Most bodybuilders firmly believe that you can only build a huge pair of legs by including barbell squats in your leg routine. there was a time in the past when i too thought that this was the case. over the years, however, it has become more difficult to perform the standard, free weight barbell squat due to knee pain and other issues. if i wanted to stay competitive, i had to come up with an alternate way to build the quads and hamstrings without the stress of squats.

with some experimentation and over time, i developed the following routine. these are 2 workouts that are to be done on an every-other-week basis.

workout 1, week 1:

- leg extensions 3 sets 40 reps
- leg press 3 sets 20 reps
- vertical leg press 3 sets 20 reps
- lying leg curls 4 sets 20 reps
- stiff leg deadlift 3 sets 12 reps
- standing calf raises 3 sets 20 reps

workout 2, week 2:

- leg extensions 3 sets 40 reps
- walking lunges 4 sets 20 reps
- hack squats 3 sets 20 reps
- seated hamstring culs 3 sets 20 reps
- standing hamstring curls 3 sets 20 reps
- seated calf raises 3 sets 20 reps

the higher rep scheme is excellent for the preservation of the joints and also flushes the working muscle group with huge amounts of blood, which i believe is great for growth. also, each workout is designed to hit the target areas from completely different angles so, from week to week, you really keep the muscles guessing.

give this squatless routine 2 months worth of a try. you wont regret it!!!