Work in Progress

This week and last I trained legs with guys who used to run track, (one used to play basketball) during secondary (high) school. It’s been 5 years now and neither of them pursued track after they left high school, although I assume they’ve continued to be moderately active via basketball. The point? Even after so long their legs were still surprisingly strong, one could have squatted 225 and the other 205 right off the bat! Both could leg press 450 x 12 for 3 sets and 125 x 12 for 3 sets of the leg extension machine. It took me forever to get to that weight! When I started off, the prospect of having to lift that weight was darned scary. This confirms what I knew at the back of my mind all along; if you want strong legs, run, sprint, jump or any combination of these three. I do not think anything else could produce the kind of definition and strength that comes from doing that really so come next year God willing I’m gonna hit the tracks, and see if I can reap the benefits in the gym and on the measuring tape.

The Scariest Exercise Ever

I am beginning to realize a trend with male bodybuilders. From my limited experience I have observed in the various gyms I have been in; that for the period of time I was there I hardly ever saw guys do barbell squats.

The few who actually did usually used the smith machine, with light weight, or used even lighter weight on the squat rack. I am talking about big looking guys; obviously capable of lifting more, I think to myself. Over the past year or so the only guy I’ve seen do barbell squats heavy is an old diabetic guy who came to the gym very often earlier this year when I was in St. Lucia. The leg press machine on the other hand, seems to be more frequently used, most use 3-4 plates, some I’ve seen use up to 10 (in my present gym) but only one or two of those guys actually go through the entire range of movement. And they still don’t squat.

So what’s so scary about squatting?