Why squat/legs 3x per week?

Training Q&A [Moderated]
, ,
1

Hi Jordan,

I’m progressing nicely on week 5 of the beginner template. So far, only the overhead press is stalling.

I was wondering why it’s necessary to squat 3x per week. Peeking ahead in block II, I saw that one squat session is replaced by leg press. So, what’s the reason for using higher volume for legs instead of allocating some of that volume to the upper body?

2

It is not “necessary” to squat 3x/week. We recommend a minimum of 2x/week to meet physical activity guidelines, but find that most people can tolerate, and benefit from additional training volume even when getting started.

If, over time and with experimentation, you find that you prefer/respond better to an alternative programming setup, we would encourage you to pursue that instead. But as a beginner you have probably not yet accumulated enough experience to make this determination.

1 Like
3

Thanks, Austin. Is there a reason for choosing the Squat specifically? Is it because it’s an all-around decent compound movement compared to other exercises?

4

Yes, it trains a large amount of muscle mass, through a relatively long range of motion, and is highly scalable in terms of loading options and variations.

1 Like