Is it possible to have decent legs w/o doing squats regularly?

[danieltx]

no no the 10 x 20 reps totally fatigues my legs, my quads will be screaming and i have to do a stupid walk back into the house afterward, there's three steps to come into the house and its been sketchy a few times haha. It's just that my legs don't seem to respond to it like i would expect. I am all about the mind-muscle connection, i always make sure i am really feeling the muscle working that i am trying to work but regardless of that focus i'm not sure what muscles one would use on a leg press besides their legs. I think you're right though, i probably need more weight, i just have mostly bumper plates so its all i can fit. I'll look into getting more metal ones so i can up the weight. Its a nice leg press but its purposefully built w a small foot print for home gyms and i think only rated to 700lbs, still I'll go there. I've gotta get this situation turned around. It'll hold 12 45lb bumper plates. Idk why i have so many damn bumper plates haha but shit the metal ones are half the thickness so a few more of those and i could fit 700 on there easily. With that weight though I'll still have to keep volume pretty high
Thanks guys, feeling motivated and hopeful

Also remember weight isn't the only way to overload - you can slow down the concenitric and eccentric, do unilateral movements, etc.

 

[slesh]

Like @danieltx mentioned above - when you say squats are you referring to just traditonal free barbell squats? If so, no you don’t need that to build up your legs. But I do believe you need some sort of squatting motion with heavy weight to grow your quads. I was in the same boat with my back issues. I’ve had great success with the Smith, sled linear hack and pendulum. You should be able to go heavy on those, keep form and not hurt your back. #justmy2cents

 

[carnivor]

It sounds like you need to try out a belt squat machine. Since the weight hangs on your hips it might be just the thing.
Also, you might try front squats. I burst a disc in my lower back. With 135 on my back my leg will start tingling and my back gets tight pretty quick. If I move the bar to the front I can go heavier without issue.

 

[luki7788]

buy a safety bar and try the hatfield squat with pause at the bottom, you will love it

 

[Delt123]

There is something ‘special’ for me about bb squats though. My legs never looked/grew the same without them. I can get in a mechanically great position to target quads.

That being said, if you can do that with other exercises they can be great as well.

I havent done them in a while and I can tell unfortunately.

 

[Love_to_Bodybuild]

Absolutely. Leg extensions work well. Hack squats okay but as I injured knee and older, once I start going heavy knee hurts so had to quit them. Sissy squats if you can do them. Pendulum if I'm not mistaken. Doug Brignole s book the physics of fitness is what you want to read. In addition to watching his videos .

 

[juggy38]

Leg press low feet with lifting shoes smoke my quads.

Also smith squats with feet slightly in front, 1/2 rep out of the hole, then a whole rep. 8-10 of those and my legs tremble

 

[hulkboy]

buy a safety bar and try the hatfield squat with pause at the bottom, you will love it

Interesting. My gym has a safety bar, I’ll have to try these.

 

[alfresco]

buy a safety bar and try the hatfield squat with pause at the bottom, you will love it

 

[cage99]

buy a safety bar and try the hatfield squat with pause at the bottom, you will love it

Definitely try these! This bar will immediately relieve stress on your back, shoulders, knees, etc. I use the Transformer bar from Kabuki.

Also, as mentioned utilizing a belt squat. Sorinex makes a nice attachment for a power rack. I fabricated my own and it works great. Really feel the burn when you go nice and slow throughout the movement.

I also suffer with a severe lower back injury. Focusing on my core building has helped some. Also stretching my hamstrings daily. I also use moderate strength bands to do good mornings to help strengthen my lower back more.

As injuries stack up you have to change your routine to accommodate them. Getting older sucks, but ya just gotta keep pushing!

Cage

 

[Alzadosghost]

It’s definitely possible. Lots have done it

 

[Aikman56]

I don't understand why members are recommending Hacks and pendulums - those are squats and he specifically said without doing squats regularly.

Barbell squats are not a magic exercise and other forms that don't involve a barbell are just as much squats. In fact, barbell squats are one of the worst hypertrophy movements for most guys. I have one of the best sets of quads on this board and I built them on a plate-loaded Free Motion Hack squat.

To answer the original question, I don't feel you need to squat regularly to build good legs. Your muscles don't know what movement you're doing, what implement you're doing it with, or how much weight you're using - they only know how hard they work. With all the leg press variations out today a good set of legs should be very doable without squatting.

2 more points on the original post:

• If 10 sets of 20 reps with 500lbs. isn't fatiguing your legs to a good degree then you likely don't know how to leg press with your leg muscles
• You need a lot more weight if you want to build your legs with a leg press - for perspective, my heaviest sets of leg press each week are 1,000+lbs. for 10+ reps.

He said he couldn't do traditional squats primarily due to back issues. Hacks eliminate that for most people, it did for me. As do pendulums.

 

[Aikman56]

It sounds like you need to try out a belt squat machine. Since the weight hangs on your hips it might be just the thing.
Also, you might try front squats. I burst a disc in my lower back. With 135 on my back my leg will start tingling and my back gets tight pretty quick. If I move the bar to the front I can go heavier without issue.

And this is something that can easily be done from home with a little bit of ingenuity.

 

[Fa Seeshus]

Belt squats are nice because they let you safely push the intensity at the end with rest pause or by using more arm assist. With the leg press or hack/yoke squat I feel too locked in to do this.

