The Best 3 Day Workout Routine For building muscle. This 3day split workout hits every muscle stimulates maximum increases in size strength. Im Done With Back Squats. Heres Why. Ah, back squats. The King of All Exercises, according to some. Not me. In fact, I just posted on my Facebook page that I would be giving up back squats for good. The reaction was predictable Now in fairness to Innis, hes obviously being facetious and poking fun at the expected response. A lot of people seem to think that you need squats. Well, need is a strong word. And you dont need squatsbut Im not writing an anti squat rant. Im not even really going to make a compelling case for an alternative. Im just going to tell you why I personally am not going to back squat any more. But first, some history. How I First Started Squatting. I squatted for the first time in my lift at age 1. It was my first year on the high school wrestling team, and my coachPete Kopecky, who, I believe is still the coach therewas all about squats. The first time he put me under the bar, I did 1. He gave me some tips, and by the end of our first team workout, I did 1. I was good at squatting. CRtcma4/hqdefault.jpg' alt='Alternative To Reverse Hack Squat' title='Alternative To Reverse Hack Squat' />With a low center of gravity, short ROM and generally high concentration of fast twitch muscle fibers, it was an exercise I excelled at. Resultantly, I liked it. For an understanding of why, check out this post. I continued squatting, and quickly became enthralled with adding more weight to the bar. In just three weeks, I got to two plates. During my sophomore year, I hit three platesmore than anyone on the team. Some time around the end of my senior year, I weighed in at a chubby 1. Felt good. Eventually I got lean and found bodybuilding I learned how to squat ass to ankles instead of just going to parallel, as I had been previously. I had to drop my numbers back a bit, but I worked on both full squats and parallel squats for a few years. By the time I was 2. I had built up a lot of strength andbetween squats and various training programsa decent physique. At my strongest, I was able to squat 5. The Injury, Layoff, and Re Entry. For internal rotators of hip, see Gluteus Medius, Gluteus Minimus, and Tensor Fasciae Latae exercises i. Hip Abductors. See Thigh for Hip Adductors Inner Thigh. Darin Steen demonstrates how to do a perfect squat, and explains how this squatting exercise benefits your workout routine. Why does the front squat get thrown under the bus Better yet, how come noone knows How to Front Squat When you hear about the ultimate lift for an explosive lower. The signs are already up at your pharmacy, and your doctor might be pushing it, too, but is it already time for a flu shotWelcome to another one of those posts you hope you never need to use. Today well be talking about how to use naloxone including brand names Narcan and Evzio to. For AMY on the PlayStation 3, FAQWalkthrough by Paranoia7. That year 2. 00. I suffered my first knee injury  I tore the medial meniscus in my left leg during, of all things, a game of paintball. Obviously, I had to back off off the leg training for a while. Sadly, it wasnt long enough I came back in just 6 months, and somehow wound up tearing both the medial and lateral menisci in my right leg. Im not even sure how it happenedafter about two weeks of pain and being unable to train or, in fact, get in or out of my car without extreme effort I went to the doc. Now two surgeries in, I spent a year taking it easy on the ol knees. Although I worked back squats in after a long break, they always made me very nervous. Perhaps it was because I could actually feel the instability, perhaps it was because I was always using pretty heavy weight. Whatever it was, I just felt nervous. Not wanting to re injure my knees, I started trying to train around my injuriesfor longer than I needed to. So, I mostly avoided back squats, using them primarily in complexes and the like, but never as part of a muscle building program. Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise X64 Iso here. After about 4 5 years of successfully building size and strength without squats, I added them back in. I found that I didnt really care for them. At first, I thought maybe I didnt like them because I wasnt good at themmy long lack of practice had taken its toll, and 3. I reasoned that things would change as I got better. However, it was the opposite the more I did squats, the less I liked them. Although I was lifting heavier weight and making progress with my strength, I didnt experience the surge of awesomeness that I had always fantasized would occur when I was finally able to squat heavy again. I began to dread my squat workouts. This has continued until now. Although Ive been able to squat heavy for the more than a year, I really dont care for it. Recently, I did my Century Sets experiment with back squats, which really sealed it. After 4. 