frolosophy

@oliverody Thanks for the reply. When I speak of compression injuries and strain, I am mostly talking about squats as a regular exercise done over a long period of time (though compression occurs as soon as a force is applied--I mean compression in the physical sense, not the medical sense). When speaking of heavy weighted squats I assume we're talking about 1.5 - 2+ x a person's bodyweight - I imagine you have beginners doing much lighter weight. But yes, what I said was meant as more of a footnote to what was being said about squats in general than a totally contrary point. I'm not entirely opposed to it.

@oliverody Thanks for the input, again. I should point out that I have no real stake in any of this as I do almost exclusively bodyweight calisthenics and gymnastics-style exercises. I should have addressed the issue of core strength in retrospect. Yes, squats recruit a ton of muscles and are very good at increasing core strength. However, all the stabilizing muscle strength in the world won't save you from compression based injuries and strain, which I think is lost on many people amid the lore surrounding squats. What it seems to come down to is whether you feel the short-term benefits of squats outweigh any potential long-term problems. Like I said, I wouldn't be doing them anyway as I almost never use weights, but my core is plenty strong regardless.

@cepon The reason you can leg press more weight than you squat is simple physics. You have more leverage in a leg press and you don't have to lift your body weight in addition. Simply add more weight to compensate; your leg muscles will still have to do the same amount of work in the end. Also, the discs in your spine don't strengthen over time. @robnow & oliverody Incorrect form, though a big issue, is not exactly what I was getting at. Squats put an abnormal amount of pressure on your spine regardless of form (though incorrect form greatly increases the pressure at certain points). While they are a great exercise, the human spine isn't designed to have a lot of weight put on it vertically. It doesn't really matter how strong you are, your spine still takes the same amount of weight. If you squat say 200lbs, that's 200lbs of force on your spine. If you leg press a comparable amount to make up for the increased leverage and lack of bodyweight as mentioned, your spine is under no additional compression. Between the two, the leg presses are clearly less strenuous on your spine. I know that squats can be extremely beneficial for some people in some ways. It just seemed a pertinent point to make when obvious lifters recommend something that isn't necessarily beneficial for everyone in the long run, when there are other exercises that can substitute for squats without the added compression of the spine. Thanks for the replies, though. Always interesting to see other peoples' perspectives/experiences.

@ oliverody Agree about the plyo stuff, but I've heard some concerns about back problems related to compressing the discs in your spine over time with heavy-weighted squats. I know a few people who stay away from them, instead doing leg-presses as not to put pressure on the spine.