Bodyweight + 100lbs leg press VS bodyweight squats 100 reps

[bearondiet]

Bodyweight + 100lbs leg press VS bodyweight squats 100 reps. Which one is better if you had no issues with joint health? I was doing bodyweight + 100lbs leg press yesterday (I just do 8 reps, 2 sets cause I have bad knees), and my left knee felt strained, and there was slight pain for the whole day. Starting today, I am switching to 100 consecutive squats with bodyweight only. I did it easily on the first day (did it in the morning), so leg press with 100lbs additional weight is obviously superior, but i am hoping there is some good I can get out of doing 100 reps of bodyweight only. Maybe more endurance muscle optimization?

[OldFartTom]

"... ... Which one is better if you ... ..."

Depends on your goals!

[TolerantLactose]

What an interesting comparison.


By interesting, I mean bizarre.

[bearondiet]

I meant am I getting something out of high rep low weight leg works? Like better endurance? For strength, leg press is obviously better. It is just that knee pain (aside from knees making popping noises) scares me, and I have bad knees.

[OldFartTom]

Don't just do half squats and maybe some Albanian dead lifts to work the hams, if you have knee troubles you have to hit every angle. Get yourself on a reverse pyramid of stiff legged squats and before you can say snap your knees will be braced correctly

[bearondiet]

So, low weight high rep exercise is no good... for endurance or for strength.

[OldFartTom]

If your goal is improving beach volleyball and better match endurance then it'd be great, if your goal is power lifting it'd be terrible. Of course training endurance aspects is going to improve fitness measures relating to endurance. No **** Sherlock! But should you be doing it?? What are your goals??

If you are having to radically adapt your existing training due to knee concerns, maybe it's better to first work out what's up with the left knee? Are you squatting shallow (that can cause imbalance in quads making outside stronger than inside. Lateralis stronger than medialis, resulting in "runners knee"). Do you have the wrong foot position? (personally I work round a knee issue by using a wider than usual stance and being slightly more toes out, but that's specific to my condition and might not be what you need)

Of course doing exercise opposed to no exercise is good. But, without knowing what's wrong now, how can anyone say if doing loads of light squats is going to be better or even worse for you.

Why don't you open a thread about your knee issue (realising we aren't doctors and couldn't examine you even if we were) "just for fun" and maybe you get guidance on what might be wrong with your current squats? Even better, speak to a physical therapist.

But if you have a genuine knee concern, Don't just do weird stuff.. get it checked out, or get your squats checked... or both!

[kyle38]

I meant am I getting something out of high rep low weight leg works? Like better endurance? For strength, leg press is obviously better. It is just that knee pain (aside from knees making popping noises) scares me, and I have bad knees.

No. I'm not big of heavy squats. Granted heavy leg press is fine. It's about saving your back. Working out with volume reps on squats with moderate weight is better. I typically do 3 sets at 250lbs for 25, 20, and 15 reps. Along with dumbbell dead lifts and the evil stair-master I have that looks like its from the 80s, that seems to be pretty for my leg workouts. I also do a warm up with a heavy pack (100lbs) on stairs for 10 mins, as part of my 30min warm up on lift days.

[dbmata]

No. I'm not big of heavy squats. Granted heavy leg press is fine. It's about saving your back. Working out with volume reps on squats with moderate weight is better. I typically do 3 sets at 250lbs for 25, 20, and 15 reps. Along with dumbbell dead lifts and the evil stair-master I have that looks like its from the 80s, that seems to be pretty for my leg workouts. I also do a warm up with a heavy pack (100lbs) on stairs for 10 mins, as part of my 30min warm up on lift days.

How is a leg press for saving your back?

I could see that being valid if someone can't figure out basic back position.

[kyle38]

How is a leg press for saving your back?

I could see that being valid if someone can't figure out basic back position.

Because the weight isn't directed down on your spine. There is a reason that's how they mostly train football players now.

I also think you are thinking about it wrong. You can maintain strength by doing volume work. The best example I can think of, of that, is Mike Tyson. He maintained the peak strength he wanted by doing volume work. So, if I am satisfied that I am maxing on squats at 450lbs, why do should I do that every time I work legs, and increase my chance to injury? Strength training like that also won't maintain muscle mass, since it doesn't work the endurance muscle as much, and you are working the skeletal muscle most, so it would be better to drop weight and maintain that strength and muscle mass through less weight and volume work.

[LWW]

OP, when you say body weight squats, do mean without weight or are using Bodyweight poundage across the back?

Squatting 100 reps with Bodyweight across the back is a hell of a workout.

Heavy squats are overrated, the legs respond well to lighter weight higher reps, most people should stick with that.

I’ve only seen a handful of power lifters with great legs Kirk Karowski is one of ‘em but that dude is far beyond the norm.

[LWW]

Because the weight isn't directed down on your spine. There is a reason that's how they mostly train football players now.

Players can definitely benefit from lighter higher rep squats and dead’s.

I always cringe when I see these vids of college players doing max squat/power clean. Those coaches should be fired.

Powerlifting does not equal a good ball player, it only increases injury on the field.

Strength training should be used for bigger faster stronger players and protect them (not promote) injuries.

