Alternative to squats?

So I have really been focusing on my fitness this past year. On legs day one of the pieces of equipment I use is the leg press machine. The problem is that I am maxing it out now. It only goes to 400 lbs and I can do about 20 reps on it at that weight. Generally if I can do more than 12 reps on an exercise I take that as a hint to increase the weight. I know the best exercise for legs is the squats but even at 200 lbs it is very painful on my shoulders and the base of my neck and I have to quit before my legs are even tired. I really think I am using proper form.

Any suggestions?

Skeptic Bob said:

So I have really been focusing on my fitness this past year. On legs day one of the pieces of equipment I use is the leg press machine. The problem is that I am maxing it out now. It only goes to 400 lbs and I can do about 20 reps on it at that weight. Generally if I can do more than 12 reps on an exercise I take that as a hint to increase the weight. I know the best exercise for legs is the squats but even at 200 lbs it is very painful on my shoulders and the base of my neck and I have to quit before my legs are even tired. I really think I am using proper form.

Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

Front squats which are harder to do and require a lighter weight.

Leg press but not as good for the whole body

deadlifts sumo or regular. whole body exercise less potential for back or knee injury

Skeptic Bob said:

So I have really been focusing on my fitness this past year. On legs day one of the pieces of equipment I use is the leg press machine. The problem is that I am maxing it out now. It only goes to 400 lbs and I can do about 20 reps on it at that weight. Generally if I can do more than 12 reps on an exercise I take that as a hint to increase the weight. I know the best exercise for legs is the squats but even at 200 lbs it is very painful on my shoulders and the base of my neck and I have to quit before my legs are even tired. I really think I am using proper form.

Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

You may wanna re-adjust the bar, maybe move the back more? When you have your chest puffed out and your back straight the bar should lay across your lats (I think). I'm mimicking hold a bar at work.

Other than that, there's really only two ways to do that motion (composite leg) exercise...with that weight on your back or you laying under it.

You could do lunges with barbells or more specific leg exercises such as extensions. Some people swear by deadlifts.

I would recommend working on getting that bar settled across your shoulders more comfortably. The fact it is hurting the base of your neck sounds like you may be able to improve on that aspect.

Skeptic Bob said:

So I have really been focusing on my fitness this past year. On legs day one of the pieces of equipment I use is the leg press machine. The problem is that I am maxing it out now. It only goes to 400 lbs and I can do about 20 reps on it at that weight. Generally if I can do more than 12 reps on an exercise I take that as a hint to increase the weight. I know the best exercise for legs is the squats but even at 200 lbs it is very painful on my shoulders and the base of my neck and I have to quit before my legs are even tired. I really think I am using proper form.

Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

I can tell you the squats don't help all that much. I've watched them for years and can't tell any difference. Okay, kidding. My personal trainer--and I use that term very loosely at my age--advises that anything we do that is excessively painful to do is almost always harmful except for maybe rehab under medical supervision. A routine that is painful to do must be slowly eased into at levels that are not unusually painful or we can injure ourselves, sometimes permanently. I am pretty sure that is what he would advise you. So only use weights that are reasonably comfortable and gradually increase over a period of weeks or months.

Skeptic Bob said:

So I have really been focusing on my fitness this past year. On legs day one of the pieces of equipment I use is the leg press machine. The problem is that I am maxing it out now. It only goes to 400 lbs and I can do about 20 reps on it at that weight. Generally if I can do more than 12 reps on an exercise I take that as a hint to increase the weight. I know the best exercise for legs is the squats but even at 200 lbs it is very painful on my shoulders and the base of my neck and I have to quit before my legs are even tired. I really think I am using proper form.

Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

Funny thing....leg press machines always gave me lower back pain.
I think there are specially made squatting bars that might help alleviate some of your neck/shoulder pain.
Since it sounds as if you are lifting at a public gym---leg press machine---these specialty bars might not be available.
I would suggest that you slow down the speed of your leg press reps.
A slower pace at your max weight might help you tire your quads....slower can be better.
I might also suggest using one leg at a time--if possible-- on the leg press machine.

