Reason for doing squats and deads.

[quadancer]

Joe: the supposition for the example is that the subjects would be doing upper body. The "argument" usually is would the legwork help the upper body construction. I can't quote any studies, but endless years of anecdotal evidence are pretty well known in forums all over.
Joe blow skips legs for years, then when he starts doing legs, his upper regions start growing and he gains weight. Heard it many times. Icars said it like I do - foundations.

 

[Totentanz]

You can build a big upper body without doing legs. That's where the whole stereotype of the big guy with chicken legs came from. I actually know a guy named Coach Smitty at the local high school who is a perfect example.
I've seen him at the car wash before, shirtless, cleaning out his car. He looks like a beast. But then he walks over to the trash and you see his legs. Twigs.

That's the only guy I've seen like that before, other than other people on various forums. But... maybe my definition of twig legs is skewed by the size of my own legs, in comparison to my upper body.

If you work legs, your upper body will grow, but only if you work the upper body along with the legs. And weight gain is, as we all know, a function of diet... so... I could see they not being able to gain muscle, but not being unable to gain weight at all.

 

[Bulldog]

So was the whole "heavy squatting and deadlifting helps increase the production of HGH and Testosterone" a myth? Are there any studies (Dan?).

If lifting weights does in fact help increase these hormones what better exercises to do it than squats and deadlifts? Which should in turn help with upper body development. If it doesn't then obviously they wouldn't make any difference in upper body development.

 

[stevejones]

<div>
(kaos @ Apr. 11 2007,23:03)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I'm trying to convince a friend that he would be better off doing squats, deads and more compound stuff and that in the end he will be bigger on top.</div>
deadlifts don't just work your lower body, they work your traps, rhomboids, lats, forearms, all of which are upper body.  Squats improve the strength of your lower back, which in turn improves your deadlift, which in turn improves the size of your rhomboids and lats because you are working with heavier weights on deads, etc. etc.

However, I wouldn't waste your breath in telling him all that.  Tell him to envision the physique he wants to have.  If that physique looks like Brad Pitt's or Joe Rogan's, then deads and squats are probably a total waste of time for him.

 

[Totentanz]

<div>
(Bulldog @ Apr. 18 2007,09:20)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">So was the whole &quot;heavy squatting and deadlifting helps increase the production of HGH and Testosterone&quot; a myth? Are there any studies (Dan?).</div>
Yes, it is a myth. The studies have been posted here before. They do raise hormones, but only in the tissues used in the exercise... there was no systemic effect. In fact, any lifting will increase hormones in the effected tissues.

You could probably find something using search. But, I'll see if I can dig something up for you.

 

[the_dark_master]

Don't waste yer breath; tell him your doing squats/deads regardless - and that's an end to it, but if he's in the cage doin' barbell curls when you need to be a squattin' there'll be hell to pay!

Many point out that Platz had legs - but his upper body lagged way behind. BS, have you seen his contest shape on utoob? His upper body development was excellent - it's the freaky legs that were the detriment (Yeah, OK may be his bi's were a tad small) - he still needed core/back/shoulder strength to support the bar.