WALKING LUNGES IN PLACE OF SQUATS?!?!?!

[summersgold]

Remember what happened to Victor Martinez in Jan.,2008? He was doing lunges with a 135 lb. barbell and he snapped the tendon to his thigh muscle off the knee. He had to have surgery to reconnect it. It took him a year to recover and he never finished high in a contest again. This story is in the April, 2008 issue of Musc. Dev. Mag.

 

[suppdude]

Like others said, if squats cause pain, simply don't do them.

In my opinion, I would hate not being able to squat, as I feel they are #1 leg builder.

But some heavy walking lunges can sure kick your ass, as they did mine yesterday.

 

[PitbullTank]

id say a stationary lounge would more resemble a squats movement and be more efficient as you could handle more load in one plane of motion then having to balance and walk around....

when u say "in place of" i wouldn't compare a movement that is so different and doesn't allow anywhere near the same load pounds... in place of squat- hack, Vsquat, leg press, various other machine squat and presses...

 

[doug1]

id say a stationary lounge would more resemble a squats movement and be more efficient as you could handle more load in one plane of motion then having to balance and walk around....

when u say "in place of" i wouldn't compare a movement that is so different and doesn't allow anywhere near the same load pounds... in place of squat- hack, Vsquat, leg press, various other machine squat and presses...

I tend to agree. I have actually never done walking lunges. But when my lower back is bothering me, I have done my share of stationary lunges on a block, with dumbells. It is a move that is definitely underrated. It hits both the quads and hams, and since it's only one leg(with no real rest, like a walking lunge) it doesn't take a huge amount of weight. Use wrist straps to be able to focus totally on the legs working.
As I get older, I'm a fan of trying to switch things up a bit. Even if its just the order of my favorite exercises. Keep the body guessing a little, but still stick to the stuff we know works.

 

[chinaboy]

Happen to have any pics?

Drug free, 34yo 225lbs. No back squats for 10+ years.

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[sambo11510]

You can do squats without having to go stupid heavy..... Just have to be creative, try slow descending squats, try a pause at the top, do 1.5 squats (full rep then half rep and that counts as 1).... We have 75 year old people still doing at least body weight squats.

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[sambo11510]

Not sure quad size at the moment but squats have always been in my work outs even when I've done other programs.... Like I said just like all your exercises you have to be creative and smart, keep intensity, volume and frequency in mind

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[TooPowerful4u]

can you get decent legs without them? sure

GREAT legs.... no

My development stalled when i stopped squatting... when i restarted (what i mean by restarted is gave them PRIORITY)....

mind you i count smith and machine squats as squatting

 

[sambo11510]

My legs are nowhere near Phils ^^^^ but I just measure and they are 27 1/2

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[CYNDER_BLOCK]

There's hope.

 

[markdk1108]

I lived to squat, now I have 8 herniated discs and I know it's because of the weight that I used to put on my shoulders was extreme. But that's what everyone did in the day. Then we learned about lunges and my God did they save me. To this day I'll use a leg press machine, a squat machine but the walking lunges, smith lunges and just doing lunges onto a aerobic step is my favorite to maintain my legs and never tweak my back and if I wanted nice deep cuts in my legs for a show I would do more lunges. I can tell you from experience ( a full avulsion ) that if you'd Ever do heavy lunges make sure you have a good spotter and also that you keep your legs in a straight path and never step to far out or you will have a avulsion and end up in the hospital getting it re-attached.

 

[CYNDER_BLOCK]

I lived to squat, now I have 8 herniated discs and I know it's because of the weight that I used to put on my shoulders was extreme. But that's what everyone did in the day. Then we learned about lunges and my God did they save me. To this day I'll use a leg press machine, a squat machine but the walking lunges, smith lunges and just doing lunges onto a aerobic step is my favorite to maintain my legs and never tweak my back and if I wanted nice deep cuts in my legs for a show I would do more lunges. I can tell you from experience ( a full avulsion ) that if you'd Ever do heavy lunges make sure you have a good spotter and also that you keep your legs in a straight path and never step to far out or you will have a avulsion and end up in the hospital getting it re-attached.

Appreciate the feedback.

 

[Capin]

I squatted my guts out for years crazy shit like 405 x 20 525 x 15 640 x 12
My best in competition was 850 in the 220s I would squat for hours at one point my thighs were 34" nothing replaces squats. Now I'm old and it kills me to squat not so much during but for 2 or 3 days after I'm miserable and I can't go heavy anymore. I have been looking for a suitable replacement but if I don't squat I feel like I'm cheating myself. Same goes for barbell bench. I believe in the basics but I have been doing the basics since I was 13 I'm 56 now and the basics are a bitch lol.

"Nothing replaces squats"

IMO bahahahahaha

 

[CYNDER_BLOCK]

I squatted my guts out for years crazy shit like 405 x 20 525 x 15 640 x 12
My best in competition was 850 in the 220s I would squat for hours at one point my thighs were 34" nothing replaces squats. Now I'm old and it kills me to squat not so much during but for 2 or 3 days after I'm miserable and I can't go heavy anymore. I have been looking for a suitable replacement but if I don't squat I feel like I'm cheating myself. Same goes for barbell bench. I believe in the basics but I have been doing the basics since I was 13 I'm 56 now and the basics are a bitch lol.

"Nothing replaces squats"

IMO bahahahahaha

Did you body build or did you power lift?

 

[comedycentral]

I have herniated disc and so have pretty much stopped the regular back squat. However I still squat in terms of Bulgarian split and more recently the belt squat which I absolutely love and to be honest think is a better quad developer as it takes everything else out of the movement.

So for anyone who can't squat or just doesn't get on with squatting give the belt squat a go. Go to true failure in pretty much total safety

 

[Elvia1023]

id say a stationary lounge would more resemble a squats movement and be more efficient as you could handle more load in one plane of motion then having to balance and walk around....

when u say "in place of" i wouldn't compare a movement that is so different and doesn't allow anywhere near the same load pounds... in place of squat- hack, Vsquat, leg press, various other machine squat and presses...

x2

I really like stationary lunges using a fairly short step and when you go down you push back with the ball of your foot to get the quads involved to the maximum.