Refresh my memory on SQUATS

[Deleted member 38182]

I used to be a pretty big fitness dude....... and somewhere along the line I strayed and now its been about a year away from the gym

and about 15 poundsoverweight (from my off season weight, 10 pounds under in season weight) at 205.... this sucks. Now i still have a pretty good frame on me and allstill........ but thats beside the point.....

Now its been soooo long that i can't quite remember my set up for squats,
so i have one basic question for you guys: Do you guys go bare bar, manta ray, or the tube padding?...... cuz all i remember was i hated squats

 

[trethousandgt]

I would avoid squats unless your playing an organized sport, if your form is off you can hurt your back and your knees, im 28 haven't done squats since iwas 19 i try to minimize my injury risk as much as possible but when i did i would go bare bar just a different feel.

 

[Deleted member 38182]

^I'm trying to get back into just my old lifting routine and eventually organized sports again. But thanks for the input. I still need to get my kneeschecked out though

 

[trethousandgt]

^^^^ I feel you bro, its never easy getting back into a routine again and knees are such a sensitive area unfortunately mine aren't the best which is why iprefer the seated press, you could also try a partial squat using dumbbells and a bench and do some negative squats using only your body weight just to easeyou into it and minimize any injuries

 

[durden7]

Originally Posted by trethousandgt

I would avoid squats unless your playing an organized sport, if your form is off you can hurt your back and your knees, im 28 haven't done squats since i was 19 i try to minimize my injury risk as much as possible but when i did i would go bare bar just a different feel.

Do NOT listen to this.

 

[airpeters01]

I go bare bar. Also, make sure you always warm up somehow prior to squatting. If anything, ask a trainer at the gym to help you with your form.

 

[Pmighty]

i hated my form with the bar. it jus never felt comfortable to me
so when i did decide to squat i used dumbells

 

[trethousandgt]

Originally Posted by Durden7

Originally Posted by trethousandgt

I would avoid squats unless your playing an organized sport, if your form is off you can hurt your back and your knees, im 28 haven't done squats since i was 19 i try to minimize my injury risk as much as possible but when i did i would go bare bar just a different feel.

Do NOT listen to this.

Do not listen to what? Facts are facts, if you have bad knees you should NOT be doing squats, and I would NOT jump into squats after a year out of the gym,dudes on this board are so funny.

 

[mez 0ne]

Just go bar, shoot even go without weights (25 reps)......thats difficult enough as it is.

You don't need all the heavy weights to get a great/effective leg workout.

Even try some dumbbells.

 

[raptors29]

Originally Posted by Durden7

Originally Posted by trethousandgt

I would avoid squats unless your playing an organized sport, if your form is off you can hurt your back and your knees, im 28 haven't done squats since i was 19 i try to minimize my injury risk as much as possible but when i did i would go bare bar just a different feel.

Do NOT listen to this.

But squats prevent injuries, unless you're further worsening a muscle imbalance. Bad form in anything is bad for you.

 

[Ofc.Phan]

i stretch for about 8 minutes prior to doing squats (its my first exercise on leg days). I go bare bar, down to where im 90 and back up again. I never go moreweight on squats then i can bench. Dumbbells work great as well, switch it up.

 

[mez 0ne]

Squats are not good if you have bad knees, let alone doing them with heavy weights.

 

[N41D]

I was always concerned about hurting my back and the impact it would have on my knees playing basketball and such... Once I hurt my achilles I went straight todumbbell squats and never looked back...

 

[chris boshs neck]

Go VERY LIGHT for the first month or so. They are very hard on your body. Watch out for your back.

 

[clutchshooter]

always figured there's got to be smarter, less strenuous ways to work the same muscle groups.

 

[youngkd3]

u know what i like to say.....

"Its not a chest workout unless you are doing bench presses"

"its not a back workout day unless u have deadlifts"

and my favorite one


....

"Its not a leg workout unless u are doing squats"



SQUATS IS ooooooooooooooooooHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH SOOOOOOOO NECESSARY..

 

[carlos tevez]

You guys are crazy for skipping out on squats. It is by far the best way to strengthen your legs and make you a better athlete. No one said that you need tosquat 400 pounds for a good workout. Do what is comfortable for you and make sure your form is perfect.

You do realize that running and jumping puts way more strain on your knees than a proper squatting movement, right?

 

[doyung9]

Originally Posted by trethousandgt

Originally Posted by Durden7

Originally Posted by trethousandgt

I would avoid squats unless your playing an organized sport, if your form is off you can hurt your back and your knees, im 28 haven't done squats since i was 19 i try to minimize my injury risk as much as possible but when i did i would go bare bar just a different feel.

Do NOT listen to this.

Do not listen to what? Facts are facts, if you have bad knees you should NOT be doing squats, and I would NOT jump into squats after a year out of the gym, dudes on this board are so funny.

