Squats overrated?

124

Replies

  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    I really find myself questioning squats, they interfere with my running routine. I did a kettlebell class last week with high intensity squats with weights and I couldn't walk properly for 5 days afterwards, missed all of my running sessions for one high intensity class. Sucks!

    You can't run and do squats. Those two things do not work together.

    Pick one or the other.

    Squats can and DO help runners, I'm the fault in the cycle. Maybe I should have expressed myself clearer, I should concentrate on my running until I have lost more weight. I know my bodyweight is causing the issue as running and squats together is becoming too much with my current muscle mass vs bodyweight.

    OK. You're all right, and I'm wrong. Keep it up. Werent you the one saying you can't do it?

    I've done it. And, I learned after injury from not having enough rest in between my running days. But, do whatever the f--- you want to do. I'm not your mom.
    '

    Calm down, i'm here for advice as I don't have all the answers. I thank you for replying. And you are right I cannot do it in my present weight and muscle mass. This is an internet forum, people will disagree and I've already apologised for not making my original message clear enough.

    It's not about your weight and muscle mass. It's about intelligent scheduling. Balancing running (or martial arts, or tennis, or whatever) and lifting takes time and practice. You have to know both the disciplines you're trying to balance well enough to pull it off and not put yourself into the ground whilst you do it.

    It helps if you're not eating at a deficit, because weight-loss adds a third goal into the mix. This is where people usually go wrong with in-season style training and end up overtrained or injured.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    Squats are to valuable of an exercise to sub out.

    Less volume more frequency. Worked for me. Didnt read all other posts.

    If you are only doing them once per week and you are destroying your legs then I am not surprised you have trouble with recovery.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    Squats are to valuable of an exercise to sub out.

    Less volume more frequency. Worked for me. Didnt read all other posts.

    TL;DR: Dances with WOW showed up. There was a spat about running. OP is doing insane volume.
  • sjaplo
    sjaplo Posts: 974 Member
    I really find myself questioning squats, they interfere with my running routine. I did a kettlebell class last week with high intensity squats with weights and I couldn't walk properly for 5 days afterwards, missed all of my running sessions for one high intensity class. Sucks!

    You can't run and do squats. Those two things do not work together.

    Pick one or the other.

    Squats can and DO help runners, I'm the fault in the cycle. Maybe I should have expressed myself clearer, I should concentrate on my running until I have lost more weight. I know my bodyweight is causing the issue as running and squats together is becoming too much with my current muscle mass vs bodyweight.

    OK. You're all right, and I'm wrong. Keep it up. Werent you the one saying you can't do it?

    I've done it. And, I learned after injury from not having enough rest in between my running days. But, do whatever the f--- you want to do. I'm not your mom.
    '

    Actually squats helped me overcome my ITB issues by strengthening the glutes. Depends on what your goals are I guess - heavier weights or long distance. I run a couple of times a week now and lift a couple or three. So I have no issues doing both.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    I really find myself questioning squats, they interfere with my running routine. I did a kettlebell class last week with high intensity squats with weights and I couldn't walk properly for 5 days afterwards, missed all of my running sessions for one high intensity class. Sucks!

    You can't run and do squats. Those two things do not work together.

    Pick one or the other.

    Squats can and DO help runners, I'm the fault in the cycle. Maybe I should have expressed myself clearer, I should concentrate on my running until I have lost more weight. I know my bodyweight is causing the issue as running and squats together is becoming too much with my current muscle mass vs bodyweight.

    OK. You're all right, and I'm wrong. Keep it up. Werent you the one saying you can't do it?

    I've done it. And, I learned after injury from not having enough rest in between my running days. But, do whatever the f--- you want to do. I'm not your mom.
    '

    Calm down, i'm here for advice as I don't have all the answers. I thank you for replying. And you are right I cannot do it in my present weight and muscle mass. This is an internet forum, people will disagree and I've already apologised for not making my original message clear enough.

    It's not about your weight and muscle mass. It's about intelligent scheduling. Balancing running (or martial arts, or tennis, or whatever) and lifting takes time and practice. You have to know both the disciplines you're trying to balance well enough to pull it off and not put yourself into the ground whilst you do it.

