Comments on: Death of the Back Squat?!

By: jasonferruggia

jasonferruggia — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:46:42 +0000

Ollie,
There isn’t one.

By: Ollie Chapman

Ollie Chapman — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:20:27 +0000

Great article, I coudn’t agree more. Lets face it, back squats are multi joint, multi muscle from the massive work in the scapula retraction to huge stresses on the central nervous sytem. Show me a one legged exercise that does the same.

By: jasonferruggia

jasonferruggia — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:45:35 +0000

Claudia, it’s a guy thing, I think.

Thomas, 1) No 2) Squat as low as you can with perfect form.

Kelly M, good stuff.

Jeremy, any exercise done incorrectly is dangerous. Squats and deads done incorrectly are very dangerous. I don’t know how bad your back is. Even with text book form these exercises may be too much for you. Tough to assess from here.

Chris, you can’t abandon regular back squats for that long or you will lose all your strength. You must keep them in the rotation, perhaps on an every other week basis. The longest I would leave them for would be four weeks. Of course, once a year you might want to do a total deload and let your spine rest. Then you could do no squatting for 8-12 weeks if you really wanted. But if you want your numbers to stay up you can’t abandon them for too long.

Sam, gotta love Rip

By: Sam Visnic

Sam Visnic — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:36:58 +0000

I quote a great video:

1. “If you don’t squat, then you are a pussy.”
2. “Can squats cure cancer? Yes.”

End of story.

By: Kelly M

Kelly M — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:58:39 +0000

I have always done core work, in one form or another, so I have never had a problem with the core giving way. I think my form is decent as well. What I see around the corporate gyms that I occasionally train in, are many guys that don’t squat or do much back work. I see guy my age and older, doing alot of treadmill, cycling, yoga…etc. But noone seems to do ANY power work, let along any of the big barbell lifts. I can see why many people’s cores give out though. And the squats I do see, I haven’t yet seen anyone break parallel. Not even the younger, stronger guys, with big arms. Can’t say I’ve seen any deadlifts either, in the 7 years I have been around the corporate gym environment. Closest thing to a power rack is a smith machine. Although, I did forward a request to get a real power rack and the guy I spoke with is an older strength guy, who understands how to build strength. Out of the hundreds of guys I have seen train, it is this ONE guy, who is pushing 50, who actually uses DB’s heavier that 40’s in more than his favourite lifts, understands the word ‘Heavy’. I can see why so many new programs produce reasonably athletic, yet seemingly lacking any real strength. That would be perfectly understandable why a person’s core would give out first in the back squat. I mean no disrespect in saying this, but anyone who says the squat is not a lower body exercise, has not done them correctly or long enough to know what they can truly do for you. Again, see how unilateral leg exercises helps you when you have to push a car out of a snowbank or carry a washing machine.

By: JP

JP — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:45:56 +0000

I agree with most of what Jason says in this article. I love the intensity and whole body training effect of back squats, and there’s no way they’re dropping out of my program. The only thing I’m not sure about is his statement that “the limiting factor in the back squat is not leg strength.” In my experience, if I’m focusing on perfect form the legs are the limiting factor. However, if I allow my hips to rise early and the torso to incline forward, I can shift some of the work from the legs to the back and get the legs through their sticking point, and then finish the lift with the back. When I do that I can lift more weight, but the back does become more of a limiting factor. But when I’m lifting 90% of my max with the same form I used on the warmup sets, back strength is never really the problem, it’s leg strength. The thing is, when the set becomes difficult, I can compensate with my back and still complete several extra reps. Eventually there is a point where I can still get through the legs’ sticking point by compensating with the back, but the back is not strong enough to finish the lift from this poor mechanical position. But the reason I got into that position in the first place was because my legs weren’t strong enough to drive through their sticking point, not because the back was weak. Either way, this doesn’t really change the bottom line: you gotta learn to love squats. Nothing worthwhile is easy…

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:10:25 +0000

Hey Jason,

For someone who has put on a little strength and been training over a year, how often do you switch between back squats and something like a box/front/safety squat?

I switched to box squatting recently for an eight week phase and got stronger on it, but I lost considerable strength on my standard squat.

I would like to hear your opinion.

Thanks

-Chris

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:22:15 +0000

Great article! Thanks for all your insight.

I have one question…I keep hearing so much mixed info about squats (and deads, for that matter) being bad for your lower back. My Chiropractor et. al. says his largest number of clients come from those who do squats and deads. On the other hand, I hear that back problems from those lifts are caused from weakness etc. What are your thoughts??? I have a bad lower back and I am not sure whether to continue the squats/deads or to listen to my Chiro.

Your thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Jeremy

By: Kelly M

Kelly M — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:54 +0000

I usually don’t post twice, but squats, for total body, functional strength, in conjunction with deadlifts, makes for a really simple plan. I’ve done all other leg schemes, like lunges, leg extensions, leg press…etc. Not until you have to push a car out of a snowbank, do you know the value of squat and deadlift power. I live in the Canadian prairies and our winters suck. But I can tell when I haven’t been squatting, because I feel ‘less’. And squatting below parallel. I have a left knee that grinds and crunches and squatting below parallel doesn’t bother it. At 39, and having lived a fairly active adult life, there are certain aches and pains that are there. Not debilitating, but they are a badge of honor in a way, that I know I have earned from spending time under heavy weight, odd objects. I assume I will earn many more aches and pains in the years to come. But squatting correctly and low. Nothing will get the results like squats. No lunge, split squats, leg extensions.. will make anyone as bid and powerful as a good squat.

By: Thomas J

Thomas J — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:54:27 +0000

Hi,
I do squat and found it as a great exercise, but I also heard some dangerous points.
1) Someone told me that I my legs should be slightly bend when I am in the top position otherwise my kneecaps get hurt.
Is there any truth about it?

2) Squatting to a parallel is bad for my hamstrings. These are due to this underdeveloped so it is better to do full squats.
Again, any positives or negatives againts this?

Thanks a lot for comments,
Thomas J