The Rear-Foot Elevated Split Squat

[SDMF]

Then how the fuck do they transfer force upwards during a split-squat?

The posterior chain. The split squats do not stress your posterior chain strength like squats do. Do you think your posterior chain is turned off when you do them or something? However, your squat, deadlift, good mornings and basically all your "brute strength" movements would not receive a benefit from split squatting if your posterior chain was weak. So if you are trying to get strong -- the DL and SQ being the most accepted test of lower body strength -- why would you replace the back squat with the inferior split-squat?

More important for what? Back Squats? You don't seem to understand that different movements require strength in different muscles.

More important for just about everything you do related to lifting heavy things. You can call that "functional strength" if you want.

Don't tell me you can't think of better posterior chain exercises...

What, good mornings? Deadlifts? Nothing changes the fact that squats are one of the best movements for overall development. If you replace them with split-squats or lunges you aren't going to get as strong and big as you would with back squats.

You're right ... Split-squats are an isolation movement that only targets the quads ... :icon_neut

They are still a compound movement but considerably more isolated than squats... And it's not the point I was trying to make. Mike Boyle is not arguing that you should supplement your squatting with other movements like split squats. He is saying you should replace them. That's like replacing deadlifts with bent over rows. It's fucking stupid.

 

[vision1]

The posterior chain. The split squats do not stress your posterior chain strength like squats do. Your torso is not surgically removed when you perform them. However, your squat, deadlift, good mornings and basically all your "brute strength" movements would not receive a benefit from split squatting if your posterior chain was weak.



More important for just about everything you do related to lifting heavy things. You can call that "functional strength" if you want.

You obviously lift weights to get better at lifting weights. Other people, like all of Boyle's clients, lift weights to get better at something else. These people do not care that their "squat, deadlift, goodmorning, and basically all brute strength movements would not receive a benefit from split squatting...".

Different goals require different training. Like you said, squats are more important for just about everything related to lifting heavy things. 99% of sports have nothing to do with lifting heavy things though. At this point, I know I'm not going to change your opinion, I just want you to appreciate that not everyone has the same goals as you do.

 

[SDMF]

Mike Boyle is not saying that different athletes should train differently. He says the split squat is better than the squat and should replace it. Mike Boyle is an idiot.

 

[oxcart]

Mike Boyle is not saying that different athletes should train differently. He says the split squat is better than the squat and should replace it. Mike Boyle is an idiot.

Fuck it, I was curious as to what was being said.

If I'm doing cleans, snatches, RDLs & front squats in my program and I swap out squats for BSS to focus on stressing my legs what specifically am I missing out on?

 

[joshetc]

Boyle would seem to be arguing that the stress on the legs is restricted by the lower back in the squat. If that's true, your last sentence doesn't hold. I don't know why everyone is getting so worked up. This is a place for discussion last time I checked.

I'm not worked up, I'm discussing the thread. I haven't even flamed anyone, yet.

edit: And I'm not saying the lift is bad, just that squats are better. Even if it is a worthwhile lift to add to your routine that isn't justification for taking squats out of your routine, which is what he touts it to be.

 

[Warchild10]

LMAO... I agree with SDMF. LMMFAO.

BSS is an assistance lift. No matter what sport you play. Just like the Leg Press is for speed skaters and hockey players. The squat is the best overall for development, BSS is an assistance lift no matter what sport you play.

Its a great exercise but it does not replace Back Squatting, because its a unit lift. If you did another assistance lift to improve your lower back strength but did not do any back squatting at all, then you really just wasted your time because your lower back does not operate by itself.

At times Boyle has smart ideas, but this one is just false. On that note, strength coaches that use something else I hate is that damned Rep test that says if you can Deadlift 135lbs for 23 reps you can deadlift 405 for your 1RM.

 

[joshetc]

LMAO... I agree with SDMF. LMMFAO.

BSS is an assistance lift. No matter what sport you play. Just like the Leg Press is for speed skaters and hockey players. The squat is the best overall for development, BSS is an assistance lift no matter what sport you play.

