# So best bodys ive seen dont do squats,deads,flat bench



## bigbill69 (May 11, 2013)

how come all the best bodys i have seen dont do any of those and the guys that do do those either are fat or look like they dont workout?All i ever see on this forum is everyone touting those big compund moves and complaining about overtraining?maybe thats the key not to do those because they cause massive damage to the body and you cant recover fast enough?


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## Dr.G (May 11, 2013)

i always thought that deadlifts and squats should not be performed with heavy weights because they can lead to very bad injuries, they also lose their bodybuilding value if done with heavy weights. These are exercises that should be performed with exceptional form. I never squat more than 220 lbs and in fact the best legs  i had was when i started doing front squats with 135 lbs. As far as deadlifts , many like them but i think they are overrated and can be dismissed totally if you only care about looks, i do them with light weight just to gain overall stability and power.

deadlifts, squats and flat bench are popular just because  they are used for powerlifting and one can lift the heaviest weights with them.

As basic exercises: i really like the front squat with light weight, the regular squat with light to moderate weight, the barbell row, the pull down, and the front military press .As  for chest presses i alternate between flat bench, dumbbell press and hammer strength machines


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## SFW (May 11, 2013)

bigbill69 said:


> how come all the best bodys i have seen dont do any of those and the guys that do do those either are fat or look like they dont workout?*All i ever see on this forum is everyone touting those big compund moves and complaining about overtraining*?maybe thats the key not to do those because they cause massive damage to the body and you cant recover fast enough?



I think a lot of guys are more into ego and numbers than the actual movement and pump. 1rm-3rm should only be used for people who incorporate weightlifting or powerlifting into their routines. If you train like a bodybuilder then suddenly try to move weightlifter numbers in 1 week, you will get injured.

Now as far as the best bodies dont do this or that, it all depends on what you consider "the best". Physique vs. bodybuilder....weightlifter vs. martial artist? This is all about opinion.


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## PushAndPull (May 11, 2013)

If you're scared or don't understand the basic principles of lifting such a progression, deload, periodization, etc... Then you should stick with light weights performed on machines and stay out of the way.


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## Booby (May 12, 2013)

I notice just the opposite...All the best built guys i know do squats deads and all the other compound lifts with other isolation excersises mixed in...They have powerful impressive builts while the guys who dont do those lifts usually look weak to me and lack that dense thick muscle belly look...Most guys who dont squat also have flat asses...The ladies love my bubble but...lol


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## dave 236 (May 12, 2013)

Dr.G said:


> i always thought that deadlifts and squats should not be performed with heavy weights because they can lead to very bad injuries, they also lose their bodybuilding value if done with heavy weights. These are exercises that should be performed with exceptional form. I never squat more than 220 lbs and in fact the best legs  i had was when i started doing front squats with 135 lbs. As far as deadlifts , many like them but i think they are overrated and can be dismissed totally if you only care about looks, i do them with light weight just to gain overall stability and power.
> 
> deadlifts, squats and flat bench are popular just because  they are used for powerlifting and one can lift the heaviest weights with them.
> 
> As basic exercises: i really like the front squat with light weight, the regular squat with light to moderate weight, the barbell row, the pull down, and the front military press .As  for chest presses i alternate between flat bench, dumbbell press and hammer strength machines


This is a really good post! It makes a valid point without being argumentative or arrogant. I agree with it up to a point. You still have to gradually increase the load over time with any lifts or gains will stall. It is completely accurate though that you do not have to stay in the 80-90% max range with compound lifts for them to be effective.


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## Dr.G (May 12, 2013)

^^ sure increasing load is important but many tend to increase load too quickly and too much leading to injury and regression rather than slow progression.


