What happens if you don't do squats?

Make no mistake about it; squats separate the men from the boys, but they also separate the giants from the skinny guys.

Anyone who avoids squats, for any reason, is limiting their muscle-growth potential.

Squats not only produce massive amounts of muscular overload, but they also trigger anabolic responses within the body that you cannot obtain from any other exercise.

Without a doubt, deep barbell squats trigger the greatest anabolic hormonal response during training.

Do They Work or Not?

Several studies have demonstrated the remarkable ability of squats to stimulate the secretion of anabolic hormones more effectively than other resistance-training exercises.

However, a group of scientists from Duke University recently published an excellent study that examined the extent and degree of muscle-fiber recruitment in the muscles of the lower body during squats and the leg press.

This research analyzed the effects of various foot positions when performing squats and the leg press on muscle activation.

• The results showed that overall muscle activity was greater during squats compared with the leg press, even when heavier loads were used in the leg-press movement.
• Interestingly, foot position had little to do with the degree of muscle-fiber recruitment.

The point is that the amount of weight/load used appears to govern the amount of muscle recruited to perform each movement.

Compared with the leg press, barbell squats require a much greater need for stability during force production.

When more muscle is recruited, a more powerful stimulus is achieved, and this is the power needed for muscle growth.

Do You Avoid Squats? Why?

When it comes to heavy squats, you need to be honest with yourself.

Don't do leg presses and claim that you're trying to mix things up.

Everyone does the leg press when they simply cannot muster the mental strength and physical intensity needed to perform 5 or 6 sets of heavy squats .

No matter how much weight you pile onto a leg-press machine or how loudly you scream, it is not the same as squatting.

Squats are hard and provoke fear even in the most experienced bodybuilder, so you should learn to “embrace” the fear, pain, overload, and total-body exhaustion that comes with squatting.