The squat: the best exercise. Peri Rader.
The article was first published in Iron Man magazine in July 1955
Without a doubt, the squat is the best known exercise for working out the entire body, improving health, increasing energy, improving the functions of internal organs, and rapidly building muscle mass. Of course, this is a bold statement, but it is true.
There was a time in the history of American bodybuilding when the squat was considered a secondary exercise. It was believed that the arms and shoulders are more important for both the bodybuilder and the lifter. However, over time, the attitude to the squat has changed, thanks to some theorists who found out that the squat is a valuable exercise, and then - and those athletes who began to actively use it in their training. Lifters, for example, found that the only way they could beat others was to have enough power in their legs, particularly in their thighs. In the days of Alan Calvert and Georges Juve, squats were considered a secondary exercise, like bicep lifts or belt pulls. Since this exercise is quite heavy, many of the bodybuilders and lifters excluded it from their programs, which significantly reduced the limits of their own capabilities, although they did not know it.
A wrestler and" strongman " of the past, Henry Steinborn moved to America from Germany, where during the Second World war, while in a concentration camp, he constantly did squats with a homemade barbell. He noticed that when you increase your achievements in the squat, you also increase your achievements in everything else. This man had an amazing physique and was considered one of the best wrestlers for many years.
Another young athlete, as an Elevator operator, picked up on Steinborn's idea and also began to train actively in the squat. This athlete's name was mark Barry. He managed to gain 20 kilograms of muscle mass in a very short time just by performing a squat. Later, he became the editor of the magazine "Power", in which, as far as possible, tried to promote the squat as an exercise that gives maximum progress in both lifting and bodybuilding. Athletes who followed Barry's advice and made progress through squatting wrote to Barry's magazine, and he published these letters in the pages of his magazine.
So, D. S. Hayes gained almost 20 kilograms of "mass" in a month, which was incredible at that time, doing only a squat. Hayes ' training consisted of just three sets of squats! Of course, in those days approaches were not called "sets", as they are now, and the set system itself was invented later, when bodybuilding became widely known.
Up until Hayes started his squat experiments, I spent about 12 years trying unsuccessfully to develop my body and increase my weight. I weighed 58 kilograms at a height of 179.5 kilograms for 3 years and no training methods helped me. After reading Hayes ' publications, I decided that this is what I need, that I have finally found the secret of mass growth! My training program consisted of squats, pull-UPS and presses from behind the head. I trained 2 times a week, doing one set of 20 repetitions of the squat and 2 sets for 10-15 repetitions of the remaining exercises. In the first month, I gained 4.5 kilograms of pure muscle mass! A little, by today's standards, however, for a man who couldn't put on even a pound for several years, it was great! Over the next two years, I gained 32 kilograms of weight. In addition, I became the Midwest (AAU) heavyweight lifting champion, which means that I am a champion among the States of North Dakota, Nebraska, and Western Iowa.
I am not alone in praising this exercise, which is essential for every weightlifter and is the key to strength and power. Today, many of the famous bodybuilders use this exercise in their programs, achieving excellent results. Many years ago, Bob Hoffman was opposed to the squat as an exercise for lifters, however, within a few years, he changed his mind and now agrees that the squat is the king among exercises.
For many years, the magazine "Iron Man" was almost alone, promoting the squat as the best exercise. Today, this exercise has received well-deserved recognition. We are not saying that bodybuilders and lifters should only do squats - that would be stupid! But, we believe that many of the athletes do not devote enough time to this exercise, which is a mistake. This exercise is especially important at an early stage of bodybuilding. Of course, after getting the desired mass, the athlete can go to other exercises for the legs, getting clarity and shape, but at the very beginning, any person should work intensively in the squat.
P.S. From myself, I will add that squats helped me progress during the times of active participation in competitions.
