weighted vest + stairmaster

[pupeye]

Due to back problems and getting older I find squatting too painful nowadays. Last time I squatted my back was in pain for 5 days. So I've decided to give up on squats and deads to see if I can live pain free. I am looking for alternatives to build up my legs without overloading my back.

Someone made a post a few months back about having big legs when they were younger from hauling roof shingles up a ladder on a daily basis. So it got me to thinking if weighted vest, maybe 50lbs, while doing the stairs would net me some muscular gains.

Do you think the volume and intensity of the stairs plus the added weight would be enough to build up the leg muscles? My legs aren't very big anyway because I feel like my back has been holding me back from getting stronger. I am only as strong as my weakest link will let me be. What other leg movements can I do that will not overload my back. Light weight high rep squats fatigues my back too much, so I don't want to do that.

 

[mikeyt869]

Due to back problems and getting older I find squatting too painful nowadays. Last time I squatted my back was in pain for 5 days. So I've decided to give up on squats and deads to see if I can live pain free. I am looking for alternatives to build up my legs without overloading my back.

Someone made a post a few months back about having big legs when they were younger from hauling roof shingles up a ladder on a daily basis. So it got me to thinking if weighted vest, maybe 50lbs, while doing the stairs would net me some muscular gains.

Do you think the volume and intensity of the stairs plus the added weight would be enough to build up the leg muscles? My legs aren't very big anyway because I feel like my back has been holding me back from getting stronger. I am only as strong as my weakest link will let me be. What other leg movements can I do that will not overload my back. Light weight high rep squats fatigues my back too much, so I don't want to do that.

If I'm not mistaken there was a claim that they had 31" legs just from climbing a ladder daily I call bs on that even though they claimed to climb something like five miles worth of ladder a day. Ive thought about what your talking about before not so much to build my legs but to burn more cals. The step mill is my fav cardio machine.

 

[mewalrus]

worth a try, I'd like to hear your results if you do because I also love the stepmill. That was my number one prerequisite for my gym, stepmill, since I could never afford one at home. Set it to interval at maximum and I burn 170 calories in 10 min, then your about ready to puke, nothing else like it.

 

[tank74]

Just dont be like the guys at my gym and put on a weight vest, get on the stepmill, and lean over the front so they are supporting themselves the whole time. WTF?!

 

[texastea]

Or, strap on the weight vest and do reverse lunges. Easier to take a rest period than the stairmill.


Sent from my iPhone, slacking at work, using Tapatalk

 

[IronManRep]

I can't see where it would hurt to wear anything weighted in the gym. My guess would be that it would only benefit you.

 

[Cosmo]

The guy who said about climbing the ladder was Tough Old Man

Weighted stair master is my favorite cardio exercise. after an hour with a 15 kg vest, the legs are begging for divine intervention!

 

[hardcoremt]

HAMMER your quads with 20 rep sets of leg extensions then Leg Press . Do 6 sets of 30 reps. Whats this stair bs? I cant squat either and my quads are my best bodypart. WORK or DIE

 

[pupeye]

HAMMER your quads with 20 rep sets of leg extensions then Leg Press . Do 6 sets of 30 reps. Whats this stair bs? I cant squat either and my quads are my best bodypart. WORK or DIE

I do the stairs for cardio a few times a week, so i was just thinking maybe it would benefit me to add some weight. I have been hitting the leg press for 20 rep sets. I'll keep pushing on that.

 

[TooPowerful4u]

HAMMER your quads with 20 rep sets of leg extensions then Leg Press . Do 6 sets of 30 reps. Whats this stair bs? I cant squat either and my quads are my best bodypart. WORK or DIE

we need more replies on this board like this



squats arent mandatory for big legs. or try a v-squat.

odds are one or all of the following is true.....

- you are too tight and its pulling your hips under and stressing your spine/lower back

- you are going too heavy and compensating by leaning fwd

- legs arent conditioned and form is breaking

- form could just be off

 

[jamesd85]

everyones genetics are different. i for one have great legs but i squatted for over 10 years. ive noticed the stairmaster does help but this will only build them up so much as the body adapts. there isnt any more resistance. try lunges with heavy weights. theres always hack squats (diff kinds of machines) and leg press. the squat isnt always the only thing. ive done well with them but i could have done better if i added leg press or other forms of quad-specific ex.

 

[alfresco]

my opinion . . . an option

HAMMER your quads with 20 rep sets of leg extensions then Leg Press . Do 6 sets of 30 reps. Whats this stair bs? I cant squat either and my quads are my best bodypart. WORK or DIE

This is a great place to ‘start.’ But I would take it one step further (such is my nature).

Look at velodrome racers legs (Google it). Agreed they have fixed gears (big advantage)
but many have gotten very good leg development results on a spin bike used in this fashion.

This what I do ‘sometimes’ if I don’t care if I puke. Like the above quote. . . high rep leg
extensions, immediately followed by, run don’t walk, to pre-set high rep leg presses
(think 20 – 50 reps) then run, don’t walk, if you can . . . to a stationary spin bike where
you will crank as hard as you can for one to two minutes. Have the bike pre-set like this;
remove the seat so it is impossible for you to sit down. Next, raise the handlebars as
high as they can go and as forward as they can go.

