Squats--Quantity vs. weights?

Options
13»

Replies

  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    Options
    A couple of months ago I downloaded the book "Super Squats: How to gain 30 pounds of muscle in 6 weeks" by Randell J Strossen and while it was interesting reading (read about 2/3 so I may need to return to it) about the feats of past strongmen and powerlifters, IDK, I really didn't find it very credible since the evidence wasn't clinical, but anecdotal.
  • arabianhorselover
    arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
    Options
    mirrim52 wrote: »
    tamiandtoto wrote: »
    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    Mycophilia wrote: »
    That would depend entirely on what your goal is. Endurance or strength.

    +1

    If it's for endurance... you could go with light weights or no weights.

    If you're doing it for strength and muscle mass*, then you should have a progressive overload in weight.

    *muscle mass would require correct macros and a caloric surplus

    I don't want to necessarily build up muscle mass, but I would like to tone and shape things up.

    I can squat 150lbs, and I am a size 2....just sayin ;)
    Been lifting heavy for 8 months, 5'0" woman. It also gets you in and out of the gym faster than doing, like, 5 sets of 20 reps.

    I can do that, too, but for the sake of the arthritis in my back and the fact that I've started to worry about veins showing up in my legs that I never used to see, I'm doing less weight and more reps.
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    Options
    JoRocka wrote: »
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    tamiandtoto wrote: »
    Thanks for the advice and education. I am up to about 3 sets of 40 and am about 6lbs from my goal weight, so I figured now is the time to shape (def. not tone) things up. I just want to make sure that I'm making the best use of my time at the gym and getting a nicer butt and legs in the process.

    What are you trying to accomplish? Upping the reps isn't going to help much. If you want a challenge that will actually help your strength too, try doing 1 set with the weight on the bar being equal to your body weight and do 25 straight reps without racking the bar. If you weight 145lbs, then load 145lbs and rep it. You can stop and breathe of course, but don't get out of position or rack the bar. 3 sets of 40 is not very useful and is outside of the range for what would even be considered strength-endurance or strength & core stabilization.

    ha- I've done the 20 rep squat breathing thing. LORD. I got up to 175- so 10-15 pounds over my body weight- I failed 170 once- repeated it the next workout. And I think 175 I made it to 14 or 16- that ish sucks.

    Yeah, it's a pretty cool test for the squat. I don't know if it's a great test of strength or a better test of sheer willpower, because you have to have your head on straight for that set.

Categories