Is squatting Better Than Hack Sled for Size

[NewGuy1980]

I know, I know. Almost every one agrees that Squats are one of the best excercises for adding mass. I just prefer working my legs on the sled rather than Squatting. Call it laziness, call it convienence, I can just lift so much more weight on the sled than the squat. This maybe due to the lack of stabilizer (no one said I could spell) muscles I have in my legs. This post kinda sounds like I am trying to take the easy way out, but I am just trying to see how much size I am sacrificing by using the hack sled and seated leg press rather than squatting. (Plus, you can just slide your feet down and hit the calf raises right there). Thanks Fellas,

Unexperienced but eager to learn

 

[gymtime]

The reason you can lift more on the sled is because the sled is carrying a lot of the weight. It's pretty simple, squats are better for maximum leg gains.

 

[The Dude]

Squats are better for mass without a doubt. If the sled is angled at 45 degrees, then you're not actually lifting the amount of weight you have on there. You're rolling it uphill. As said above, that is why you can lift more.

Squat, even if you're not squatting a lot. More weight will come in time. Go to hacks after you're done with your squats.

 

[gwl9dta4]

First off, bodybuilding has nothing to do with the ammount of weight you lift. It's how you lift it. I use squats exclusively in my routine and the thing is that you do not need to go heavy. Try a routine with 135 or 185 for slow reps of 15-20 super seted with leg curls. , and you will see. There other ways to make the muscles grow, using more weight is a nobrainer. Train smarter not harder.

 

[cytrix]

i don't like squats either,but i always do stiffleg deadlifts and lunges, in addition to legpresses and hacks (not all in the same workout). lunges also work your butt very well, kinda like squats.

 

[NewGuy1980]

Thanks, I willl try to incorporate more sqautting into my program. Appreciate the info!!!

 

[needsize]

Hacks are good for working the lower quad, around the knee, especially when you do them rock bottom, great exercise for after squats

 

[b fold the truth]

I used to do hack squats after doing squats. I put a 45 on each side and went down till the machine bottomed out. Fried my quads and they grew.

B True

 

[Beleriand_K]

You can't compare squats with a 45 degree sled. Squats is a compound excercise, while the sled is an isolation excercise for your leg muscles.

I became aware of the huge difference between these two excercises when I started doing squats for the first time after having only worked legs with the sled. It turned out, that even though I could press 280kg (620lb) on the sled I could only do 70kg (155lb) in squats! Yes, you read that right. 155lb in squats. So I had to start from scratch with this excercise, which was a rather unpleasant surprise.

Personally, I hate squats, but I learned the hard way, that there is no way you can compare the sled with squats.

 

[NewGuy1980]

Thanks for the follow ups fellas,
I really love this board is so informative.