    It helps if you're not eating at a deficit, because weight-loss adds a third goal into the mix. This is where people usually go wrong with in-season style training and end up overtrained or injured.

    I agree with this. It can take trial and error to find the right lifting program and running schedule to meet goals without working yourself into the ground. Nutrition and rest become even more paramount. I ran Stronglifts 5x5 for about a year while I played around with running short distances. Then I wanted to start half marathons, so switched over to 5/3/1 so that I was only squatting one day a week. It's been working fabulously. I can time my running around my squat day so that I'm recovered enough to do both. I'm down with a totally unrelated injury right now, but I've been able to replace running with biking in the meantime and still have weight lifting and cardio goals. I do find that it can be hard to be GOOD at both...you're not gonna see powerlifters who win 5ks. But if you're not trying to be elite at one or the other, there's nothing wrong with mixing them.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    Squats are to valuable of an exercise to sub out.

    Less volume more frequency. Worked for me. Didnt read all other posts.

    TL;DR: Dances with WOW showed up. There was a spat about running. OP is doing insane volume.

    :laugh: Thanks. I started skimming the posts and saw his volume. Im sure that is the problem and doubt it is age. Throw in dieting and that is a recipe for pain and possible injury.
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  • disasterman
    disasterman Posts: 746 Member
    If you end up decreasing squat weight but are concerned about explosive strength for basketball as I think you mentioned earlier, you might consider adding a plyometric routine
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    didn't read what he was doing for volume, but if sports performance is a desired outcome then i definetly second the plyo.

    you'd probably get more sports specific results out of it then a squat.

    thats not to say that they trump squats for general fitness, mass building, etc. but if your training for a sport, especially one that envolves jumping, you'll get a lot out of the plyo
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    I really find myself questioning squats, they interfere with my running routine. I did a kettlebell class last week with high intensity squats with weights and I couldn't walk properly for 5 days afterwards, missed all of my running sessions for one high intensity class. Sucks!

    You can't run and do squats. Those two things do not work together.

    Pick one or the other.

    Perhaps you can't do each of them *well* together, but I see no reason why you can't suboptimally perform both.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    I really find myself questioning squats, they interfere with my running routine. I did a kettlebell class last week with high intensity squats with weights and I couldn't walk properly for 5 days afterwards, missed all of my running sessions for one high intensity class. Sucks!

    You can't run and do squats. Those two things do not work together.

    Pick one or the other.

    Perhaps you can't do each of them *well* together, but I see no reason why you can't suboptimally perform both.

    Or, purposely "park" one whilst you improve the other. Rather than not doing one at all and getting worse at it....
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    Discusses the "functional" aspect of the squat.

    http://www.nsca.com/videos/conference_lectures/the_science_of_squatting/
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    I really find myself questioning squats, they interfere with my running routine. I did a kettlebell class last week with high intensity squats with weights and I couldn't walk properly for 5 days afterwards, missed all of my running sessions for one high intensity class. Sucks!

    You can't run and do squats. Those two things do not work together.

    Pick one or the other.

    Perhaps you can't do each of them *well* together, but I see no reason why you can't suboptimally perform both.

    Or, purposely "park" one whilst you improve the other. Rather than not doing one at all and getting worse at it....

    This is why football players are slow and weak
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    I really find myself questioning squats, they interfere with my running routine. I did a kettlebell class last week with high intensity squats with weights and I couldn't walk properly for 5 days afterwards, missed all of my running sessions for one high intensity class. Sucks!

    You can't run and do squats. Those two things do not work together.

    Pick one or the other.

    Perhaps you can't do each of them *well* together, but I see no reason why you can't suboptimally perform both.

    Or, purposely "park" one whilst you improve the other. Rather than not doing one at all and getting worse at it....

    This is why football players are slow and weak

    Hang on...

    are we talking about football...

    or handegg?
  • mayfrayy
    mayfrayy Posts: 198 Member
    so much bad information...
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    You can't run and do squats. Those two things do not work together.

    Pick one or the other.!

    this is your answer.
    If you want to play a sport or prioritize something like running, you need to schedule the rest of your progressive resistance around that. That includes sensible volume and intensity and scheduled for maximum recovery.

