are squats overrated?

13

Replies

  • disasterman
    disasterman Posts: 746 Member
    No
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    leg press is better

    no...

    It is. You can put on every plate in the gym so it's a much better workout and indicator of strength. If you're going to squat over leg press, at least make sure you use the Smith machine for better form.

    This is probably why power lifters are always boasting about how much they can leg press....

    The squat is a full body compound movement...the leg press just works the legs...they both have their place, but I can guarantee you that someone doing 300 Lbs on a leg press won't come close to that on a squat...but someone who can squat 300 Lbs will be able to press much more than that on a leg press.

    No powerlifters usually squat which is why they are generally weaker overall than the guys on the leg press doing 8 plates.

    The guy doing the press isn't going to be able to squat what the guy squatting, squats...the guy squatting will generally easily be able to press more than the guy pressing...the guy squatting is going to be overall stronger and more powerful.

    How can he press more than the guy pressing if he only squats? If he's moving less weight, is he truly stronger?
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    edited August 2016
    Necessity? No.
    Ideal? Absolutely.

    I've never seen small legs on anyone squatting 400lbs.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    edited August 2016
    LazSommer wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    leg press is better

    no...

    It is. You can put on every plate in the gym so it's a much better workout and indicator of strength. If you're going to squat over leg press, at least make sure you use the Smith machine for better form.

    This is probably why power lifters are always boasting about how much they can leg press....

    The squat is a full body compound movement...the leg press just works the legs...they both have their place, but I can guarantee you that someone doing 300 Lbs on a leg press won't come close to that on a squat...but someone who can squat 300 Lbs will be able to press much more than that on a leg press.

    No powerlifters usually squat which is why they are generally weaker overall than the guys on the leg press doing 8 plates.

    The guy doing the press isn't going to be able to squat what the guy squatting, squats...the guy squatting will generally easily be able to press more than the guy pressing...the guy squatting is going to be overall stronger and more powerful.

    How can he press more than the guy pressing if he only squats? If he's moving less weight, is he truly stronger?

    what? squats are a different exercise than leg presses. Squats are FULL BODY , leg presses are not. the amt of weight you move isn't always a measurement of strength, especially when you are comparing two different exercises
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    leg press is better

    no...

    It is. You can put on every plate in the gym so it's a much better workout and indicator of strength. If you're going to squat over leg press, at least make sure you use the Smith machine for better form.

    This is probably why power lifters are always boasting about how much they can leg press....

    The squat is a full body compound movement...the leg press just works the legs...they both have their place, but I can guarantee you that someone doing 300 Lbs on a leg press won't come close to that on a squat...but someone who can squat 300 Lbs will be able to press much more than that on a leg press.

    No powerlifters usually squat which is why they are generally weaker overall than the guys on the leg press doing 8 plates.

    The guy doing the press isn't going to be able to squat what the guy squatting, squats...the guy squatting will generally easily be able to press more than the guy pressing...the guy squatting is going to be overall stronger and more powerful.

    How can he press more than the guy pressing if he only squats? If he's moving less weight, is he truly stronger?

    what? squats are a different exercise than leg presses. Squats are FULL BODY , leg presses are not.

    If you need your full body to move less weight, how can you be stronger than the guy on the leg press?
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    edited August 2016
    i can push a 10,000 pound car down the street, does that make me stronger than the guy that can bench press 350 pounds?
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    i can push a 10,000 pound car down the street, does that make me stronger than the guy that can bench press 350 pounds?

    I don't know, how much does he do on the leg press?
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    LazSommer wrote: »
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    i can push a 10,000 pound car down the street, does that make me stronger than the guy that can bench press 350 pounds?

    I don't know, how much does he do on the leg press?

    probably not 10,000 lbs
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    i can push a 10,000 pound car down the street, does that make me stronger than the guy that can bench press 350 pounds?

