Granted I'm not a complete traditionalist but I do practice quite a bit of the old school style of training as opposed to whatever is going on with the style or trends of this century. Certain things come and go when it comes to training and learning how to do things more instinctively, that's where I feel like I thrive at.
I have written in recent times about the bullshit myth of "If you ain't squatting, you ain't training" being a possible controversial take. I've been doing more squats lately than I have step ups for reasons that have nothing to do with it being some kind of requirement or need. I work on various squats with the band, bodyweight and isometrics because they're fun to do and it keeps things in check. I miss doing step ups though which I actually haven't done in probably a couple months at the most. Those are really brutal when you put on a weight vest and do 500-1000 of them.
So did I break any rules or sins when it comes to leg training? The truth is....Who really made up these rules to begin with? Squats are essential and should be practiced in and of themselves from a certain POV, I do believe in that. Now, I personally believe those who "make up" these rules are the dogmatic types that have large egos and wouldn't know how to help others when it comes to true squatting because not everybody is able to squat the same ways. For instance, if someone is 5'8 and has a long torso but shorter legs, squatting (depending on the variation) may have a better learning vibe on how to work a deep squat but if you took someone who's say 6'6 or something around that level of height, squatting is going to really depend on his mobility in the knees and hips because a full squat for him may only be half the range of motion. If he goes any deeper, he'd be testing the elasticity of his ligaments. Granted some guys trained well enough to make a squat look so effortless that you wonder what the hell he truly did to build that level of flexibility (Alexander Karelin anyone?). It's incredible what people can do.
When I squat, there are things I need to be aware of. Example would be if I had a wider than shoulder-width stance, I can go pretty deep and hold it for 10 minutes or more if I felt like it. Toes pointed diagonally and it may take me a few seconds to plant my heels flat but once they're completely flat, BAM I'm holding it pretty well. For reps, it can be tricky but I don't have issues doing them up to 500 using a deck of cards when I add in the goblet style with the forearms being really close together which is called Pan Squats based off of the Satyr from strongman Kevin Wikse. Now if I put my feet at shoulder width or narrower, that is very weird for me and not in a good way either. Because of the rod and pins in my shin and ankles, it limits the amount of flexibility because the deeper I go into it, the more it becomes painful for me. With the Hindu Squats, going down and lifting the heels up helps immensely. The further in I bring the legs, the more my heels won't be able to touch the floor. If I attempted to do a full ATG squat with the feet together, I won't be able to keep the heels down, it's not an excuse or anything that's just how my legs are and I'll feel incredible tightness below the knees that does not feel good or comfortable whatsoever.
So have I committed some rule when it comes to squatting, some say maybe or even definite but most who know me and seen what I'm capable of up close will tell you what I do is enough for me as an individual and it works really well along what I believe in when it comes to squatting in general. Another "Sin" or "Rule" that I may have broken is on the subject of Pull-Ups. Are they really required? Over the years, I have mix feelings about the importance of Pull-ups and the older I get, the more I view it as another tool in the arsenal that have benefits for plenty but I'm not going to go on a rampage if you don't do them. Are there right and wrong ways to do them? Very much so. What I've written in the past about the importance or requirement wasn't 100% my own opinion, it was based off an inspiring and interesting article from Vahva Fitness and how it talks about pulling movements. You can read the article HERE...Here is a direct quote from this article to give you a glimpse of what it talks about, this is from Eero's words not mine "You can find lots of examples of balanced and strong physiques from dance, yoga and qigong of people who never go to the gym and never do pull ups. Yet, they can have amazing postures and even nice back development with visible traps and bulking lats."
In reality, Pull-Ups are awesome and I'll do 10-20 of them in my own workouts from time to time but priority wise, I'm more into doing bodyweight rows, Hybrid Iso Pull-Ups and Isometrically pulling down on my WorldFit Iso Trainer Handles while standing and still get a hell of a back, core and grip workout from any one of these. That works for me and I'm not ashamed of it. So, again, did I break some sort of rule when it comes to Pull-Ups? Short answer...FUCK NO!!!
Every individual has ways of developing their body to get a great physique that isn't from a conventional or traditional point of view. Some will be better at using machines and free weights, others at bodyweight, bands, isometrics and other things. Some will have a complete variety of both traditional and non traditional forms of exercise that work for them. Bodyweight and Isometrics alone can benefit many and it's a top 3 of the greatest forms of exercise because they can be done anywhere, anytime. However, some may like to add a thing or two to keep their mind working for their own journey. Now if one was in prison, if you're confined to a cell 23-24 hours a day, bodyweight is most likely going to be your best friend (Charles Bronson bro) so do what's possible. You truly have a limitless imagination, many just haven't ignited it yet but once you do and have knowledge of your own body and fitness programs, there's no ending to what you can come up with.
So to end this, if anybody has rules set up for you that don't make much sense, those are probably the ones not to be trusted mainly because they set up their own rules and only care if you follow them or not and will treat you like a slave if you follow their rules. If you don't follow their rules, you're a loser and have no business training for yourself. That's pure bullshit man. Learn the ins and outs of fitness and customize what works best for you. If you have a personal trainer, they may be different cause they have certain things required of you to do to help you get better but that's not the same as some whack-job telling you this or that based on their own bias and one track mind. Be amazingly awesome in your own journey and if things work for you that give you success yet you're told there's some dumbass rule you're breaking, I'd say be a fucking rule breaker cause those rules aren't meant for you.
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