Squats overrated?

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version45
version45 Posts: 35 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
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?
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Replies

  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 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?

    Perhaps you need to find a different rep/frequency/volume approach that works for you and your recovery and fits with your other activities?

    For instance: 85% for three triples is easy to recover from. 5x5 at the same intensity is not. Of course, this all depends on your current fitness, strength, age, gender, etc...
  • yogicarl
    yogicarl Posts: 1,260 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"
  • DR2501
    DR2501 Posts: 661 Member
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    I often read people going on about the dreaded "legs day" where they systematically destroy their legs for the next week with heavy weights and numerous reps. Each to their own but I've never done this and my legs are muscled and I can actually use them so I don't understand the fascination. I can see the benefit if you're a body builder or something but for normal life, as you say, it's a pain.

    I do squats, but I don't use massive weights (goblet squats with a kettlebell), but I also do lunges (again, not too heavy), cycling to work (which I couldn't do if I did heavy legs days), walking and hill sprints and my legs are fine with only mild soreness that doesn't stop me doing anything I want to do.
  • jdscrubs32
    jdscrubs32 Posts: 515 Member
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    I always feel like I've done a good leg workout if my legs are feeling my crap the next day after having done squats. In saying that squats should not be the only leg workout you do, do walking lunges, leg curls, stiff leg deadlift or the deadlift itself.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    I often read people going on about the dreaded "legs day" where they systematically destroy their legs for the next week with heavy weights and numerous reps. Each to their own but I've never done this and my legs are muscled and I can actually use them so I don't understand the fascination. I can see the benefit if you're a body builder or something but for normal life, as you say, it's a pain.

    I do squats, but I don't use massive weights (goblet squats with a kettlebell), but I also do lunges (again, not too heavy), cycling to work (which I couldn't do if I did heavy legs days), walking and hill sprints and my legs are fine with only mild soreness that doesn't stop me doing anything I want to do.

    This is also a good point.

    What is your goal? Increased strength? Hypertrophy?

    After the birth of my daughter, I did Dan John's Easy Strength. Squatting every day. But only 60-70% Intensity for either 2x5, 5,3,2 or 3x3. Greasing the groove. Got my front squat easily over bodyweight without any soreness, on no sleep and a crappy diet. You've got to ask yourself what you want to achieve, then pick the tool/method....
  • JazmineYoli
    JazmineYoli Posts: 547 Member
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    There are plenty of other workouts you can do that train your legs besides squats. Squats are usually suggested because it is more of a full body workout than most others. Do what works for you.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
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    When you say heavy weight and high intensity, just how many are you doing and at what intensity? And what other exercise are you doing alongside the squats?
  • AnotherXFitGuy
    AnotherXFitGuy Posts: 58 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?

    Perhaps you need to find a different rep/frequency/volume approach that works for you and your recovery and fits with your other activities?

    For instance: 85% for three triples is easy to recover from. 5x5 at the same intensity is not. Of course, this all depends on your current fitness, strength, age, gender, etc...

    I recommend ignoring all post saying you can replace squats...you can't. But, this response says it all. It appears to me that you are suffering from the same problem I suffer from...age. I recover much slower then I used to and had to change sets/reps for squat day. I'm still not a fan of doing legs but I know my overall fitness has improved because I do them.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 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?

    Perhaps you need to find a different rep/frequency/volume approach that works for you and your recovery and fits with your other activities?

    For instance: 85% for three triples is easy to recover from. 5x5 at the same intensity is not. Of course, this all depends on your current fitness, strength, age, gender, etc...

    I recommend ignoring all post saying you can replace squats...you can't. But, this response says it all. It appears to me that you are suffering from the same problem I suffer from...age. I recover much slower then I used to and had to change sets/reps for squat day. I'm still not a fan of doing legs but I know my overall fitness has improved because I do them.

