No Squats, No Problem!

 

How to Build Mass, Strength, and Power Without Squats

Tips, Advice, and Programs

     On October 20th, I posted a Q&A article with my answers to a few questions that I had received lately.  One of the questions asked: Could one design a strength-building, mass-gaining program without the use of squats?  The question came from the fact that I have, over and over throughout the years, pushed the squat as the king of all exercises.  On top of that, I have, in fact, written more than once that if you don’t do heavy squats, you can all but forget about building prodigious amounts of muscle mass and strength.  However, I also pointed out that I thought it is possible to build strength and power without the almighty squat if you include enough other big, compound lifts that work the entirety of the body, especially lifts that work the back and the legs.  This essay will include, in much more detail, what I think such programs should look like, along with some additional advice for building mass and power without squats.

     First off, and we have to get this out of the way, do not use my advice here as an excuse to not do barbell back squats.  Most folks avoid barbell squats simply because they don’t like to do them.  But, if you do that, you really are taking away the fastest, best way to quickly build a heaping quantity of muscle and strength—it’s the best tool in your arsenal, so to speak.  If you’re not going to squat, there should be a reason.  It could be that you have used the squat for so long that you just want to try something different.  That’s completely understandable.  Sometimes you just need a break.  In that case, you could use one of the programs below for a training cycle or two, and then you will be able to return to the back squat with a renewed vigour.  If you don’t train at a commercial gym, it could be that you don’t have access to the equipment to do barbell squats.  That’s understandable, as well.  But you should be doing some kind of squat in that scenario, even if it’s just bodyweight squats.  Another reason may be that you can’t squat due to injury.  Even though I regularly push back squats, I don’t do them myself anymore because I can’t.  I’ve had back surgery and a neck surgery for herniated discs, along with other minor procedures.  If I was to return to the barbell squat, it wouldn’t be long before I wouldn't be able to pick up my right arm or do something basic such as, well, walk.  Or, hell, get out of bed, for that matter.  But you know what?  I still squat.  I do front squats, Zercher squats, dumbbell versions of the squat, bodyweight squats, and double kettlebell front squats.  My body can handle those so I do them.  Bottom line: Make sure you have a valid reason for not doing the good, ol’ fashioned barbell back squat.  And if you do, then the following programs ought to give you plenty of alternatives to keep you growing bigger and stronger.

     The fact is, as much as I might not even like to admit it, that plenty of bodybuilders have built impressive physiques, not to mention massive thighs, without ever squatting.  One of the legends, and one of my all-time inspirations, of bodybuilding, Vince Gironda, absolutely loathed barbell squats.  He thought they built wide hips and a thick stomach.  I don’t think Gironda was correct on that matter, but the truth is that his bodybuilders still built great legs without the squat.  Gironda’s favorite quad movement was the sissy squat, but he wasn’t concerned so much with strength and power—just aesthetics—and I want to discuss ways you can build herculean strength, not a physique that “looks like Tarzan but plays like Jane,” as the saying goes.

     If you’re going to grow big and strong without squats—even Gironda would have agreed with this—then you need to be doing plenty of other hard and heavy leg and back movements, as I mentioned at the start.  I would imagine that, for gym-going bodybuilders, the favorite leg exercise is the leg press.  For the remainder of this essay, however, I’m going to stick with free-weight movements.  That way, the advice here can be used by anyone, even those of you who train at home.  But, I will admit, machines can be used to build a great pair of “wheels.”  Athletes, however, or anyone who’s interested in “functional strength” should stick with free weights.

     So, what are the best squat-free exercise options?  Lunges are great.  They can be done with a barbell, dumbbells, or kettlebells.  You can do walking lunges, forward lunges, or reverse lunges.  Using a barbell, I prefer my lifters to utilize the reverse lunge, if for no other reason that they can be done in the power rack and the setup is much the same as doing a back squat in the same rack.  They were also a favorite of Bill Starr.  He liked to use them on the “light day” of his programs, which makes sense.  No matter how heavy you train on the reverse lunge, your weights will never approach what you can use on the back squat or the front squat, the two movements he preferred for heavy and medium days.  I also really like walking lunges, but prefer to do these with either dumbbells or kettlebells.  They also might be the best option to use for bodyweight training.  Want to build a great pair of legs without using any weight whatsoever?  Alternate between hill sprints and walking lunges up the same hill.  You could also add up-the-hill jumping squats, sometimes called “frog squats,” to the mix.  Though I wouldn’t advise that for older athletes or anyone with bad knees.  (While I’m thinking about it, and not to get off-topic, but jumping anything is bad for the older trainee, and just the knees in general.  The older Crossfit athlete, for instance, should stay away from box jumps unless she’s actually competing and needs to train them for a meet.)

