Alternatives to squats and deadlifts??

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ashm77
ashm77 Posts: 5 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Heya does anyone else have any suggestions or is also like me?
New to this and having quite abit of difficulty with the above. I'm currently trying to gain weight up about 4kg so far. Upper body having goodish progress but lower body is stalling. Don't think my mobility is that great and I did read that people with long legs and short torso will struggle to get a proper squat...sigh. As for deadlifts the whole movement feels unnatural and awkward to me. Any help or advice would be appreciated. Thanks
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  • crackpotbaby
    crackpotbaby Posts: 1,297 Member
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    Why not get a couple of sessions with a trainer or physio to help you learn to do these moves properly? You might learn to love them.

  • gearhead426hemi
    gearhead426hemi Posts: 919 Member
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    Squats and dealifts are really difficult workouts for beginners. You have to really watch your form or you can cause serious back problems. Try starting off working on your mobility with nothing other than your body weight for squats. Then just the bar and slowly increase your weight but really focus on your form. Dead lifts should be treated the same way, start off really light weight and focus on form. Both workouts will require a strong core, arms, grip strength, legs, back and shoulders so ease into them. If you have access to a trainer it would be a good idea to get help. Both exercises will increase your strength and overall fitness dramatically so best of luck!
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
    edited March 2018
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    For deadlifts, there are a couple variations you might want to try to see if any of them work better for you. You could try conventional, sumo, hex bar, Romanian, etc. and see what feels most comfortable for you.

    For squats, try unweighted squats with different foot positions and work on mobility and flexibility before adding weight.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited March 2018
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    Heavy Kettlebell Swings. Still have to watch your form but you can start very light and work your way up. I can't lift really heavy (I'm 53) with my right knee any longer, it's just not structurally that great. I've been able to maintain my strength, though, between doing a ton of rowing and doing KB Swings.

    Dan Johns, who is a very famous strength trainer, created the 10K KB Swing (in 30 day) Challenge. It's basically 500 KB swings for two days, take a day off, repeat for 30 days. Before and after they did this (he had a lot of participants in the pilot as he runs a strength online membership subscription group), they measured their PB (personal best) lifts. After they did this, all their lifts went up dramatically. I know a guy that was a WR holder deadlifter in his youth (still lifts a ton) but he does just as many KB swings now (he uses a 100 lb or higher!) as he does deadlifts/squats.

    Since my last rowing race, I've been working on doing swings (I'm up to around 130 or so 3X a week on my hard rowing, lifting days). I've already noticed a huge difference in my rowing power. I personally think 500 swings a day is too many (especially for beginners) but you can gradually build up, like I'm doing. I'm adding around 10/15 per each session a week. My long term goal is to get to 200 swings (with a 25 kg/53 lb KB) 3 times a week.
  • ricka1962
    ricka1962 Posts: 84 Member
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    Leg extensions and leg curls will also hit your legs but not the same as a squat or deadlift will. I've been doing Squats for years on a smith machine and never did a deadlift. Switched to a conventional rack/barbell for squats and it's night and day. Had to go back and go really light to get a feel for the movement and balance. Also started deadlifting last week. Went really, really light there too to get form down. Very humbling on both but well worth taking the time to get the form down. Already feel the difference. BTW - Love deadlifts!!
  • TheHobbit2017
    TheHobbit2017 Posts: 96 Member
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    I’m not sure it will be up your street but when I hurt my leg I was made to use trx doing assisted squats cause it allowed u to get full and even deeper motion & engaged the core but not weighted. Could be worth a try. Not sure how you would do deadlifts on one tho?!?
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
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    billkansas wrote: »
    I'm 49 and 6'2". If I can, you can. Lookup YouTube of Starting Strength squat and deadlift. The low bar squat helps and works! Squat with pauses at bottom and "3 seconds down and up" with lighter weights help with form and learning.

    Good point. Related to that - Goblet Squats. If you learn a good Goblet squat, it's fantastic and basic. The assisted idea with TRX (by Hobbit) is also a good one.


