Convict Fitness-True Book of Power (Sixth Chapter 8) Squat Upgrade Table

If you are looking for changes, you can try the following actions without disrupting your squat plan

Lunges

Lunges are a classic alternative to squats. Stand with your feet together and take a long step forward with one foot. Bend your legs and straighten your back until your front knee is bent close to 90° and your back knee is almost touching the ground. Use your legs to push your body back until your legs are straight. Next, you can take a step back to the starting position and repeat, or you can take a step forward with your back leg and repeat. There wasn't much space in the cell, so we all took one step back to the starting position, switched legs, moved the other leg forward into a lunge, pulled back, and switched legs again. However, if you are in a large space, there is no need to return to the starting position, just switch legs and continue forward. If your legs are in good shape, you can walk long distances like this. I saw one kickboxer who relied heavily on this method, and he judged how well he was exercising by counting how many times he walked across the football field.

Lunge Leg Press

This is a great lunge variation that focuses on one leg at a time. Place one leg on something about knee height. For me, a bed works better and you can use steps - try different heights to help you find the height that works for you. Extend the raised leg forward with the knee slightly bent. Keeping your back straight, bend your hips and raised leg until the back of your thigh is against your calf. At this point, the thigh of the lifted leg should be close to your chest. The knee of the back leg can be slightly bent to ensure safety. However, it should be the front legs that do the main action. Pause for a moment, then push forward with your front legs,Push yourself back to the starting position. This movement looks like a kick, but slower and more gradual. Complete your target number of reps, then switch legs. After doing it hundreds of times, your quads will be super sore the next morning.

Soft Squat

Grasp a stable object with one hand to maintain balance. Stand with your feet together or almost together, bend your knees and lock your hips, stand on your toes, and lean your upper body back slightly. When you first start doing this action, your upper body tends to lean forward, and you may find this action particularly difficult, but it won't take long before you can do it easily. When doing this movement, most of the force is transmitted through the knees, so do not bend the knees more than 90°.

At first, even this range of motion can be difficult, so you have to work hard. Hold at the lowest point of the movement for a while, then return to the starting position, and practice again and again. It is difficult to increase the difficulty of this exercise other than increasing the number of reps. But it's a very useful restorative exercise because your hips don't bend when you do it, so if you're recovering from a lower back injury, this exercise is definitely a great way to target your quadriceps. There seems to be some controversy as to why the exercise is called this. The most common theory is that due to the principle of leverage, this exercise is not conducive to muscle development, which makes the big man doing this look weak. But my mentor, Joe Hartigan, swears that the exercise is named after the ancient Greek mythological figure Sisyphus. According to the myth, Sisyphus had to push a boulder up a mountain every day; every evening, he was doomed to watch the boulder roll down. It was unfortunate, but his thighs must have been very strong.

Indian Squat

Indian wrestlers have been practicing this move for hundreds of years. Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. Squat down into a squatting position, lifting your heels as you squat. After reaching the lowest point, do not pause, immediately use your legs to push yourself up, and at the same time lower your heels. As the heels are lifted and lowered, the body's center of gravity moves up and down and back and forth. This seesaw-like rhythm makes the movement faster and more explosive than in a regular squat. Unlike ordinary squats, the ballistic movement is actually the core of the Indian squat. During the movement, gently swing your arms along with the movement to help create and maintain rhythm. Don't pause at the top or bottom of the movement—you need to do the movement continuously. There are disadvantages and advantages to Indian squats. The downside is that it doesn't replace a regular squat series, as it only increases difficulty by adding more reps, which builds endurance but not strength. In addition, the inertia during the movement may also cause knee inflammation in bodybuilders. The advantage is that its rhythm and high reps are great for people who want to build lower body endurance but can't find a place to run. In addition, Indian squats are also great for cardiopulmonary capacity.There are benefits. If you are going to do Indian Squats, gradually incorporate them into your training program to give your knees time to adapt to the exercise.