    I don't know, how much does he do on the leg press?

    probably not 10,000 lbs

    Can you leg press as much as he can?
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    lazsommer, just keep leg pressing you'll get stronger than everyone in the world, good luck to you.
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    lazsommer, just keep leg pressing you'll get stronger than everyone in the world, good luck to you.

    I already am stronger than most people because I do crossfit. They don't have a leg press at my box (a special crossfit gym if you didn't know that), so I have a dual membership at Planet Fitness to use their leg press machine.
  • jcsgirl86
    jcsgirl86 Posts: 53 Member
    For me they are not overrated. I believe the barbell squats I do as part of my workouts have contributed to my being able to run better, specifically hills. I am a 48 year old, 125 lb, grandma who regularly squats 105 lb. and sometimes maxes out at 125 lb that loves to run! That's not earth shattering but I'm proud of it!
  • rufus_187
    rufus_187 Posts: 15 Member
    LazSommer wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    leg press is better

    no...

    It is. You can put on every plate in the gym so it's a much better workout and indicator of strength. If you're going to squat over leg press, at least make sure you use the Smith machine for better form.

    No. Just no. Squats in the smith machine? I'm almost afraid to even lean on the smith machine out of fear it'll try to force my ROM in an unnatural manner.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    LazSommer wrote: »
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    lazsommer, just keep leg pressing you'll get stronger than everyone in the world, good luck to you.

    I already am stronger than most people because I do crossfit. They don't have a leg press at my box (a special crossfit gym if you didn't know that), so I have a dual membership at Planet Fitness to use their leg press machine.

    I bet they have a squat rack at your box though. Planet Fitness is not a gym son it doesn't have things like squat racks that intimidate people. They just have nice purple machines with a pin and weight stack to do leg presses
  • King_Spicy
    King_Spicy Posts: 821 Member
    LazSommer is just trolling you guys. Geezus
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Somebody thinks @BreezeDoveal is a role model.

    I'd say some people overrate squats. They are not the best exercise for everyone in every situation. However, their benefits are so widely applicable to various fitness and sport goals, odds are they are a good choice if you are capable of doing them correctly which is why they are a default foundation exercise.
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  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    edited August 2016
    stealthq wrote: »
    Somebody thinks @BreezeDoveal is a role model.

    I'd say some people overrate squats. They are not the best exercise for everyone in every situation. However, their benefits are so widely applicable to various fitness and sport goals, odds are they are a good choice if you are capable of doing them correctly which is why they are a default foundation exercise.

    Squats should only be done while bulking. THat's why high frequency squatting is the bulkarian method.

    Nothing better than traditional bulkarian home cooking to complement squats.

    y8rs8pzftt9x.jpg
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    Hornsby wrote: »
    I've never seen small legs on anyone squatting 400lbs.

    I've never seen small legs on anyone moving an enormous amount of weight on any leg exercise. :+1:
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    Hornsby wrote: »
    I've never seen small legs on anyone squatting 400lbs.

    I've never seen small legs on anyone moving an enormous amount of weight on any leg exercise. :+1:

    Weird, I have. Quite often actually.
  • hamlet1222
    hamlet1222 Posts: 459 Member
    The main downside I see to squats (and deadlifts) is that they soak up a lot of energy (during work out and recovery), meaning less for muscle groups that aren't involved in these exercises (chest, triceps, biceps, deltoids) - the ones most guys are interested in focusing on.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    hamlet1222 wrote: »
    The main downside I see to squats (and deadlifts) is that they soak up a lot of energy (during work out and recovery), meaning less for muscle groups that aren't involved in these exercises (chest, triceps, biceps, deltoids) - the ones most guys are interested in focusing on.

    So better to skip legs day then?
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    hamlet1222 wrote: »
    The main downside I see to squats (and deadlifts) is that they soak up a lot of energy (during work out and recovery), meaning less for muscle groups that aren't involved in these exercises (chest, triceps, biceps, deltoids) - the ones most guys are interested in focusing on.

