Yes, that is nonsense. When performed CORRECTLY, SKWAATS are perhaps the second-best all-body strength and conditioning exercise. (Deadlifts being the best, in my opinion – but my body is built well for deadlifts, not so much for squats.)

The real problem with axially-loaded barbell squats is that they are an extremely technically demanding exercise. Precisely because they are a complex compound movement, they require a great deal of attention and care with respect to form. Most people fail to use correct form and turn the squat into a hamstring- or glute-dominant exercise, which then puts quite a bit of shearing force on the lower back and the knees. The other big mistake, of course, is failing to go down to parallel – the shearing stresses on the knees are the worst at the angles between 45 and 90 degrees, and that is what a lot of people fail to check or fix.

By contrast, when one keeps the squat quad-dominant, with a tight core, breaking at the hips AND the knees simultaneously, and the bar tracking in a straight vertical line passing from it through to the midpoint of the foot, and a relatively upright torso, squatting all the way down to at least parallel… then it is a phenomenal exercise that works out every major muscle group in the body.

My personal view is that as long as you are very careful with your form, and have the right gear – a proper belt, flat shoes (with or without an elevated heel), and high-quality compression sleeves for the knees – then you will be fine.

Machines do not require you to balance the bar and control it on your back, and therefore rob you of the benefits of the exercise. They have their place – hack squats and leg presses can and do work out the legs – but they do not engage the entire posterior chain the way squats do. I simply do not see the point of machines unless you have such a severe injury that you cannot tolerate squats.

For perspective, every single disc in my lower back bulges out. I have constant lower back pain during the day. I have to stretch out my back every morning. On top of that, my left knee has problems, and my left hip has a deep-tissue thing with the labrum that goes back over 10 years. And I still am able to squat with good form and without injuring myself, because I am careful and conscious of form.

I assume this is from older dudes who are afraid they’ll hurt themselves, but I just turned 43 with an occasionally bad right knee and I can knock out a 5×5 at 315 no problem.

What are your thoughts? I would assume that all of the usual arguments against machines (don’t learn proper form and technique, don’t get the full range of motion) still apply.