BTB what is the proper way to squat to get Ronnie legs?

[vcjha]

Essentially, I stopped squatting with such a wide stance when you told me you and Wisconsin make Ronnie's legs look tiny.Anthony says to only use your legs to drive the weight up while you say hip drive is beneficial. On another note, I know I can squat both ways even while using Anthony's tips: I can squat down, basically dumping my butt down, or I can squat the same but this time, trying to spread my legs apart, which strangely makes it easier and I feel like I'm in a more powerful position to drive up. What do you suggest, Steve? I'm so confused on what to do. Any and all details to squat will be most appreciated.

[Soldier]

Squat deep, squat heavy. Everything else will pretty much take care of itself.

[Hazzard]

Ronnie Coleman Works Legs... PART 2 - YouTube

Ronnie Coleman Works Legs... PART 2 - YouTube

[BendtheBar]

The squat isn't a leg press. You need to move maximal weight with good form and that starts with "butt up, hips forward" from the hole. If you do this with about a shoulder width stance you will build quality quad size over time.

The squat is a compound lift and should not be turned into an isolation (quads only) lift. This is dangerous thinking. The squat was never meant to be performed using only one muscle group. This is fringe bodybuilding thinking and wrong.

Just because you are using the hips, glutes and hamstrings doesn't mean your quads won't get big. You squat 500 with a shoulder width stance and you will have bigger quads, I guarantee it.

70% of ultra wide stance squat videos on the Internet are of powerlifters training in squat suits that make this stance beneficial. 20% of ultra wide stance squat videos are lifters trying to mimic these lifters without the use of a squat suit, not knowing any better. The other 10% might have valid reasons, but may be training for strength only.

There are some powerlifters who do not train in gear that use a wide stance, but for 99% of us looking to build leg mass there is no reason to squat wide.

Also, I don't recall saying my legs were bigger than Ronnie's. If I did it was humor, or a comment about the obesity problem in Wisconsin.

[vcjha]

Originally Posted by Soldier

Squat deep, squat heavy. Everything else will pretty much take care of itself.

Thanks. But I really do need a response from this, and Steve hit the nail on the head on this one.

Originally Posted by Hazzard

Ronnie Coleman Works Legs... PART 2 - YouTube

Geez, that's some heavy weight. Only other guy I know who outsquats him as far as maximal weight for reps is Mariusz.

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

The squat isn't a leg press. You need to move maximal weight with good form and that starts with "butt up, hips forward" from the hole. If you do this with about a shoulder width stance you will build quality quad size over time.

The squat is a compound lift and should not be turned into an isolation (quads only) lift. This is dangerous thinking. The squat was never meant to be performed using only one muscle group. This is fringe bodybuilding thinking and wrong.

Just because you are using the hips, glutes and hamstrings doesn't mean your quads won't get big. You squat 500 with a shoulder width stance and you will have bigger quads, I guarantee it.

70% of ultra wide stance squat videos on the Internet are of powerlifters training in squat suits that make this stance beneficial. 20% of ultra wide stance squat videos are lifters trying to mimic these lifters without the use of a squat suit, not knowing any better. The other 10% might have valid reasons, but may be training for strength only.

There are some powerlifters who do not train in gear that use a wide stance, but for 99% of us looking to build leg mass there is no reason to squat wide.

Also, I don't recall saying my legs were bigger than Ronnie's. If I did it was humor, or a comment about the obesity problem in Wisconsin.

Thanks for all that, Steve. Very helpful. I think you were trying to be humerous and comment on Wisconsin's obesity at the same time, now that I've looked at the post again lmao. Just one last thing, when you squat down do you attempt to push your legs out and spread them wider apart? I find that when I attempt this, the squat becomes easier, I feel more powerful to drive and I find it's easier to balance. But I'm after massive legs and maximal muscular development in the lower body, so if my way of making it easier isn't geared towards my goal, I'll try to work on keeping balance when I descend to the hole.

[Soldier]

You're right, his response was awesome. I guess what I meant is that if you try to go deep and try to go heavy, you'll figure out how you personally like to do the other specific things as you do it. I know I've tried lots of different squat techniques to figure out which one worked for me, and I still use a couple of the other versions from time to time.