     Power cleans and power snatches are great for building mass and power.  They’re regular movements in a lot of my programs.  But, if you can do them, the full clean and snatch are also great leg builders since they force you into a deep squatting position at the bottom.  Take a look at the quad development of Olympic lifters and you’ll know the truth of that statement—though they do, obviously, utilize quite a bit of close-stance Olympic squats, too.

     In fact, any lift that forces you into a deep squatting position at the bottom of the movement is a good replacement for the barbell squat.  For this reason, the two best static replacements are, I believe, (drumroll, please) the sumo deficit deadlift and the snatch-grip deadlift.  Lifters who don’t like to squat but do like to deadlift will often convince themselves that the deadlift is an adequate replacement.  I don’t think it is, even if they’re done sumo style instead of conventional.  Deadlifts, of course, can add muscle mass and most assuredly build tremendous back strength.  But lifters who only deadlift without some kind of squats in their programs end up with flat glutes and under-developed legs.  Not only is that aesthetically unpleasing, it’s also athletically disadvantageous.  You need a deep squatting position to sufficiently develop your glute/hamstring tie-in muscles for explosive power, whether you're a football player, a fighter, a sprinter, or anything else.  Sumo deficit and snatch-grip deadlifts, however, take care of that aspect.

     Even with programs that include the back squat, if you’re after the ultimate in strength and power, you’re going to need other big “bang-for-your-buck” movements.  You need to decide what you’re going to replace the squat with, sure, but you also need to select some other movements.  If you’ve read much of my writing, you already know I’m a fan of what I call “the big 4.”  You need to squat something heavy.  You need to pick heavy stuff off the ground.  You need to press heavy stuff overhead.  And you need to drag or carry heavy stuff for time or distance.  Do those 4 things and, irregardless of exact program, you’re probably going to get some good results.  Combine the big 4 with good programming and results are guaranteed.

     Off the top of my head, here are some of the best “categorical” movements you can utilize in a squat-free workout program: deadlifts of all types, cleans of all sorts, snatches of various kinds, an assortment of overhead presses, all kinds of bench presses, chins of various grips, rows with barbells or dumbbells, weighted dips, and heavy curls with either barbells or dumbbells.  Include one movement from each of those categories, program it well, and you’re off to the mass and power races.

     At this point, you’re probably ready to see what some programs might actually look like.  I have a few.  The first one is a heavy-light-medium program a la Bill Starr.  Since it’s a full-body program, it’s great for relative beginners, athletes, and anyone looking to put on muscle over their whole body.  The other programs are different.  Select whichever program meets your goals.  You can even try all of them, rotating from one to the other.  If you go that route, stick with one program for at least 8 weeks before moving on to the next.  You can do them in whatever order you’d like.

The Squatless Bill Starr Regimen

     In that big Gold’s Gym-in-the-Sky, Starr might be rolling his angelic eyes knowing that someone just put “squatless” and “Bill Starr” together in the title of a lifting program.  But I hope, if he were here to read it, he might think I did it justice.  (Don’t worry, Bill. I didn’t believe I would ever write that title, either.)

     This is a 3 days per week program.  I’ve listed the days as Monday, Wednesday, and Friday but any 3 non-consecutive days will work just fine.  This also follows Starr’s heavy-light-medium rotation, but you won’t have to worry about calculating workload.  Exercise selection itself will take care of whether it’s heavy, light, or medium.  The other factor will be the number of exercises in a session.  Keep in mind that, with Starr’s methodology, heavy, light, and medium is based on the total workload at each session, not necessarily the poundages used on your top sets.  Unless otherwise mentioned, 5 sets of 5 reps, means 5 progressively heavier sets, working up to one all-out set of 5.  If you get 5 reps on your 5th set, add weight at the next session for that lift.

Monday - Heavy Day

Sumo deficit deadlifts: 5 sets of 5 reps

Flat barbell bench presses: 5 sets of 5 reps

Power cleans: 5 sets of 3 reps.  With quick lifts, I prefer, for the most part, there are exceptions, lifters use lower reps to keep their form perfect.  But, as with the other lifts, do 5 progressively heavier sets, working up to one all-out triple.

Bent-over barbell rows: 5 sets of 5 reps 

Barbell curls: 5 sets of 5 reps

Loaded carry of your choice: 1-2 sets, hard but not all-out.  Some selections could be farmer walks, stone or sandbag carries, tire flips, or sled drags.

Ab work of your choice: 1-2 sets.  I prefer something weighted and heavy, such as weighted incline situps or the ab wheel.  Whatever movement you select, work these 2 sets hard, but stop a rep or two shy of muscular failure.