00 reps over a period of 8 weeks, Id pretty much settled it I hated squats. Free Customizable Download Manager For Windows 7 Full Version'>Free Customizable Download Manager For Windows 7 Full Version. Eventually, that hatred led me to my decision Ill probably never do them again. For me, its not really risk vs reward I dont feel nervous about getting injured, at all. Rather, lets say that the juice isnt worth the squeezethe benefit simply doesnt measure up to the misery. All of which Im removing squats from my programming, because I make it a policy not to do things I dont like. And Why They Dont Apply to MeNow, were just talking about me here, and my experience. But, I do want to make this post useful to you. I want you to think critically about squats, and any other exercise you might be on the fence about consider whether you actually enjoy it, and what youre getting out of it. Try to be objective about why you feel you need to do certain exercises. To help, Ive compiled a list of the Top 5 Reasons you should consider putting squats or any other exercise into your programming. Here ya go, slick You use it to help improve your performance in your sport. You use it for physique enhancementbig quads and general muscularity. You need to be good at it for some specific reason, like competing in power lifting. You want to be good at it. This encompasses the enjoyment derived by having a big squat number. You enjoy it. All of those are great reasons to squat. Actually, theyre great reasons to do anything, really. But, since none of them apply to me, Im not going to do it any more. In the interest of giving you a complete picture, Ill just go down the list. Athletics. First and foremost, I just want to get the Mike Boyle bullshit out of the way. Without question the fact that I said I am not back squatting any more is going to cause a bunch of people to say shit like this In the interest of context, for those who dont know, Mike Boyle came out a few years ago and said we dont need to back squat. He happens to be right, but that has nothing to do with my decision. This stirred up a big internet controversy, as you might imagine. I paid attention peripherally, but neither side had any arguments that changed my opinions drastically. Controversy notwithstanding, Boyle went so far as to say that with regard to squatting, because you can get the benefits from other exercises, you shouldnt do back squats. Instead, he favored unilateral exercises like the Bulgarian split squatwhich, for some reason beyond human comprehension, he labeled rear foot elevated split squats. I suspect its because he hates Bulgaria. EDIT Mike was cool enough to reply, and has a good sense of humor. Heres what he said Anyway, heres a video, if youd like to watchBased on what he said in that clip, it seems he meant ALL bilateral squat movements he mentioned front squats but may also have been including things like goblet squats, Zercher squats, etc. He may also have amended some of his statements or reached new conclusions in the past few years. Im not certain about either and cant be bothered to do any further Googling it because as it turns out I dont give a fuck. So, theres that. Anyway, as mentioned above, my reason for abandoning has nothing to do with that Boyle or his arguments, for a few reasons. Firstly, I dont compete in sports, so I dont really take high level performance into account when I design my programs. Secondly, I happen to disagree with the half of Boyles point. Athletes dont need to back squat, but that doesnt mean they should avoid it. Can they have comparable results with single leg exercises Very possibly. Will I abandon back squats for my athletesReasons to Do Squat Exercises. By Dr. Mercola. If youre looking for a powerful way to boost your overall fitness and get some serious results fast from your workout routine, look no further than performing squatting exercises. This is one exercise that should be a part of virtually everyones routine, as its relatively simple to perform, requires no equipment, and can be done just about anywhere. More importantly, although squats are often regarded as leg exercises, they actually offer benefits throughout your entire body, including deep within your coreThe Top 8 Benefits of Squats. Most of you know that Im an avid exerciser, and an avid exercise proponent. If you havent yet started a regular exercise routine, you can find tips for doing so here. Suffice it to say, a varied workout routine of appropriate intensity is one of the smartest health moves you can make, and adding squats to your routine is a must. What makes squats such a fantastic exercise Builds Muscle in Your Entire Body Squats obviously help to build your leg muscles including your quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves, but they also create an anabolic environment, which promotes body wide muscle building. In fact, when done properly, squats