DB squats.
The leg press is actually superior to the squat for leg hypertrophy. When the lower back is taken out of the equation, more load can be placed on the legs.
Well, you were asking for a temporary replacement.
I say go with either on of the following options:
A:
unilateral leg presses (takes a lot of strain off the lower back and allows for a deep stretch) and pistols (great for (p)rehabbing: after all, walking = unilateral).
B:
alternatively, I challenge you to try out tabata squats. Look it up, Dan John has two articles on this charming fucker. Yes, you’d still be doing squats, but honestly: 8x [20 s asquattin’ + 10 s catching your breath] with a barbell you can safely clean will be intense enough and yield good results.
C: HIIT on a stationary bike
If done seriously, this will blow up your quads pretty fast (I’m speaking from personal experience).
Doing this on a bike provides the added benefit of minimized eccentric contractions, allowing for high training frequency.
Seeing how this option mainly involves the quads as opposed to the whole posterior chain which is addressed by a back squat, I’d say you’d need to step up your game with DL variants.
[quote]belligerent wrote:
The leg press is actually superior to the squat for leg hypertrophy. When the lower back is taken out of the equation, more load can be placed on the legs.[/quote]
Really?
I find that more people have trouble with their lumbar spine on the leg press than they do squatting. My theory (which might be false) is that that is because they hold their lumbar arch which keeps their spine safe under a load for squatting whereas they press their back into the rest on the leg press which does not keep their spine safe under a load for leg pressing. Same thing for standing vs seated overhead pressing, I think…
How about step-ups?
I know they have been mentioned… But what if you find yourself a giant ass thing to step to so you can work your leg through a full ROM like… An ATG squat ROM… Then load things up with dumbbells?
Maybe that wouldn’t work, though, I don’t know…
Since nobody’s suggested it yet: ask gym management WTF they’re thinking and would they please provide a goddamned power cage and dip station. Massage the wording any way you want.
I stuck with a so-so gym for a while (it had one power cage, which was oversubscribed), but love my current one (3 cages/platforms, squat rack, 2 Smiths, 3 dip stations including the gravitrons).
Find a better gym.
[quote]FattyFat wrote:
Well, you were asking for a temporary replacement.
I say go with either on of the following options:
A:
unilateral leg presses (takes a lot of strain off the lower back and allows for a deep stretch) and pistols (great for (p)rehabbing: after all, walking = unilateral).
B:
alternatively, I challenge you to try out tabata squats. Look it up, Dan John has two articles on this charming fucker. Yes, you’d still be doing squats, but honestly: 8x [20 s asquattin’ + 10 s catching your breath] with a barbell you can safely clean will be intense enough and yield good results.
C: HIIT on a stationary bike
If done seriously, this will blow up your quads pretty fast (I’m speaking from personal experience).
Doing this on a bike provides the added benefit of minimized eccentric contractions, allowing for high training frequency.
Seeing how this option mainly involves the quads as opposed to the whole posterior chain which is addressed by a back squat, I’d say you’d need to step up your game with DL variants.
[/quote]
Any of the above seem like they’d work, I’m sure I only used like 40% when I tried TFS and it kicked my arse.
I actually find leg presses hard on my knees but I think they are better for hypertrophy for MOST people, for myself squats are king for leg hypertrophy, so i would do some sort of squat variation if i couldnt do heavy barbell ones. Even though theyre not the most comfortable barbell hack squats are decent i found
I would go to clean/front squats.
Here is a less desirable solution
Just found this thread at the top of the powerlifting forum
Squatting in a smith machine isn’t the end of the world.
It’s actually fucking great for your quads, ask Dorian Yates.
Any chance of doing trap bar deads?