Key Takeaways
You don’t want a squat rack with a purpose to squat, as there are a lot of squat rack options (i.e., belt squats, hack squats, and goblet squat variations).
As a substitute, you’ll deal with dumbbell squats and different workout routines.
Any motion sample that causes knee and hip flexion generally is a squat various train.
What are you speculated to do when you’ve got no squat rack? Dilemma… Throughout COVID, a buddy and I loaded our barbells onto fortified bins and stacks of wood pallets — about pretty much as good as we may do at that time.
Nonetheless, there are a lot of various squat workout routines you need to use to develop the decrease physique without having a squat rack, together with the Zercher, hack, and entrance squats.
Who wants a squat rack?
Squatting 101
Earlier than we begin delving into various workout routines to the common squat, we first want to grasp what the squat is. Merely put, the squat motion sample wants two issues:
“Knee flexion” means the knees have to bend; as a rule, your knees will level barely outwards.
Hip flexion is solely the motion across the hips of the decrease and higher physique.
As you’ll be able to see, any ‘squat-like motion’ will work as a squat. Thus, entrance squats, Zercher squats, the leg press, body weight squats, the Hack squat, and so many extra all depend as a squat. However all differ in a number of methods from the common again squat.
Squatting (or a squat-like motion) is an important motion, however not as a result of we’d like it to develop particular muscle teams. As a substitute, we have to do them as a result of we’ll preserve squatting ‘until the day we die. Just a little little bit of Ronnie Coleman lives in all of us…
When do you go to the john? Squat.
When do you get within the automobile? Squat.
When do you sit down at work? Squat.
Squat variations shall be with you ‘until they squat down beside your grave to say, “Rattling, he had tremendous glutes” — okay, that’s a bit morbid.
So, in abstract, you don’t have to do barbell squats. Nonetheless, you do have to do some type of weighted squats to make sure you develop your decrease physique and be sure to can have peaceable poops as a golden oldie.
However this leaves us in a predicament. Most of us don’t have squat racks, and most of us aren’t keen to speculate tons of of {dollars} to purchase one.
So, which squat variation could be greatest?
Which Squat Rack Various Is Greatest for You?
The very first thing it’s essential do is solely ask your self, “What do I would like?”… in addition to having a large pair of thighs that make denims shiver the place they hold.
So, let’s listing the belongings you is perhaps ‘wanting’ right here:
I’m Coaching for Power
Powerlifter, are we? Nicely, the leg muscle groups are some fairly sturdy muscle groups. There are of us squatting greater than 1,000 kilos, so how do you get that with out really squatting?
Firstly, you gained’t be capable to get that sturdy (on the squat) with solely squat various workout routines.
Hack & Zercher Squats
Your greatest guess could be a mixture of a Hack squat and a Zercher squat.
A Hack squat is among the most brutal workout routines within the health club, and whereas it gained’t mean you can prepare your core, it’ll be the closest relative to again squats which you can get.
You’ll merely place your legs just like how you’d when squatting, you’ll load the machine, and you then’ll squat. Additional trace: You’ll be able to flip round and hip hinge to make a brutal RDL if you wish to prepare the glutes and hamstrings, too.
In case you actually need to double down on energy coaching, why not strive the Zercher squat? Generally often called the weirdest rattling squat you are able to do — effectively, generally referred to as that by me.
The Zercher will prepare each muscle group within the physique, out of your calves to your traps. Only a be aware: you may want further padding in your forearms to really deal with the knurling of the bar — it will possibly harm quite a bit.
Entrance Squat
Ideally, you’d additionally embody entrance squats within the energy group. Nonetheless, until you utilize a clear movement to get the bar up from the bottom, you gained’t be capable to do that individual train.
Isolation Actions
Together with the actions above, you may additionally want some isolation actions, particularly alongside the glutes and adductors. Two important muscle groups that’ll be necessary for many energy measurements you’ll come throughout.
I’m Coaching for Lean Muscle Mass
Coaching for energy is completely different from coaching for dimension. Positive, coaching for dimension or muscle mass would require you to get sturdy, however the reverse isn’t true. As a result of we’re solely specializing in dimension and never solely on leg energy, we are able to use actions that target particular teams of the legs.
Leg Press
Your first greatest guess is the leg press, a tried and examined technique that’s been probably the greatest squat options for years. Bodybuilders not often squat, and those who do are often of us who have been energy athletes previous to the swap.
You’ll be able to transfer the place of your ft round to focus on completely different components of the leg. Transfer them up, and your glutes shall be fried. Transfer them shut collectively, and your quads shall be taking a pounding.
You’ll be able to even do a single-leg press to overload the glutes much more — just like cut up squats.
Break up Squat
In fact, you’ll be able to simply go forward and do cut up squats! These unhealthy boys are one of the grueling workout routines you are able to do with dumbbells (for the legs).
Wanna understand how? Do that one:
Seize a dumbbell, do a cut up squat (rear leg raised), and hit failure.
Full the identical variety of reps on the opposite leg.
Seize a pair of dumbbells which are half the burden of the primary dumbbell.
Do double the variety of reps as strolling lunges.