My old downhill skiing exercise: back flat against the wall, bend knees and squat until upper legs are parallel with floor (or as close to that angle as you can). Hold it as long as you can. Increase time and reps.

Do 1 leg squats, with more weight.

radioman said:

Funny thing....leg press machines always gave me lower back pain.
I think there are specially made squatting bars that might help alleviate some of your neck/shoulder pain.
Since it sounds as if you are lifting at a public gym---leg press machine---these specialty bars might not be available.
I would suggest that you slow down the speed of your leg press reps.
A slower pace at your max weight might help you tire your quads....slower can be better.
I might also suggest using one leg at a time--if possible-- on the leg press machine.

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The one-leg suggestion is genius in its simplicity. I might have to try that.

They make a padded roll that goes around the bar to help minimize the focal pressure on your neck and shoulders. Most gyms carry it if you ask the front desk. We used to wrap towels or a t-shirt around the bar and it would help alot.

You need to quit Planet Fitness (or whatever whimpy gym you are going to) and join a real gym. The plate loaded leg press at my gym hold 32 45# plates, so that's close to 1500 lbs (they also have a 400 lb selectorized leg press and a 800# hoist brand leg press.

lefty louie said:

Do 1 leg squats, with more weight.

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Do it with free weights and improve other muscles as well, trying to balance all that will be a bitch!

imagep said:

You need to quit Planet Fitness (or whatever whimpy gym you are going to) and join a real gym. The plate loaded leg press at my gym hold 32 45# plates, so that's close to 1500 lbs (they also have a 400 lb selectorized leg press and a 800# hoist brand leg press.

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Ha! I do go to Planet Fitness. :lamo

Might be time for an upgrade.

Skeptic Bob said:

So I have really been focusing on my fitness this past year. On legs day one of the pieces of equipment I use is the leg press machine. The problem is that I am maxing it out now. It only goes to 400 lbs and I can do about 20 reps on it at that weight. Generally if I can do more than 12 reps on an exercise I take that as a hint to increase the weight. I know the best exercise for legs is the squats but even at 200 lbs it is very painful on my shoulders and the base of my neck and I have to quit before my legs are even tired. I really think I am using proper form.

Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

Front squat, or low bar back squat. I have issues with my neck on high back squats, I rest the **** almost at my clavicals. I'm over 425 that way and it works fine. Don't strain your neck and maintain engaging your core. stay away from machines. even then, if you are doing more than 5 reps your weight is too light.

Skeptic Bob said:

Ha! I do go to Planet Fitness. :lamo

Might be time for an upgrade.

Click to expand...

Planet fitness is a planet of wusses run far far away from that effeminate gym.

Skeptic Bob said:

The one-leg suggestion is genius in its simplicity. I might have to try that.

Click to expand...

machines are the devil

Skeptic Bob said:

So I have really been focusing on my fitness this past year. On legs day one of the pieces of equipment I use is the leg press machine. The problem is that I am maxing it out now. It only goes to 400 lbs and I can do about 20 reps on it at that weight. Generally if I can do more than 12 reps on an exercise I take that as a hint to increase the weight. I know the best exercise for legs is the squats but even at 200 lbs it is very painful on my shoulders and the base of my neck and I have to quit before my legs are even tired. I really think I am using proper form.
Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

Squats are more than a leg exercise. When done properly they work, in one form or another, all the major muscle groups in your body. They're pretty the single best exercise you can do, in my opinion, and you should really try to work them into your routine in some way. There's really nothing that can replace squats,

Is the pain related to bar placement - does it chafe or the weight of the bar hurt - or is it a joint problem?

The bar shouldn't be on your shoulders it should actually be a little below and, with your body leaned forward a little, supported by your upper back and arms. This video does a good job of describing bar placement.

Gaius46 said:

Squats are more than a leg exercise. When done properly they work, in one form or another, all the major muscle groups in your body. They're pretty the single best exercise you can do, in my opinion, and you should really try to work them into your routine in some way. There's really nothing that can replace squats,

Is the pain related to bar placement - does it chafe or the weight of the bar hurt - or is it a joint problem?

The bar shouldn't be on your shoulders it should actually be a little below and, with your body leaned forward a little, supported by your upper back and arms. This video does a good job of describing bar placement.