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## CaptainNapalm (May 12, 2013)

Stick to your isolation exercises and skip the compound lifts and see how you do.  For your information, many of these "fat guys" you speak of, you know the ones who squat 300lbs for reps, are factually in much better shape than the skinny self proclaimed fitness bodies with slightly above average arms who you're happy to see in the gym because you know they'll never make you wait for a squat rack.  Believe it or not, there is a massive difference between looking fit and being fit.  I have a friend with a nice six pack who doesn't do anything but sit-ups, diet pills, bicep curls and leg extensions and let me tell you his level of fitness is laughable compared to mine.  When we're loading a truck to help a friend move, he's huffing and puffing after a few laps.  When were were holding a fridge on an angle in place to get fastened he's starting to shake after thirty seconds.  We went for a rollerblade and after ten minutes on the first slight up hill he slows down to the pace of someone on crutches.  And although I rarely walk around with a six pac these days I look athletic and will certainly outperform many of these so called guys in great shape because they "look good".  Be careful how you evaluate level of fitness, many guys gain weight like this on purpose to be able to lift more or so to cut later, and frankly many guys just don't give two shits about abs but they do give to shits that they can move a fridge rather than have it crush them.  My functional strength and fitness level went through the roof after I started doing squats and deads some seven years ago.  And I've had quite a few years of former training to compare it to.


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## 69ingchipmunks (May 12, 2013)

A lot of these guys with great bodies say they don't do these movemwnts on camera because they are smart. They know they will attract more of an audience when they talk about bicep curls etc to attract people who just like to pump their arms. But most of them do compound movements like squat etc. They know not many people train properly or are that interested any more. But the only way I gain size and mass and definition is by doing squats; but I perform them like a bicep curl, squeezing and contracting. Most powerlifters lift the weight just to say they can, as far as getting a great body it's about the way the weight is lifted.


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## heavylifting1 (May 12, 2013)

People react differently to different things, thats all I have to say. What works for you if your doing it, make sure it works well!


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## Dr.G (May 12, 2013)

69ingchipmunks and heavylifting1 have two good points:  you have to discover what works for you and also it is not only your routine it is how well you do it how do you lift and the technique.


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## LAM (May 12, 2013)

bigbill69 said:


> how come all the best bodys i have seen dont do any of those and the guys that do do those either are fat or look like they dont workout?All i ever see on this forum is everyone touting those big compund moves and complaining about overtraining?maybe thats the key not to do those because they cause massive damage to the body and you cant recover fast enough?



define you idea of "best body".

to many of us being simply well defined is just part of the goal.  if you don't have above average strength and power to match that physique then you are only half way there.


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## Merkaba (May 12, 2013)

steroids


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## Merkaba (May 12, 2013)

But seriously...
I think there are alot more people on a little this and a little that, than most people realize.  With that being said...sure hard work and good diet still need to be in there...

The thing is, as I state alot to my clients.  The muscle is going to respond, it doesn't matter how well or how crappy you load the joint around it.  It's either turning on or turning off.  Do that enough and hard enough and your body will overcompensate.  One could never leave the smith machine and build a hell of a body. But for those that want something beyond aesthetics, some degree of "functionality,"  we will continue to tout the basic free weight movement patterns.  Hey you have a great body, but you still cant squat down properly with your own body weight or pick up something heavy or drag something???  Something is wrong.


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## Kenny Croxdale (May 12, 2013)

bigbill69 said:


> how come all the best bodys i have seen dont do any of those and the guys that do do those either are fat or look like they dont workout?



 Evidently, you not looking in the muscle mags.  Those magazines (Flex, Muscle Mag, Muscular Development, Ironman, and other main stream magazines) are photo galleries of ripped bodybuilders.  




bigbill69 said:


> All i ever see on this forum is everyone touting those big compund moves and complaining about overtraining?



Overtraining is a common characteristic of ambitious individuals along with individuals who are not familiar on how to write a program.  

Overtraining occurs in every sport with these type of individuals.  



bigbill69 said:


> maybe thats the key not to do those because they cause massive damage to the body and you cant recover fast enough?



One of the primary reason of an increase in sport performance in every sport is that more athletes utilize effective strength training program that allow them to produce more size, strength, power, speed, agility, etc. 

Abstaining from "not do to those because they cause massive damage to the body" amount to being left in the dust by others.  

The objective should be to learn how to write an effective program that produces results.  

You can learn from two groups of people.  

Successful individuals provide you with knowledge on what to do.  

Unsuccessful individuals provide you with knowledge on what NOT to do.  

Not doing anything put you on the fast track to nowhere. 

