Question about squats

I'm actually posting this for my boyfriend. We have a ton of free weights at home, up to about 130 lbs with both barbell and dumbbell bars. It's fine for me because I can't really lift that heavy yet, but my boyfriend can. The problem is I can't really spot him and the bars can't really hold all the weight he wants to put on for squats. He doesn't want to join a gym because it's too much money; and he doesn't want to drive to the gym first thing in the morning.

So are there any alternate squat exercises for him to do? Thanks!

Can you get another bar that holds enough weight?

Otherwise, one legged squats are a good alternative.

What would be a sustainable bar? Like Olympic style?

And one-legged squats like Bulgarian Splits? And what about front squats?

Sorry for all the questions, and thanks again!

I have a standard bar that is rated to 200 pounds.  I got it from Wal-Mart.  Of course an Olympic bar would hold more as well. 

Also, I would  suggest having him do Front Squats.  Typically people lift a little less on them, and it's easy to "dump" if you fail.  A lot of reading on weight lifting sites seems to indicate that they are often preferred to Back Squats for a number of reasons. 

Original Post by weiing:

What would be a sustainable bar? Like Olympic style?

And one-legged squats like Bulgarian Splits? And what about front squats?

Sorry for all the questions, and thanks again!

When you say the bar can't hold enough weight, do you mean the bar will bend if you put on too much weight, or that it isn't long enough to fit enough plates, or what?  Olympic bars can handle a lot of weight, but you'd need plates that fit onto an olympic bar.

One legged squats are just doing a squat with one leg, pick one leg up off the floor, either by bending it at the knee or extending it out in front of you, and squat down.

Bulgarian split squats are another exercise, but are a decent enough substitute for squats.

Front squats are another option, they might be good for now because people tend to not be able to front squat as much as they can back squat, but your boyfriend will probably find himself needing more weight eventually. 

The weight difference from front squat to back squat isn't really very large, assuming you have correct form. Front Squats are really good for working on squat technique as it forces you to squat with proper form as opposed to leaning forward or extending your knees over your toes.

Bulgarian split squats are good, so are weighted lunges. Also suggest that he squat slow and deep (90 degree angle at the knee, but no lower) as it will really tax the muscles as opposed to doing the lifts too fast. Aim for a 2-2-2 count (or longer): down for two, hold for two, up for two. He should find that if he goes slower and holds the lift while his muscles are engaged he'll get more out of the lift without adding much more weight.

Original Post by jordielg:

Front Squats are really good for working on squat technique as it forces you to squat with proper form as opposed to leaning forward or extending your knees over your toes. Proper squat technique (whether front or back) requires you lean forward to some degree and for most people the knees must extend past the toes.

Also suggest that he squat slow and deep (90 degree angle at the knee, but no lower) as it will really tax the muscles as opposed to doing the lifts too fast. The point in a squat where the most stress is placed on the knee is when it's at 90 degrees, changing directions at this point is further increasing your risk of injury.  There is nothing wrong with squating past 90 degrees or even past parallel (it should be everyone's goal to squat past parallel).

Additionally, there is nothing wrong with lifting fast.  There are even some trainers (i.e. Chad Waterbury) who believe lifting fast is better for muscle growth than lifting slow.

Yeah the bar is already starting to bend in the middle with the maxweight of 130 lbs, and it is almost at max capacity for the weights. I think the latter wouldn't be an issue if we only had the typical weight plates. But when we purchased a workout bench via craigslist, it came with some of those plastic weights that you fill with I guess..concrete ? I'm not sure how to describe it ,sorry. But we have about 60 lbs of those, and then about 60-80lbs worth of the usual weight plates. Sorry if this is confusing !

If you are really interested in getting into a home gym then I would hit up a second wind equipment store.  They can hook you up with all the necessaties.  Including a compact squat rack, they are nice cause they have safety hooks that can be adjusted for benching and squats that way you don't have to worry about spotting him.  My ex found a really nice used olympic bar and weight set there for under 200.  Sure you might have to spend quite a bit to get a decent home gym going but over time it will save you a ton on gym memberships.

Original Post by weiing:

Yeah the bar is already starting to bend in the middle with the maxweight of 130 lbs, and it is almost at max capacity for the weights. I think the latter wouldn't be an issue if we only had the typical weight plates. But when we purchased a workout bench via craigslist, it came with some of those plastic weights that you fill with I guess..concrete ? I'm not sure how to describe it ,sorry. But we have about 60 lbs of those, and then about 60-80lbs worth of the usual weight plates. Sorry if this is confusing !