The Best Bet for Strong Wheels

So I’ve always been a big fan of doing powercleans, deadlifts, and supersetting 5 x 3/3 of heavy legpress and backsquats, or simply just 5 sets of back squats. But is that really best ? I.e would powercleans and front squats be better for quad strength and free up energy for doing heavier deadlifts and legpress for your hamstring-hip-glutes ?

Anyone got any ideas or thoughts feel free.

i dont think deadlifts are going to give you big legs, sumo or not.

I usually backsquat for stronger legs.

Those are all fantastic exercises, but don’t neglect back squats. There is a reason they’re called the King of exercises.

I do them now, I’m just curious as to the benefit of every other week subbing them out for heavy front squats

Both are good. You could rotate them, like Back Squats & Leg Press one week, then Deadlifts/Power Cleans & Front Squats the next. Or even use zercher squats to mix things up a bit more.

I am of the belief that change is what sparks growth in the body, but not changing every week. Go six weeks with one ruotine and chart progress. then change routines (change from back squats to front squats, leg press to cleans, etc) and repeat the process. 6-8 weeks is enough time for your body to get used to an excercise and begin to get stronger. Once youve got your body in building mode instead of learning mode, then you can make a change in the routine so that the body doesnt get too accustomed to the workouts. Every other week might not yield the gains and improvements that your probably looking for.

[quote]ajcicconi15 wrote:
I am of the belief that change is what sparks growth in the body, but not changing every week. Go six weeks with one ruotine and chart progress. then change routines (change from back squats to front squats, leg press to cleans, etc) and repeat the process. 6-8 weeks is enough time for your body to get used to an excercise and begin to get stronger. Once youve got your body in building mode instead of learning mode, then you can make a change in the routine so that the body doesnt get too accustomed to the workouts. Every other week might not yield the gains and improvements that your probably looking for.[/quote]

X2
Although advanced/elite lifters may benefit from weekly changes in exercise selection; few lifters actually qualify as ‘Journeyman’. Most would be better served by attempting to progress at a specific movement for a scheduled period prior to a change. Many would argue, and I would tend to agree, that there are only few good reasons to make a change as long as progress is being made. This magnifies the importance of a lifters ‘log’ and monitoring progress over time. The fact that so few lifters actually have a log and/or monitor/chart progress has always amazed me.

you aren’t allowed to call them “wheels” over here in the strength forum.:slight_smile: next you will be calling someone out. i can see it now-

Call’n out Hanley… how do YOU train?

i think the OP needs to SHUT UP AND SQUAT!

[quote]maraudermeat wrote:
you aren’t allowed to call them “wheels” over here in the strength forum.:slight_smile: next you will be calling someone out. i can see it now-

Call’n out Hanley… how do YOU train?

[/quote]

oh god, people better not bring that BBing forum troll shit into the strength forum, I like it the way it is right now…

Maurdermeat how do you train?

[quote]brauny96 wrote:
i think the OP needs to SHUT UP AND SQUAT![/quote]

And I think you need a bit more cardio and a reality check, your 17 with no collegiate experience in wrestling, let alone PL or SM meets under your belt. I’ll take shit from people who know more than me but not a kid who’s balls just dropped.

[quote]LjSimpson08 wrote:
brauny96 wrote:
i think the OP needs to SHUT UP AND SQUAT!

And I think you need a bit more cardio and a reality check, your 17 with no collegiate experience in wrestling, let alone PL or SM meets under your belt. I’ll take shit from people who know more than me but not a kid who’s balls just dropped.

[/quote]

OH SNAP!

although it sounded more like a joke than an insult

I’m not going to trade insults with some kid, I have standards. My insults and verbal joust are saved only for Irish, and even then at least he knows some credible information and not just repeating a statement like this kid does. I mean for god sakes, your 200lbs and only benching 275, and yet your saying you squat and deadlift 200 lbs more…I’m going to call bullshit since I know highschool coaches always preach benchpress and if you really squatted and pulled that much you’d be putting up at least 350 and your traps would be noticeably bigger.

btw, Marauder, I tried doing front squats (I’ve never done them seriously) after my pulls yesterday and it felt like the lower parts of my quads were going to blow up. Do you do them that heavy (looking at your profile pic) every week or do you sub them out for another exercise ?

You lifting in Nova or are you in Southern Virgina around Richmond ?

[quote]LjSimpson08 wrote:
I’m not going to trade insults with some kid, I have standards. My insults and verbal joust are saved only for Irish, and even then at least he knows some credible information and not just repeating a statement like this kid does. I mean for god sakes, your 200lbs and only benching 275, and yet your saying you squat and deadlift 200 lbs more…I’m going to call bullshit since I know highschool coaches always preach benchpress and if you really squatted and pulled that much you’d be putting up at least 350 and your traps would be noticeably bigger.

btw, Marauder, I tried doing front squats (I’ve never done them seriously) after my pulls yesterday and it felt like the lower parts of my quads were going to blow up. Do you do them that heavy (looking at your profile pic) every week or do you sub them out for another exercise ?

You lifting in Nova or are you in Southern Virgina around Richmond ?[/quote]

there’s a few things you can do to take stress off the knees when you front squat. first, be sure to keep the elbows high and the weight back against your neck. a common mistake people make is when they drive out of the hole, they first start the motion by lifting the hips and that then puts the weight in front of them. then, usually the elbows drop and all that weight is now centered over the knees. so, be sure to force the elbows high, keep a tight arch, keep your head back and as you drive out of the hole, lead with the head, then the chest and the rest of the body will follow.

secondly, take a wider stance and point your toes out some. as you initiate your decent force your knees out to the sides and keep pressure pushing out the entire time, then as you ascend REALLY force them out hard (do all the things above) and force your hips forward hard. the front squat can be very difficult for many people becauese the weight is always in front of you. with the back squat, you can keep the bar pretty much directly over the hips. with the front squat, that ain’t gonna happen. you have to use your core strength to maintain balance. i’ve also found that if you have thick shoulders and upper chest, the front squat is much more comfortable because the bar can basically rest behind the delts. i’ve done front squats with my hands out in front of me and the bar just sitting behind my delts. obviously that can take some time to develope the mass to do that:)

i’m in prince william county (bristow).

i rotate every other week between fronts and back squats to give my arms a break. i get really bad achey arms from low bar squatting.

Thanks Mar, that explains alot. My feet were too narrow and like you said the wieght off balanced.

I used to live in Manassas, further out of. You know where Coles firehouse is, halfway between woodbridge and manssas. I trained out of that golds in woodbridge and Gerogemason Athletic/Aquatic center for the longest time. Has the area gone to shit or is it still a decent place to live ?

I do 15 side kicks per leg and my legs are swole!

[quote]LjSimpson08 wrote:
Thanks Mar, that explains alot. My feet were too narrow and like you said the wieght off balanced.

I used to live in Manassas, further out of. You know where Coles firehouse is, halfway between woodbridge and manssas. I trained out of that golds in woodbridge and Gerogemason Athletic/Aquatic center for the longest time. Has the area gone to shit or is it still a decent place to live ?
[/quote]

manassas is pretty much a hole, but Bristow is pretty nice. everything is new. it’s becoming a lot like Reston. I train at the Gold’s in manassas. my old roommate chip betzner used to run the athletic center over there at GMU. i graduated from GMU. i never trained there though. i’m sure i would have last about two minutes before i was thrown out:)

I havent been out to any of those places you mention, Meat. I do train over at the school tho. You would fit in fine-dependent upon which of the 3 (maybe 4 now?!?) gyms you go too. The Aquatic Center BLOWS

you should come make a trip. There are a few of us in the area!