Wednesday - Light Day

Barbell reverse lunges: 5 sets of 5 reps.  Do 3 progressively heavier sets.  Use the same weight on your 4th and 5th set with what you used on the 3rd set.  If you get 5 reps on your final 3 sets, add weight at the next Wednesday session.

Military presses: 5 sets of 5 reps

Weighted chins: 5 sets of 5 reps.  For these, depending on your strength, you may not do 5 progressively heavier sets of 5s.  For example, you may do your bodyweight for 5 reps, add 25 pounds to your waist, do another set of 5.  Then, on your 3rd set, you add another 20 pounds and that’s your top set of 5 reps.  So, in that case, you will stick with that weight for your 4th and 5th set, as well.  Conversely, if you’re already very large, even though you’re strong, you may just use your bodyweight on all 5 sets.

Ab work of your choice: 1-2 sets

Friday - Medium Day

Snatch-Grip Deadlifts: 5 sets of 5 reps.  For these, most lifters will not be able to use more than 90% of the max weight they could use on sumo deficit deadlifts.  If, for some odd reason, you are just as strong on these, reduce the weight used to no more than 90% for the 5th and final set.

Weighted dips: 5 sets of 5 reps

Power snatches: 5 sets of 3 reps.  Perform these the same as the cleans from Monday.  Since our first exercise for this day already utilized the snatch grip, do these with a “clean grip.”

One-arm dumbbell rows: 5 sets of 5 reps (each arm)

Alternate dumbbell curls: 3 sets of 5 reps (each arm).  For this exercise, use the same weight on all 3 sets.  If you need it, do 1 warmup set first.

Loaded carry of your choice: 1-2 sets, hard but not all-out

Ab work of your choice: 1-2 sets

The 20-Rep “Super Deadifts” Program

     I’m often asked this question:  If you could only utilize one exercise for the rest of your life, what would it be?  Or this one: If you could only use one training program for the rest of your life, which one would you use?  They often annoy me.  After all, I don’t know what world I, or anyone, could possibly live in where you could only do one exercise or one training program.  But I understand the questions, don’t get me wrong.  Folks want to simply know what workout or movement I consider to be the best.  If they ask 5 different strength coaches, and they get the same answer from at least a couple of them, then they probably know what to do.  But what about this question?  If you could pick one training program that’s packed more muscle on lifters than anything else, what would that be?  I think that answer is probably the 20-rep squat program.  For one, it’s been around for almost a century.  Things that don’t work—heck, many things that do work—are forgotten over the course of 100 years.  For another, it definitely works.

     Even though the 20-rep squat program has been around since the ‘30s, it re-entered the bodybuilding consciousness in 1989 when Randall J. Strossen, doctor in psychology, publisher of Milo magazine, and founder/publisher of IronMind Enterprises, wrote the book “Super Squats: How to Gain 30 Pounds of Muscle in 6 Weeks.”  It’s been in the hypertrophy mainstream ever since.

     With the advent of the book “Super Squats,” little mention was made—though the book does mention it—that old-school lifters, in an attempt to pack on mass as quickly as possible, experimented with movements other than the squat, namely different forms of deadlifts and shrugs.  The old-school lifting proponents Ken Leistner and Brooks Kubik both recommended high-rep deadlifts, often for much higher reps than 20—30, 40, or even 50 rep sets.

     Although you could use the snatch-grip deadlift, I think that the sumo deficit deadlift is the best exercise to use in place of squats for a 20-rep mass-gaining regimen.  The time under load for one-repetition is really high for sumo deficit deadlifts, so when done for 20 reps, it will be an absolute killer!  It will work your legs, your hips, your glute hamstring tie-in muscles (which I mentioned earlier as being so crucial for power), your lower back, your mid-back, and your upper back like little else.  When I’ve had lifters do them for the first time, they’re often shocked at how sore their traps are the next day.  They tell me that nothing—not even heavy shrugs or other back movements with a durational time-under-load—has gotten their traps as sore as the sumo deficit deadlift.

     Another benefit—and this is actually the benefit of using any deadlift variation—is that, as the set gets really tough, you can rest as long as you need, taking several deep breaths, at the bottom of a rep.  This is especially helpful when you comprehend just what a proper 20-rep “breathing” set actually entails.  Which brings us around to our next detail: how to execute the 20-rep sumo deficit deadlift.  You will do them exactly the way that Strossen recommends for squats in his book.  Here are the words straight from the author: “The approach to 20 reps squats is simple.  First, load the bar with what you normally use for 10 reps.  Now, do 20 reps—no kidding.  Second, every single workout, add 5 pounds to the bar.  These two elements are what separates the men from the boys and produces results, by simultaneously embracing the two cardinal principles in weight training: overload and progressive resistance.”

