DO I REALLY HAVE TO SQUAT?

Hey, what's up? I really like your column. I have a question. I have been training for a while now and I absolutely love it, except when it comes to leg day. I hate doing legs. I know that when it comes to doing legs, squats are important. How important are they? I mean, can you build big legs without them? I have a friend who has huge legs and I have never seen him squat. Can you give me a routine for legs that doesn't include squats? - Joe Collaz, San Juan, Puerto Rica

Let me get this straight. You want me to design a leg routine for you that doesn't include squats. You also want to know if squats are that important to a bodybuilder. I have some questions for you. Do you have a back problem? Do you have bad knees? Do you have a crooked spine? Huh? I would guess no, because you would have put it in your letter. Hmmm. I know what it is. You are friggin' lazy! You are afraid of hard work. Are squats important to bodybuilders? Does a bear shit in the woods? Does a bodybuilder eat chicken? Yes, the answer is yes. Squats are the bread and butter of any leg routine. You have a better chance of winning one of those scratch-off lottery tickets than winning a bodybuilding show if you don't squat. But, boo-hoo my friend has big legs and he doesn't squat. Either he is a genetic freak (one in a million) or you have just never seen him squat. A lot of bodybuilders squat hard and heavy for years until they build up a substantial amount of size, then they don't squat as frequently. But they still squat. It's gut-check time for you. Do you really want to compete? You have to give 100 percent to become a champion. You can't look for the easy way out. There are no shortcuts to becoming a champion. So get off your ass and squat. Here is a suggestion. Try not to look at squats as a nuisance but something that is going to propel your physique to the next level. Have a positive attitude. Joe - squat or rot. P S. Here is the routine you need. Squats, squats, squats!