substitute for squats

[3u3u]

hi,

i am currently studying abroad for 6 weeks. i plan to compete in an amateur powerlifting competition in november, so it is training season.

although i have free access to the fitness center on campus, they have only a smith machine. as a substitute, today i did 6 sets of 6 one-legged squats increasing the weight with each set. regular two-legged squats in the smith messes with my knees. i am accustomed to performing squats in a power rack. do you have any suggestions for a replacement exercise for squats or even an alternate leg routine if you have several suggestions? suggestions for what i should do leading up to november are also welcome.

thank you!

[AJ010]

Just don't do step ups.

[matt23]

Are you a wide stance squatter or a close stance?

I dont see how squatting in the smith machine hurts your knees, but perhaps you could still box squat? If you could that would be very good. Some of the best lifters from Westside Barbell rarely do full range squats til meet day and do nothing but box squating til then. If not good mornings and deadlifts are great for wide stance squatters.

[Newbtime]

kickbacks

[3u3u]

i'm a wide stance parallel-squatter. box squats are a good suggestion. i already do heavy deadlifts a couple days before my leg day.

i also forgot to mention they have no cable crossover cages/machines either, which is what i would have perform kickbacks on.

i am currently in the process of switching my routine, so any advice would be great!

[randall_truscot]

i also forgot to mention they have no cable crossover cages/machines either, which is what i would have perform kickbacks on.

r u serious?

[GoJu]

hi,

i am currently studying abroad for 6 weeks. i plan to compete in an amateur powerlifting competition in november, so it is training season.

although i have free access to the fitness center on campus, they have only a smith machine. as a substitute, today i did 6 sets of 6 one-legged squats increasing the weight with each set. regular two-legged squats in the smith messes with my knees. i am accustomed to performing squats in a power rack. do you have any suggestions for a replacement exercise for squats or even an alternate leg routine if you have several suggestions? suggestions for what i should do leading up to november are also welcome.

thank you!

you could just do barbell deadlifts and the 1-legged squats holding dumbells for legs...

[Richard9]

r u serious?

I dont think he is!!

[raffiki]

Do good mornings and the one leg squats. You could also learn how to do cleans and then do front squats.

If they have a bench set up, you can load the weight on there and do zercher squats.

[bodybuilda]

there is never a substitute to squats

[Lee_5]

do zercher squats like rafikki said

[3u3u]

r u serious?

i'm serious, but i've attached a bad pic to attempt to illustrate this. the severely limited barbell and dumbbell sections of the gym are in the rear of the pic.

zercher squats seem to be the most feasible. it seems like these squats will make the crooks of my arm give out way before my legs though.

thanks for all the replies!

[Mateo_66]

hi,

i am currently studying abroad for 6 weeks. i plan to compete in an amateur powerlifting competition in november, so it is training season.

although i have free access to the fitness center on campus, they have only a smith machine. as a substitute, today i did 6 sets of 6 one-legged squats increasing the weight with each set. regular two-legged squats in the smith messes with my knees. i am accustomed to performing squats in a power rack. do you have any suggestions for a replacement exercise for squats or even an alternate leg routine if you have several suggestions? suggestions for what i should do leading up to november are also welcome.

thank you!

First off your gym has to be the worst ever with no free weight squats available. I would just do sumo deadlifts.

[BangBrahs]

First off your gym has to be the worst ever with no free weight squats available. I would just do sumo deadlifts.

What is a sumo deadlift?

[Mr Beer]

What is a sumo deadlift?

You have to deadlift a sumo wrestler. Start with the young trainees, work up to the champions and then the final challenge is to deadlift one of those big Hawaiin bastards. Only three people have ever managed that feat. They say the hard thing is that you have to hang onto that nappy/g-string thing they have riding up their huge, sweaty butt-cracks. Chalk helps.

[3u3u]

i did my leg wkt today, and i tried the zercher squats on the decline bench. they were a little too stressful on the crooks of my arms, so i dangerously (somewhat) performed some light front squats on the decline to get a good feel for this exercise, as i do for the first time for every newly added exercise in my routine.

additionally, i tried out some sumo deadlifts at about 60%. because i was so pleased with how they felt, i will temporarily replace romanian deadlifts in my wkt schedule.

btw, here's a rough look at my workout...if anyone cares. note: i dont know popular names of some exercises, so i tried my best to describe them. as always, suggestions are more than welcome. keep in mind, gym equipment is extremely limited (i.e. no power rack, dumbbells do not exceed 50 lbs., etc.).

Monday
sumo deadlifts, 10 sets of 3, increasing poundage each set
smith machine standing calf raises, 3 directions, 3 sets of 12-15
tricep pulldown, using v-bar
leaning forward tri ext, on bench
lower abs

Tuesday
lat pulldown
laying row (laying bentover row on a very low incline)
pullups, max # of reps
concentration curls
ez bar preacher curls

Wednesday
rest

Thursday
front squats, 5x5
smith machine one legged squats, 5x5
seated calf raises, 3 sets
upper abs
cardio/sprinting, less than 1 mile

Friday
flat barbell bench, 6 sets of 4, increasing poundage each set
incline bench, 3 sets of 8
barbell shrug and behind the back shrugs, alternating sets, total 4 sets of 8
standing front ez bar raise over head
obliques

Saturday
rest

Sunday
rest

p.s. i agree. this is the worst gym i've ever worked out in.

[DJpler]

find another gym