Don’t cry.
I’ve been doing these for a few weeks now, and the ahead lunge quickly turns right into a forward-falling movement…
Entrance & Heel-Elevated Goblet Squats
In case you’d wish to isolate the quads, then your greatest guess could be the entrance squat, however since we most likely gained’t be capable to do these, we’ll go for heel-elevated goblet squats.
Due to the elevation of the heels, your knees can transfer far more ahead. This elevated flexion will transfer the stimulation towards the quads from the hamstrings and glutes.
I’m Coaching for the Efficiency
You wanna run a sub-11 second 100-meter sprint, do you? Nicely, you’re going to have to coach your legs — large shock. Not like coaching for pure energy or dimension, you must take into consideration energy mixed with endurance with out including an excessive amount of weight.
Bulgarian Break up Squat
At the beginning, Bulgarian cut up squats are going to be your bread and butter. These squats prepare the glutes and quads extraordinarily successfully, each of that are important for sprinting and even long-distance working.
You may need to mess around with elevating the entrance and rear foot when doing Bulgarian cut up squats, although, as doing this will transfer the stimulation from the quad to the glutes, respectively.
Squat Soar
You too can throw in some squat jumps, an excellent plyometric motion that’s been confirmed time and time once more to assist with efficiency. You’ll be able to alter between leaping cut up squats as effectively — simply don’t fall.
Belt Squat
One other nice choice is the belt squat, an odd selection contemplating most athletes don’t often use a variety of weight plates in coaching. See, belt squats take the load utterly off the again.
Not like again squats or entrance squats, you’ll really be capable to recuperate. This implies you’ll be able to spend extra time doing what you do greatest — sprinting. Simply know that lifting weights shouldn’t be the bottom of your coaching, however you’ll be able to (and will) nonetheless observe progressive overload.
Dumbbell Step-Up
Lastly, you can too do dumbbell step-ups. You merely set a bench up at knee top after which step up upon it whereas holding a weight (for those who can). It’s an excellent train for decrease physique energy that means that you can monitor the energy distinction between one leg and the opposite.
By realizing stress variations, you’ll be able to go straight forward and work on bettering energy on the opposite leg. That is precisely what you want for improved athletic efficiency, as an imbalance can result in accidents and poor efficiency.
Different Workout routines
Now that now we have the fundamentals lined about which actions to do for every demographic, we are able to focus on the isolation workout routines we would want to incorporate in our coaching program (if we solely had squats and squat variations).
Lateral Glute Actions
One of many necessary actions since no squat will really transfer the leg in a lateral movement. That is nonetheless an extremely necessary issue. Power athletes may have to do loaded carries, physique athletes want full glute growth, and athletes want to have the ability to change course.
You should utilize cable ‘aspect’ kicks, or you are able to do dumbbell step-ups together with your legs moved barely throughout the physique.
Different Glute Actions
The glutes are large, and chances are high, you’ll nonetheless want isolation workout routines for the glutes.
Glute bridges, RDLs, and regular deadlifts are all nice choices so as to add to your coaching plan. In case you don’t really feel like utilizing a barbell for these, then a entice bar is one other nice various.
Adductor Actions
The adductors are large muscle groups on the within of the thighs which are necessary (shock) for the adduction of the legs (bringing them in direction of the physique).
Most squats will prepare the adductors quite a bit. Nonetheless, nearly each bodybuilder, strongman, and sprinter will do further adductor work.
You kinda solely have one choice — the adductor machine.
Core Actions
The barbell squat is called one of the brutal compound actions as a result of it trains your total core. By eradicating the traditional again squat out of your program, you may have to do some further core actions to permit for the event of the core, decrease again, and many others.
You’ll be able to go for weighted planks, leg raises, and weighted crunches.
Leg Curls/Extensions
If you wish to overload simply the hamstrings or quads, each leg curls and leg extensions are your greatest choices. Each work by solely inflicting knee flexion, they usually’re extraordinarily efficient at coaching the respective muscle groups.
Total, your actions ought to all be centered on getting stronger via progressive overload. Including a small quantity of load or quantity because the weeks go by is the primary method to get the muscle groups to develop in dimension and in energy.
Power athletes may use decrease reps (1 – 5 reps), whereas different athletes may use extra reps.
Do I Want a Squat Rack to Do Squats?
Completely not! Except you’re an expert powerlifter or somebody seeking to have one hell of a barbell squat, then there’s no have to buy a squat rack.
You are able to do completely tremendous with the next rack-free squat variations:
Any entrance squat variation so long as you will get the barbell up (watch out)
Goblet squats are an excellent variation to overload the quads
Bulgarian cut up squats are a great train so long as you’ll be able to deal with the ache and you’ve got the mobility
Entice bar deadlifts will put you thru an identical motion sample to a standard squat
And, after all, the great ‘ol Hack squat, a crushing train that’ll be probably the most just like a standard squat however would require you to have a reasonably costly piece of kit
By combining these workout routines (and some of the isolation ones talked about), you’ll be capable to develop large and robust leg muscle groups which are prepared for the deadlift platform, stage, or subject.