My long time training partner started off as a strength coach, he stated with a basket ball and he got yelled at by the heard SC coach for showing the players to squat lighter with better form. The SC coach had them testing squat max, my buddy said it was ugly as hell.

He told me working with elite athletes is overrated as hell, he prefers seniors because they take training much more serious and are more enthusiastic about going to the gym.

[kyle38]

Players can definitely benefit from lighter higher rep squats and dead’s.

I always cringe when I see these vids of college players doing max squat/power clean. Those coaches should be fired.

Powerlifting does not equal a good ball player, it only increases injury on the field.

Strength training should be used for bigger faster stronger players and protect them (not promote) injuries.

My long time training partner started off as a strength coach, he stated with a basket ball and he got yelled at by the heard SC coach for showing the players to squat lighter with better form. The SC coach had them testing squat max, my buddy said it was ugly as hell.

He told me working with elite athletes is overrated as hell, he prefers seniors because they take training much more serious and are more enthusiastic about going to the gym.

There is a ton of bro science out there. I definitely won't claim to be an expert, but I've been around the block enough to know to listen when the experts do speak. It's like Robert Oberst on Rogan talking about dead lifting. Should I listen to some 165lb guy at the gym that's constantly injured, or him? That's why I've spent the time reading up on Pavel Tsatsouline and his recommendations for rest and workout cycles. It's made me much stronger overall. A couple of years ago, I'd do 120lbs dumbbells on incline for 12 reps, and I could maintain that going every other day for about 6 weeks, and then I'd get a shoulder flare up, in my bad shoulder, and be down for 4 or 5 weeks while it healed. I've gone to his staggering cycle and to a 2x a week full body workout. On Sundays, when I do my heavy lifts, I'm getting 120s for 18 reps! NO SHOULDER PAIN AT ALL! I follow that up with the 115s for 16 reps. Wednesday is my lighter lift day, and I'll start my benches with the 110s on incline, I'm getting 24 reps with that. I also reduce number sets on Wednesday, which just helps the tendons and ligaments heal more. And now, I have the muscle, I need to cut 20lb stomach fat to look cut, but the muscle is there. I just don't see why I should listen to guys that don't even have the muscle tell me what to do, or worse yet the guys taking steroids telling guys not taking steroids to workout like them

[LWW]

There is a ton of bro science out there. I definitely won't claim to be an expert, but I've been around the block enough to know to listen when the experts do speak. It's like Robert Oberst on Rogan talking about dead lifting. Should I listen to some 165lb guy at the gym that's constantly injured, or him? That's why I've spent the time reading up on Pavel Tsatsouline and his recommendations for rest and workout cycles. It's made me much stronger overall. A couple of years ago, I'd do 120lbs dumbbells on incline for 12 reps, and I could maintain that going every other day for about 6 weeks, and then I'd get a shoulder flare up, in my bad shoulder, and be down for 4 or 5 weeks while it healed. I've gone to his staggering cycle and to a 2x a week full body workout. On Sundays, when I do my heavy lifts, I'm getting 120s for 18 reps! NO SHOULDER PAIN AT ALL! I follow that up with the 115s for 16 reps. Wednesday is my lighter lift day, and I'll start my benches with the 110s on incline, I'm getting 24 reps with that. I also reduce number sets on Wednesday, which just helps the tendons and ligaments heal more. And now, I have the muscle, I need to cut 20lb stomach fat to look cut, but the muscle is there. I just don't see why I should listen to guys that don't even have the muscle tell me what to do, or worse yet the guys taking steroids telling guys not taking steroids to workout like them

Orberst was totally wrong saying regular folks shouldn’t dead lift. Maybe they shouldnt do what HE does but dead lifting is fine for anyone of all ages and they will no doubt make anyone bigger, stronger, faster. The weight on the bar shouldn’t be the factor.

[kyle38]

Orberst was totally wrong saying regular folks shouldn’t dead lift. Maybe they shouldnt do what HE does but dead lifting is fine for anyone of all ages and they will no doubt make anyone bigger, stronger, faster. The weight on the bar shouldn’t be the factor.

I thought he said they shouldn't do the barbell deads from the front. That the position was naturally bad form on the lower back. Maybe I need to watch it again, but I don't remember him talking down doing dumbbell deads or a hex bar.

[LWW]

I thought he said they shouldn't do the barbell deads from the front. That the position was naturally bad form on the lower back. Maybe I need to watch it again, but I don't remember him talking down doing dumbbell deads or a hex bar.

I think you are right, he mentioned the bar being in front, but guess what every object you lift in life is in front of you, so dead’s have a place to condition the back to lift and carry stuff.

Lift a rock, what will happen, your back will round because of the rocks shape etc.

Lift one end of a couch and the back will round at some point.

A barbell at least allows a flat back position.

He also didn’t mention that with a barbell you can do Jefferson dead lift.

[kyle38]

I think you are right, he mentioned the bar being in front, but guess what every object you lift in life is in front of you, so dead’s have a place to condition the back to lift and carry stuff.

Lift a rock, what will happen, your back will round because of the rocks shape etc.

Lift one end of a couch and the back will round at some point.

A barbell at least allows a flat back position.

He also didn’t mention that with a barbell you can do Jefferson dead lift.

Fair point