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A known book about bodyweight training written by a fictitious convict athlete, states that you can gain strength in your legs without using weights at all, by means of exercise variations that will take you from assisted squats to one-leg squats.

Before moving on to the next variation, the reader is compelled to achieve lots of repetitions. For instance, before moving on to squats with feet together, you should achieve two sets of 30 normal (bodyweight only) squats.

I haven't seen that approach anywhere else. I wonder if it has any solid foundation.

I ask this because I have been adding reps during months, and now I am performing two sets of 20 bodyweight squats. I hope I am not loosing my time.

Mephisto
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  • What's your goal and do you have access to equipment? – Kneel-Before-ZOD Jun 08 '15 at 12:35
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    If it does work but isn't nearly as efficient as weighted squats, wouldn't that still be considered losing your time? – Steven Jun 08 '15 at 13:46
  • @Kneel-Before-ZOD My goal is strength and I have access to a very good gym with power rack, free weights, barbells, dumbbells, Smith machines and also all kind of Nautilus machines. But my right shoulder underwent a SLAP repair 18 months ago and the externally rotated position required to hold the barbell on top of my shoulders is too risky for me, it is the exact position required to destroy my repair if something goes wrong (a bad movement, a misalignment, a poor posture) And goblet squats are too light for me now. – Mephisto Jun 08 '15 at 16:08
  • Sorry to hear about your injury. Well, weighted squats are more effective than body-weight squats. You can also try dumb bell squats (they'll hang by your side instead of on your back). However, if bodyweight squats is what your injury permits you to do, simply perform variations of it with as many reps as possible. You gotta do what you gotta do :). – Kneel-Before-ZOD Jun 08 '15 at 16:16
  • @Kneel-Before-ZOD I have been thinking about a weighted vest, or perhaps some barbell attachment but it all seems like bad substitutes. – Mephisto Jun 08 '15 at 16:21
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    Personally, the barbell attachment seems like a bad idea as your weight increases. I'd rather go for the leg press machine. That should work my legs better as well as being safe :). – Kneel-Before-ZOD Jun 08 '15 at 16:45
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    It is nonsensical to believe that goblet squats are "too light for me now" while simultaneously working on air squats. – Dave Liepmann Jun 09 '15 at 07:28
  • @Kneel-Before-ZOD Please answer in an answer instead of in comments. It allows people to vote and comment on your proposals. – Dave Liepmann Jun 09 '15 at 09:14
  • I did pistols for a couple of years when I had no gym or weights around. Single leg body weight stuff won't make you a jacked monster but it does fix a lot of imbalances and teaches you shocking levels of balance and control. – Eric Jun 09 '15 at 15:17
  • @DaveLiepmann I tried squats with the 20 kg (olympic) bar and they feel easy (but dangerous for my shoulder, specially if I am going to add weight on a regular basis), that is why I think there is not much room left for goblet squats. Although I haven't yet checked the heavy end of the dumbbell rack in the new gym. – Mephisto Jun 09 '15 at 17:57
  • Goblet Squats suck ! I come just now from the gym. I picked up a dumbbell the same weight of the olympic barbell, i.e. 45 lb and did a 5 reps set. I nearly shit in my pants with that monster between my hands pressing against my chest. Then I tried some heavy leg presses, and I noticed they do something nasty on my lower back, and I don't want to know what it is. Then I went to the power rack and did 8 reps with the olympic barbell despite the "signal" from my shoulder. That was stupid, I will never try again. I must go on with the bodyweight stuff, whether I like it or not. – Mephisto Jun 10 '15 at 02:42
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    All squats are hard. That is why they are so effective. In my opinion the goblet squat is a great exercise. You can goblet squat much less than you backsquat, so you should start with maybe 30 lbs next time. – Andy Jan 13 '19 at 18:11

6 Answers6

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Yes.....but

Body weight squats will increase your leg strengths initially. If you don't run or play sports that require running, you should experience some strength in your legs (quads, glutes, and calves). However, if you do perform these sports, you won't really experience an extra benefit to body weight squats.

Frankly, body weight squats is more of a cardio exercise than a strength exercise. It'll build endurance and agility in your legs, which will allow you to perform better in sports. But it won't make your legs bigger.

Based on the information retrieved from the comments, it seems that you have access to equipment; the problem is that you can't perform activities that involve putting heavy weights on your shoulders.

As a result, I wouldn't really advocate barbell back squats for large weights (because of the potential injury if your shoulders fail).

Goblet squats is a good idea. You can increase the weight, which will help your legs.

Dumb bell squats

is another great idea.
Caveat though: your grip strength partly determines how much you'll be able to go.

This form of dumb bell squat is also great (depending on your shoulder strength though).

Leg Presses: You cannot go wrong with leg presses.


That can build some serious strength and muscles on your legs. No shoulder required :).

You can also perform many calf exercises, leg extensions, and other machine-based exercises.

There are more exercises that you can perform....but you get the picture :).

