single leg squats vs. lunges

[Lumberg]

I knew you were going to say that--that's the standard answer. "Find a way" Well it's going to be several months until I "Find a way" so I am simply asking for opinions as to the least of different evils--

seated leg press
regular leg press
smith machine squats
one legged squats

(I just found out that one of the gyms has a seated leg press where you are pressing yourself away from the press board)

I will at least still be able to deadlift so I should be able to keep up my core strength.

JC

 

[b fold the truth]

So...they don't have a squat rack at all?

B True

 

[MarshallPenniford]

The seated's where you press away are usually too easy. I would use the leg press, lunges, and smith squats if they don't bother your knees. That should do the job just fine.

 

[coolcolj]

I like reverse lunges a lot. Takes quite a bit of skill and balance to do it. Hits the hammies a lot harder than squats, but your quads still get it. A nice ratio IMO.

Single leg squats are more on the quad side. The intenisty is unreal. Don't knock it till you try it. If you can squat 500lbs for reps, then try holding two 100lb dumbells and do a single leg squat all the way to the bottom. Now tell which feels more intense?

It doesn't take a genius to figure your forearms, delts and traps will take a hiding as well

 

[Vortexx]

Sometime ago I read about Lee Haney doing FRONT SQUATS on a smith machine. This forces the erect posture you seek in front squats to target the quads and less sheering forces on the knees than back squats with the smith machine.

Maybe it would be a nice idea to try single leg front squats on the smith. I aint looking forward to the grueling prospect of holding the 100 lb dumbells in my hands while single leg squating.

Maybe i am just a pussy, anyway I will try the single legs today, see how it works out.

 

[bignate73]

i doubt anyone doing a 500 lb squat would be able to hold a pair of 100s and doing a single leg squat. not without being humbled for a long time down in the low double digits. single leg squats require a great deal more proprioception and control than the standard back squat. its not a matter of just stand on one leg and push with all out power anymore. now its modulated power in the beginning until you relearn the squat pattern. periodizing your training to go into single leg or unstable training will greatly improve performance though on the stable (back squat) when coming back.

the diehards will say no, for whatever their reasons (hopefully not to spite the exercise itself) but someone who has done both can attest to the fact that single leg squats are no joke.

 

[Lumberg]

I just did single leg squats today and they were hard. I did the kind where you put your toe on a bench behind you and with DBs. Since I am still working on coordination I definitely didn't get as intense as regular squats but hopefully I can work my way up. I'll see how sore I am in the next few days to gauge how they hit my muscles.

I did the squats and the lunges today. Does anyone feel that this is redundant? They are pretty similar exercises.

JC

 

[b fold the truth]

I will never believe that one legged squats are better than regular squats...boggles my mind.

Comparing them to lunges, as the original post suggests...I can understand...but not to squats.

B True

 

[kmh63xl]

lunges

 

[bignate73]

I will never believe that one legged squats are better than regular squats...boggles my mind.

Comparing them to lunges, as the original post suggests...I can understand...but not to squats.

B True

from a functional aspect you have to see it. how much time to you spend on 1 leg.....about 60-70% of your time. walking, running, moving, etc. a regular squat is functional for overall strength or in the unlikely event that a tree falls on your back and you have to stand up....but we live in a 3 dimensional, unstable world.....so the single leg squat more readily fits that bill. to round it out a multi planar lunge would put the more of a lateral or transverse stress on the legs as well.

now im not against regular squats...for overall muscular development it may be better, who knows. i do them myself also. but from a real functional aspect, for real life, im for the single leg squat. it teaches/forces correct knee alignment in many situations which can serve as prehabilitation/injury prevention for simple movements which tend to take out those that train completely stable.

if the squat is your thing, thats fine. thats sports specificity, but if you are looking for a more real world training program some unilateral work is going to be beneficial.