     Do the following routine twice per week, on, say, Monday and Thursday or Sunday and Wednesday—whatever two days work best for you.  Just make sure you have two days of rest after the first workout and three days after the 2nd.  It may not look like much “on paper,” but, trust me, if you do the program in the manner that Strossen described above, you won’t need anything else.  Here’s the workout:

• Sumo deficit deadlifts: 1 set of 20 reps.  Do these exactly as recommended, after warmups, of course.  Do at least 2 warmup sets, though some lifters may need as many as 5.  You don’t want to overdo it with the warmups, but you do want to make sure that you're ready for the 1 hard-as-hell set!

• Light dumbbell Pullovers: 1 set of 20 reps.  Do these immediately after your deadlifts—or as soon as you’ve recovered enough to handle them.  Don’t use a weight that is too heavy.  Simply get a deep stretch on every repetition, and take a deep breath as you lower the weight on each rep.

• Barbell bench presses: 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps.  Do a couple of warmup sets then 2 to 3 work sets.  Each set should be hard.  If you get 8 reps on all of your sets, add weight at the next session.

• Weighted chins: 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps, same method as the bench presses.

• Barbell curls: 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps

     That’s it.  If you want, add in some abdominal work and a loaded carry or two, just as you did with the Starr-inspired program, but nothing else.

     The key to making this program work is to do little else outside of the gym and to eat as much as possible.  If you have difficulty eating enough calories—you should be getting around 4 to 5,000 per day—then try the “GOMAD” technique: a gallon of milk a day.  That’s exactly what Strossen recommends, the same as the old-school lifters that inspired his book.

The Two-Lifts-Per-Day Program

     Now for a program quite different from our first two.  As we’ve established, one of the keys to developing massive muscles without squats is to make sure you’re doing plenty of the other BIG lifts.  One way to do that is to focus on just a couple of compound lifts each training day but work those two hard.

     If you’ve been training on a split program beforehand, you may want to start your squatless muscle-building with one of our preceding routines.  If you’ve been doing full-body workouts, however, this one would be a nice change of pace.

     With this regimen, you pick 10 lifts and train 5 days a week.  You utilize a 3-on, 1-off, 2-on, 1-off routine, where you train, for example, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, with Thursdays and Sundays off.  But you can train on any days you want, so long as it fits that rotation.

     This program focuses on movements over muscles.  Whereas a bodybuilding “muscle” split might have you doing chest, shoulders, back, legs, and arms, all on different days, this one’s a bit different.  I’ll explain the details as we go over the program.

Monday

Sumo deficit deadlifts: Ramps of 5, 3, and 2 reps.  With our first exercise of the week, we’ll use what has, by now, become our old standby.  Do sets of 5, going up in weight with each set until 5s become tough.  When you reach your max for 5 reps, switch over to triples.  Do progressively heavier triples, again, until you reach your max.  Then, switch over to doubles until you hit your max, or near-max, double.  The number of sets you do will obviously be dictated by your strength.  A lifter who can pull 500 for a double will clearly do more sets than one who can only pull 315.  This is also the beauty of ramps, and one of the reasons I’m fond of them.  They sort of “self-regulate” total volume and workload.

Barbell bench presses: Ramps of 5, 3, and 2 reps, same as the deadlifts.

Tuesday

Weighted chins: 5 rep sets.  Here, select a weight—it could be just your bodyweight, depending on strength level—and do straight sets, using the same weight with each set.  Do as many sets of 5 reps as you can until you miss a rep.  Stop there.  At the next Tuesday workout, you will try to beat your number of sets.  Once you can get, say, 8 to 10 sets with a weight, add weight at the next session and repeat.

Barbell curls: Ramps of 5, 3, and 2 reps

Wednesday

Barbell lunges: Ramps of 5 reps.  You can do these either reverse or forward.  Do ramps of 5 rep-sets until you hit your max for 5.

Military presses: Ramps of 5, 3, and 2 reps

Friday

One-arm dumbbell rows: Ramps of 5, 3, and 2 reps

Alternate dumbbell curls: 5 sets of 5 reps (each arm).  These are straight sets.  Select a weight where you know you can get 5 reps for 3 sets, but the 4th and 5th sets might be tricky.  Once you manage 5 reps on all 5 sets, add weight at the next session.

Saturday

Power cleans: Ramps of 5, 3, and 2 reps

One-arm dumbbell overhead presses: Ramps of 5 reps (each arm)

     There you have it.  Three programs, and some advice, that just might prove wrong the need for squats when it comes to adding slabs of muscle mass and ponderous strength.  Squats might be king, but when the king’s away, sometimes you’ve got to make do.  These programs ought to do it.