Okay, a bit of an update here. As I mentioned in the first post, I planned on trying dumbbell squats with a slow rep speed. I've done it for a few weeks now, and I like it. But here's the thing. My grip on the dumbbells gives out before my legs are done. I used 65-pound dumbbells today, so the combined 130 pounds approximates my body weight. That in itself is not meaningful, since I did barbell squats with a bit more than double that when I did them years ago. But what I didn't do, either with the barbell squats in the more distant past, and with the weighted pistols that I've been doing since 2012 until a few weeks ago, is slow reps with continuous tension. Today I did either 8 or 9 reps with the dumbbells (I don't know which, since I was more focused on maintaining a slow cadence) over a period of just over 100 seconds. I didn't lock my knees at the top throughout the entire exercise, which didn't end when the dumbbells slipped out of my hands. I then proceeded to do just body weight squats without missing a beat at a 20-second per rep cadence. So about 10 seconds up and 10 seconds down. I did 4 of those reps, after which time I got some of my grip strength back. Without stopping and while maintaining continuous tension, I then did 4 more reps with the dumbbells at the ~10-second per rep speed. When my grip gave out, I then immediately did another 4 reps unweighted but at the slower speed. I really slowed it down at the end to get to full failure. The whole operation took almost 5 minutes. I'm surprised I was not able to hold on to the dumbbells longer, since just hanging on a bar with a pronated grip I can hold on for a good 2 minutes or so. I suppose getting tired from the exercise itself contributed to the weakening of the grip. I'm also surprised that I pretty much gave up doing pistol squats at the drop of a hat. I had expected to continue doing them until they wheeled me away some day, but I've recently grown partial to the slower rep speed and the continuous tension throughout the set.
Not surprising or uncommon. Grip strength and forearms will typically crap out long before thighs and glutes. I like dumbbell squats to, but have to acknowledge the time element. I'm doing them with 50's but at 6"5" I have further to go than you do. That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it. And I'm getting older than dirt. LOL
Fair enough. What rep speed do you use, and do you avoid locking your knees at the top? Also, I find that dumbbell squats let me comfortably (if not necessarily easily) go well below parallel while keeping my back straight. It's not quite ATG as I did with pistol squats, but I go farther than I ever did with barbell squats. The dumbbells at the sides act as a nice counterbalance.
No where near ATG. Maybe, on a good day, slightly below parallel. I don't have an exact count, but I do know I stand up faster than going down by a factor of three I'd say, and no pause at the top, just right back down. At this stage of the game going parallel with barbell just doesn't happen anymore. Have just about abandon the barbell squat altogether. I do dumbbell squats, and pile squats instead. I also do Romanian Deadlifts and Hex Bar deadlifts. No more traditional deadlifts. All that pretty much covers my lower body work out, plus calf raises
I get it. I did deadlifts for a brief period many years ago. No question, it is a great exercise. But I like to go all out, and it didn't take me long to realize that could eventually result in my undoing with this movement. Better safe than sorry. Especially as I get older, I don't want to hear anything go snap because of a small and fleeting error in form.
Get some straps. Also farmers walks will increase grip strength. Unfortunately there is probably no commensurate substitute for barbell squats when it really gets down to it. Just have to find a work around with muscle confusion etc if you wish to stay with Dumbbell's