The squat is one of the best exercises to build muscle and strength.
It is a compound exercise that trains the whole body! Yes, the whole body, not just the legs! It's the exercise that uses the most muscle in your body.
Besides training the primary muscles like the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves, squats also trains your abs, lower back, upper back, shoulders and many more.
The Squat creates an anabolic environment that promotes overall muscle growth throughout the whole body.
It stimulates your body to produce anabolic hormones such as testosterone, which are vital for muscle growth.
So if you want bigger chest, shoulders, back etc...
Do squats.
It'll help! Here are more reasons why you should squat: 1) Gain Flexibility.
To do squats, you need flexibility.
And doing squats will help you improve your flexibility.
Give squatting a few weeks or months, and you'll see your flexibility increasing.
2) Prevent Injuries.
If you think that squatting causes injury, then you're wrong.
Using the right technique and proper form, it can help prevent injuries.
Squats strengthen the bones, ligaments, and tendons in your lower body.
With stronger stabilizer muscles, ligaments and connective tissues, you'll face much lesser injuries.
3) Mobility and Balance.
As we age, our bones and connective tissues degenerate.
We need our leg muscles to be mobile.
With regular squatting, you'll strengthen your bones and ligaments, helping you to maintain mobility and balance as you grow older.
4) Performance.
The Squat basically help you in your performance during sports.
It'll improve your sprint speed, your jump height, make you stronger, more powerful, and more explosive.
All this will help you no matter what sports you're doing.
5) Sexy Legs And Glutes.
The primary muscles that are used in squats are the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves.
Basically, it's your lower body.
And squats will really help to build those muscles and tone them.
Especially your glutes, they'll grow bigger and tighter.
So perform squats, and you'll definitely look sexier! As you can see, squats really do help you a lot! It's also the exercise that I like best.
Makes me pant and sweat as if I've just completed a 400m sprint.
Awesome feeling! So right now, some of you may be thinking, how do I perform a squat safely.
Below are the steps to execute the squat.
1) Perform the exercise in a power rack/squat rack for safety purpose.
2) Set the bar height to just below shoulder level.
Then step underneath the bar, place it across your upper back and grab it with both hands.
3) Lift the bar up and stand up straight.
Position your feet shoulder width apart with your toes pointing slightly outwards.
This is you starting position.
4) Now, move your hips back and bend your knees and hips to lower the weight.
It is important that you maintain a straight back at all times.
Go as low as you can.
(I prefer doing full squats, where you legs go below parallel) 5) Then go back to your starting position by straightening you knees and extending the hips, pushing the weight up through your heels.
Some pointers here.
Always inhale when lowering and exhale when pushing the weight up.
Also, remember to not let you knees move inwards and your torso to lean too far forward when executing the squats.
And remember to squeeze your glutes at the top.
Squats will help tighten and tone your butt.
So next time you hit the gym, remember to squat your way to a bigger, stronger and sexier body!