The classic barbell deadlift works your upper and lower back, your glutes, your hamstrings, and your quads too.Deadlifts can help build your forearms and strengthen your grip, and also teaches you the safest way to lift heavy objects off the floor; by using your legs without rounding your lower back. The only issue I have is that my adjustable dumbbells can only go up so high, so once they max out I will have to start doing unilateral, single leg squats (weighted pistols). How high does the bench rack go? I replaced it with bulgarian split squats with dumbbells. If you want to get bigger, squats will help. Lunges, zercher squats, Bulgarian split squats. Use alternative forms of resistance to reap the functional and strength benefits of the barbell squat without the discomfort of holding a loaded bar across your upper back. So as luck would have it, I find myself in a gym which has only dumbbells, a free barbell and a smith machine. Truth be told, most of my significant quad development over the years came from leg presses, but in my 20s I loved to squat. Didn't even feel the squats in my quads for a while cause my lower back and abs were obvious limiting factors. But I do like what the other guy said about weighted pistols. These exercises do work, and doing BB squat substitution stuff for a few weeks I was able to do 5 reps of my body weight (170 lbs.) If the bench moves try that. in Empowerment. Hi guys, I'm starting SL 5x5 this week, but I already ran into a problem. Welcome to r/Fitness! Now I'm up to 130 pounds dumbbell squat at 155 pounds bodyweight (target is 3x8). As such, you might be looking for front squat alternatives that still have the benefits of the overall movement. How does that guy not snap his back? That being said, most of these exercises are about leg strength. It wont be just as good as BB squatting but its better than nothing. It might feel a bit awkward at first and does require some practice, but if you have no squat rack available then this would probably be my top recommended barbell squat alternative. I have been doing on and off TB for 1 year. [–]dragon_guy12[S] 0 points1 point2 points 7 years ago (8 children). If you are looking to develop your lower body but you find the hack squat dangerous, you can use the alternatives below: 1. Anyways, they did renovations and took out the freakin squat rack, so now I have no way of doing them. I've never had any issues with dumbbell squats and keeping good form. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Discussion of physical fitness/exercise goals and how they can be achieved, Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. The gym I'm going to only has a smith machine for doing squats, and the gym doesn't have any power rack. You can definitely pack on real muscle without proper deadlifts using a barbell. A barbell is the most important piece of equipment in your gym. Front Squats (With or Without Straps) For the front squat, the bar is held either in the fingertips or … Then, switch to two dumbbells until you run out of dumbbells. Barbell squats are a highly effective exercise, as the movement "activates the body’s biggest muscles" and is the best overall exercise, according to kinesiology professor Stuart Phillips, Ph.D. The Reddit community is full of different opinions on the barbell-hack squat. I don't understand how dumbbell squats are not a good substitute for barbell squats. tl;dr No doom and gloom. Any squatting is better than no squatting. Is front squat where you hold the bar in your arms? © 2021 reddit inc. All rights reserved. He may have to settle for 3x8 or 5x8 or 3x10, etc. 1. My core was REALLY lacking when I switched to the BB squats. Yeah I saw those zercher squats, and I'll try them out. #17 Ditch Free Squats – Do Box Squats Instead Squat variations have their place, but you’ll find the majority of your clients will benefit more from the box squat than the classic back squat. I found out from a coworker that there is actually a pretty cheap gym nearby that I could afford, but it's like a 10 min drive. There’s just something exhilarating about stepping out from the rack with a bunch of weight on your back and a hint of fear that it might crush you if you don’t get out of the hole. Do Romanian deadlifts or straight-leg deadlifts to hit your hamstrings. Unless your gym does not have a hack squat machine, there is no need to substitute a hack squat. Smith Machine is better than nothing, but your stabilizers will suffer greatly. There are a variety of barbell squat exercises. Save up and get the barbell and power cage, or persuade your club to buy one. Oh, those zercher squats are interesting. Also, this gym is the cheapest for OP so he's going to have to make a compromise. Let’s look at some squatting variations that will still provide a workout to the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and the rest of the body that can almost compare to the barbell squat. [–]dragon_guy12[S] 0 points1 point2 points 7 years ago (1 child). Squat and DL alternatives. I didn't think of that. The hack squat is a popular lower body workout performed on the hack squat machine. But with great reward comes great risk, and back squats are