This week I want to talk about squatting, and how it's been the foundation of my training and the success that I have had in the gym with regards to all over muscle gain.
I have spoken about training splits with many people since starting this blog, and the majority of the questions I get asked are based around the following:
What is better, high rep or low rep?
Why do one when you can do both? Especially when it comes to the lower body. Legs respond really well to high volume, which is a pity really, because high rep squats hurt. But nothing in life is given to us on a plate, and the same can be said about the whole process of creating a well-proportioned muscular and healthy body.
Should I go heavy or light?
A very similar answer to the above; introducing both will make sure you hit all your muscle fibres (both fast and slow twitch). I would advise that you go heavy, then go lighter for high reps.
Isolation or compound lifts?
I always have a little chuckle when I get asked this, and I generally refer people back to the title of the blog they have just read! I do know that isolation exercises have their place, and just because I don't champion them it doesn't mean I don't utilise the smaller movements. I will cover this later in the series.
Let's face it, when it come to leg training you either love it or hate it. I will tell you this though; I don't know one person who got in the squat rack and felt comfortable the first time around - it takes a good few weeks to really catch the squat bug. The majority of lifters who stick with squats and really work their legs will soon find that it becomes their favourite training day. I think that one of the main reasons people shy away from doing legs and introducing squats into their training week is simply that it's hard, and sadly you can make it ten times harder if you don't do it right. I suggest you do some research; ask a personal trainer for assistance when you're in the gym - try and go for someone with massive legs lol, I'm sure they will give you a few pointers. I really don't want to over-complicate this blog, but as I'm writing this I think it may be necessary.
Unfortunately it's not just a case of getting a bar across your back and sitting down and standing back up again. As always I will tell you what I did when I introduced squats into my training, and then you can make up your own mind about how you choose to go about it. 3 years ago I started squatting; I was 13 stone and really top heavy to the point where I would always train in tracksuit bottoms, and wearing shorts was just a big no-no. I'd messed about using the smith machine and leg curl and leg extention machines but to no avail; I used to do my 3x10 and was starting to feel quite deflated about the whole situation. I had always seen other guys in the gym in the squatting area, but never dared joined them; it was a weird situation thinking about it, as I could have out-bench-pressed all of them lol.
I started reading a few leg routines in various magazines, and tried to implement them, but it was all too complicated and involved about six different exercises. After trawling through the internet I stumbled upon www.stronglifts.com - a site which fuelled the fire for my love of compound lifts, and a way of training that I have revisited time and time again. I covered what I think was my third time of training using a 5x5 format late last year, HERE. I think at this stage I should just mention the different types of squat - I did say this was going to get a little complicated.
Types of Squats:
Powerlifting Squat
This style of squat is characterised by a low bar placement across the rear deltoids with the shoulder blades retracted and with a very wide foot placement. It's initiated with the hips; the shins stay perpendicular to the floor during the entire lift. This reduces the reliance on the quadriceps and maximizes the contribution of the hamstrings, gluteals, lower back.
Olympic Squat
There are also Front Squats and Over head squats as well as other squat variations, I will cover these in the later parts of this series.
My first squats were a powerlifting squat stance, and I stuck with them for 2 years with great gains in strength and muscle size. More importantly, because I started light and concentrated on achieving perfect form, I remained injury free! I started to see my other lifts improve too, all from introducing the squat into my training...
Benefits of Squatting
1. The Squat is a great movement that works your whole body. Obviously, it works your quadriceps but it also impacts your lower legs, glutes, hips, lower back, and hamstrings. Your shoulders, torso, chest, and arms also get in on the action. The number one mass building movement!
2. Forget the muscle building for moment and understand that what you want is to get stronger. Your goal should not be to get bigger per se, but to get stronger and healthier. Squat is a strength movement and a strength multiplier. What you will find is that you get strong fairly quickly with this movement. Your quadriceps, glutes and hips are made to be strong; they are made to carry you through life. Getting strong in this movement will get you strong everywhere, and getting bigger is a byproduct of getting stronger.
3. More than any other weightlifting exercise, the squat works your lungs, your diaphragm, and your heart. No, it is not aerobic, yet no other exercise will leave you heaving for breath like the squat, especially when doing high reps.
4. Squats build confidence and coordination. There is nothing like powering out of the deep hole that a full squat puts you into. The descent is controlled and when you hit rock bottom, the mindset is like a rocket blasting off. At the top of movement, you know you powered out and that feels great. And unlike other movements, to squat properly your whole body has to be in alignment. Let any part of your body stray and you set yourself up for injury.
As you can tell I love squats, they have improved my physique over the past few years tremendously. Oh and I now train in shorts, no matter what the weather!
Barbell_Benny
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