Do you think that you have anywhere close to the androgen binding site density of Dorian Yates?
I have no idea if Dorian Yates ever squatted or not. But the king of exercises has made many great Bodybuilders.
You need to be careful that you don’t out smart yourself.
I can’t say I share those same sentiments, I’m always looking to do more, cause I want more!
I see what you’re saying but Dorian is just one example. If my quads stop growing from Extensions I’ll pick up squats again but I’ve tried every type of squat for the past decade and none of them hit my quads. When I first started lifting I would go in the gym for multiple hours just to practice squatting and I still could not get it right. I also have bad butt wink that I’ve never been able to figure out how to stop. The RDL takes care of everything squatting does for me (and more) with way less fatigue
Well I’m happy for you. I was like that when I first started a long time ago but then I stopped making gains and ended up fatigued all the time. I’ve never been able to figure out how to make good progress while also not being tired all the time so I just try to do as little as possible. And I don’t have huge aspirations, I just want to be 20-22 FFMI 15-20% body fat
I’m tired all the time myself but I’m not fatigued.
I’m ready to fall asleep a lot of times while I’m getting warmed up and sometimes when I’m done my last set I’ve just crashed on the floor and slept for 20 minutes.
When it comes to fatigue, I take as long a rest as I need to perform better than last time, that’s why I won’t limit my mind to 1-set till failure.
Does not mean I won’t do those things, I take my current situation and adjust as needed.
@TurboGainz you don’t really appear to be asking for advice; you’re mostly justifying what you prefer doing… which is not lift or be in the gym. You’ve even said you want to be in the gym as little as possible and all you really want is to lose some weight. (You also said you keep regressing and that your legs are growing from leg extensions, which confuses me, so I’ll leave that alone).
I don’t think you enjoy this, and I certainly don’t think the path you want to take has a high probability of any measurable success. You’ve talked about thinking about planning about learning how to lose weight; I think you’re overly paralyzed by the concept of a weight room workout you don’t want to do in the first place.
Here’s the good news: none of this has to be the case! You don’t need to find a great lifting workout. This is a hobby; if you don’t love it, it makes no sense to do it.
If I were in your shoes, I would:
I’m not real sure you’ll be open to any of this, but I can tell you none of us is going to have a helpful answer that both satisfies what you’re hoping to hear about fatigue and offers you any tangible growth.
If you still want the most bang for your buck workout in terms of muscle stimulation, least amount of time committed, AND the demands it places on your body in terms of calorie burn (which helps your fat loss goal), then I think you still need to do big compound movements. I do low bar squatting which is all posterior chain. But front squats or a goblet/DB squat (hold a KB or DB right under your chin) will force you to be more upright and use your quads more.
I’m trying to help you with your time demands. If health and longevity is your goal, then you don’t need to do a ton in the weight room. Follow @TrainForPain’s advice. If you want to “look like you lift”, then you’ll have to commit some time to it.
I see what you’re saying but Dorian is just one example.
We tend to refer to those as the exception that proves the rule.
Resistance training is too important for your health and longevity to simply ignore, but you don’t have to go all-in. 20-minute sessions done twice a week can actually get you most the benefits. Do whatever you want those sessions. I’d be most inclined to just pick a push, pull and lower body movement I like and circuit my way through them for half an hour. Or you could run through the machine circuit lost gyms have set up. Literally whatever doesn’t get in your head.
Just to further this along with what @TrainForPain suggested, @antiquity and I can vouch for Dan John’s “Armor Building Formula” as an excellent “spend as little time as possible” approach that actually works. You don’t even need a gym membership: just some kettlebells, or a barbell and some plates.
3 times per week, 30 minutes at the most, but many workouts shorter than that. Paired with a walk (and probably some fasting) would get you better results than what you’re getting.
Maybe you’re a home gym guy and you just don’t know it?
Too many lifts per session. Weights too heavy. Not enough variety between sessions.
I’m not trying to be a dick but I just have tried a bunch of stuff before and know that squats don’t do anything for me besides make my lower back sore.
Maybe you’re right about me not enjoying the gym. When I first start I am really excited about it and feel on top of the world, but in 2-3 months I always lose that and end up stopping. Come to think of it, I do that with everything whether it’s hard to do or not.
I did some more thinking and maybe my problem really is just mental. I mean yeah I did have some accumulated fatigue that has gone away for the most part from deloading but I still don’t have the drive I did when I first started again 3 months ago.
I am going to see if I can use novelty to keep going. Switch out movements, or just use different rep ranges or tempo. I am thinking about it now and even that is way more exciting and I could go in and do it right now and feel good about it.
If this works it could be a learning experience not just for lifting but for everything I do since this pattern follows me everywhere.
I have a home gym setup too. Had a few in the past. Had the same problems I am having now which is just losing drive.
Thanks I will look into that
This because you are not using the most efficient form in your squat. If all you are feeling is a sore back is likely because you are rather tall with long femurs, and haven’t found the adjustments needed for your skeletal structure.
For the first third of my competitive training years I was doing the “3 Stage Squat.” Out of the hole, my hips rose. Then I did a good morning to get my shoulders back in line with my hips. Finally, I did the lockout. It sure did look ugly. In the last third of my competitive training years I figured out my most efficient squat form. It then felt like a single movement.
This was impressively introspective! Looking forward to seeing the next steps
Thanks man. I have been thinking for a while maybe I have ADHD, which causes someone to get really motivated by something but then as time goes on it is impossible to stay with it. The symptoms line up but I haven’t tried medication for it yet. I will try just changing up my workout and see what happens and I will see what my doctor says about trying adhd meds
It is difficult, not impossible. Don’t set limits on yourself
The symptoms line up but I haven’t tried medication for it yet.
Nor should you, without a diagnosis.
The DuPont slogan of 1935 still holds its attraction. “Better Living Through Chemistry,”
Squats and sore lower back = this is likely from the 1-set to failure mindset.
I been there and done that.
Squats eg back squats are posterior chain movement, if you go to failure and heavy eg 10-20reps the back takes a lot of stress as the other muscles push through the set.
To hit legs in squats you have to use “sets” to keep the form on the legs.
For inspiration, check out this article on a 1 Set to Failure setup called DoggCrapp.
Alternating “A” and “B” days, so you’re not doing the same lifts each day. 5 lifts per day.
Or this Jordan Peters full body routine with 1 set to failure, alternating “A” and “B” days, and 12 lifts per day. Check out the 2nd post from @throwawayfitness, he rotated through 4 different workouts “days.”
Dorian did squat from the start and regularly did sets with 5 plates a side. He build much of his early mass and density with squats and only moved to doing heavy leg press, hack squats and leg extensions when he had already turned pro.