What Are Your Gym/Fitness/Routine Moans?

[joshcowin]

didelydoo said:

j_4m said:

there is no better lower body exercise than the back squat.

That depends on what your aims are though. I've a big 'ole squat, but there are better things, for me, if I want to grow my legs for instance. It varies from person to person, depending on their body mechanics.

I would say squats are awesome though, and if you don't do them, then there should be a very good reason. I don't think risk of potential injury in case you don't do them properly is one, that's just a reason to avoid anything- just do them properly.

Ripptoes squat style sucks too IMO. Possibly the most unnatural way to teach someone to squat!

For me I don't do them as I seem to get niggly pain, my knee and ankle mobility is poor, this is due to playing football twice a week. I am a massive advocate of strip the weight right back and develop proper form, I want a decent mind muscle connection and I want to execute a lift with decent form right up to 1RM. The problems with my lower back don't allow this pain free so I keep clear of them, I can probably still squat 1.5x body weight with good form I just don't think its that beneficial for me. I also tore my groin at footy that has taken ages to get back to a level where I can leg press let alone squat!

[didelydoo]

joshcowin said:

For me I don't do them as I seem to get niggly pain, my knee and ankle mobility is poor, this is due to playing football twice a week. I am a massive advocate of strip the weight right back and develop proper form, I want a decent mind muscle connection and I want to execute a lift with decent form right up to 1RM. The problems with my lower back don't allow this pain free so I keep clear of them, I can probably still squat 1.5x body weight with good form I just don't think its that beneficial for me. I also tore my groin at footy that has taken ages to get back to a level where I can leg press let alone squat!

Good enough reason not to. I rarely back squat now either, it tends to exacerbate an old injury, and tbh it's just not optimal for growing my legs- strength, it's great for, size (for me) not so much. I have started front squatting again though, just because I'm a sucker for some kinda squat!

[ORD]

Important to get that mind muscle connection. You wouldnt want your muscles to contract without a signal from the brain.

[RTB]

Not really a moan but it made me smile.

Young boyfriend/girlfriend couple having a suppressed row over who was responsible for the 2.5kg of whey protein powder that had emptied itself inside their capacious and well stocked gym bag that they were carting about between machines

Every item they pulled out (belts, gloves, lifting straps, water bottles, towels, etc etc) had a generous coating of MyProtein's finest.

[n_const]

ashleyman said:

I hate squatting. Period.

On a good day I can leg press 160kg which I think is pretty respectable. When it comes to squats I'm stuck at 50kg including the bar. I weigh 85kg so I should be able to do more I just can't seem to do it. Same with deadlifts, but I struggle with the actual movement of deadlifts not the weight.

Need to find a PT who can critique my form and get me doing it properly so I can improve just HATE squats.

If i'm going through a rough patch with my squatting, I will do box squats. Give those a try and see what you think ?

[ashleyman]

n_const said:

If i'm going through a rough patch with my squatting, I will do box squats. Give those a try and see what you think ?

That's a good idea! Thanks, I'll try that.

[j_4m]

didelydoo said:

Ripptoes squat style sucks too IMO. Possibly the most unnatural way to teach someone to squat!

ORD said:

Agreed on the last point. My guess is that most people squat fairly upright and high bar if left to find what is comfortable for them (which is different from moving the most weight).

I should have said 'best' as in 'most comprehensive'!

I've always squatted high bar, but that book has really good points on keeping lower and upper back tightness, where your knees should track, all the little cues that people might not naturally think of. Short of a proper coach it's a good resource.

[Halb]

ashleyman said:

Halb said:

'Airsquatting' you'd be squatting 85 kg, plus the weights, that's 135kg!

I don't follow.

BTW, my goal for squat and deadlift is to mainly improve core strength and overall body strength rather than to focus on say legs or booty.

When comparing leg press to squat, one dos not move one's body when on the leg press, unlike the squat, so comparing the two, one should make allowance for thr bodyweight as well
so a 85+50 squat is slightly les than a 165 leg press...after aying that, some leg presses are harder/easier, depending on the brand...leg presses are not equal...unlike the squat

[lemmingjames]

Sounds like fat persons logic so they make themselves sound stronger than they really are.

[Halb]

it's the logic of when comparing one exercise that doesn't incorporate bodyweight, and one that does, if you're gonna compare weight shifted, take it into account.

