Squats Workouts
Squats have always been helpful in working out the whole body. At the initial stage is only done by bending the legs and straightening them up. Weights are added at the next stage. Since it works up more muscles it is the best exercise for gaining strength and building muscle. The Proper squat avoids any kind of injuries or joint pain.
Before getting deep into knowing about the different techniques to do squats lets know about its benefits. Squats are best for gaining strength. It forces your muscles to go against gravity to balance the bar on your back. Squats work on a number of muscles. To increase the strength of the muscles, one should go for squats.
Hard workout combined with loads of nutrition gives shape to those quads. It has also proved to be effective in burning fat. Squats make you more fit and fine over time. It also helps in building six pack abs. Apart from helping in making muscles, it strengthens your legs and bones too. It helps in recovering from back pain or knee pain and also strengthens the joints. Squats help in improving balance and coordination. It also develops discipline and improves the thinking capability of your brain. You only have to adopt good habits in your life to maximize its benefits.
How to Squat:
Grab tight the bar and put it on your upper back. Keep your back straight and lock your hips and knees. Squat down and your thighs must be parallel to the floor. Finally, you should squat up. The build-up of your body will determine your proper squat form.
Keep your feet flat on the ground. One must bend the knees and hips at the same time. Grip the bar with your hand but don’t try to lift too heavy weights with your hand. Keep on taking deep regular breaths throughout the process. If you want to go for much harder squat you should try to break parallel and squat deeper.
A few people go for partial squats. It becomes easier to do squats this way. Also, partial squats are safer but they can cause injuries. The feeder form of squat is when the butt touches the ankles.
Muscles Involved in Squats:
Squats are helpful in creating abs and also in working out the quads. It, in short, helps in working out the whole body. The following muscles get affected while doing squats.
• Thighs- Thighs are the first muscle affected when we squat because one has to bend legs. It is the best exercise to build firm legs.
• Calves- The ankle movement works on the calves and helps them in getting bigger.
• Lower Back- The muscles have to go against gravity which in turn strengthens it and protects it from injury.
• Abs- It strengthens the abs and makes them more muscular.
• Arms- The arms perform the main function of holding the bar therefore, they get all worked up.
Squat Techniques:
If you have long thighs and short torso you can squat your heels directly under your shoulder.Your knees should be in such a position so that they create space for your belly while squatting down. You must not raise your toes or heels. While squatting out, you should put your knees out but don’t let them out too much.
Bend your knees and hips at the same time. Also, the lower back must be in a natural curve while squatting out. You should keep your movements under control it should not be too slow.
The common mistakes that people do while squatting are not being able to break parallel. One should also take care not to lose balance. Don’t try to take the help of machines while squatting. Make sure that your heels do not come up. Don’t try to put a wooden piece under your heels. Wear hard sole shoes that do not compress under weight. You must not fear to fail on squats after failing a few times, you will able to do it properly. You should take help from an experienced trainer.
Types of squat:
• Olympic squat – It is the squat with higher bar position. It is easy on the shoulders and involves fewer chances of injury.
• Front squat – It is the squat when the bar rests on the front shoulders. The knees come forward and the hips move less back. They are harder on knees and elbows and might cause injury.
• Box squat – It is done by sitting on a box and breaking parallel consistency.
• Smith squat- These are done inside the smith machine. The bar is attached to rails and is balanced by the machine.
• Dumbbell squat- These are done with the help of dumbbells. One does not need a power rack in it and weights can be adjusted.