I was reading "The Complete Key to Progress" by John McCallum the other day.
Inside he was talking about the best exercise for gaining muscle and strength.
It made me think about how nobody does this exercise in most gyms.
Quote from the book...
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"Squats are THE exercise for gaining. They're so far out in front that second place doesn't even matter. If you want the absolute, utter maximum in power and shapely bulk, then you've got to specialize in squats and there's no sense stalling it off."
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My experience confirms Squats are the best exercise for gaining muscle and strength.
Because nothing I ever did in the gym worked until I started to Squat.
In fact, when I joined the gym in August 1999, I WASTED four months of my life doing curls, flies, situps, triceps kickbacks and similar BS.
And I did get a little pumped and sore...
.... but didn't have much results to show for despite training five times a week.
I actually got so frustrated, I lost motivation and almost quit...
But then I met my mentor.
He introduced me to the Squat and the strength and muscle gains quickly followed.
The result: I gained 43lb of mostly muscle while burning my belly fat...
... without using drugs or tons of supplements...
... and despite my "skinny, ectomorph" genetics.
How?
By simply Squatting week after week after week...
... using free weights (not machines) so my muscles have to balance the bar...
... going with my hips lower than my knees on each rep ("breaking parallel")...
... and while trying to get more reps or lift more weight than the week before.
The reason Squats are so effective is because they work your whole body, as one piece.
Everything under the bar works to move the weight and balance it on your upper-back.
The weight is heavier and moves over a greater distance than on other exercises.
This explains why StrongLifts 5x5 is so effective for gaining strength and muscle.
It prioritizes the Squat: every workout, three times a week, before everything else.
Squats are that important for gaining lean muscle and functional strength.
Put bluntly, if you're not Squatting, you're not really training - period.
And that's what most guys do: not Squatting, and thus not training.
No wonder they get no results despite drinking protein shakes 3x/day...
If you want to focus on Squats, try my app - it will guide you along...
Expect dramatic muscle gains as your Squat increases.
Keep it simple.
-Mehdi
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