# Can sprinting replace squats and various leg workouts?



## dontchaknow (May 8, 2008)

I'm very satisfied with my upper body workout and progress but my question is if I'm looking to build, get cut on my legs and build power to jump higher, should I be focused on doing squats or doing sprints instead? Currently, I can almost squat my own body weight but I've also started sprinting. Your thoughts would be highly appreciated.


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## huesoloco (May 8, 2008)

You have to be one of the weakest guys I've ever heard of. You can almost squat your weight?


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## P-funk (May 8, 2008)

no.


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## dontchaknow (May 8, 2008)

Sorry, I counted wrong, I weigh in around 170ish and I'm squatting 185, lol. Anyone else? sprinting replacing squats?


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## P-funk (May 8, 2008)

nope.


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## dontchaknow (May 8, 2008)

could you be more specific please?


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## P-funk (May 8, 2008)

define your idea of a sprint workout (my idea of a sprint workout and your may be totally different).

also, squatting (or any lower extremity training) is important for sprinting in order to:

a) fix problems which may otherwise lead to injuries during sprinting.

b) increase strength and power to sprint faster

c) if you want to get "built" then you need to add lean tissue, which training the lower body will help with

d) jumping higher and gaining power don't happen magically.  you need to know what to focus on (strength work, power work, flexibility work, etc....depending on what your limiting factor is) and then attack the problem.



In short, being more specific....you need to do more research and get a better understanding of what the hell you are doing because it sounds like you are shit at the wall and hoping something sticks.


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## dontchaknow (May 8, 2008)

So as far as I understand it, the difference between strength and power is that power has a time component. If I'm looking to get stronger but not bigger (even though I read its a byproduct) how should I be lifting in general? For example, when benching to get stronger but not bigger as a priority, should I just lift with very low reps?


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## Built (May 8, 2008)

Nope. If you don't want to get bigger, you don't eat over maintenance.


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## KelJu (May 9, 2008)

No.


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## Travis Bell (May 9, 2008)

yeah, definatly can't give up squats. You can add in sprints and box jumps if you want, but your squat is really low for your body weight.


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## JonnyStead (May 9, 2008)

Travis Bell said:


> yeah, definatly can't give up squats. You can add in sprints and box jumps if you want, but your squat is really low for your body weight.



Thats a good bit of constructive advice - as I see it anyway.

I gotta say some of the replies on this thread and the forum in general recently, are unhelpful at best and pretty rude at worst. Particularly considering the person asking the question is likely new to all this. 

Do we want to encourage new users or just set up a place ridicule those who either cant lift as much as the intermediates/experts or who happen to have a different opinion on something?


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## biggfly (May 9, 2008)

JonnyStead said:


> Thats a good bit of constructive advice - as I see it anyway.
> 
> I gotta say some of the replies on this thread and the forum in general recently, are unhelpful at best and pretty rude at worst. Particularly considering the person asking the question is likely new to all this.
> 
> Do we want to encourage new users or just set up a place ridicule those who either cant lift as much as the intermediates/experts or who happen to have a different opinion on something?



I agree...sometimes answers are short, contrite, and irritable. As we think some questions etc. are "stupid" in our eyes, they are obviously here to learn and not be ridiculed. A little patience and doing away with the curt answers would prove this site a step above others.  Huesoloco that was unnecessary, and there are better ways to word it if his squat was lacking, as Travis worded it.


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## KelJu (May 9, 2008)

JonnyStead said:


> Thats a good bit of constructive advice - as I see it anyway.
> 
> I gotta say some of the replies on this thread and the forum in general recently, are unhelpful at best and pretty rude at worst. Particularly considering the person asking the question is likely new to all this.
> 
> Do we want to encourage new users or just set up a place ridicule those who either cant lift as much as the intermediates/experts or who happen to have a different opinion on something?



Well, link to the advice you posted to this question, so we can see a template for how to answer these questions.


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## biggfly (May 9, 2008)

If one of us went into a Home Depot or whatever for example, and asked a few questions on say how to build a deck properly, and the clerk looked at us with a look and simply said "no" and that's it. Or said "you don't know what the hell you are doing" in a rude, short manner, or said " you have got to be one of the least capable men I have ever seen, can't even build a proper deck, pffff!" all of us would come f'ing unglued and want to tear their head off. If they approached us in a helpful manner, with constructive advice, we would have no issues. How is this site different, training isn't their field, so they ask, as say something like building isn't one of ours, but we wouldn't stand for being disrespected or having a lack of patience or tolerance in our quest for advice.


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## KelJu (May 9, 2008)

biggfly said:


> If one of us went into a Home Depot or whatever for example, and asked a few questions on say how to build a deck properly, and the clerk looked at us with a look and simply said "no" and that's it. Or said "you don't know what the hell you are doing" in a rude, short manner, or said " you have got to be one of the least capable men I have ever seen, can't even build a proper deck, pffff!" all of us would come f'ing unglued and want to tear their head off. If they approached us in a helpful manner, with constructive advice, we would have no issues. How is this site different, training isn't their field, so they ask, as say something like building isn't one of ours, but we wouldn't stand for being disrespected or having a lack of patience or tolerance in our quest for advice.