    Not trying to tell anyone how to run things, but couldn't they just do those upper-body exercises first?

    Or on another day like so many programs.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited August 2016
    LazSommer wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    LazSommer wrote: »
    leg press is better

    no...

    It is. You can put on every plate in the gym so it's a much better workout and indicator of strength. If you're going to squat over leg press, at least make sure you use the Smith machine for better form.

    This is probably why power lifters are always boasting about how much they can leg press....

    The squat is a full body compound movement...the leg press just works the legs...they both have their place, but I can guarantee you that someone doing 300 Lbs on a leg press won't come close to that on a squat...but someone who can squat 300 Lbs will be able to press much more than that on a leg press.

    No powerlifters usually squat which is why they are generally weaker overall than the guys on the leg press doing 8 plates.

    The guy doing the press isn't going to be able to squat what the guy squatting, squats...the guy squatting will generally easily be able to press more than the guy pressing...the guy squatting is going to be overall stronger and more powerful.

    How can he press more than the guy pressing if he only squats? If he's moving less weight, is he truly stronger?

    Trolls gonna troll...

    mamacitapic1.jpg
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    hamlet1222 wrote: »
    The main downside I see to squats (and deadlifts) is that they soak up a lot of energy (during work out and recovery), meaning less for muscle groups that aren't involved in these exercises (chest, triceps, biceps, deltoids) - the ones most guys are interested in focusing on.

    One should prioritize exercises in a workout. Squats and deadlifts will provide so much more bang the buck in overall strength and muscle growth than isolation exercises for the biceps, triceps and delts.
  • Sweet_Heresy
    Sweet_Heresy Posts: 411 Member
    LazSommer wrote: »
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    lazsommer, just keep leg pressing you'll get stronger than everyone in the world, good luck to you.

    I already am stronger than most people because I do crossfit. They don't have a leg press at my box (a special crossfit gym if you didn't know that), so I have a dual membership at Planet Fitness to use their leg press machine.

    mmcssix5is9p.jpg
  • megcorey
    megcorey Posts: 49 Member
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    hamlet1222 wrote: »
    Don't have any specific criticisms of squats, just didn't find them as 'life-changing' as others seem to, and found fast short-distance running and cycling just as good for building up legs

    Squats do not just build up your legs.

    If you are using sufficient weight, squats are a compound lift that put stress on and build up the strength in your upper & lower back, spinal erectors, abdominals, hips, quads, hamstrings, calves and glutes.

    So, they are not an isolation movement for the legs only and, if that's all you're interested in, you can certainly dispense w/them but, if you're interested in developong overall body strength, I don't think you can do w/o them.

    Yep!!
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
    hamlet1222 wrote: »
    The main downside I see to squats (and deadlifts) is that they soak up a lot of energy (during work out and recovery), meaning less for muscle groups that aren't involved in these exercises (chest, triceps, biceps, deltoids) - the ones most guys are interested in focusing on.

    Maybe, but the majority of guys and gals that I know (and some that have responded in this thread) are interested in overall strength and that includes squats and deadz. Both have gotten me (and others I've talked to) stronger overall, lower body AND upper body.
    Past most beginner programs you'll not see upper and lower on the same day.
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
    Hornsby wrote: »
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    Hornsby wrote: »
    I've never seen small legs on anyone squatting 400lbs.

    I've never seen small legs on anyone moving an enormous amount of weight on any leg exercise. :+1:

    Weird, I have. Quite often actually.

    Yep, same here. And what, pray tell, is your definition of an enormous amount of weight. Because that's subjective.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    hamlet1222 wrote: »
    The main downside I see to squats (and deadlifts) is that they soak up a lot of energy (during work out and recovery), meaning less for muscle groups that aren't involved in these exercises (chest, triceps, biceps, deltoids) - the ones most guys are interested in focusing on.

    0lujagpu00na.jpeg
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