    But yeah, busting out an unplanned high rep squat workout will interfere with your other training goals!

    seriously.

    have a goal- if over all fitness is your goal- sure you can train both.

    If being a runner is a goal- then you dial back the weights to 2 whole body- hell if you are in good shape as it is- most people can survive on 1x a week if you know what you are doing- ideal for long term- no- but it is doable.

    If powerlifting is your goal- go for a run/yog once or twice a month- you'll be fine.

    I can run a 9 min mile- lower than that for mile only- but on average I am putting down 9-9:30 averages for even longer runs- upwards of 6 miles- I'm training for a power lifting meet. I'm still doing okay. I don't run long runs regularly- and I don't run often- but I still run- or do some stair master.
    it's fine.

    It's not an If this than that- it's a sliding scale. Fitness- like life- is not made of absolutes. it's made of having a goal and picking a path that gets you there- that means often times there is a sacrifice of something else to make you better at the other thing- OR you generally just get okay at both things.

    This is not new or ground breaking- I'm not sure why you think it MUST be one or the other.
  • jhc7324
    jhc7324 Posts: 200 Member
    Drop down the amount of volume you are using. You're doing too much.
    Keep the weight up and progressively increase.
    I found squatting "heavy" 3x a week was too much. I still squat 3x a week but one day is "heavy", one day light, one day moderate but more volume.
    For the record, I'm 41 and just started squatting in August 2013. Current PR is 240x5.

    This makes me feel better. I'm 35 and started 5x5 around November. Reading the 5x5 website it makes it sound like you'll be pushing 400lbs in no time. Maybe if you're 18 and eating like a beast I guess. I got up to maybe 265 but I felt my form was crap (lots of half squats) and I could never do the whole 5x5. So I put the ego in check and took it way down to 185 semi recently to build back up slowly with a 5/3/1 approach. Just now getting back to 225.
    This is just about exactly my experience. My form sucked at about that same weight, I deloaded a couple times, and wasn't getting the recovery I needed to keep going with the program (I was using Starting Strength instead of 5x5). Now, I'm in cycle 15 of 5/3/1 and I just hit a 300 lb squat this month.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    I really find myself questioning squats, they interfere with my running routine. I did a kettlebell class last week with high intensity squats with weights and I couldn't walk properly for 5 days afterwards, missed all of my running sessions for one high intensity class. Sucks!

    You can't run and do squats. Those two things do not work together.

    Pick one or the other.

    Perhaps you can't do each of them *well* together, but I see no reason why you can't suboptimally perform both.

    Or, purposely "park" one whilst you improve the other. Rather than not doing one at all and getting worse at it....

    This is why football players are slow and weak

    Hang on...

    are we talking about football...

    or handegg?

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    American football :tongue:
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    I really find myself questioning squats, they interfere with my running routine. I did a kettlebell class last week with high intensity squats with weights and I couldn't walk properly for 5 days afterwards, missed all of my running sessions for one high intensity class. Sucks!

    You can't run and do squats. Those two things do not work together.

    Pick one or the other.

    Perhaps you can't do each of them *well* together, but I see no reason why you can't suboptimally perform both.

    Or, purposely "park" one whilst you improve the other. Rather than not doing one at all and getting worse at it....

    This is why football players are slow and weak

    Hang on...

    are we talking about football...

    or handegg?

    Yup, I LiterallyLedOL.

    :laugh:
  • I really find myself questioning squats, they interfere with my running routine. I did a kettlebell class last week with high intensity squats with weights and I couldn't walk properly for 5 days afterwards, missed all of my running sessions for one high intensity class. Sucks!

    You can't run and do squats. Those two things do not work together.

    Pick one or the other.

    Perhaps you can't do each of them *well* together, but I see no reason why you can't suboptimally perform both.

    Or, purposely "park" one whilst you improve the other. Rather than not doing one at all and getting worse at it....

    This is why football players are slow and weak

    Hang on...

    are we talking about football...

    or handegg?

    he meant the handegg sport thingie.
  • Kenazwa
    Kenazwa Posts: 278 Member
    Back off on the amount of weight. Sometimes you have to start much more conservatively than you want, that's just fact.

    (just finished a sports and exercise class at college)
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    so much bad information...

