Tip Can You Make Gains Without Squats Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip Can You Make Gains Without Squats It depends Here' s what you need to know by Christian Thibaudeau January 4, 2019September 30, 2022 Tags Bodybuilding, Squat, Tips, Training Can I Make Gains Without Back Squats There's no such thing as a mandatory lift, unless you're a competitive lifter. But there's no doubt that the back squat is a great exercise. It belongs to the category of the "big basics" that should be the meat and potatoes of a training program. Squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, row, and pull-ups are your money lifts and they've stood the test of time. Barring injury, you can never go wrong with using them... but they're not necessary to build a good physique. Now, the key movement patterns SHOULD all be trained in a program. They are: Squatting pattern Hip hinge pattern Horizontal press Horizontal pull Vertical press Vertical pull But it doesn't mean that you HAVE to do the back squat. It means that you ought to train the squatting pattern, which has a multitude of varieties. Here are a few: Front Squat Lumberjack Squat Goblet Squat Box Squat Dumbbell Squat Zercher Squat People with long legs relative to their torso, especially if their tibias are short relative to their femurs, will have a hard time getting anything out of the back squat when it comes to leg growth. But front squats, especially with the heels elevated, or Zercher squats, can be a solid option. Can you achieve good size without any form of free-weight squatting? Sure. Bulgarian split squats and machine hack squat will work well if you're strictly interested by leg size. But I still believe that you should train the squatting movement pattern with a variation that suits your type and then complement the session with the split squat and hack squat machine. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Build Your Backside Destroy the Competition If you're like most lifters, your glutes, hams, and lower back are lagging. Bring 'em up to perform better, get faster, be stronger, and look hotter. Bodybuilding, Glutes, Training Christian Thibaudeau July 1 Videos Tip The Deficit Deadlift Stand on a plate or study platform, then deadlift. This increases the range of motion, making it one of the toughest lifts out there. Deadlift, Exercise Coaching, Powerlifting & Strength, Tips Max Shank June 12 Training The 7 Types of Muscle Gainers Are you a hardgainer, a freak, or one of the other 5 types of muscle gainers? Find out here and learn how to lift if you're not gifted. Bodybuilding, Building Muscle Christian Thibaudeau January 17 Training Eat My Meat Dave doesn't waste words. In fact, when he met his wife, he just pointed to what he wanted. Same thing with his articles. No build up. No smooth talking. He just gets right to the point. Training Dave Tate April 25