Its a great exercise but it does not replace Back Squatting, because its a unit lift. If you did another assistance lift to improve your lower back strength but did not do any back squatting at all, then you really just wasted your time because your lower back does not operate by itself.

At times Boyle has smart ideas, but this one is just false. On that note, strength coaches that use something else I hate is that damned Rep test that says if you can Deadlift 135lbs for 23 reps you can deadlift 405 for your 1RM.

My lungs would give out long before the rest of my body after deadlifting 135 for 5 minutes straight. I guess it is worth it though cause that means I can deadlift 1500 pounds.

 

[koef]

I used to do them when i was still in a fucked up gym with no barbells.
My leg training was this with db's 5x5, rdls, all out on the leg press and som leg curls.
First time i could squat 90kg+ with bad form, but i did have some strength.

Still i think that back squats can give you a lot more leg strength than split squats.

 

[Andy Rickert]

I didnt watch the video, but I can say that Iv grown to love split squats. While my back was hurt, I did them exclusively instead of back squats or front squats. Iv now worked squats back into my routine, but will sure as shit keep split squats in there as well. So any of you guys that are injured in the lower backal region, I definitely suggest them. Also, for those of us gentically inclined with chicken legitis, they are a solid workout. /End post caused by boredom

 

[ShadowNINku]

I did some of these with bw today with a plate under the front leg in order to increase the rom someone should do these only after getting good at regular squats I think

I dont think they are a squat replacement

 

[Bubble Boy]

This is all you need to know, to understand Boyle's iconoclastic (revolutionary?) position on squatting --

"Special Release Price of Only $199"

Exactly. The guy is drumming up a little publicity for his business. Saying "don't squat" is going to attract attention. As they say in Hollywood: "The only bad publicity is no publicity."

 

[SemperVigilans]

LMAO... I agree with SDMF. LMMFAO.

BSS is an assistance lift. No matter what sport you play. Just like the Leg Press is for speed skaters and hockey players. The squat is the best overall for development, BSS is an assistance lift no matter what sport you play.

Its a great exercise but it does not replace Back Squatting, because its a unit lift. If you did another assistance lift to improve your lower back strength but did not do any back squatting at all, then you really just wasted your time because your lower back does not operate by itself.

At times Boyle has smart ideas, but this one is just false. On that note, strength coaches that use something else I hate is that damned Rep test that says if you can Deadlift 135lbs for 23 reps you can deadlift 405 for your 1RM.

That is just stupid.I was doing modified 300 workout few years ago for the fun,and did 135 lbs for 50 reps(deadlift) three times a week.
At that time I wasn't close to 405 1RM.

 

[stewy37]

Personally, I love BSS as assistance, but they're a far cry from replacing the back squat. At any rate, I would take anything Mike Boyle says with a grain of salt. I mean, here's a look at his book:

 

[Sakmongkol]

Personally, I love BSS as assistance, but they're a far cry from replacing the back squat. At any rate, I would take anything Mike Boyle says with a grain of salt. I mean, here's a look at his book:

Um... is that a squat rack on the front cover?

 

[younggunz]

pretty good article about the benefits of the BSS for athletes.



http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_...g_performance/build_bigger_legs_one_at_a_time


Personally, I'm using front squats, box squats, BSS, overhead lunges, and goblet squats. I don't miss the standard back squat at all.

 

[SemperVigilans]

Um... is that a squat rack on the front cover?

No,that's just Michael Jordan on skateboard.

 

[stewy37]

Um... is that a squat rack on the front cover?

Yep. A perfectly good squat rack not being used in favor of a crappy rotational exercise on a bosu ball.

 

[Kiddo]

If lower back is the limiting factor, why not do front squats... that would make sense... unlike these elevated split squats.

 

[ShadowNINku]

pretty good article about the benefits of the BSS for athletes.



TMUSCLE.com | Build Bigger Legs, One at a Time


Personally, I'm using front squats, box squats, BSS, overhead lunges, and goblet squats. I don't miss the standard back squat at all.

what, no back squats? is this blasphemy?

 

[younggunz]

what, no back squats? is this blasphemy?

off a 14" box only...and once every 3 weeks