Squats overrated?

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  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
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    My rear end doesn't think so. :-)

    Seriously though personally I love the way squats targets so many different areas in one movement. I feel my hamstrings, glutes, quads, thighs, core, and my upper back working hard.

    Also I love how I can progress. If a weight starts to gets to easy just add more!

    However, if I did not enjoy doing squats I would not continuing doing it.
  • missdibs1
    missdibs1 Posts: 1,092 Member
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    I am a firm believer in full range of motion Squats are great but must be balanced with a reverse motion
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    I just had to wait for five days after squats before I could even CONSIDER trying to walk, much less jump and dunk.

    For my money this is a big part of your problem. The longer you avoid activity the longer you'll be sore. Sore or not, I continue my regular activity, perhaps with a longer warmup. Nothing gets rid of the soreness faster than the next workout.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    Everything I've read extolls the virtues of squats above all other forms of exercise. So I've been methodically doing them once a week, with heavy weight and fairly high intensity, for nearly half a year now. But after squat day, my legs are next to useless with soreness for the next two to three days (like even walking or going up the stairs takes some mental preparation!) and I find myself avoiding jogging, soccer, basketball, etc.

    Isn't this defeating the purpose of exercise, if the consequences of performing it precludes us from enjoying normal life? Does anyone else experience this from squats? If so, do you have any suggested alternative exercises?

    I would have to stay that your body does not recover well from workouts. Research cold showers after workouts.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    What is odd to me is that after 6 months your body hasn't adapted to the point where you barely get sore.

    What is odd to me is how much more than me he's lifting after only 6 months...(and at a similar age/weight as mine).

    :indifferent:
  • Galatea_Stone
    Galatea_Stone Posts: 2,037 Member
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    OP, I just read SOB's advice, and he's not saying to decrease the weights. This isn't about age (he's 41 and doesn't have severe DOMS anymore), this is about you trying to do too much on one day. His advice was to keep at it and add in an extra legs day to your weekly routine.

    Also 4x10 and then deadlifts? You'd be better at a 5x3 or a 5x5 at heavier weights once a week, dropping dead lifts on your heavy squat day, and having a deadlift day followed by lighter squats. SOB also said to get moving after you squat. 20-30 minute jog, foam roll, walk, etc. Don't sit and let the DOMS settle in. Your stats are really good. How's your form? How much are you deadlifting?

    Just came in to clarify the advice given to you. Want you to be successful and not give up on squats just because your legs day is too much volume.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Wow, great advice from this community, thanks all. My squats currently consist of 4 sets of 10 reps at 225,275,315,335. These are followed by deadlifts, lunges, and straight legged deadlifts. I'm 6', 185 lbs, and 44 years old, so I'm inclined to think that Sunofabeach is spot on about highlighting my age.

    Six months ago, my goals were initially just to take command of my health, get lean, and enjoy my body (which as any midlife person knows, can creep away from you). A consequence of my decision was joining an over 40 pickup basketball league, which has been fantastically fun. The squats have definitely been beneficial, because after a couple of months of doing them, I could dunk a basketball like I used to in high school. I just had to wait for five days after squats before I could even CONSIDER trying to walk, much less jump and dunk.

    I think perhaps I will drop the weight, although when I tried this before, I felt like I wasn't really exercising very hard. I noticed a drop in explosive power, too, but since it's all just recreational, not a big deal. Thanks for your experience everyone, I shall keep tinkering with the workout. Maybe try some new ones like yoga, which I've never really had the courage to try out.

    4x10 is a bucketload of volume. Add in Deads and other ancillary exercises on the same day and you've got a massive workout.

    The answer isn't to drop the weight and continue your existing rep scheme. The answer is to try a different intensity/volume scheme.

    You also need to look at this volume of squatting in the context of your other activity, sleep, caloric surplus/deficit and hydration. If everything were equal, you could recover better if you were in a caloric surplus.

    This.

    Seems like to much but yet not enough.

    I would definitely change your programming- I would drop the amount of work you are doing- and do legs on two different days rather than trying to shove all that work into one day.