 

[lookslikesausage]

I don't understand why members are recommending Hacks and pendulums - those are squats and he specifically said without doing squats regularly.

Barbell squats are not a magic exercise and other forms that don't involve a barbell are just as much squats. In fact, barbell squats are one of the worst hypertrophy movements for most guys. I have one of the best sets of quads on this board and I built them on a plate-loaded Free Motion Hack squat.

To answer the original question, I don't feel you need to squat regularly to build good legs. Your muscles don't know what movement you're doing, what implement you're doing it with, or how much weight you're using - they only know how hard they work. With all the leg press variations out today a good set of legs should be very doable without squatting.

2 more points on the original post:

• If 10 sets of 20 reps with 500lbs. isn't fatiguing your legs to a good degree then you likely don't know how to leg press with your leg muscles
• You need a lot more weight if you want to build your legs with a leg press - for perspective, my heaviest sets of leg press each week are 1,000+lbs. for 10+ reps.

I would argue that they don't load the spine the same way that Barbell Squats do for one. The torso and spine is supported and in a fixed position in both Hacks and Pendulums, so again, IMO those aren't "squats" as you claim. Yes, they're a squat variation (just as a Freemotion Hack Lever Squat is) but they're very different, mainly because of the fixed force curve. I'm not trying to get into a semantics argument here but to say they're the same I don't think is very fair. However, both Hacks and Pendulums will still load the spine to some degree and in my experience, you can make them work great, even with lighter weight. As Daniel posted, timed sets, timed eccentrics, pulsing reps, timed rests, high reps, high volume, drop sets, etc...you can make any exercise incredibly difficult in the absence of heavy weight, just takes some creativity and patience.

I'd agree wholeheartedly that squats aren't a magical exercise and in the context of bodybuilders, I'd even go so far to say (although many agree) that taller bodybuilders with long levers will not benefit from Barbell Squats the same way their shorter limbed counterparts will. There is a reason why Tom Platz grew enormous quads squatting and why a 6'5 NBA player probably won't get the same benefit in terms of leg development.

 

[bg65]

Definitely try these! This bar will immediately relieve stress on your back, shoulders, knees, etc. I use the Transformer bar from Kabuki.

Also, as mentioned utilizing a belt squat. Sorinex makes a nice attachment for a power rack. I fabricated my own and it works great. Really feel the burn when you go nice and slow throughout the movement.

I also suffer with a severe lower back injury. Focusing on my core building has helped some. Also stretching my hamstrings daily. I also use moderate strength bands to do good mornings to help strengthen my lower back more.

As injuries stack up you have to change your routine to accommodate them. Getting older sucks, but ya just gotta keep pushing!

Cage

That kabuki transformer bar looks dope! That has allowed you to do squat movements w/o exacerbating your back?
Would be nice to try one before dropping $800 on it though.
I have a landmine set-up so could try the belt squat too, somehow in all my years I've never seen that.
I have seen the safety bars, just never tried one. Have seen pics of the Rock using one, dude is 50 y/o so must be something to it

Man, this thread has really invigorated me. As someone pointed out above how some people really respond well to squats, that's me, and I've been so psychologically defeated in my approach to leg training. Just even hearing you guys having solid legs w/o squats makes me optimistic and feeling excited abt getting my legs back. I would LOVE to be able to do the squat motion so the belt squat and safety bar have me intrigued. I didn't know the safety bar could offload strain on the low back

 

[cage99]

That kabuki transformer bar looks dope! That has allowed you to do squat movements w/o exacerbating your back?
Would be nice to try one before dropping $800 on it though.
I have a landmine set-up so could try the belt squat too, somehow in all my years I've never seen that.
I have seen the safety bars, just never tried one. Have seen pics of the Rock using one, dude is 50 y/o so must be something to it

Man, this thread has really invigorated me. As someone pointed out above how some people really respond well to squats, that's me, and I've been so psychologically defeated in my approach to leg training. Just even hearing you guys having solid legs w/o squats makes me optimistic and feeling excited abt getting my legs back. I would LOVE to be able to do the squat motion so the belt squat and safety bar have me intrigued. I didn't know the safety bar could offload strain on the low back

The Transformer bar is fantastic… I was apprehensive too in dropping $800 on a barbell… It was very worth it.

However, if money is an issue just a plain Ol Safety squat bar will do. You just don’t have all the variations that the Transformer bar offers. But it’ll get the job done. Yes, it alleviates the typical pains you experience with the traditional barbell.

With the belt squat; I’ve tried the landmine attachment but just didn’t feel I could get a significant burn. With the Sorinex model J*Squat, it definitely sets your quads on fire. Especially going nice and slow! I picked up two Rogue ballistic blocks. Then stand on em while doing the movement for extra range of motion.

Anutha quad burner for me is doing trap bar deadlifts. Sets my quads on FIRE!!!!! So don’t ignore those at all!!!

Cage

 

[RepZZ]

try belt squat. I'm using these in place of squats bc of my knees

 

[b-boy]

Don't care what the fuck you do for legs, if you work brutally fucking hard you will have great legs.
I rarely squat anymore, so much that I actually suck at it now, I just train hard and push my pain tolerance level that's it.

 

[b-boy]

During a prep in 2019 I squatted maybe 3 times the entire prep, I did however use the spin bike a lot for cardio which gave me massive leg pumps
Pic is post cardio (spin bike), fist thing in the morning on Mt stomach and still got a painful pump.