The Muscle Feed

by TJ Jones

If you spend enough time in the gym, there are a few things you will hear over and over again. Diet talk, the newest supps and bench press tips all seem to come with the territory. But the one thing you will hear more than anything is why people don’t do squats. If its not a blown knee or a bad back it’s a very self righteous “I just don’t want to hurt myself, they are so dangerous you know”. Squats and other traditional leg work outs have become more and more scarce in the gym.

Here are a few myths about leg training:

Myth 1: Running is the same as a working legs.

This is not a squat rack.

Running is good, but as far as getting the mass and tone in your legs legs, running just wont cut it. I will admit, for years I fell into this category. I wanted to do my leg workout without actually…doing my leg workout. Running made my legs sore so I figured it was a great way to both trim up and check off that little mental box titled “legs”. But the fact is running is cardio, not a leg workout. They can affect one another but are just as different as the bench press is to the deadlift–they work different things. Leg day, no matter your fitness goals, is about leaving the gym limping. If you can walk a sobriety line after your leg workout, turn around and try again because you didn’t train hard enough.

Myth 2: Squats are reserved for the super experienced, hardcore lifters.

You may be thinking by my previous comments on leaving the gym limping that I am telling you to pile on plates and squat ungodly amounts. This is false, burn out leg extensions and light weight squats, if done with the right intensity can make even the most hardened bodybuilder walk to his

The Good Ol' Days

car with a hobble. You don’t have to put 4 plates on to make a productive squat workout! In fact if you are starting out I would suggest going below what you think you can do and go for reps just to get the form down. Then, once you have that squat technique down to were you can do it in your sleep, you can start going for mass building. If your going for tone and just want to do high reps you still can benefit greatly from the traditional squat. Just remember to put the guard bars up and wear that trusty belt and its just as safe as any other workout. So be a rebel, use that squat rack for something other than pull ups or hanging leg raises, your body will thank you.

Myth 3:  Doing a leg work out will take away from the upper body workouts that make the ladies weak at the knees.

We have busy lives and no one can make it to the gym every day, so we compromise with our workouts. And all to often legs, specifically the infamous squat routine is the first to go. Here is a secret that those guys over by the squat racks don’t want you to know: Everyone knows high testosterone levels increase muscle mass faster, well the tearing down of muscle during lifting weights makes your body produce testosterone! So if most of the muscle you have in your body is in your legs, then working your legs will up your test levels and make your precious bicep curls that
much more productive! So instead of seeing this as a burden for something that no one will ever see (for most), see it as an investment on the bowling ball shoulders and football arms you might see on Jersey Shores.

Myth 4: There is only one type of squat.

The Hack Squat Machine

In fact there are several forms of squat that involve foot and bar placement alone. Now some of these are more advanced and take more practice than the classic squat, but some are just as easy as the original in terms

of form. All it takes is one search on Bodybuilding.com to find out every type form and abstract idea on the squat. My personal favorite variation is the classic Hack Squat machine. It is a machine, but its been said to be harder on your legs than even the original squat.

Myth 5: It is only necessary to use a belt when squatting when doing heavy weight.

A belt is an insurance policy on your back no matter how much weight you do. If you do light weight than you are going for reps, as your body wears down after so many reps your form starts to get sloppy, your back might not be as flat as you planned—that’s where your belt comes in. So don’t be afraid to grab that belt even if your not looking to put on massive weight, in the end your back will thank you.
In the end it all comes down to dedication. Just because no one sees your quads on a regular basis doesn’t mean you cant benefit from a weekly leg workout. The sad truth iv seen through the years is that the guys in the gym just gearing up for spring break or beach season, and spend more time in the gym chasing girls than with their head down getting work done, are the ones with pencil thin legs. So the next time you head to the gym, you have to decide which guy your going to be, and how dedicated you really want to become.