Leg Exercise - Squats and Who Should NOT Do Them?

By Alex Allmert Alex Allmert Level: Basic Alex got into bodybuilding at the very early age of 12. Now he is 23 and has quite a bit of experience under his belt. ...

I have been doing squats ever since I was a kid. This is an exercise that puts a lot of tension on your back and if not done right, can cause some serious damage.
This article is about people who should not do this particular leg exercise, and what safety measures should you take if you don't want to get hurt.
Ages 12-17
I am a guy who is of an average height but I come from a family of guys who are very tall, my dad for example is the tallest person I know, I have yet to meet someone taller than him.
But compared to my dad I'm kind of short, now there could be many reasons for it but in my opinion its because of how reckless I was back when I started working out.
At the age of 12 I started to do squats, it put a lot of tension on my back and fast forward to now, I am shorter than any of my cousins.
Now its possible that I'm wrong but it is still strange that I am not as tall as my relatives.
a young man who is still growing up should NOT do any exercise for his legs that puts any strain on his back, this will stagnate your growth, no you wont be like Mini Me from the Austin Powers movies but you will still be short.
Tall Guys
No I am not gonna say that tall guys shouldn't do squats, but there is a thing that you must remember as a tall guy, you are more liable to damage your back if you aren't careful.
First I want to make it clear that being tall is not an excuse to avoid doing squats, all it means is that you need to be cautious.
I have read on a forum that short people have an easier time lifting heavier but don't develop muscle from this exercise as well as tall guys do, also I am not flaming short people here.
The best way to avoid injury is to start with at least 15 minutes of warm ups, this actually applies to everyone but taller guys SHOULD NOT forget it.
Also stretching your legs and back is a good idea, if you think that warm ups and stretching are the same thing you are going to risk injury because you can't get away without one or the other.
The amount of stretching that must be done should take at least half the amount of time that it takes you to work out.
And one last thing, there are also safety belts that you can wear but I don't use them, its up to you if you want to use them.