[gregs656]

lemmingjames said:

Sounds like fat persons logic so they make themselves sound stronger than they really are.

It’s not though.

Leg press is also not a vertical lift.

Halb is right to point out those numbers are not as far apart as they might appear.

[popeyewhite]

gregs656 said:

lemmingjames said:

Sounds like fat persons logic so they make themselves sound stronger than they really are.

It’s not though.

Leg press is also not a vertical lift.

Halb is right to point out those numbers are not as far apart as they might appear.

Leg press and squat aren't really comparable and there's a huge amount of variables. Other than both being lower body, they are fundamentally different lifts. There are people who are very good leg pressers but rubbish at squat and vice versa.There are people who aren't very good at either, like me. Think of the huge difference in stabilisers required for the squat, where none are needed for the leg press.

[Digger]

I have noticed some Leg Press and Hack Squat machines have a label noting their resistance in Kgs when unloaded.

[ORD]

Digger said:

I have noticed some Leg Press and Hack Squat machines have a label noting their resistance in Kgs when unloaded.

But is that the resistance or just the weight? Did they weigh it in the plane it moves in? I rarely use a leg press but everyone I have ever used has been very different from the others. I always just keep adding plates until it feels heavy, which is ridiculously unscientific.

160kg on some leg press machines is not very much. It might be very loosely equivalent to, say, a 70kg squat.

[gregs656]

popeyewhite said:

Leg press and squat aren't really comparable and there's a huge amount of variables. Other than both being lower body, they are fundamentally different lifts. There are people who are very good leg pressers but rubbish at squat and vice versa.There are people who aren't very good at either, like me. Think of the huge difference in stabilisers required for the squat, where none are needed for the leg press.

Which doesn't really undermine the point that the poster complaining about his Squat weight being so much lower than his leg press didn't appear to take into account those variables - which once you do brings the numbers broadly into the range you would expect.

[Zod]

popeyewhite said:

gregs656 said:

lemmingjames said:

Sounds like fat persons logic so they make themselves sound stronger than they really are.

It’s not though.

Leg press is also not a vertical lift.

Halb is right to point out those numbers are not as far apart as they might appear.

Leg press and squat aren't really comparable and there's a huge amount of variables. Other than both being lower body, they are fundamentally different lifts. There are people who are very good leg pressers but rubbish at squat and vice versa.There are people who aren't very good at either, like me. Think of the huge difference in stabilisers required for the squat, where none are needed for the leg press.

I can leg press 180kg more than I can squat. They are totally different.

[V8mate]

Zod said:

popeyewhite said:

gregs656 said:

lemmingjames said:

Sounds like fat persons logic so they make themselves sound stronger than they really are.

It’s not though.

Leg press is also not a vertical lift.

Halb is right to point out those numbers are not as far apart as they might appear.

Leg press and squat aren't really comparable and there's a huge amount of variables. Other than both being lower body, they are fundamentally different lifts. There are people who are very good leg pressers but rubbish at squat and vice versa.There are people who aren't very good at either, like me. Think of the huge difference in stabilisers required for the squat, where none are needed for the leg press.

I can leg press 180kg more than I can squat. They are totally different.

Definitely. My best leg press was 480kg; my best squat 150kg.

I have genetically strong legs, especially thighs; my back and core belong to lemmingjames's fat bloke

[lemmingjames]

If you really want to trigger a fat person/lifter, talk about power to weight ratio

[Halb]

Not all leg presses are equal. I prefer the matrix plate loaded machine at my current gym, it only goes up to 170ish (I think, that's a guess as I haven't used it for a year or so), but it's hard enough, one can load the hammer leg press with 25kg plates (which morons do all ze time) and then shift it an inch. It's tough for me to get FROM on the hammer machine, it's angle is just crappy.

[popeyewhite]

gregs656 said:

popeyewhite said:

Leg press and squat aren't really comparable and there's a huge amount of variables. Other than both being lower body, they are fundamentally different lifts. There are people who are very good leg pressers but rubbish at squat and vice versa.There are people who aren't very good at either, like me. Think of the huge difference in stabilisers required for the squat, where none are needed for the leg press.

Which doesn't really undermine the point that the poster complaining about his Squat weight being so much lower than his leg press didn't appear to take into account those variables - which once you do brings the numbers broadly into the range you would expect.

There is no 'expected' range, the lifts are totally different.