  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    billkansas wrote: »
    I'm 49 and 6'2". If I can, you can. Lookup YouTube of Starting Strength squat and deadlift. The low bar squat helps and works! Squat with pauses at bottom and "3 seconds down and up" with lighter weights help with form and learning.

    This will help most patient people or buy the Starting Strength book 3rd addition. Full of info that is hard to teach over the Internet forum.

    I have extremely long legs and a shorter torso. Low bar squat will help alot in general. Ideally body proportions really don't dictate what will work, but there dome guidelines that you might fall in to get you started. Most people with long femurs make the mistake of trying to keep torso upright simular to a high bar.

    The principlesare the same for everybody no matter body proportions.

    Keep bar over midfoot and move in a vertical line.
  • Movemoreguy22
    Movemoreguy22 Posts: 387 Member
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    I do a lot of body weight stuff now due to messing my back up.. jump squats, squats, single leg squats, crab walks (killer) board jumps, lunges ... it's not worth messing your body up.. I couldn't walk for a week couldn't work for 3 months due to surgery not worth it..
  • Silkysausage
    Silkysausage Posts: 502 Member
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    I do Romanian Deadlifts using heavy dumbbells as it's the only way I can feel it in my hammies compared to a barbell. Maybe using different weight formats might help?
  • LulaL
    LulaL Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi, I have had an injury - broken back and have been back to squats recently under my physio supervision. As you may imagine I have to be very careful but I can still do them. The best way to get used squats is to do them that way: Put a ball behind your bag for example a football, and squat putting a light pressure onto the ball, leaning your back against it - that way some of the pressure is taken off your spine, while your posture is correct and the bum cheeks and legs are working out.
  • ashm77
    ashm77 Posts: 5 Member
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    SurfyPants wrote: »
    My physiotherapist taught me good form and like the picture below, I practiced this for weeks in front of a mirror, then without, finally removing the dowel when I perfected it. The movement was foreign to me but now it's second nature.

    02mogf6auzw3.jpg

    Align the dowel on your spine holding it with one hand behind your neck and the other at your low back. The dowel should stay in contact with the back of your head, your upper back and your tailbone while you bow forward. The only way to do this right is to stick out your butt and hinge at your hips. Don’t lose contact with the dowel and avoid excess arching in your low back.


    Hiya great thanks for this and posting the pic. I saw a few people walking round with this at my gym, was wondering what they were going to use it for!
  • ashm77
    ashm77 Posts: 5 Member
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    TheHobbit2017 wrote: »
    I’m not sure it will be up your street but when I hurt my leg I was made to use trx doing assisted squats cause it allowed u to get full and even deeper motion & engaged the core but not weighted. Could be worth a try. Not sure how you would do deadlifts on one tho?!?

    No idea what trx is but will look it up. Keen to try anything ☺ thanks!
  • ashm77
    ashm77 Posts: 5 Member
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    Ah my gosh thank you everyone for your advice and replies! Really appreciate it! Someone mentioned above if I have a PT and I do she is always trying different things to see what works. I guess was frustrating for me when someone is trying to help you but you just can't quite get it!
    As for everyone's suggestions I will pretty much try all of them or keep trying. Thank you ☺
  • ashm77
    ashm77 Posts: 5 Member
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    garyggriffin wrote: »
    I do a lot of body weight stuff now due to messing my back up.. jump squats, squats, single leg squats, crab walks (killer) board jumps, lunges ... it's not worth messing your body up.. I couldn't walk for a week couldn't work for 3 months due to surgery not worth it..


    Agreed crab walks are killer! Also agree to the injury not being worth it. That must of been really difficult. I hope you are recovering well
  • Silkysausage
    Silkysausage Posts: 502 Member
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    You can squat on a cable machine
  • gadudeg
    gadudeg Posts: 13 Member
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    I had back surgery last year since then I can’t put any weight on my shoulders I have been doing trap deadlifts, landmine squats and a belt with a chain standing on boxes squats whatever that’s called. Trap bar is my fav

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