You need to work on the "muscle" that sits on your neck.

Kenny Croxdale


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## bigbill69 (May 12, 2013)

Clearly most are missing the message.I said the best looking bodys meaning "Asthetics" not fuctional strength or increase athletic perfoemance. clearly one of the best bodys includes hersher walker who only does pushups and situps and he looks better than 95% of the population.Its a good argument here that those "deadlifts and squats" are not needed to build a great asthetic body but are needed for extreme strength and a more "thick" body.Another thing is deadlifts and squats give you a *massive ass* and *waist* so if you love asthetics and bodybuilding why would you do those?Look at layne norton he has a massive waist.


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## CaptainNapalm (May 12, 2013)

bigbill69 said:


> Clearly most are missing the message.I said the best looking bodys meaning "Asthetics" not fuctional strength or increase athletic perfoemance. clearly one of the best bodys includes hersher walker who only does pushups and situps and he looks better than 95% of the population.Its a good argument here that those "deadlifts and squats" are not needed to build a great asthetic body but are needed for extreme strength and a more "thick" body.Another thing is deadlifts and squats give you a *massive ass* and *waist* so if you love asthetics and bodybuilding why would you do those?Look at layne norton he has a massive waist.



Then you don't even need to workout.  Your idea of good aesthetics can simply be achieved by diet alone.


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## The Prototype (May 12, 2013)

It's had a lot to do with genetics IMO. The fitness guys have good genetics but eat and lift like crap. They just lift for aesthetics not strength.


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## exphys88 (May 12, 2013)

rippedgolfer said:


> It's had a lot to do with genetics IMO. The fitness guys have good genetics but eat and lift like crap. They just lift for aesthetics not strength.



Exactly.  I have a buddy, who lives off of totinos pizzas, beer and cigarettes and sits at 12% w a six pack and is fairly ripped and never trains.  


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## Intense (May 12, 2013)

Ego lifter checking in. 

<<<<<---------


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## bigbill69 (May 12, 2013)

i was ego lifting one time and tried doing most of the weight on the lat pull down and as soon as i pulled down ripped a massive fart while these 2 girls were right next to me workingout


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## Booby (May 12, 2013)

Why do some people think lifting heavy weights is ego lifting?...Some people care about functional strength and power...Some people dont want to just look strong they want to also be strong...If a guy is lifting that heavy weight with good correct form its all good, and its always the little lean weak guys in the gym that get all butt hurt and talk complain about the big annoying guy doing loud deadlifts and breaking their concentration when they were trying do do their set of one arm cable curls...lol


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## CaptainNapalm (May 12, 2013)

bigbill69 said:


> i was ego lifting one time and tried doing most of the weight on the lat pull down and as soon as i pulled down ripped a massive fart while these 2 girls were right next to me workingout



hahahahahaha


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## usmarine (May 12, 2013)

Hey everyone this is my first post and response! But my opinion is the opposite. Most athletes can be judge on their athleticism by how well they can open their hips.A big part of that is squats and dead lifts. Squats in my opinion are one of the most beneficial work outs of building muscle naturally for the rest of your body. Going heavy on squats and deadlifts are risky deff if you do not know what you are doing. But then again. If I was taking AAS I would deff yield away from squats because I hate them. lol. But the benifit does wonders when I need the extra natural test in my body.


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## LAM (May 12, 2013)

Booby said:


> Why do some people think lifting heavy weights is ego lifting?...Some people care about functional strength and power...Some people dont want to just look strong they want to also be strong...If a guy is lifting that heavy weight with good correct form its all good, and its always the little lean weak guys in the gym that get all butt hurt and talk complain about the big annoying guy doing loud deadlifts and breaking their concentration when they were trying do do their set of one arm cable curls...lol



they are usually the people that are not very efficient at it.  lifting heavy and frequently takes a lot of effort and mental training and many just aren't up to it.  it's like the guys that say they don't max out because they don't want to hurt themselves?  WTF are you talking about, maxing it is the TEST to confirm how well your training is going.  I couldn't imagine guessing what my max lifts were year after year.  it's like practicing your sport all week then come game day you bench yourself because you don't want to get hurt.  personally I think those types of people have fragile egos and don't want to take the risk of failing or not meeting their expectations so they never test themselves at that 100% maximum level of effort.


