instead of squats?

[Stef66]

Are deadlifts as effective as squats for working the quads?

I'm looking for a substitute for squats that I can do solo with minimal equipment - without a decent squat rack, heavy lifts would be pretty dangerous, especially working out alone.

[canesgoalie]

I alternate squats with dumbbells vs. squats with the bar. It's a nice change of pace, and you can use heavier weight without needing a spotter. Just my .02 cents. Squats with a tension band are another alternative.

[sloth2946]

Canes is right on. That is what you should do. Also the leg press, which of course requires the machine, but there are other ways to mimic it, is a good alternative as well.

[gleclaire]

Dead Lift are more for the hamstrings. Using a barbell or dumbells with less weight, good form and slow reps will suffice.

[Bryan]

Nothing is as good as squats for leg development. Recent studies have actually proven it.

However, as you pointed out, without a good squat rack and a workout partner, they aren't always the most practical (or safe) exercise to do. IMO, the best substitute is dumb-bell lunges. You are basically doing squats one leg at a time, and you can easily put the weight down if need be without risk to your body or surroundings.

Slightly off-topic:

Ever tried to go for your one rep max WITHOUT anyone there to spot? My wife was asleep and just couldn't fall asleep myself. I decided to do a hard-core workout instead. I loaded up the bar with more weight than I'd ever benched before. I got the bar off the support, and lifted it up a few inches before it came straight down on my chest! I wasn't hurt so much as I was pinned to the bench and could not move.

My weights are in the basement, our bedroom in on the second floor, and my wife sleeps like a rock. There was no point in calling her because she wouldn't hear it. Thankfully, I'm lazy, and I seldom remember to put the collars on the bar. I had to tilt the bar to each side and let the weights go crashing to the floor. You have no idea how loud it was! My wife DID wake up and came rushing downstairs to see what happened. She was NOT amused when I told her what I was doing.

[Squealagig]

Bryan are you a moron? Good job you didn't crack any ribs.

[keywolf]

Bryan, I hope you won't try that again. I had a close friend that died that way. He was benching at home alone and his son came home and found him dead on the bench with the bar across his neck. If you were Bernie, I would say just RUN, don't walk, away from the weights.

p.s. Just in case you're wondering, it was inded an accident. The autopsy showed the marks on his chest where it came down first, and then where it rolled up to his neck. I just had to mention that, because in my line of work I have seen some pretty creative ways that people kill themselves.

[Timberwoof]

Keywolf, thanks for the warning ... I'm sorry to hear that you and yours had to learn it that way.

(That's really nice avatar, by the way. )

So what's folks' general opinion of Soloflex? I need to find motivaiton wihtin myself to get back into the habit of using mine... It worked for a while, but then I fell out of the habit.

[sloth2946]

Bryan is right about squats and lunges, but also is a retard for trying to max out with out a spotter.. It is that precise reason that I don't work out with the barbell because I never work out with anyone and I don't like to socialize in the gym so I never have a spotter. The barbell also limits your range of motion within the exercise and allows you to compensate for the weaker arm with the dominant arm. But I do of course use the bar for squats.

As far as an opinion of a soloflex, well they make a good clothes hanger just like the nordictrak. That is not to say that either of them isn't a good product to work out with, rather it has been my experience that most people who think they will work out regularly at home are deluding themselves. Most people seriously lack the discipline to come home and work out when the distractions of this BB and the TV as well as that comfy couch are around. I am one of them myself. I have to go to the gym direct from work in order to do it. If I set foot at home, I usually am done and never make it to the gym. But if affording a gym membership isn't in the budget, you will have to have discipline and use that Soloflex!!

[Duke2L]

Originally posted by gleclaire
Dead Lift are more for the hamstrings. Using a barbell or dumbells with less weight, good form and slow reps will suffice.

Slow-rep squats are great if your goal is to build massive, tree-like legs. But keep in mind that size and power are not the same thing. To increase the power in your legs, your rep speed has to be as fast and as explosive as possible (with good form). Rep ranges vary, but for most people 5 sets of 5 reps with about 1 - 1.5 mins rest is best. Keep a bucket close by when you attempt this workout. When you do it, you'll know why.

[Clyde]

A little off-topic, but have any of you guys been using the FreeMotion cable machines in a health club to work out with? I get started when I was showing my wife how to use them because she doesn't like the free weights. Turns out I like them better than the free weights myself because I can switch weight in about 2 seconds and get a better workout that way by doing a heavy and a light set back to back quickly without having to hog 2 sets of dumbells. I only use dumbells now for curls because the cables get in the way of my forearms when I tried the machine. All in all a much better workout than a standard machine because with the cables, your connective tissue still had to hold the limb in place and on track, just like free weights, so you don't end up with strong muscles and wimpy connective tissue like with some of the Cybex and Nautalis machine workouts. Only down side, IMO, is that I still need to use the Cybex machines and a squat rack for my legs, but with running I am sure my connective tissue gets enough of a workout.

[sloth2946]

Originally posted by Duke2L
Slow-rep squats are great if your goal is to build massive, tree-like legs. But keep in mind that size and power are not the same thing. To increase the power in your legs, your rep speed has to be as fast and as explosive as possible (with good form). Rep ranges vary, but for most people 5 sets of 5 reps with about 1 - 1.5 mins rest is best. Keep a bucket close by when you attempt this workout. When you do it, you'll know why.

Good points, bad points. Good: Slow squats will give you the massive legs, but no muscular endurance or explosiveness which is what the position requires. Bad: 5 sets 5 reps/set...that is a small workout. Not much muscular endurance going on there. I do 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps of explosive squats, i.e. down slow to the 'butt sitting on the bowl' position, then explode up to the point of almost jumping. I run those reps as fast as I can. People look at me weird on the gym when I do that, and I don't scream like other meatheads in the gym.

PS: If you do not have good form or very strong legs, I do not recommend doing squats in the way I do it because you can do some serious damage to your back and knees.

[MarineGoalie31]

I alternate squats with lunges. I use dumbells when I do lunges and they help develop explosiveness. It's worked for me and just thought I'd add that to the thread in case it might help you. Good Luck.

[Goaliedad]

If you are trying to build powerful athletic quads one suggestion would be find a staircase or set of bleachers and briskly ascend and descend the stairs. A pair of dumbells can be held for added resistance. For a harder workout add more weight or speed or try two steps at a time. This will add a cardio vascular element to the workout and build endurance to boot. Safer squats can be done by doing them while straddling a bench but there is always the safty issue. The best suggestion would be to buy a smith machine.

[Duke2L]

Sloth,

Bear in mind, though, that there is a distinction between endurance and power. The workout you describe is great (and brutal!), but, for me, the rep range is a bit too high for a power phase. During my endurance phase, I try to get the reps up to something like 12 to 15 with about a 45 second rest period.

The speed with which you squat sounds awesome. Remind me never to work out with you.