[rico]

Read quite a few posts about squats. I do a lot of weight training and noticed my downhill improving from upper body work.

Whats the best for doing squats? Form wise is spot on (down to thighs horizontal etc) but what about reps vs weight? Higher reps or Higher weight? Or a mix of the two?

Cheers

 

[pelo]

Mix has been very good for me.

 

[SuboptimusPrime]

^^^ Agreed. I think it's important just to use really good form and make sure that you're pushing yourself a little bit each time you work out. I think there are worthwhile benefits to all combinations of weight and repetitions so doing a bit of everything is great.

 

[dhzion]

High reps = definition

High weight = strength/mass

 

[LMC]

stick to 5 reps or below on the squat, this is one excersize that you want pure strength on.

for other leg work, lunges ect, 3 sets of 8

 

[demo8razor]

from a riding standpoint, i have found higher reps work better like 15 or more, but with still as much weight as you can do. or follow a rep scheme of 20 16 12 10 but with just enough rest to catch your breath and then sets of 15 for your other leg excercises, i lift for more than riding, and i want size, for how much i can squat, i did not feel i was big enough and it did not help riding, as i did not have endurance for like a full day of downhill

 

[demo8razor]

another thing that will work well is to do one very heavy set of like 6-8 these 6-8 would be your first after warmups this may not be true for you, but the 6-8 should be a weight that after you did a normal quad workout you could only get for a couple or few reps, then do sets of high reps after also from a riding standpoint, or snowboarding skiing i have found also, locking out is not good you want the stress kept lower in the motion on the muscles rather than on your knees as locking out does nothing

 

[ChrisRobin]

My 0.02:

Don't do anything below 6 reps unless you have a partner to spot you. Going that low you're meant to go really heavy and go to failure (to the point where you're about to just fall over on the 6th rep).

I've always done from 8-12. If you want to fry your legs, superset with leg extensions.

 

[LMC]

it depends what you want to achieve from squatting

using a lower rep range your strength gains will come alot quicker and you will be able to increace the weight from week to week for alot longer until your gains plateau.

so say for example you can squat 80% of your 1 rep max for 8 reps,
as you increace your 1 rep max, the amount you can squat for 8 reps will automatically increace even if you have not trained in the 8 rep range. Training with 8-10 reps will still result in increaced strength, but at a slower rate than 5 reps and below.

Another thing to be wary of however is the effect on your nerves. generally with squats 3 reps or below become very taxing on the central nervous system after a while, and a 1 rep max should really never be attempted. with regard to going to failure, i would recommend that you stop 1-2 reps before failure. Trainining to failure and all the techniques that require that you stop only once you cannot lift the weight for another rep, or even that you drop the weight and continue to lift are another huge drain on the central nervous system and will hinder training results.

lifting heavy weights may be daunting at first but you will grow in confidence and know when to go for it and when to back off, ive been squatting on and off for over 3 years and have never used a spotter, just a squat rack.

rep ranges above approx 12 reps are more targeted to endurance, but its best to train for sprinting and endurance via more sport specific means, for example interval training on the bike.
Even when using low weight for high reps on leg excersises its not possible to duplicate the speed that your legs will extend when pedalling in a sprint, meaning that the neurons controling how your leg muscles fire. will not be trained most efficiently for the quickfire action that a sprint requires

increacing leg strength and power will make you push a higher gear, interval training etc will make your body adept at pushing that gear for a longer time period.

so my recomendation to you would be 5 sets of 5 reps on the squat, suplimented by higher rep single leg excersizes (lunges etc), and a decent interval training program. Aim to increace the weight by 2-5 kg each week.

 

[demo8razor]

yes what lmc said, as far as what do you want to gain, i notice when i ride, i get a pump and basically dnt have endurance, i am not talking from peddling but rather from my legs supporting me and being used as a suspension for an entire day, and it is mainly outter low quads, which to target that area that i feel is affected most by riding isnt really even squats, its hack squats and front squats, 5 reps and lower is more powerlifting range, absolute strength, that is kind of how i used to train, and as i said i did not have endurance for riding, not peddling, but supporting yourself the entire day like you do with snowboarding or skiing, and i stopped squats because my outter quads needed more work, and basically considering what i could squat raw through normal workouts i didnt feel squats were that good for me anymore and i have been correct so far

 

[djjohnr]

Word of caution on squats - you can really f**k up your knees later in life if you use the wrong form when you're younger. Make sure you're doing them properly.

Pyramids can give you very well rounded performance from you muscles - a great combo of strength and endurance. First set do 1 rep, second set do two, third do three etc. You want to reach a plateau and then come back down. Start with enough weight that you can get to 5-6 (you should be using max effort on the last 1-2 reps) before coming back down the pyramid.

 

[CarlE]

Word of caution on squats - you can really f**k up your knees later in life if you use the wrong form when you're younger. Make sure you're doing them properly.

I had a personal trainer when I was younger and they made me lift with about 1/2 to 3/4 the weight I was capable of lifting and every rep was done insanely slow. It made it very hard to hurt myself lifting and gave suprising results (10lbs of muscle in 1.5-2 months of lifting about twice a week). Whenever I left there I swayed around like a drunk my legs were so shot.

 

[LMC]

the lower you go on the squat, the less the 'shear' load on the knee, and just stand up straight in the starting position, dont deliberatly lock out.

if you properly warm up before you hit the squatting rack you will be fine.. i find 10mins on the stationary bike warms up the knee/legs and the heart too

leg extentions are more dangerous on the knee as the force is spread across just the knee joint as poopsed to the ankle, hip and knee.

 

[demo8razor]

oh also, im sure people will disagree, but since you're not maxxing out, do not use a belt, it will only hurt you later on, by using a belt you are not letting your own core build strength, and until you are used to a belt you will probably use poor form in regards to your lower back.

 

[SuboptimusPrime]

Good call on the belt thing...I think the great thing about squats is that it does work on the low back. Why take that away?

 

[demo8razor]

yea exactly, it helps strengthen abs and core also, deadlifts do the same, bent rows anything heavy where your abs are supporting you, there was a russian powerlifter that deadlifted 920 no belt, and when people asked how, he said i built my own belt

 

[rico]

Good advice guys. Thanks.

I've never used a belt for the reasons posted above. See so many people in the gym using belts and their form is crap and they're relying too much on the belt, instead of holding form with their abs and back. :huh:

 

[demo8razor]

rico, what were u trying to accomplish, was it just get stronger, or was it you want your legs to have more strength and endurance for as i said using your legs as a suspension and supporting yourself?