    I'll add two thoughts to this:

    (1) I'm 41 and am fine after legs day, even after 90 minute workouts, but I've been doing this a while and anytime I skip my legs workout for more than 1 or 2 sessions I have hell to pay for it on when I go back. My advice here is to stick with it as the DOMS will eventually go down. That and do a little cardio after your workouts. It doesn't need to be a full run, even walking will help, and definitely go play your sports the next day as it will relieve the pain.

    (2) It got better when I started squatting twice a week rather than just once. If you're very advanced then once a week is enough but I've gotten better strength gains, and reduced the effects of DOMS with squatting twice a week.
  • Runningmischka
    Runningmischka Posts: 386 Member
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    Im currently reading this book about strength training
    http://startingstrength.com/index.php/site/books

    It has the best explanation of the mechanics of each type of exercise, as well as how to do them correctly. Squats is the one exercise they emphasize the most, and I personally love squatting. Having said that, it's not the only exercise that will make your legs strong. It is, however, the best way to work on your posterior chain, if that's your goal, of course.

    Hope this helps! Cheers
  • cbhubbybubble
    cbhubbybubble Posts: 465 Member
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    I've only been lifting a few months and my legs don't suffer like they did the first few weeks. I do squats at every workout, but I'm not quickly increasing my load. About every week or two I add 5 lbs instead of every workout. I only get some mild DOMS after the days I increase the load. It's nothing like the suffering I had when I first learned to squat.
  • phatguerilla
    phatguerilla Posts: 188 Member
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    I recommend ignoring any post that says you can't replace an exercise... nothing should be sacred. Having said that, changing from one high intensity and volume session a week to two moderate sessions can be enough to reduce doms greatly. This is also true of bench and pretty much any exercise except perhaps deadlifts. However if you feel that the reward from squats is not equalling the effort you put in then by all means drop them for something else and see if you can find a better balance between effort in the gym and soreness outside of it.
  • version45
    version45 Posts: 35 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.
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
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    how dare you talk about squats like that

    but seriously, i think the problem lies in the recovery aspect rather than the exercise itself. are you getting enough sleep, and a proper macro split? how much do you eat in a typical day?

    i also agree with doing them twice a week rather than just once, it'll adjust your quads faster so DOMS isnt an issue
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    The more you do the less it hurts.
    Right now, your body is letting you know how weak you are.

    (Nice numbers!) :wink:
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 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.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 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.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 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.

    My guess is he's been pushing himself real hard.

    He's got pretty decent numbers for someone who only got interested in working out 6 months ago. Plus he's doing all sorts of other activities that are cutting into his recovery. And he's deadlifting and squatting in the same workout...
  • spongebath
    spongebath Posts: 2 Member
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    Try dropping the deadlifts on the same day. Squats & deadlifts are both big compound lifts, hitting a lot of the same muscles.

    Do the squats & then some isolation excercises, change the isolation excersises regularly, ior work out a rotation.

    Not really from an expert advise - but I did the strong lifts 5x5 routine for some time, they recomend just doing 1 set of 5 deadlifts after those squats, reason being that the squats hammered the muscles involved.


    D
  • Mbierschbach
    Mbierschbach Posts: 94 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.

    I wouldn't chalk it up to age. Granted - I'm "only" 35, almost 36 but I have worked out for years with competitive natural bodybuilders in their 50's who don't find age to be as big a problem as you're having. What I'd advise is to move your deadlifts to your back day. I have never done so many big lifts in one day - I suspect THAT'S what's killing your legs for days on end. If you're going as heavy on the other excercises as you are on squats I'm not surprised your sapped for a few days.

    Here is my leg day - and I recover just fine within a day or two.

    Squat (185 x 12, 225 x 10, 315 x 8)
    Leg Press (180 x 12, 270 x 10, 360 x 8, 450 x 6)
    Calf Raise machine (150 x 12 ,160 x10, 170 x 8)
    Leg Extension (150 x 12 ,160 x10, 170 x 8)
    Leg Curls ((150 x 12 ,160 x10, 170 x 8)

    I go heavy on deadlifts - and I couldn't imagine doing them on leg day.

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