Leg training

[zen_celt]

What kind of workout would you reccomend that does not include squats? For the last few weeks I've been working only my upper body due to a lack of access to a power rack. The materials I have available are DBs of various weight, a barbell and bench, and a Pec Deck fly machine. I've been able to increase my bench and dead pretty well but I don't want my legs to lag from lack of use. Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance
-ZC

[Qigong]

i hate squats as well...even if they are one of the bests for your legs. my knees aren't the best in shape, i have osgood slotters(a disease in which your growing too fast for your bones) and theres a bump below my knee cap from built-up platelettes....but ehre are some exercises i use for legs:

running, exercise bike(or normal bike), jumprope, quad extensions(machine), hamstring pullbacks(machine), calf raises(holding weights)

i can tell you running, jumprope, and exercise bike are my 3 favorite for legs...they get your endurance up and work your legs pretty **** good in my opinion...but, if u have any more questions on these exercises...lemme know...

[Toby]

Originally posted by zen_celt
What kind of workout would you reccomend that does not include squats? For the last few weeks I've been working only my upper body due to a lack of access to a power rack. The materials I have available are DBs of various weight, a barbell and bench, and a Pec Deck fly machine. I've been able to increase my bench and dead pretty well but I don't want my legs to lag from lack of use. Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance
-ZC

Dunno what you'll be able to do for your legs with your pec dec machine :D. I was going to say varieties of DL, but you're doing that already. OK, how about wall squats, pistols, lunges? Those three should help your legs stay strong.

Qigong, if you've got bad knees, I wouldn't be doing too much running. In fact, I'd much rather do squats than running. I don't know the particulars of your disease, but (Ford, Iron?) aren't squats going to be good for bringing up the strength of the muscles around the knee and hence decrease likelihood of injury?

[Qigong]

u have a point but, when u extend the legs, the knee is stretched, and it could harm it from that itself. running is good because it loosens up the joint, and at the same time loosens up the quad muscle, which is in fact the muscle needed to reduce the injury of the knee. my orthapedist said to do quad stretches exeryday, because it relieves the tension of the knee's ligaments and stretches the muscles. thats y squats arent good for bad knees, they dont stretch the quad, but they stretch the knee itself...which is bad.

[Thundermudd]

stand on one leg with the other extended straight in front of you - stay there till you fall down! Do your kicks in super slow motion too, this will help to build the entire leg. Doing forms as low as you can and as slow as possible also helps w/ leg strngth