when it comes to leg training, a training day we can't skip, fitness enthusiasts have all suffered the loss of not training their legs, and there's a saying in fitness circles: If you don't train your legs, you'll regret it sooner or later!
What first got me thinking about deep squats and leg lifts were articles about the training of many professional bodybuilders whose quadriceps development borders on frightening, but who many times don't do deep squats. They use leg raises as their main muscle training move.
why is this? Many of you will be wondering if leg raises can replace deep squats? Deep squats are so tiring that it would be great not to do them.
Today we talk about the differences and benefits of deep squats and leg lifts, and who is not suitable for deep squats? Are there other movements that can be used instead?
squats and leg lifts
the main reason the deep squat has been called the 'quadriceps move' is simple; it's pretty much the only move that can safely be performed for long periods of time on the quads.
In terms of strength training, the leg raise is a relatively modern movement, as are the huck squat and leg curl. If you want to grow your leg muscles, you can do squats and hard pulls. But i don't want to talk about these two movements today because they can't be the core of everyone's leg training, but i would suggest that you don't have to squat deep for strong quads and secondly squats probably won't work for everyone.
the argument from the deep squat camp is that the deep squat is a total body, multi-joint, compound muscle movement that relies heavily on core strength and balance and requires body coordination and mechanics to be executed correctly. I agree with this. To compare which movement is more athletic, the deep squat definitely ranks number one. There is no debate about that. It is worth noting at this point that many athletes, including sprinters, speed skaters and cyclists, almost universally prefer the leg lift as a movement to train explosive power.
While the deep squat is the more athletic movement, it is not necessarily the movement of choice for athletes. It's funny. Because once you've removed all the mechanics, balance and coordination required for the deep squat, then the leg raise can be used to focus on building leg strength or, at the request of bodybuilders, to build muscle.
if you are a bodybuilder or an olympic weightlifter then you must squat deep.
As a bodybuilder, you need to squat deep because it is a competition move. If you are a weightlifter, then the deep squat is a vital assistance movement for both the snatch and the clean and jerk.
In the case of a powerlifter, the overhead squat is the preferred movement for training the snatch, while the deep front neck squat is the most common movement for training the jerk. There is absolutely no need for the back of the neck squat. If you are neither a bodybuilder nor a weightlifter (even in crossfit, deep squat flips and single leg squats are movements used in competition) and the only thing you have to be concerned with is quadriceps development, then you don't need to squat often at all.
there are also physiological reasons why deep squats are not ideal for some people. This is also important to look at down the line.
Some people who are taller and have longer femurs have difficulty stimulating their quads adequately, even with larger weights. The reason for this is because they have long thigh bones, so their bodies have to lean forward a long way, which means that the back will be exhausted before the quadriceps.
this also makes it impossible for taller people to squat fully deep down without rounding their backs. Because of this, they are recommended to use a deep neck front squat. This allows you to squat all the way to the bottom of the movement, with your lower back maintaining its natural curve.
For those of you who think that the parallel squat is the only movement standard, here's a question for you: Do you do your bench press to 90 degrees at the elbows and stop, or do you choose to work your pecs at full range with the full knowledge that the muscles move better at full range?
Second question, are your quads any different from other muscles in terms of exercise? Same as any other exercise, deep squats all the way down. Unless of course you are a very competitive bodybuilder, then you only need to squat deep to a position parallel to the ground.
this means that if you are not a very good squatter, someone who is very tall, has long femurs or even has back problems, then you will never be able to add enough weight to the barbell to stimulate the quads and make the muscles increase.
So, if you have such a problem, wouldn't leg lifts be a better option? Let's say you don't bend your back by lifting your legs too low. Then you can leg raise as low as possible while maintaining the natural shape of your spine, and leg raises are a great way to train your quads.
in the case of taller people, you can drop the behind-the-neck squat altogether and recommend doing the front-of-the-neck squat, as this allows you to get all the way to the bottom of the squat and maintain a relatively upright torso and back, which means you can go for as much weight as possible without fear of injury.
However, if you want to skip the front neck squat or want to train in a different movement, it's fine to rely entirely on leg raises. Because i think it's also important to vary the movements, the muscles will adapt and to grow them, you need to stimulate them and it's good to change the training movements.
there is no reason to keep doing deep squats if you can't squat maximally and safely. Leg lifts and squats are equal as far as muscle building is concerned, and if you have researched the subject of deep squats, you may find that leg lifts are arguably a more effective muscle building movement.