not always an option if someone is unable to perform them properly and safely. [–]frosted_mossGeneral Fitness 1 point2 points3 points 7 years ago (2 children). Think about this – it is not at all unreasonable to squat 300 pounds, or even bench 300 pounds. It is one of the big 3 compounds lifts and is the staple of any good strength program. Some work around issues and still train the regular squat pattern, while others are a step in another direction but still squat related, pattern related, and functional. Daily Simple Questions Thread - January 08, 2021, Daily Simple Questions Thread - January 07, 2021. Do not buy your bar at Wal-Mart or off Amazon. The deadlift is one of the best strength and muscle-building exercises around. Clean the barbell and do front squats. The thing is that the gym I signed up for is the cheapest in my area, unless if I want to pay up the ass for 24 Hour or another corporate gym. Place your hands on opposite shoulders and lower into a squat position the same way you would with a barbell. It is not absolutely necessary to barbell squat, especially if you don't have access to a rack in which to do it safely. Whoever said this is exaggerating. I'm unable to squat also due to hip impingement. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. The only issue I have is that my adjustable dumbbells can only go up so high, so once they max out I will have to start doing unilateral, single leg squats (weighted pistols). you'll have to change your program however. Anything worth doing is worth doing right. Bulgarian split squats with dumbbells for rep work, or go heavy with a bar. Some people say that they do barbell-hack squat as an alternative to machine hack squat. Honestly, I'd say goblet squat until you run out of dumbbells. Barbell Squat Alternatives. 2. Let’s be honest – Overloading the bar during a barbell front squat can cause the bar … No Threads That Are Answered by the Wiki, Searching Threads, or Google, Posts Must Be Specific to Physical Fitness and Promote Useful Discussion, Progress Posts Must Be Detailed and Useful, No Questions Related to Injury, Pain, or Any Medical Topic, http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/1mwwx7/barbell_squat_alternatives/ccdedc0. If you're gonna do leg strength substitutions, I strongly recommend core strength substitutions as well. Will I be fine using the smith machine, or do I need to use an alternative exercise? It'll get all weird once it gets heavy - you'll be cleaning the weight up to shoulder height, for starters, and the back angle will be closer to what you'd use in a front squat. I have never done a barbell squat because I have no rack at home. What exactly is the issue here? Stand with your feet shoulder-wide, flat on the floor. That said, done with light to moderate weights for moderate to high reps, this is a good hack squat alternative that will challenge your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. Which isn't bad at all, but my current gym is about 100 yards away, and for me that'd be much better. Here’s how you can do this move. Slowly squat down and grab the barbell at the knurls with a pronated (overhand) … Traditional Squats. What do you mean by "saddle"? Of course not, but you'll still get stronger. Often, ditching the barbell is enough to alleviate the pain, but for some, any load bearing squat is enough to trigger it. ... (skinny bloke still although came a long way from 67.0 kg before starting Tactical Barbell). Squat is about way more than just your legs. 1 – Rear-Foot Elevated Split Squat from a Step When to Use It – When you have low back issues. http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/BBFullSquat.html, http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/DBSquat.html. Alright, so I'm kind of annoyed with this whole situation. Squat Alternative 6: Barbell Hack Squat. Here are 4 “bulletproof” non-squat exercises that will help you build your legs! It lets you position scalable mass over your mid foot and complete free standing movements. With that in mind, here’s how to train legs without squats. Also called Bulgarian split squats. See if nearby gyms offer a free week to test the gym. Thanks for all the tips! [–]SkippingLeafGeneral Fitness -1 points0 points1 point 7 years ago (0 children). A barbell is the platonic strength training tool. [–]troublesome 4 points5 points6 points 7 years ago (3 children), http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_repair/singleleg_supplements. The other exercises I listed are probably better alternatives. All you have to do is strike a pose and hold it to hit all the same areas of a barbell squat. I never really stuck with their program long term until now. Clean and front squats for reps is what I do when assholes tie up the squat rack doing ab crunches and curl supersets or something dumb. Goblet squats, pistol squats, shrimp squats, lunges, deep step-UPS, Bulgarian split squats, front squats, zercher squats, overhead squats, and hack squats. Damn that guy yelling in the first video is annoying. In fact, you don’t even need weights. There is no good substitute for the BB Squat. The thing is that the gym I signed up for is the cheapest in my