home gym help (legs)

[mybadodge]

I have the equipment to get quality workouts in for all body parts except legs. I don't have a spotter or a squat rack so standard squats is fairly impossible. I've been doing front squats (20 rep style) but I don't think this is really going to give me the kind of benefits standard squats can. right now my leg day looks like this

front squats
leg lifts
leg curls
dead lifts

any other suggestions (other than the standard "join a gym" my buddies give me? haha) thanks in advance

[Jergo]

I have the equipment to get quality workouts in for all body parts except legs. I don't have a spotter or a squat rack so standard squats is fairly impossible. I've been doing front squats (20 rep style) but I don't think this is really going to give me the kind of benefits standard squats can. right now my leg day looks like this

front squats
leg lifts
leg curls
dead lifts

any other suggestions (other than the standard "join a gym" my buddies give me? haha) thanks in advance

I hear ya bro, I have my gym at home now too, but the most exspensive "single" piece of equipment was my leg stations. For squats, when I can do them (I have a knee injury at the moment) I actually went out and bought a power cage for them. There not too expensive if you take the time too price-check a lot. They also sell various other things like the EZ-spotter; which attaches to the wall and is kind ahard to explain, but it works. Also they have these spotter stands, but I'm not too sure about those for squats.

For calf raises, I built my own little contraption. I have lumber mounted down on basement floor and then In front of where I stand, I welded a huge piece of steel in such a shape so I can hold my 7-foot BB w/ weights. And it has a place where I can put myshoulders just like a real one at the gym, stuck some padding on that sucker and voila, a calf-rasie station that WORKS!! Only took like 2or 3 days to make too.

Those are some ideas, but make sure you check out Dicks sporting goods, et.c online so you can look at what they have an get an idea...

[mybadodge]

thanks man, I'll check it out...

[Yimen E.Cricket]

If you get some cinder blocks or some stacking steps you can do one legged stepups.
Search for stepups for a good thread.

[Yimen E.Cricket]

And Lunges Too

[Supa Freek 420]

Walmart.com has a cheaply priced Weider cage.

[Matthew D]

Trust me, if you are doing good 20 reps sets you will grow... but you really do need to get you a cage, and as SF said Walmart has got a cheap one.. Also, you might check with the local technical high school that teaches welding, see if one of the good students wants to make some money on the side... just a thought

[Supa Freek 420]

Here you go...

Weider Pro 400 Squat Rack With Chin-Up Bar

[Cuffs]

Ass to the grass 20 rep squats should blow your legs up. Also, add some SLDL's. My legs have started to grow since I began doing these. In fact, they are barking as I am typing this from my Friday workout. The other given suggestions are good as well.

[mybadodge]

thanks for all the suggestions...that squat rack looks like the best option..now I need to make room for it in my apartment somehow

[BrKonman]

Squat rack is the way to go bro, but please don't buy a Weider Junk Model if you're going to be using any significant amount of weight. Get yourself a real rack like http://www.fitnessfactory.com/Fitnes...tion&linkid=81 for another $100. I've got the model one step up from that, and my buddies have bailed with 500-600 lbs, dropped flat on the safetys and nothing worse than a shaking cage came from it.

I know plenty of guys who have absolutely trashed their cheap cages (read sub 150 new, ... used you can sometimes find good deals) because A) the spotter bars didn't hold up when the weight came down, or b) the rack holes themselves got thoroughly ripped up from just one heavy weight bail. Your squat rack should be gunning to outlast you, if you put in a decent investment.

On the apartment thing... I just convinced my girl to let me take over the dining room, usually plenty of space there, especially ceiling height if you guys have a chandelier you can remove.