Click to expand...

That is a really good video. I think there is room for improvement in my form after all.

Skeptic Bob said:

That is a really good video. I think there is room for improvement in my form after all.

Click to expand...

Cool. Hope it's winds up being helpful

The instructor, Mark Rippetoe, is a former powerlifter - he competed at the same time I did though we never competed against each other (at least that I remember). What he's teaching isn't a competitive squat technique but it isn't all that far from it either. He really harps on body mechanics - his book Starting Strength probably has 50 pages on the squat, 10-15 of which are about technique (hard to tell because I have the kindle version). It's a great read if you want to really learn the basic compound movements (squat, bench press, deadlift, press and power clean) and how to use them to increase functional strength in an efficient manner. If you're just looking for technique help search Youtube. He's posted lots of videos.

Best tip I got from his books is that as you age you should cut down on number of sets and reps and keep the weight high. Sounds counter intuitive but his rationale is that more sets and reps (volume) leads to more inflammation, which older people cannot tolerate as well and need more time to recover from. Since following that advice I train less but am still increasing strength an a good pace. Not as I did at 25 but good for a card-carrying AARP member .

I'm a fan of Mr. Rippetoe's. My experiences as a competitive weightlifter and in incorporating a lot of what he preaches into my own training tells me the man knows what he's about.

Good luck.

Skeptic Bob said:

Ha! I do go to Planet Fitness. :lamo

Might be time for an upgrade.

Click to expand...

I actually am a PF member, I like to use the cardio equipment there, and I have friends that go there. But I also have a membership to another gym that has some heavy duty equipment. There's nothing wrong with PF, at least up to the point that you start getting seriously strong, most of the equipment is great, but I do enjoy being able to do real bench presses and having access to a lot more weight at my other gym. It's just not for powerlifters or competitive bodybuilders or anyone who is getting into the advanced stage of resistance training. PF is an amazing bargain for most people, assuming that they actually attend.

More than half of the people who sign up at PF never attend, not even once. I'm not real sure why they bother to sign up and pay money, if they aren't motivated enough to actually use the facility. It's a great business model though, they get money for just being there, even if many of their customers don't get any actual value from it.

Gaius46 said:

Squats are more than a leg exercise. When done properly they work, in one form or another, all the major muscle groups in your body. They're pretty the single best exercise you can do, in my opinion, and you should really try to work them into your routine in some way. There's really nothing that can replace squats,

Is the pain related to bar placement - does it chafe or the weight of the bar hurt - or is it a joint problem?

The bar shouldn't be on your shoulders it should actually be a little below and, with your body leaned forward a little, supported by your upper back and arms. This video does a good job of describing bar placement.

Click to expand...

I am crazy strong on a leg press machine. Did 12 deep reps with 1368lb (14 45lb plates on each side, plus 108# for the sled itself) today (after doing five sets of squats and five sets of lighter leg presses). But for some reason, I'm really weak with squats. I think it's in my head more than anything, almost like a phobia. I'm afraid to squat to parallel with anything more than about 225. My squats are so bad that the only time I will even attempt them is when the gym is almost empty because I don't want anyone to see.

Skeptic Bob said:

So I have really been focusing on my fitness this past year. On legs day one of the pieces of equipment I use is the leg press machine. The problem is that I am maxing it out now. It only goes to 400 lbs and I can do about 20 reps on it at that weight. Generally if I can do more than 12 reps on an exercise I take that as a hint to increase the weight. I know the best exercise for legs is the squats but even at 200 lbs it is very painful on my shoulders and the base of my neck and I have to quit before my legs are even tired. I really think I am using proper form.

Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

I used something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Squat-Pad-Pr...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B072MQ6XMY

I remember doing > 315 with that (back when I could do heavy free weights).

However, I would be very careful with squats using that much weight. It's a great exercise, but pretty dangerous. Definitely use a belt, and wrap your knees if you plan to go deep. Have a spotter.

imagep said:

I am crazy strong on a leg press machine. Did 12 deep reps with 1368lb (14 45lb plates on each side, plus 108# for the sled itself) today (after doing five sets of squats and five sets of lighter leg presses). But for some reason, I'm really weak with squats. I think it's in my head more than anything, almost like a phobia. I'm afraid to squat to parallel with anything more than about 225. My squats are so bad that the only time I will even attempt them is when the gym is almost empty because I don't want anyone to see.