Now . . . stand and peddle as fast and as hard as you can for one to two minutes.
If you can stand up, walk, after completing this cycle, then you either took too much time
between ‘sets’ or you did not work hard enough on the bike. it’s that simple.

This ‘cycle’ will give your legs (and heart) a pump that is just about impossible to duplicate
failing the substitution of cycling with squats (which you cannot do, hence the bike).

Three times a week . . . this is your leg day. One leg problem solved. You can thank me later

Add hypers or SL deadlifts if you can for the hamstrings. We want no weak link, think
balance. Add calves if you don’t have them but don’t expect results anything like the above
routine. (Calves are not subject to [much]) change unlike other body parts. Go figure. You
either have them or you don’t. Don’t get me started on this subject . . .

Forget the Stairmaster and the Stepmill for leg development purposes. As good as they are
cardio (the Stepmill especially, I love it) , you will not notice one iota in leg development
from any time spent of these machines. Even with a backpack or a weight vest . . . sorry to
disappoint, it’s just not in the cards.

Feedback would be appreciated.

 

[Tom]

This is a great place to ‘start.’ But I would take it one step further (such is my nature).

Look at velodrome racers legs (Google it). Agreed they have fixed gears (big advantage)
but many have gotten very good leg development results on a spin bike used in this fashion.

This what I do ‘sometimes’ if I don’t care if I puke. Like the above quote. . . high rep leg
extensions, immediately followed by, run don’t walk, to pre-set high rep leg presses
(think 20 – 50 reps) then run, don’t walk, if you can . . . to a stationary spin bike where
you will crank as hard as you can for one to two minutes. Have the bike pre-set like this;
remove the seat so it is impossible for you to sit down. Next, raise the handlebars as
high as they can go and as forward as they can go.

Now . . . stand and peddle as fast and as hard as you can for one to two minutes.
If you can stand up, walk, after completing this cycle, then you either took too much time
between ‘sets’ or you did not work hard enough on the bike. it’s that simple.

This ‘cycle’ will give your legs (and heart) a pump that is just about impossible to duplicate
failing the substitution of cycling with squats (which you cannot do, hence the bike).

Three times a week . . . this is your leg day. One leg problem solved. You can thank me later

Add hypers or SL deadlifts if you can for the hamstrings. We want no weak link, think
balance. Add calves if you don’t have them but don’t expect results anything like the above
routine. (Calves are not subject to [much]) change unlike other body parts. Go figure. You
either have them or you don’t. Don’t get me started on this subject . . .

Forget the Stairmaster and the Stepmill for leg development purposes. As good as they are
cardio (the Stepmill especially, I love it) , you will not notice one iota in leg development
from any time spent of these machines. Even with a backpack or a weight vest . . . sorry to
disappoint, it’s just not in the cards.

Feedback would be appreciated.

LOL!!! I knew I liked you ya sick bastard!!

 

[j-pet]

What about squating on a smith? You can isolate you quads without overloading your back. I got great results over a year period - there was no bb available.

 

[kingpeon]

I read nothing above me and having said that step-ups are the next best thing to squats, of any variation, for thigh development, especially with a jacked up back.

You can vary the height to hit more quad or ham. It's used extensively by Olympic athletes. They know the deal.

 

[juggy38]

Does anyone know of a "heavy duty spin bike" like one where you can really crank up the resistance? I want a wingate sprint bike but they are like 4,000$ lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[comedycentral]

If squats are giving you grief why not simply do belt squats. No strain on back hips take the weight and quads take a pounding.

Or pull a sled forwards and backwards. Or push a prowler

 

[Growman]

I think Hack squats, leg press and leg extension work best for my quads. I cant squat because of my bad lower back also. I would try to exhaust all variations of weight training before trying to use cardio with added weight to build muscle.

Stepmill is my favorite cardio as well, but its cardio. Im sure adding weight will increase the workload on your quads and build some more muscle, but not as effective as hammering your quads with Hack Squats or Smith Squats and leg press and extensions.

Try it with the weight vest and see if you get any results. You can always switch it up again.

 

[j4ever]

i have done a lot of stair master with 50-55 lbs, as far as leg growth I got a little but nothing what I call significant, doing them on fixed stairs or a box would be better for growth I would think.

 

[Ashop]

Due to back problems and getting older I find squatting too painful nowadays. Last time I squatted my back was in pain for 5 days. So I've decided to give up on squats and deads to see if I can live pain free. I am looking for alternatives to build up my legs without overloading my back.

Someone made a post a few months back about having big legs when they were younger from hauling roof shingles up a ladder on a daily basis. So it got me to thinking if weighted vest, maybe 50lbs, while doing the stairs would net me some muscular gains.

Do you think the volume and intensity of the stairs plus the added weight would be enough to build up the leg muscles? My legs aren't very big anyway because I feel like my back has been holding me back from getting stronger. I am only as strong as my weakest link will let me be. What other leg movements can I do that will not overload my back. Light weight high rep squats fatigues my back too much, so I don't want to do that.

Try it for awhile and see how it works for you. Sometimes we have to adapt and learn other movements. How about leg extensions? You could pre exhaust your quads first.