Ok man, I know what you are saying. But, nobody here is getting paid. I didn't know shit when I came here, and yes I caught shit pretty hard until I read the stickies and learned enough to ask a reasonable question. No site has provided more quality information and quality training advice than this site. You have to learn the proper channels. There are some snobs here, but they are the snobs with the best information. Its just how it is.


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## biggfly (May 9, 2008)

NO I totally hear you. I get that sometimes people just don't want to do the research, as P-Funk put it look some stuff up FIRST and exhaust your resources, then come asking. I am mostly referring to jerk off in the 2nd post basically insulting the guy. Its not so much how we answer the question, as opposed to how we should NOT answer the question, as what I am referring to. But I think you and I are on the same page.


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## JonnyStead (May 9, 2008)

Thanks Bigfly - thats all I was trying to say too


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## Fifty-one (May 13, 2008)

Here's an example for you. I ride the bus to work and as anyone knows, sooner or later, you'll probably have to "sprint" to the bus stop to catch a bus. I'm about four weeks into lifting again and the strength is definately comming back. A couple of days ago, I had occasion to do a 35-40 yd sprint to the bus stop and I was movin' a lot quicker than I have in quite a while


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## Merkaba (May 14, 2008)

no!!! Fuck...now stop being lazy like every other ass and go do squats.  You'll get used to em after a while.  Geez


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## kaiserS (May 14, 2008)

You're pretty weak now so you'll need to do squats for a baseline of strength and size - 

as a frame of reference, I weigh 158 and do 315lbs for 6 reps - I still consider that far below my potential because my leg workouts have been a little inconsistent - 

and my legs are not "big" by any stretch - 

but unlike what everyone's saying, there's a lot to be said about body-weight training for leg growth, especially based on your genetics - 

I know two guys that train for only power, without hardly any traditional heavy squating or leg work - both are martial artists and train for power and do an immense amount of leg work, but like I said no weights - 

They have legs huge and cut beyond any bodybuilder their weight I've met - 

One is a buddy that's a trainer in the gym where I workout - his arms are also immense btw, and he just does lots of super-sets, power based movements, multiple angles, lots of martial arts, and sports like hockey and soccer - he also eats a lot but looks like he has 3% bodyfat - 

The other is Steve Cotter - look him up on youtube for some of his sick training techniques - a lot of body-weight training, these things called "pistols" - I also talked to Steve for my trainer's blog, Super-Trainer, you'll find the link in my sig - he talks a lot about training and kettlebells - 

Personally, I saw a big jump in results on my legs once I got heavy into kickboxing - I think this is because my legs may be predominantly composed of slow twitch fibers (I've never had a biopsy done!) - I don't have much vertical, and even when I squatted 405 for 4, my legs were tiny, but doing more stamina based work gave me an immediate improvement in development - I finally can see the teardrop of my vastus medialis - 

I also had a guy working for me a few years ago that was a marathon runner - this guy had the sickest legs I've ever seen - ridiculous! - every one in the gym used to ask him what he did for quads and calves, but all this guy did was run and climb stairs at times - he was also a black belt - his arms were like paris hilton, but his legs would have put stan mquay to shame -


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## thewicked (May 15, 2008)

no is the best answer i've read so far.. 

two different types of strength you're working on for each of them.. you can't ever replace a squat with anything period oin the weight room too..squats are king.


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## chris mason (May 15, 2008)

dontchaknow said:


> I'm very satisfied with my upper body workout and progress but my question is if I'm looking to build, get cut on my legs and build power to jump higher, should I be focused on doing squats or doing sprints instead? Currently, I can almost squat my own body weight but I've also started sprinting. Your thoughts would be highly appreciated.


 
Build the general force production capacity of the involved musculature with resistance training.  Squats and calf raises as an example.  You then take that generalized increased force production capability and translate it to better jumping by practicing jumping.  Plyometrics can be an excellent for said purposes.


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## KelJu (May 15, 2008)

chris mason said:


> Build the general force production capacity of the involved musculature with resistance training.  Squats and calf raises as an example.  You then take that generalized increased force production capability and translate it to better jumping by practicing jumping.  Plyometrics can be an excellent for said purposes.



Well put!


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## kid007 (May 16, 2008)

Hey i m feeling so dumb in front of all u guys nut thnkx to all ... i m learning alot


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## thewicked (May 16, 2008)

this is how you learn..but asking questions.. there's no dumb questions.. Rather the question be asked to better ones training then to assume or get butt hurt over someone telling you different and or not asking at all and possibly getting hurt or stalling in your training.


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## huesoloco (May 18, 2008)

Guess I was a bit out of line.

To increase your vertical jump you need to increase the force generated by your legs. In my experience the best way to accomplish that is through squats. I increased my vertical 3 inches through weight training alone; lifts consisting of Back Squats, Single Leg-Leg Press, Conventional/Straight Leg Dead Lift, and Hamstring Curls. (Threw in Calf Press later on for looks). Very simple leg program, but compound lifts are the key to power and strength.


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## fUnc17 (May 20, 2008)

Do both. Work in the lower rep range 2-5 with heavy weight, and work on knee extension (ex. high knees)


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