Squat last?

[dark_venom]

I was told by my gym's version of Quadzilla that doing squats first in a leg routine is ineffective is the muscles are properly warmed up. So to ensure a better pump and blood in the muscle he suggested I try this:


Leg Extensions
2 warmup sets of 10 and 8
3 sets of 10 increasing weight

Leg press
2 light sets same weight of 8-10
3 heavy sets of 8-10 reps

Squats
3-4 sets of 1/2-3/4 of the normal weight


It's worked out great for me, but what do you guys think?

 

[buffdoc]

There's a pro who works out at my gym; I've watched them and he and his "trainees" always do squats last.
I did legs with them for the first time today, and we beat the hell out of our hams and quads, then finished off with squats.
Sometimes he'll squat ssecond to last and then blow it out at the end with leg press.
I'm gonna be a hurtin' pup come Friday AM.

 

[dark_venom]

Those workouts are the best! If I can walk out of the gym on leg day, I go back and hammer out more reps.

 

[hornedfrogs07]

So squats should be last? I have honestly never heard that before. I have always been doing squats first, and I've been getting great growth like that. I used to do smith squats, and I'd stagnated on growth, but once I switched back to real squats first in the workout, I've grown almost an inch in the past 6 weeks.

 

[Unfed]

hmmm... so you do bench press, dead lifts as your last exercises too? Main exercises should be done first in the workout IMHO...

 

[dark_venom]

Nope I bench and dead first, but that's not the point, I've tried this and it's worked for me, and I feel stronger every workout. I'm getting development so I'm gonna stick with it for a few more weeks. I just wanted to know how many people have heard of this and tried it.

 

[captain wacky]

Nope I bench and dead first, but that's not the point, I've tried this and it's worked for me, and I feel stronger every workout. I'm getting development so I'm gonna stick with it for a few more weeks. I just wanted to know how many people have heard of this and tried it.

You are getting good results becuase you have switched the routine up. Whenever you make a change you will see different results. Give it a weeks and you will see results start to diminish.

 

[Unfed]

doing squats first in a leg routine is ineffective is the muscles are properly warmed up.

you're doing bench, dead..etc. before your muscles properly warmed up then? Therefore they're ineffective?

Hey, if it's working for you, keep on... I for one like to do main exercises first, before I get tired and shit...

 

[dark_venom]

Understood brotha and my bench marks aren't great so I get them outta the way before I get too winded too. For both deads and bench I warm up with only 2 sets of 10 and 8 reps respectively. I've known some guys that do 4-6 sets of warmup sets before they get to the meat of their routine. Captain Wacky you got it right, I stick to a routine for no more than 8 weeks before I switch up.

 

[buffdoc]

I think pre-exhaustion prior to the big lifts is effective some of the time. I agree about switching up.
The pro at my gym is very set in his ways, but the competitive BB he trains (female) will often switch it up and squat first (after warming up with Olympic moves like clean and press, etc). I do both now.

 

[New_Mass]

I believe what he told you about the warm ups is good, but after this is squats first because you can get more out of them for a better stimulation of overall growth. Then you pound the hack/smith etc..