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## Powermaster (May 13, 2013)

Lifting heavy isn't always about ego although I'd agree most times it is. If you train right and are consistent enough you will be able to lift heavy and with good form if that is your goal. Not everyones goal is to be a freak bodybuilder.

As far as the OP's comments: obviously your perception of a "best body" is highly a matter of opinion.


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## Z499 (May 13, 2013)

I CHOOSE







OVER


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## KelJu (May 13, 2013)

How fucking dumb and delusional do you have to be to claim strength lifting is egotistical, but not acknowledge that trying to be ascetically pleasing isn't equally, if not more, egotistical. Almost everyone lifts for egotistical reasons. Unless you are an athlete, a hard laborer, or you are doing rehabilitation, you are lifting for ego. One person's ego is no different than another person's. 

I enjoyed lifting for numbers. They meant everything to me. 45lb plates look sexy. Mentally, the difference between 395 and 405 might as well be night and day. I admit out right that it is irrational and illogical, but I am an irrational person. However, I am not delusional to the point that I would claim that other people's training is invalidated by their motivations while claiming that my motivations are more valid. That is one of the douchiest things I have heard in a while. 

I agree a 100% that the big three heavy compound movements are not required to have a nice looking body. My best friend looks better than I ever will and he fucks around with baby weight. He likes size, and the feeling of intense pumps. I like moving insane amounts of weight. Never has a girl given a flying fuck that I squat 450 and he squats 225. I would never tell him that his reasons for lifting are wrong, and he would never do that to me. 

Compound movements are optimal for growth, but not required. They can also be dangerous. There are valid reasons for not doing them. But, to claim that those who do chose to do them are egotistical is a very ignorant way of looking at it when you are lifting to be pretty. I also believe that jealousy plays a huge part of it. Moving big things demonstrates power. Subconsciously, power is a desired trait, like being tall, or having money, or good looks, or being popular. It is left over psychological bullshit from an age when being physically strong made a person good mating material. 

I believe that the "oh no, I'm a little bitch" self defense mechanism gets triggered and the bullshit finger pointing starts when a person with low self esteem sees another person lift more weight than them. Instead of thinking "hey look at that dude, he lifts a lot of weight, good for him", they think, "Oh look at that jerk, he thinks he is the shit because he lifts a lot of weight, he is so egotistical, I am going over here to work on my biceps because I'm going to get laid". It is where most of the steroid hate comes from. It is where the planet fitness mentality comes from. It almost all stems from mentally weak little bitches who feel inferior for no reason.


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## futureMrO (May 13, 2013)

i have an olympia level body and i dont squat, deadlift or bench. said no one ever haha


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## Z499 (May 13, 2013)

futureMrO said:


> i have an olympia level body and i dont squat, deadlift or bench. said no one ever haha


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## bigbill69 (May 13, 2013)

that guys fukin jacked in that chair see he looks better than most people at the gym that squat or dont squat he looks better than me


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## LAM (May 14, 2013)

bigbill69 said:


> that guys fukin jacked in that chair see he looks better than most people at the gym that squat or dont squat he looks better than me



this is one of my buddies back in PA...it's amazing just how muscular some of these guy get with out leg training.

Wheelchair Bodybuilding - Johnny Quinn


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## Booby (May 14, 2013)

Z499 said:


>


Okay first let me just say much respect for this guy not letting his disability dictate his goals...He looks awesome!...But if he had the use of his legs and could squat and deadlift and do bent over rows, etc, i guarantee he would be much bigger thicker and on a whole nother level...Also he looks great but bodybuilding is alot of illusion and lighting and other tricks i bet hes not really as big as he seems in the pic...I could be wrong but i see pro bodybuilders walking around my gym 160-185lbs in a t-shirt and you would never in your life think these guys were competitive bodybuilders...They look big on stage and in photos but in person? Where did he go? lol...A heavyweight bodybuilder be all covered up wearing anything and people are like DAM! Did you see that dude?...lol....Again much respect to your buddy he is a true warrior and looks great.


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