Originally Posted by
carpediemracing
I plan on transitioning to doing actual squats with free weights and a bar, but I'll ease into that. I plan on doing form squats soon, empty bar etc (from the UP UP UP thing).
Are you a sprinter or endurance rider?
I'm no expert but I believe you should be squating using a barbell right now. Leave the leg press machine alone if you have access to free weights.
There's so much technique that goes into squating. There's so many different variations and style of technique. I personally follow the philosophy of Olympic Weightlifters since the program I use has me doing clean + jerks and snatches.
You should ask yourself: Are you going to squat high bar, low bar, a** to grass, wide stance like a power lifter, or heels underneath hips or torso?
Also, learning how to properly front rack for front squats and cleans will take time and often most people have to do mobility drills or use a special bar to do front squats.
Also, about comparing yourself to others (about strength)- stop that. Strength takes a long time to develop. When you first start off your numbers will increase by a lot due to correcting bad technique, but after that... I'm afraid it's a slow grind. Also remember the strongest person in the gym doesn't equal the faster person on the velodrome.
Are you on a workout program or are you just making it up as you go?