Misconception.

I strained my MCL 8 years ago when I was a sophomore in HS playing basketball, and from then until this year, I never did squats ever again all because I had a"bad knee".

That's an EXCUSE

Three months ago, I realized the only thing holding me back in the gym was ME, added squats back into my routine. Best workout decision ever. I'm quicker,stronger, and faster than I was when I was 18, when I was in much better "athletic" shape than I am now.

Unless you have that Alvin Mack from The Program knee injury, you don't have a bad enough knee not to do squats. Matter of fact, it's having a bad backthat you would really need to have concern over. My roommate had never done squats in his life when he started doing them with me. And while he struggled, hadto use very very light weight and get used to it, he does them now.

 

[persiafly]

Agree with Tevez all around.

And I think a lot of the reason people often hate/fear squats is because they're trying to put on too much weight. Don't let your pride get in the way,start with a bare bar, go up to 25LBS on each side, and don't go up until you can do stable, good-form sets. It's really not that dangerous of anexercise if you do it with the right form and the right amount of weight.

If you lift weights and you don't squat, you are really, really cheating yourself and your potential.

 

[durden7]

Originally Posted by trethousandgt

Originally Posted by Durden7

Originally Posted by trethousandgt

I would avoid squats unless your playing an organized sport, if your form is off you can hurt your back and your knees, im 28 haven't done squats since i was 19 i try to minimize my injury risk as much as possible but when i did i would go bare bar just a different feel.

Do NOT listen to this.

Do not listen to what? Facts are facts, if you have bad knees you should NOT be doing squats, and I would NOT jump into squats after a year out of the gym, dudes on this board are so funny.

OP never said he had bad knees. Of course its fine to jump right back into squats even after a long time off. The weight wont be the same, but theres no harmin going right back to the exercise.

I wasnt trying to be funny. I simply made a statement that the advice you gave was poor.

 

[the north west]

I usually warmed up for squats by doing overhead squats with just the bar

just get that form right when you do it tho

 

[i dont pass]

I think I start looking into dumbell squats

 

[trethousandgt]

Originally Posted by doyung9

Originally Posted by trethousandgt

Originally Posted by Durden7

Originally Posted by trethousandgt

I would avoid squats unless your playing an organized sport, if your form is off you can hurt your back and your knees, im 28 haven't done squats since i was 19 i try to minimize my injury risk as much as possible but when i did i would go bare bar just a different feel.

Do NOT listen to this.

Do not listen to what? Facts are facts, if you have bad knees you should NOT be doing squats, and I would NOT jump into squats after a year out of the gym, dudes on this board are so funny.

Misconception.

I strained my MCL 8 years ago when I was a sophomore in HS playing basketball, and from then until this year, I never did squats ever again all because I had a "bad knee".

That's an EXCUSE

Three months ago, I realized the only thing holding me back in the gym was ME, added squats back into my routine. Best workout decision ever. I'm quicker, stronger, and faster than I was when I was 18, when I was in much better "athletic" shape than I am now.

Unless you have that Alvin Mack from The Program knee injury, you don't have a bad enough knee not to do squats. Matter of fact, it's having a bad back that you would really need to have concern over. My roommate had never done squats in his life when he started doing them with me. And while he struggled, had to use very very light weight and get used to it, he does them now.

How old are you? Give it some time I know more than a few people that have had to have knee surgery on both knees, say what you want some people just don'thave the genetics if you do more power to you a lot can change in a short time TRUST me on that.

 

[trethousandgt]

Originally Posted by Durden7

Originally Posted by trethousandgt

Originally Posted by Durden7

Originally Posted by trethousandgt

I would avoid squats unless your playing an organized sport, if your form is off you can hurt your back and your knees, im 28 haven't done squats since i was 19 i try to minimize my injury risk as much as possible but when i did i would go bare bar just a different feel.

Do NOT listen to this.

Do not listen to what? Facts are facts, if you have bad knees you should NOT be doing squats, and I would NOT jump into squats after a year out of the gym, dudes on this board are so funny.

OP never said he had bad knees. Of course its fine to jump right back into squats even after a long time off. The weight wont be the same, but theres no harm in going right back to the exercise.

I wasnt trying to be funny. I simply made a statement that the advice you gave was poor.

OP did say he had to get his knees checked out, if you didn't have knee problems or had some concern regarding your knees you wouldn't need to get yourknees checked out. personally if i have been out of the gym for a year with minimal activity i would not start with squats, as i stated earlier in this threadi would try a partial squat using dumbbells and a bench and do some negative squats using only your body weight just to ease you into it and minimize anyinjuries

 

[chewtoy112]

Squats are fine. The people that risk knee injuries doing squats just plain don't know how to do them. Most people start the movement with the knees ratherthan the hips, and focus too much on quads when the posterior chain should be doing most of the work.