Squats: Are they REALLY necessary?

bowlie said:
I cant believe so many people have a problem with someone preferring to take advice from a real life s&c coach than from the internet...
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Some people here are "real life S&C coach(es)".
 
I stopped squatting for almost a year. I have been doing Pavel's "Russian Bear" routine, deadlifting 3X a week. Strength still has been increasing, though I would get the occasional set-backs and have to deload after a bit; same as when I was doing a squat routine. My strength has gone up with the deadlifts and I have not died doing them 3X a week. I don't need squats, and never cared much for them being 6ft 4. Short guys gravitate more to squats, while taller guys find the deadlift more comfortable.
 
CroSpartacus said:
I stopped squatting for almost a year. I have been doing Pavel's "Russian Bear" routine, deadlifting 3X a week. Strength still has been increasing, though I would get the occasional set-backs and have to deload after a bit; same as when I was doing a squat routine. My strength has gone up with the deadlifts and I have not died doing them 3X a week. I don't need squats, and never cared much for them being 6ft 4. Short guys gravitate more to squats, while taller guys find the deadlift more comfortable.
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Agreed. I had a similar experience. Used the straight PTTP routine years ago for several months. When I went back to regular squatting I hadn't lost much strength (if any). No negative effect on MT or day to day
 
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CroSpartacus said:
I. I don't need squats, and never cared much for them being 6ft 4. Short guys gravitate more to squats, while taller guys find the deadlift more comfortable.
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I'm 6'4" and I have no idea what you're talking about. I high bar and squat as low as to a 6" box on certain days.
 
CroSpartacus said:
I don't need squats, and never cared much for them being 6ft 4. Short guys gravitate more to squats, while taller guys find the deadlift more comfortable.
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"I don't like squats, deadlifts are more comfortable, therefore I don't need squats."

Yep, you should definitely not work on the shit that make you uncomfortable. Best way to progress.
 
JRT6 said:
I'm 6'4" and I have no idea what you're talking about. I high bar and squat as low as to a 6" box on certain days.
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I'm not nearly that tall myself, but I train with a lot of taller guys who have no trouble squatting. I think the "tall people have trouble squatting" notion comes from some tall people, who suck at squatting, and want to pretend that it's something innate, rather than something they should work on.
 
I'm 6'4 and I'm not squatting now as I do t have a rack but I never had issues related to height.

I'm not the best squatter by any means but any problems I have are not rated to height.
 
CroSpartacus said:
I stopped squatting for almost a year. I have been doing Pavel's "Russian Bear" routine, deadlifting 3X a week. Strength still has been increasing, though I would get the occasional set-backs and have to deload after a bit; same as when I was doing a squat routine. My strength has gone up with the deadlifts and I have not died doing them 3X a week. I don't need squats, and never cared much for them being 6ft 4. Short guys gravitate more to squats, while taller guys find the deadlift more comfortable.
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Translation: not only am I weak and unathletic, I avoid making improvements on my weaknesses and make excuses for them
 
Everybody is suddenly 6ft 4, what a coincidence.

Taller people have longer limbs, making the squatting and benching movements a bit more difficult because of the distance of travel when compared to short people. Most professionals are short, sure you will find a few tall guys in the mix but lets use some common sense here. If I had to be a strength athlete, I would rather be short. If I wanted to be in the NBA I would prefer to be tall, though you have a few short guys in the NBA. Rippetoe himself is a pretty short guy and I'm not surprised he dubs the squat as king.

The OP asked if squats are absolutely necessary and I'm saying not if you replace them with deadlifts. I've been doing Pavel's deadlift routine for almost a year and alas, I did not die like many on here would like to argue as an excuse not to deadlift.

I've progressed a lot more when I started focusing on deadlifts and the movement itself is the most natural you can get, allowing you to lift the most poundage. You mimic the deadlift movement in everyday life, a lot more than the squat. It makes sense to focus on the lift that carries the most poundage as Pavel argues. Deadlift is king.
 
nonsense1989 said:
Translation: not only am I weak and unathletic, I avoid making improvements on my weaknesses and make excuses for them
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So squatting makes you athletic? Those who don't squat are not athletic? I want to understand your depth of wisdom. Did you just read Starting Strength and found a calling to preach?
 
CroSpartacus said:
So squatting makes you athletic? Those who don't squat are not athletic? I want to understand your depth of wisdom. Did you just read Starting Strength and found a calling to preach?
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Lolz. I don't call myself a depth of wisdom, though I think I possess a few achievements that could qualify as athletic.
Squatting wasn't the only factor that made me athletic, but definitely helped significantly.
And I know a little more than starting strength. Like "full 13 week smolov" a little more
 
Fuck Rip, Fuck Pavel, and fuck calling any lift "king".
 
Deadlifts are a different movement skill, and don't have the same ROM as a properly performed squat. Therefore, deadlifts are not a replacement for squats.

Is being taller a disadvantage is maximal strength, all else being equal? Yes. Does this mean that being taller makes the squat less beneficial for the individual? No.
 
I fail to see being taller effects your squatting argument... Sure a shorter person may have less bar travel. But that is in relation to his proportions. A taller person has a bigger frame, bigger/more muscle and generally stronger then a shorter person excluding the exceptions. Although I may be biased as im the short guy.
 
Tosa said:
I'm not nearly that tall myself, but I train with a lot of taller guys who have no trouble squatting. I think the "tall people have trouble squatting" notion comes from some tall people, who suck at squatting, and want to pretend that it's something innate, rather than something they should work on.
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After Tate said he only has to squat down 6" when wide stance squatting I measured mine, my widest is solidly outside my shoulders but not geared wide, and even doing deep enough to break form I'm only going down about 12-15". Even when I first started squatting 30 years ago mobility and learning the skill was my only limiting factor.

Now front squatting? That feels like I go down forever and like I'm going to get face slammed into the floor but who doesn't feel like that.

Dead lifting has always been the exercise I hated the most and it has nothing to do with my height. I just don't like it. But I do it and don't make excuses when I don't.
 
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