Running Stairs for Leg Size?

[quote]eyegainweightbig wrote:
BB squats hurt my lower back, and I seem to h ave the same problem as some others- My lower vertebrate (tailbone area) is fused weird…I feel pressure in my lower back and I feel like I cant flex my hip flexors hard enough to stay arched and upright.

My friend said to use a belt when I squat, should I try that?[/quote]

I, of all people, know that not everyone is built to squat big weights with perfectly natural form.

But unless youve tried every variation, with many different foot placements, And work hard on soft tissue work/ mobility improvement, you are doing yourself a disservice abandoning the movement so soon.

And I do not think you should “just stick to weights”. Sprinting is fine, in moderation, if bodybuilding is the goal. Just dont think it is the most hypertrophic activity around, obviously.

[quote]eyegainweightbig wrote:
BB squats hurt my lower back, and I seem to h ave the same problem as some others- My lower vertebrate (tailbone area) is fused weird…I feel pressure in my lower back and I feel like I cant flex my hip flexors hard enough to stay arched and upright.
[/quote]

Your lower back is fused wierd? Did a doctor tell you this or did you diagnose yourself with the internet? Sounds like an excuse not to squat.

A vid would help if you are serious about this.

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]Loudog75 wrote:

[quote]eyegainweightbig wrote:
To each his own, I do not get the benefits [/quote]

look guy - squats are not the only way to build huge quads but I will say this. At my gym there are some track athletes with monster legs. What do they do in the gym you ask. Hint: they are not sprinting.

They move heavy weight (both male and female).[/quote]

Agreed. The starting place is the squat. I may do more leg press or squat machine now, but that is with quads over 30". Squats built the base.
[/quote]

I dont know if my experience is specific to me, or just coincidence or that my legs just grow easily… but I did a hell of a lot sprint training as a kid (from 7 years old till 18/19). Do you think all the sprinting helped my legs grow when i eventually started squatting a little while ago?

All the sprint work got my legs ‘ready to grow’ as it were? I think Ive read Thibs write about this.

They are just over 27 inches atm, before i started squatting they were under 24. Now upto 160kg x 2 squat in under a year.

I agree squats built the size, just wondering if sprints and speed work when i was younger helped with it all

[quote]rugggby wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]Loudog75 wrote:

[quote]eyegainweightbig wrote:
To each his own, I do not get the benefits [/quote]

look guy - squats are not the only way to build huge quads but I will say this. At my gym there are some track athletes with monster legs. What do they do in the gym you ask. Hint: they are not sprinting.

They move heavy weight (both male and female).[/quote]

Agreed. The starting place is the squat. I may do more leg press or squat machine now, but that is with quads over 30". Squats built the base.
[/quote]

I dont know if my experience is specific to me, or just coincidence or that my legs just grow easily… but I did a hell of a lot sprint training as a kid (from 7 years old till 18/19). Do you think all the sprinting helped my legs grow when i eventually started squatting a little while ago?

All the sprint work got my legs ‘ready to grow’ as it were? I think Ive read Thibs write about this.

They are just over 27 inches atm, before i started squatting they were under 24. Now upto 160kg x 2 squat in under a year.

I agree squats built the size, just wondering if sprints and speed work when i was younger helped with it all[/quote]

Most of the sprinters I knew in college had legs that made me ashamed to wear shorts at the time. I would blame overall genetics first (because no one is going to be sprinting much on that level unless they are physically cut out for it), and the impact of short bursts of intense action that keeps it largely “anaerobic”.

Mind you, they weren’t sporting 29"+ quads or anything, but proportionally, they were impressive.

I will post a vid by the end of next week from my cell phone then,

and bonez- I do variations, like db split squats. but as far as bilateral bb squat, i will try different foot placements

[quote]eyegainweightbig wrote:
I will post a vid by the end of next week from my cell phone then,

and bonez- I do variations, like db split squats. but as far as bilateral bb squat, i will try different foot placements[/quote]

What about front squats? PLate loaded power squat ‘machine’? low bar back squats, high bar back squats?

Your lower back hurting is a sign that youre not flexible, which is likely causing a breakdown in proper form. Address that.

Heavy backwards sled dragging activates /works my quads a lot. I don’t do it very often now though.
I have doing belt squats recently and they work quite and are easy on the lower back.
Step ups are nice too , I am not sure if they would that much size though.

My legs are quite big for me , 25 inches. When I squat they tend get bigger but then my legs rub into each other , so I don’t squat so often. I do Front Squats mostly but I am building a bar a bit like a bar with handles, so I can back squat.

With the sprints (keep to practising starts 20/30 mins to build strength. It should build some size too, if you did enough of it, esp on hills. Sprints including backward sprints are a great way of limbering the hamstrings up.

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]eyegainweightbig wrote:
If that was sarcasm…

Why do people report size gains from sprinting?

I felt my legs like no other leg exercise I have done…[/quote]

“Feeling” your legs doesn’t mean they will grow bigger. That was lactic acid. Do some research about yourself. With that logic, then all of the fat people on exercise bikes should be monsters soon.[/quote]
HEY!! Were you talk me?

After reading this thread I was curious as to how sprinters trained.

Lo and behold I find this:

2:40 mark

Former World’s fastest man Ben Johnson squatting 495lbs for reps

I guess those big legs do come from heavy weight.