You are not limited to only body weight squats. :)

Community
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Kneel-Before-ZOD
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  • Great idea, General Zod. I am going to use the leg press in alternate days with the bodyweight/goblet squat. – Mephisto Jun 09 '15 at 18:20
  • "You cannot go wrong with leg presses"—except that the leg press is a leg exercise, whereas the squat is a back-and-legs exercise. It is not a substitute. – Dave Liepmann Jun 09 '15 at 19:02
  • @DaveLiepmann The question is focused on legs, which was what the answer addressed. If back's included, the answer will be different. I'm not even sure though if there are any back exercises that wouldn't place weights/pressure on the shoulders. – Kneel-Before-ZOD Jun 09 '15 at 20:08
  • @Kneel-Before-ZOD Back extensions work the spinal erectors, glutes and hamstrings. Holding the load plate against my chest is not a problem for my shoulders. The trouble can happen while in a forced externally rotated position (as when holding the squat bar on top of the back). – Mephisto Jun 09 '15 at 20:16
  • @Mephisto That's right. I was actually thinking about free-weight exercises with that comment. I should probably look into more machine-based exercises for the back. – Kneel-Before-ZOD Jun 09 '15 at 20:18
  • I am certainly pissed off by this issue. Push/pull exercises (with the exception of dips) are not a problem, but the externally rotated position during the barbell squat is a risk I cannot accept. The surgery was really painful and it got me one full year out of the gym. I don't want to even imagine what comes next after ruining that repair... – Mephisto Jun 09 '15 at 20:19
  • In that case, front barbell squats is another good choice; it also works your core and chest region. Start with a lower weight though, as it seems harder than a back squat :) . – Kneel-Before-ZOD Jun 09 '15 at 20:24
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You can definitely build strong legs with bodyweight squats, but you're going to hit a wall with diminishing returns pretty quickly aiming for 20-30 range reps...as far as strength is concerned, anyway.

If you're looking for absolute strength gains, and you're dead set on bodyweight movements, I think you'd see much better results taking a 5x5-type (sets x reps) approach, and progressively increasing the difficulty of the movements.

For example, start with 5 reps of assisted air squats. When you complete the 5x5 easily, graduate to unassisted, then Bulgarian split squats, assisted pistols, to shrimps (not to be confused with BJJ shrimps), etc.

Here's a great infographic that highlights some suggested progressions:

http://www.startbodyweight.com/2014/01/basic-routine-infographic-poster.html

Also, you might find some benefit in reading Pavel's Naked Warrior...his whole focus is strength from bodyweight training.

Adding plyometrics (e.g., jump squats, depth squats, etc) will add power to your game, but I'd start with a solid foundation first.

Hope that helps.

Remo Williams
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  • Great info. I had to choose only one answer as the best one, but thanks for the useful information. Hope to see you around here in the future. – Mephisto Jun 09 '15 at 18:18
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If you cannot currently perform two sets of 30 bodyweight (air) squats, then yes: air squats will build muscle and strength quite well.

If you are looking for an alternative to barbells for strength training your squat, the goblet squat is probably the best answer:

Goblet squat bottom position

Some gyms also have "safety squat bars" that don't require reaching behind one's back to grip the bar. Weight vests also provide a way to add load without exacerbating shoulder issues. These both could be a good solutions for you.

Dave Liepmann
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  • I choosed General Zod's answer this time because the leg press suggestion (I will combine it with the light goblet squats in alternate days). But yours was very valuable as usual. Thanks Dave. – Mephisto Jun 09 '15 at 18:16
  • @Mephisto Remember, the leg press is a leg exercise, whereas the squat is not. – Dave Liepmann Jun 09 '15 at 18:58
  • I thought it was a leg exercise that also involved some lower back stabilizing work. – Mephisto Jun 09 '15 at 19:40
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    @Mephisto The first point of failure in maximal squats for most people is the lower back, not the legs. It's just about equal between the legs, glutes, and spinal erectors in my experience. – Dave Liepmann Jun 09 '15 at 19:59
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It's certainly possible to get really strong legs without extra weight. All that matters is the force that is actually applied to your muscles.

If your goal is to be able to do one legged squats, you need to increase your agility and your max strength. 30 reps is nowhere near the optimal rep count for max strength, but since we're not using extra weight, what can we do? Negatives. Lower yourself slowly, working against gravity on the way down until you can't support your weight any more, when you can't, sit down on your ass and get up again.

Mårten
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the thing about prison is that they work out usually 3-4 times a day for an hour at a time, thus constantly sending those messages gets insane results in muscular growth, but you can get large legs with bodyweight squats, but you will have to combine them with dynamic tension leg exercises, as well as do them slowly and in time add a backpack full of weight to increase weight on your squats but it is very achievable. a better prison workout book is solitary fitness by charles bronson he is in solitary confinement and is a genius.

user7847
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No, not unless you are doing under 20 reps, which you are not. Otherwise, or in your case, you have to do barbell squats. End of discussion.

Rob Sterach
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