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Dear Jim,
In my humble opinion squats are the most effective leg exercise ever created. It doesn’t matter weather you’re trying to build strength, endurance or a great body. Squats should be included in your program. Many people do not like to do squats because they are just plain hard. If you don’t believe me, see if you ever have to wait for a squat rack at the local gym. People will stand in line to use the bench press, curl bars and cardio machines but the squat rack area is never crowded.

Over the years squats have gotten a bad name. They can be very dangerous if not done correctly. There is no question that poorly performed squats can be bad for your knees and your lower back. However if you do them right the benefits can be incredible. One of the biggest mistakes people make while squatting is allowing the knees to pass over the toes while lowering their body into the squat position. This places a lot of stress on the knee joint and can possible cause injury. If you want to learn how to squat I strongly suggest hiring a personal trainer to teach you proper form. It will be well worth the money.

Doing squats will make certainly make your legs grow bigger but it won’t slow you down. During my years as a college football player I constantly squatted. By the time I was a senior at Salisbury University I was able to squat 750 pounds. As a result of my legs getting stronger I was able to run faster. My forty yard dash time went from 4.95 seconds to 4.8 seconds in less than a year. I strongly believe squats were the reason for my increase in speed. If you are still not convinced take a good look at the United States Olympic sprinting team. They have massive legs but they are as fast as lightning.

Remember the stronger the leg muscles are the faster they can contract. The end result is that the athlete with the strongest legs will run faster, jump higher and will be probably run over anyone that’s gets in the way. Why do you think NFL strength coaches insist that the players squat on a weekly basis?

Squats should be the meat and potatoes of your leg training program. All other exercises should be considered secondary. You should do other exercises such as leg presses or hack squats but only after you are done squatting. Leg extensions should only be used if you are recovering from an injury because they have no real benefit to athletes.

If you are still wondering if you should include squats in your program allow me to quote a wonderful poem I found years ago written by University of North Carolina strength coach Jeff Madden:

Down the road, in a gym far away
A young man was heard to say,
"No matter what I do, my legs won't grow!"
He tried leg extensions, leg curls, leg presses too.
Trying to cheat these sissy work outs he'd do!
From the corner of the gym where the big guys train,
Through a cloud of chalk and the midst of pain,
Where the big iron rides high, and threaten, lives,
Where the noise is made with big forty-fives,
A deep voice bellowed as he rapped his knees,
A very big man with legs like trees,
Laughing as he snatched another plate from the stack,
Chalked his hands and monstrous back,
Said," Boy, stop lying and don't say you've forgotten!
Trouble with you is you ain't been SQUATTIN!"