    Which bits?
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    I really find myself questioning squats, they interfere with my running routine. I did a kettlebell class last week with high intensity squats with weights and I couldn't walk properly for 5 days afterwards, missed all of my running sessions for one high intensity class. Sucks!

    You can't run and do squats. Those two things do not work together.

    Pick one or the other.

    Perhaps you can't do each of them *well* together, but I see no reason why you can't suboptimally perform both.

    Or, purposely "park" one whilst you improve the other. Rather than not doing one at all and getting worse at it....

    This is why football players are slow and weak

    Hang on...

    are we talking about football...

    or handegg?

    he meant the handegg sport thingie.

    Ah handegg...

    well, I can't claim to be an expert, but that's the one that's like rugby but with more semi-naked chicks?
  • Galatea_Stone
    Galatea_Stone Posts: 2,037 Member
    so much bad information...

    Care to elaborate? Should he do more curls? Maybe some crunches? Should he skip legs day entirely?
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    I really find myself questioning squats, they interfere with my running routine. I did a kettlebell class last week with high intensity squats with weights and I couldn't walk properly for 5 days afterwards, missed all of my running sessions for one high intensity class. Sucks!

    You can't run and do squats. Those two things do not work together.

    Pick one or the other.

    Perhaps you can't do each of them *well* together, but I see no reason why you can't suboptimally perform both.

    Or, purposely "park" one whilst you improve the other. Rather than not doing one at all and getting worse at it....

    This is why football players are slow and weak

    Hang on...

    are we talking about football...

    or handegg?

    he meant the handegg sport thingie.

    Ah handegg...

    well, I can't claim to be an expert, but that's the one that's like rugby but with more semi-naked chicks?

    Semi-naked chicks and handegg
  • Galatea_Stone
    Galatea_Stone Posts: 2,037 Member
    I really find myself questioning squats, they interfere with my running routine. I did a kettlebell class last week with high intensity squats with weights and I couldn't walk properly for 5 days afterwards, missed all of my running sessions for one high intensity class. Sucks!

    You can't run and do squats. Those two things do not work together.

    Pick one or the other.

    Perhaps you can't do each of them *well* together, but I see no reason why you can't suboptimally perform both.

    Or, purposely "park" one whilst you improve the other. Rather than not doing one at all and getting worse at it....

    This is why football players are slow and weak

    Hang on...

    are we talking about football...

    or handegg?

    he meant the handegg sport thingie.

    Ah handegg...

    well, I can't claim to be an expert, but that's the one that's like rugby but with more semi-naked chicks?

    Exactly. We have priorities, after all. Sport without semi-naked chicks is just, well, sport. And what fun is there in that?
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    I really find myself questioning squats, they interfere with my running routine. I did a kettlebell class last week with high intensity squats with weights and I couldn't walk properly for 5 days afterwards, missed all of my running sessions for one high intensity class. Sucks!

    You can't run and do squats. Those two things do not work together.

    Pick one or the other.

    Perhaps you can't do each of them *well* together, but I see no reason why you can't suboptimally perform both.

    Or, purposely "park" one whilst you improve the other. Rather than not doing one at all and getting worse at it....

    This is why football players are slow and weak

    Hang on...

    are we talking about football...

    or handegg?

    he meant the handegg sport thingie.

    Ah handegg...

    well, I can't claim to be an expert, but that's the one that's like rugby but with more semi-naked chicks?

    Exactly. We have priorities, after all. Sport without semi-naked chicks is just, well, sport. And what fun is there in that?

    Thank you. I couldn't have said it better myself.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    idk what handegg is... but it will never beat good old fashioned American Lingerie Football!


    i mean Lingerie Football!
  • JoyeII
    JoyeII Posts: 240 Member
    Do some light squats the day after, drink a lot of water, up your carbs and protein, stretch, and do some light cardio. The soreness will go away. Also, the lower you squat, the more your activate your glutes vs your legs.
  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
    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.

    If I wanted to be sore as all hell for a week, I would do something like that. It sounds absolutely brutal. Kudos for being able to endure all of that in one session.

    As others pointed out, this is a lot of volume. Have you thought about trying heavier weight with fewer reps? Possibly reverse pyramid or 5x5?