are so intense that they trigger the release of testosterone and human growth hormone in your body, which are vital for muscle growth and will also help to improve muscle mass when you train other areas of your body aside from your legs. So squats can actually help you improve both your upper and lower body strength. Functional Exercise Makes Real Life Activities Easier. Functional exercises are those that help your body to perform real life activities, as opposed to simply being able to operate pieces of gym equipment. Squats are one of the best functional exercises out there, as humans have been squatting since the hunter gatherer days. When you perform squats, you build muscle and help your muscles work more efficiently, as well as promote mobility and balance. All of these benefits translate into your body moving more efficiently in the real world too. Burn More Fat. One of the most time efficient ways to burn more calories is actually to gain more muscle For every pound of additional muscle you gain, your body will burn an additional 5. So, if you gain 1. Maintain Mobility and Balance. Strong legs are crucial for staying mobile as you get older, and squats are phenomenal for increasing leg strength. They also work out your core, stabilizing muscles, which will help you to maintain balance, while also improving the communication between your brain and your muscle groups, which helps prevent falls which is incidentally the 1 way to prevent bone fractures versus consuming mega dose calcium supplements and bone. Prevent Injuries. Most athletic injuries involve weak stabilizer muscles, ligaments and connective tissues, which squats help strengthen. They also help prevent injury by improving your flexibility squats improve the range of motion in your ankles and hips and balance, as noted above. Boost Your Sports Performance Jump Higher and Run Faster. Whether youre a weekend warrior or a mom who chases after a toddler, youll be interested to know that studies have linked squatting strength with athletic ability. Specifically, squatting helped athletes run faster and jump higher, which is why this exercise is part of virtually every professional athletes training program. Tone Your Backside, Abs and Entire Body. Few exercises work as many muscles as the squat, so its an excellent multi purpose activity useful for toning and tightening your behind, abs, and, of course, your legs. Furthermore, squats build your muscles, and these muscles participate in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity, helping to protect you against obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Help with Waste Removal. Squats improve the pumping of body fluids, aiding in removal of waste and delivery of nutrition to all tissues, including organs and glands. Theyre also useful for improved movement of feces through your colon and more regular bowel movements. How to Do Squats Properly. Squats have long been criticized for being destructive to your knees, but research shows that when done properly, squats actually improve knee stability and strengthen connective tissue. In the video below, personal trainer and coach Darin Steen demonstrates safe squat techniques for beginner, intermediate and advanced. Warm up Stand with your feet just over shoulder width apart Keep your back in a neutral position, and keep your knees centered over your feet Slowly bend your knees, hips and ankles, lowering until you reach a 9. Return to starting position repeat 1. Breathe in as you lower, breathe out as you return to starting position Adding Squats to Your Comprehensive Fitness Routine. Exercise is a key player in disease reduction, optimal mental, emotional and physical health, and longevity. Its really a phenomenal way to get the most out of your life After reviewing 4. Exercise also slows down the rate of aging itself, even stimulating the regeneration of the energy producing mitochondria in your cells, providing perhaps the closest example of a real life fountain of youth as we will ever find. As with most things in life, a balanced routine works best, so youll want to avoid placing too much emphasis on cardio, strength training or any one type of activity. Many public health guidelines still focus primarily on the aerobic component of exercise, but this limited activity can lead to imbalances that may actually prevent optimal health. This is why its so important to maintain a well balanced fitness regimen that includes not just aerobics, but also strength training, stretching, and high intensity interval training like Peak Fitness. For instance, Darin recommends beginners do 2 3 sets of squats just two or three times a week do it more than this and you will miss out on important recovery time. As always, as you develop a workout routine that works for you, remember to listen to your body so it can guide you into a path that will provide you with the most efficient and effective benefits.