I'm also not bulking, so I probably blew it. I did lose a little fat through all this, maintaining weight, but that's about it.
I'm waiting to see what happens when the reps drop. I need to ask the question about deloading part of the body (all except legs) while continuing exersize for another (legs). Seems to me that we should be able to do that, and deload the bodypart on the long routine later, while the rest of the bod is back at work. What I'm saying is I want to keep working the legs until I'm down to about 4 reps max. It will also be nice to SKIP LEGS for two weeks from my workouts!
 
I would say try high rep ATG squats with lighter weights.

If your knees don't bother you then you could try sissy squats. I can't do them though because they kill my knees. Which is probably the case for most people. But I thought I would mention them because they do work the quads very well if you can tolerate them.
 
Deadlifts help my quads too (they also happen to make my ass super huge). Might try to wear a weight belt and focus on your quads when you do deads.
 
Hey Faz, you just hit 1000 posts! Go have a cupcake!
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(quadancer @ Nov. 11 2006,13:16)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Hey Faz, you just hit 1000 posts! Go have a cupcake!  
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haha
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maybe a beer
 
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(faz @ Nov. 11 2006,04:29)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">i would say if your worried..leg-press is a good option.</div>
Yeah, I think that would be the best option, but this guy doesn't have anything but barbells, weights, and dumbbells.

Whoops, he says he has no bar either. I'm sorry, but your only option is implants
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There is no replacement for squats and deadlifts. You need to work on your form. I had back surgery 8 or 10 years ago and stopped doing them until last year. No growth whatsoever. Big growth and definition since doing squats and deads. Leg presses are much worse for your back than squats as it pushes a lot of weight into your lower back. You don't have to go heavy but you do have to squat. For deads, don't do them if you don't have a trap bar or have dumbells. It will put too much strain on your lower back at the beginning of the lift. Form is the key with both.
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The posterior chain is generally weak on most lifters. You need to work it to get it strong and prevent injuries.

Stiff leg deads
Cable pullthroughs
Good Mornings
Deadlifts (sumo and conventional)
Box Squats
Hyperextensions
glute ham raise
reverse hypers

* the last two require special equipment, but the rest don't.
 
O&amp;G ~ I remember you were using a trap bar to do the deads with your back injuries...I never asked you if you were alternating deads and squats or doing both in the same workout.
 
As O&amp;G mentioned, you can't replace such vital exercises. If you are unable to do squats due to lack of Smith Machine, weights, or spotter, then stick with the leg press.
 
So basically, keep doing what I've been doing, just lighter weight....  
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I just don't get it, Ive done variations of 10-12 reps sets, various weights, even went a while doing extensions until I couldn't stand under my own power...nothing.
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I saw this contraption Frank Zane had out, you put weight on your shoulders, grab these handles and do squats...been considering trying something simillar...be darned if I give him the small fortune he thinks its worth..haha  Anyone know what Im referring too?
 
Quad, I do squats and trap bar deadlifts both in each and every workout as a superset. The only time it gets to me is during the 15's and that is due mostly to aerobic capacity although I do have to crawl to my bench to rest a bit.
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Need, some people grow legs better with higher reps (up to 25) and some with lower reps. Unless you can afford to have your muscles typed, the best thing to do is try them each over a 6 week period. Remember, though, that some people just have skinny legs. Mine are not big and it took 50 years of lifting just to get to about 25&quot; but they are so ripped that they look huge when flexed. Look at Frank Zane's legs. They are not big but they look huge because he has a small bone structure and everything he added to his legs was pure muscle. He had to work extra hard to get there as opposed to the bottom heavy person who has genetically big legs. BTW, he didn't get those legs using his Leg Blaster although I see nothing wrong with the machine other than a restriction on developing the stabilizer muscles.
 
Old and grey


Well...ironically...thats where I got the idea for high reps...and the need for.


I watched some flex magazine show that comes on one of the health channels, he was on there and he mentioned that he never was a fan of squats and instead, did many set of 20+ reps on the leg press machine....


from what I can tell though, his leg blaster is nothing more than a controlled squat.....


guess its time to do many reps and see what happens..fun-fun..haha


thanks fellas
 
You've probably been training your hip flexors more than the quads; wake-up your quads by doing &quot;air benches&quot; do these by standing 2ft away from a wall, then &quot;sit down&quot; with your back against the wall, knees bent but not past your toes. Stay like this for a couple of minutes until you can really feel the quads working - then do a set of lightweight squats...

NB this is used in many countries as a form of torture
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<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Whoops, he says he has no bar either.  I'm sorry, but your only option is implants </div>


why is it everytime I see someone mention dumbells and squats, people freak out?

I have to tell ya, if you can pick up two 100lbs dumbells and do them like nothing, your the man.  Im fortunate enough to have the ability to take my DB's up to 120+ each.  However, Ive yet to see how DB squats are easy.


<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">NB this is used in many countries as a form of torture </div>


I had a drill sergeant in basic use these as a motivator...among other things, of which Id just as soon forget...
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