HackTwat
MuscleChemistry Registered Member
Squats Suck - But Here's Why You Can't Skip Them
I've been into bodybuilding for over three decades now, and, embarrassingly, I can't count the number of times that I've skipped out on squats. I'd always push them towards the end of leg day or tell myself that I was going to do them to close out triceps/shoulders day...only to once again avoid doing them. Let's face it: squats are hard, they suck, and who likes picking all those weight plates up and loading them on the bar!?
I should say, though, that these days, I never skip squats. No, I didn't somehow manage to block out how bad squats suck from the back of my mind. Instead, I learned more and more about what I was missing from not doing them, besides massive quads and glutes.
Squats help cut Body Fat
When one thinks of cutting fat and getting ripped, squats aren't usually the first exercise that comes to mind. However, a study in Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome showed that test subjects with the most muscle in their legs had lower body fat. The reason why is because lower-limb muscle mass greatly reduces the amount of visceral fat in men. Now this isn't a green light to bring brownies to the gym, however, it is an encouraging finding nonetheless.
Squats require Lots of Calories and Energy
When put up against just about any other weightlifting exercise, squats are king in regard to burning calories. A study once measured the metabolic demand of 1 rep of bench press, lat pulldown, tricep extensions and squatting. The latter easily won after being shown to require 3.3 times as much energy as the other three exercises. In fact, even when bench, lat pulldowns and triceps extensions were combined, squats still required about 10% more energy to do.
So as you can see, squatting isn't just about building tree-trunk legs. There are also some major calorie and fat-burning benefits to be gained by doing these exercises.
I should say, though, that these days, I never skip squats. No, I didn't somehow manage to block out how bad squats suck from the back of my mind. Instead, I learned more and more about what I was missing from not doing them, besides massive quads and glutes.
Squats help cut Body Fat
When one thinks of cutting fat and getting ripped, squats aren't usually the first exercise that comes to mind. However, a study in Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome showed that test subjects with the most muscle in their legs had lower body fat. The reason why is because lower-limb muscle mass greatly reduces the amount of visceral fat in men. Now this isn't a green light to bring brownies to the gym, however, it is an encouraging finding nonetheless.
Squats require Lots of Calories and Energy
When put up against just about any other weightlifting exercise, squats are king in regard to burning calories. A study once measured the metabolic demand of 1 rep of bench press, lat pulldown, tricep extensions and squatting. The latter easily won after being shown to require 3.3 times as much energy as the other three exercises. In fact, even when bench, lat pulldowns and triceps extensions were combined, squats still required about 10% more energy to do.
So as you can see, squatting isn't just about building tree-trunk legs. There are also some major calorie and fat-burning benefits to be gained by doing these exercises.
