The Austrian Oak strikes again.
Squatting is the certainly the best exercise you can perform in the gym. If you’re looking to gain some adequate muscle as well as increase your strength gains, then the squat should definitely be in your workout routine. The amount of power you generate from squatting heavy can translate over to any sport from bodybuilding to mixed martial arts to football. They don’t call it the king of exercises for nothing.
The king of bodybuilding, Arnold Schwarzenegger, was a huge advocate of squatting and was a master at utilizing the famed exercise. Being above average height for a bodybuilder, Arnold possessed considerable longer legs than most men you would find on the posing stage. The Austrian Oak was known as having one of the best upper bodies in all of bodybuilding, yet he did have his weaknesses. Arnold’s leg development was less than great when he first came onto the scene, a drawback that may have held him back from becoming the greatest of all time.
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It’s a weakness that would prove to be just another challenge for the seven time Olympia champion to overcome. The length of his legs made squatting a bit more difficult a task, but it wouldn’t deter him in his desire to become the greatest bodybuilder of all time. Since back squats weren’t as effective for developing his lower body, Arnold chose to do front squats instead to improve his legs. Rather than giving up or finding an excuse, Arnold challenged himself and found a way to get around his weaknesses.
These days it looks like instead of challenging himself, Arnold is challenging others to make improvements, even professional athletes. A NFL Pass Rusher and two-time defensive player of the year, JJ Watt was challenged by the former bodybuilding champion to squat for a remarkable fifty reps. Did Watt stand up to the challenge or crumble under the pressure?
If the picture above is any indication, it looks like Watt handled the challenge perfectly fine. Light weight baby!
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Do you think you can handle Scharzenegger’s squat challenge? Let us know in our official GI Forums or hit us up on Facebook and Twitter. Stay pumped.