Click to expand...

The idea that squatting deep will hurt your knees and the fear of doing so is extremely commonplace. But if you use correct form you really don't have anything to worry about as the initial drive out of the bottom comes from the hips/lower back and not the knees/quadriceps. The knees and quads don't enter the picture until the bar is already above parallel.

You can also use a light wrap on your knees. In competition we would use thick heavy wraps that were wrapped so tightly that we could barely walk and could wear them for only a couple of minutes. The heavy elastic wraps stored lots of energy and probably added 5-10% to the lift. A light wrap - light enough that you can leave the wraps on through the entire squat workout without discomfort - stabilizes the knee, especially good if you've had knee injuries in the past, and give s psychological boost. I use a light wrap starting at 185 and as result have much less knee discomfort after training. I use these: https://www.amazon.com/Harbinger-Line-78-Inch-Wraps-Weightlifting/dp/B00074H80Y/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1516032706&sr=8-5&keywords=harbinger+wrap. They're inexpensive, good quality and give support without artificially increasing the amount you can lift. (I'm just a customer of theirs).

Perhaps try tweaking your form to be in line with the video, use wraps and add a little to the bar each time your squat - even as little as 2.5 pounds.

Gaius46 said:

The idea that squatting deep will hurt your knees and the fear of doing so is extremely commonplace. But if you use correct form you really don't have anything to worry about as the initial drive out of the bottom comes from the hips/lower back and not the knees/quadriceps. The knees and quads don't enter the picture until the bar is already above parallel.

You can also use a light wrap on your knees. In competition we would use thick heavy wraps that were wrapped so tightly that we could barely walk and could wear them for only a couple of minutes. The heavy elastic wraps stored lots of energy and probably added 5-10% to the lift. A light wrap - light enough that you can leave the wraps on through the entire squat workout without discomfort - stabilizes the knee, especially good if you've had knee injuries in the past, and give s psychological boost. I use a light wrap starting at 185 and as result have much less knee discomfort after training. I use these: https://www.amazon.com/Harbinger-Line-78-Inch-Wraps-Weightlifting/dp/B00074H80Y/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1516032706&sr=8-5&keywords=harbinger+wrap. They're inexpensive, good quality and give support without artificially increasing the amount you can lift. (I'm just a customer of theirs).

Perhaps try tweaking your form to be in line with the video, use wraps and add a little to the bar each time your squat - even as little as 2.5 pounds.

Click to expand...

I did watch the video, and a couple of others. There are at least two things that I've been doing wrong. I do use a compression sleeve for my right elbow when I bench or do overhead presses - had to have my triceps sewn into it when I popped the from the tendons a couple of years back. I don't know if it really helps, but it seems like it helps and I feel more confident with it. I might try the knee wraps also.

I know I'm late to this thread, so perhaps you already have found a solution that works for you???

Skeptic Bob said:

So I have really been focusing on my fitness this past year. On legs day one of the pieces of equipment I use is the leg press machine. The problem is that I am maxing it out now. It only goes to 400 lbs and I can do about 20 reps on it at that weight. Generally if I can do more than 12 reps on an exercise I take that as a hint to increase the weight. I know the best exercise for legs is the squats but even at 200 lbs it is very painful on my shoulders and the base of my neck and I have to quit before my legs are even tired. I really think I am using proper form.

Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

After maxing out the leg press machine, you may want to try one or more of the following:

• Press with one leg at a time
  
  
  
  
  
• More reps (temporary option)
• Hang weights from the pin
• Put dumbell on the stack
• Reduce your rest time between sets
• Slow the pace of your reps
• Pre-exhaust your legs before doing the leg press sets by doing weighted (or maybe unweighted) plyometric lunges, jumps and hops

There's a fair chance your form is off when you squat. "Squatter's shoulder" is fairly common when one's form is amiss. If you've made sure your form is spot on, maybe front squats will work for you....