area, unless if I want to pay up the ass for 24 Hour or another corporate gym. There is no good substitute for the BB Squat. It’s called the barbell hack squat, very similar to reverse hack squatsand it is an advanced move that will take a fair amount of strength, practice and core stability. Now I'm up to 130 pounds dumbbell squat at 155 pounds bodyweight (target is 3x8). Short answer, You can build a solid lower body with no squats. These are great. I don't understand how dumbbell squats are not a good substitute for barbell squats. Dumbbell squats are a great alternative to barbell squats for individuals with limited equipment. And most people can't even do a bodyweight squat that would pass at your local powerlifting meet. moment and make the call whether it's worth it to you to move. Front squat? The main drawbacks of barbell squats are that they’re hard to learn, can be tough on your lower back, and dangerous when performed with very heavy weights. First of all, thank you for your posts on squats and alternatives to the back squat. All of the exercises have their own specific reason for being a good alternative. Not good. [–]Nodart 0 points1 point2 points 7 years ago (1 child). Get an ad-free experience with special benefits, and directly support Reddit. (self.Fitness). Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Alternatives to barbell squat, military press & bench press. OP don't listen to the single track squat fanatics. 7 Best Hack Squat Alternatives And How To Do Them. So I’ve researched the best front squat alternatives from basic and advanced exercises that include both dumbbell, barbell, and single-leg variations. There is no other movement that works as many muscles as the squat. It wasn't used to having a pile of metal to balance on top of it and had to play catch up. Here are squat alternatives that can diversify your strength and sports performance, add lean muscle mass to your legs, or help you train around injury. Now let's get into some of the safer alternatives you can use to keep the gains coming and bring your nagging pain to a stop. [–]misplaced_my_pants 0 points1 point2 points 7 years ago (0 children). I live in an apartment complex that has a small free gym that I've been going to for the past couple of months to work out at. Then, if you haven't found a more affordable gym near you within that time, switch to single leg variations. The hack squat only develops your glutes, thighs and front legs. So is there some kind of alternative workout I could do that would have the same benefits and effects from normal squats? This guy doesn't absolutely have to change gyms if he doesn't mind compromising a bit on squatting. Barbell squat alternatives? Anyways, they did renovations and took out the freakin squat rack, so now I have no way of doing them. all of those can be used as a substitute. Add a barbell and (to borrow from Gray Cook) you're loading a dysfunctional movement pattern. They have yet to reply. If you want to lose weight, squats will help. BB squat really is the most complete exercise, but variants are totally worthwhile. You really need to find a new gym. I started off doing dumbbell squats. Deadlifts I can do with this set up but I was wondering what the best alternatives would be for So... That's not a no, that's a yes, but... [–]zahlman 0 points1 point2 points 7 years ago (1 child). Why It's Sub Worthy: At first glance, this exercise may look a bit odd, like you're doing a deadlift the wrong way, because the bar is behind your legs instead of in front. The 10 best front squat alternatives are: Cross-Arm Front Squat ; Goblet Squat There isn't really all that good way to get the DBs up to your shoulders once the weight gets heavy enough. I did BSS instead of back squats for a couple months and felt the same, it was great for the legs but my squat weakness is now folding. Heavy kettlebell front squats, feels heavier than you'd think. In fact, the dumbbell squat recruits even more stabilizers. Alternative exercises: if you have no safe means of squatting, you can try high rep deadlifts, cleans, snatches, weighted lunges, and weighted step-ups. The barbell back squat is arguably the most effective movement for building a strong, muscular set of legs. http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/1mwwx7/barbell_squat_alternatives/ccdedc0 --- I went over the dumbbell squat here and how it compares nicely to the barbell squat. Even the DB Squat isn't an acceptable substitute because you will not be able to saddle the weight properly within weeks of starting to squat. Though effective, you may grow weary of performing the same exercise all of the time. I sent them a moderatley worded letter about why they took away one of the necessary gym equipments. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy. These are excellent movements for developing leg strength. Those $100 bars have max loads of 250, 300, or 600 pounds. Nearly the same muscles are worked. The plan is to increase the weight by 5 for each successive squat workout. 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Core was barbell squat alternatives reddit lacking when I switched to the single track squat fanatics unable!