Squat

[tri2bmt]

Hello all I need an exercise to do for my legs instead of the squat because I have no rack. Is the lunge as beneficial? Any suggestions would be good.
Thanks

[Ford Prefect]

Deadlift variations can do the trick. You might also try pistols (one legged squats) When you get strong enough to do 15 or so, you can start holding plates to add resistance.

[Robinf]

Lunges are also good. Try front lunge, side lunge and turning lunge. Also, give lunge to balance a try.

I would do these in conjunction with the deadlift.

Robin

[nospam]

I take it you do not go to a gym?

You can still do the squat at home. The rack is only for heavy weight anywho. If you're working out at home or working out infrequently, a rack doesn't matter.

The lunge is a nice alternative. Hold it for a count of 3. Plus you can fatique the leg better by performing 3 lunges subsequently with the same leg, then switching. Feel da burn.

nospam.

[SevenStar]

One legged squats and hindu squats

[WinterPalm]

I enjoy squats quite a lot as a supplement to my stance training but don't have a gym membership. Is there any way that I could make a home squat rack without spending ridiculous amounts of money? Have any of you built your own?

[Mr. Bao]

You are better off buying a convetional power rack and a bar and some irons plates. But you should try to master your body weight first before using weights. It is my thought that unless you can control your own body weight, you have no business messing with external weight. Unless you can do single arm push ups, chins, pull ups, single leg squat you don't need to mess around with weights yet. Does this make sense to anyone here? I am working on doing single leg squats and even chins. Great men like Bruce Lee and others martial artists, had functional strength by first mastering their own body weights before hitting the iron bar and plates.

It is funny that people want to sprint before they can even walk. Can you do 300 or 500 reps of body weight squats? How about single leg squats? I mean with clean and control reps? If you want to improve your stance, try to focus on your own body weight first. If you practice kung fu, then keep things simple and use what God gave you first. Then improve what God didn't give you and improve his f###ed up... lol


Bao

[tiger2dragon]

You really do not need a "squat rack". The cheapest and easiest to build, if you know someone who can do some welding, is use two tire rims and two steel poles. Have the poles cut to the height you need for your body(cut off about shoulder height), cut a notch in the top to receive the bar and get the poles welded into the holes in the center of the rims. I have a set of these that have last 20 years. They are not pretty but they are functional. As far as not working out with weights till you can do your body weight. I feel that is wrong there is no better way in the world to build your muscle that to lift weight.

[Lung Hu Pai]

You could also try front squats and overhead squats.

[IronFist]

Originally posted by Mr. Bao
It is funny that people want to sprint before they can even walk. Can you do 300 or 500 reps of body weight squats? How about single leg squats? I mean with clean and control reps? If you want to improve your stance, try to focus on your own body weight first. If you practice kung fu, then keep things simple and use what God gave you first. Then improve what God didn't give you and improve his f###ed up... lol

Alright. First I must agree with your advice (even tho I deleted it from the quote) because you might as well buy a power rack. You're not going to build your own squat rack.

But don't worry about doing 300-500 bodyweigth squats before you start doing bodyweight squats. I bet you 9 out of 10 world class squatters who can squat 800+ lbs can't do 300 bodyweight squats either

But then again, if you have absolutely no access to a squat rack, bodyweight squats are way better than nothing

Bodyweight squats = good for endurance

Barbell squats = good for maximal strength

Combination of both = good training idea.

As Mr. Bao mentioned, you can also do one legged squats, altho for me I don't feel these work my quads that well... for example, after 10 sets of barbell squats when my quads are completely fried, I can still do one legged bw squats. But hey, I'm weird

IronFist

[Mr. Bao]

Iron Fist:

If you want to focus more on your quad in single leg squats, there is a number of ways. Here are some of my ideas:

1. Take a 4X4 block and place your foot (not feet) on it like you would on a calf exercise, then do your single leg squat. Or take a iron plate and place under your foot.

2. 1 and quarter rep technique on single leg squat. Go all the way down, the half way up, back down again and all the way up.

3. Jumping single leg squats.

[abobo]

I always thought that one legged squats were only for balance and for scaring young children with one's physical badassery.

[rubthebuddha]

are you fellas concerned with how far out in front of you the knee gets when doing single-leggies, or is there something i don't know about squatting with one leg that would fix this?

[ged]

i agree with mastering body-weight squats before using weights... but why master single-leg squats? to me, theyre very very different, with regards to posture and balance.

rubthebuddha - that annoys me too. that's kind of what i mean, i can't seem to use the same joint-angles with one legged squats.

[vingtsunstudent]

as with all things single leged squats just require practice of good technique and dedication, unfortunately for me i have neither but i promise you that one day i will accomplish this.
also the fact that i am rather on the large side of things(esp. weight wise) means that lifting this fat a$$ should give my muscles quite a workout during one leggers.
like iron said though it's all about what you are really training for and if you you want both endurance and power the you have to cycle them both.
i have personally built(ok a mate welded it for me, but it was my design) a squat rack that is easily capable of handling 150kg's, it also has a chin up bar attached and i can move a bench in and out for presses, the whole thing cost about australian$80(that's about $40US).
if you like you could post(or pm it to me) your e-mail add. and when i get a chance i could take a photo of it and e-mail it to you.
vts