    Are you using a specific program?
    what's your end goal?
  • Azchange
    Azchange Posts: 110 Member
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    Foam Roll.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
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    I would increase frequency and decrease the volume per session. Also, look into active recovery. After your leg day what do you do - Take a rest day, sit around etc? You'd be better off doing some form of light movement.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,949 Member
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    You could be starting with too much weight too fast and not stretching enough. Work up from bodyweight if you have to. Also, your muscles can lose what strength/endurance they have in as little as 2 days so doing them only once a week is likely not enough. Try doing them every 3 days for now and work towards doing them every 2 days. Carbs after a workout also help reduce the acid build up in the muscles and may help reduce soreness.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    Also, your muscles can lose what strength/endurance they have in as little as 2 days so doing them only once a week is likely not enough. Try doing them every 3 days for now and work towards doing them every 2 days. Carbs after a workout also help reduce the acid build up in the muscles and may help reduce soreness.

    I disagree. I only squat once a week and have no issues losing strength. Also, research is showing that DOMS is not caused by lactic acid buildup like once thought, but rather microtears in the muscle fibers.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    The first thing I would try would be to squat more often.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    I would try sleeping or eating more to recover properly, and walking post squat session.
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
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    OP you have gotten great advise. Squatting less volume (reps) would probably help and definitely more than once a week. If I miss a week between squat sessions, my legs are killing me the next day. Also working out with doms, helps recovery.... Normally half way through a warmup my legs feel great.

    I second the question on form, I had my form checked and it seemed fine....but I was slightly placing some force/weight on my big toe. This caused my IT band in my outer quad to kill me afterwards. Becoming aware of this and making sure to apply my force through my heels resolved the issue 100%.

    Great numbers!
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
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    - do what you enjoy doing and ditch the squats.

    "ducks head as a dozen squat enthusiasts swoop in from the nearby squat rack"

    That's one option, but given that he said he always does them with heavy weight/high intensity, I'd say that's why his legs are trashed every time he finishes squats.

    Try increasing volume, lowering weight and intensity and see how your legs respond to that. Then do the heavy/intense workout maybe once a month. Mixing up weights/intensity is a good way to keep your muscles confused.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,949 Member
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    Also, your muscles can lose what strength/endurance they have in as little as 2 days so doing them only once a week is likely not enough. Try doing them every 3 days for now and work towards doing them every 2 days. Carbs after a workout also help reduce the acid build up in the muscles and may help reduce soreness.

    I disagree. I only squat once a week and have no issues losing strength. Also, research is showing that DOMS is not caused by lactic acid buildup like once thought, but rather microtears in the muscle fibers.

    Sorry, I just meant it's possible for it to decrease that fast for some people - I notice it in my running (my legs are weak right now, but I'm starting to work them). It's not true for all though, just throwing ideas out there. After reading the posts, I also like the idea of splitting the squats and deadlifts into two different days.

    ETA: I just wanted to add that it's clear you obviously aren't losing all your strength (since your lifting numbers go up!) but I just thought it might be more of an endurance thing. And the muscle soreness could be from both acid build up and tearing? Maybe. And bread is tasty and squishy so... Anyway, there are better people to listen to on this forum than me haha.
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
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    dupe post
  • He1loKitty
    He1loKitty Posts: 212 Member
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    When I started doing squats two-three times a week, the soreness went away.
  • mlazear
    mlazear Posts: 3
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    As other posters have mentioned, I found that squatting 3x per week is the best way to get over the soreness. I'm currently on a 1 or 2 time per week squatting routine and I'm definitely more sore than when I was doing it every other day.

    I would suggest adding in light squats to the rest of your week, getting blood to the muscles will help them recover and I think you'll find that it helps the soreness
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
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    What is odd to me is that after 6 months your body hasn't adapted to the point where you barely get sore.

    What is odd to me is how much more than me he's lifting after only 6 months...(and at a similar age/weight as mine).

    :indifferent:

    Some people are just stronger than hell.

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