Squat

How to Squat

Squatting with free weights is the most effective way to gain strength and muscle. To maximize safety, use the Power Rack, Squat Rack, or Squat Stands. Avoid using the Smith machine, as its fixed bar path can cause injury and it's not as effective for strength and muscle gains. Set the horizontal safety pins in the Power Rack so they can catch the bar if you fail to Squat it. Here are five simple steps to Squat correctly...

Setup 

Face the bar and grip it tightly with a medium grip. Place the bar on your upper back by crouching under it. Lift your chest up. 

Unrack 

Adjust your position so that your feet are under the bar. Take the bar out of the rack by extending your legs. Step backward with your legs straight and lock your knees and hips.

Squat 

Take a deep breath, hold it, and descend into the squat by pushing your hips back and pushing your knees out. Keep your lower back in a neutral position.

Break Parallel 

Squat down until your hips are well below your knees. Thighs parallel to the floor won't suffice. You must go below parallel.

Squat Up 

Squat down until your hips break parallel, then rise back up. As you come up, ensure that your knees remain out and your chest stays up. At the top, lock your hips and knees and take a deep breath.

Don't attempt to lift the bar straight into the uprights when finishing your set as you could miss them. Instead, complete your set by standing with the bar while your hips and knees are locked at the top. Afterward, step forward until the bar contacts the vertical parts of your Power Rack. Your feet will be positioned directly under the bar. Then, bend your legs to lower yourself into a squat, and the bar will safely come to rest on the uprights.

Muscles Worked

Squats go beyond being a leg exercise. While your legs take on the majority of the workload to lift the weight, your abdominal and lower back muscles play a crucial role in stabilizing your torso, while your upper body maintains balance with the bar. Squats engage your entire body from head to toe. It's this comprehensive engagement that allows you to handle heavier weights compared to other exercises and makes them highly effective for overall strength and muscle development. Squats target the following muscle groups...

Thighs 

As you Squat, your legs undergo flexion while keeping your knees pushed outward. At the top position, everything extends to full straightness. This movement pattern effectively engages your knee and hip muscles, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, adductors, and glutes. The Squat stands out as the ultimate exercise for developing robust, well-defined legs and a firm buttocks.

Calves 

During the Squat, your shins exhibit an incline at the bottom position, gradually transitioning to a vertical alignment at the top. This ankle movement effectively engages your primary calf muscles, namely the gastrocnemius and soleus. However, it's important to note that building significant calf size is largely influenced by genetics, so don't expect drastic changes solely from Squats.

Lower Back 

As you perform the Squat, gravity exerts a downward force on the barbell. To maintain a neutral and safe spinal position, your lower back muscles work against this gravitational pull. This resistance strengthens the muscles along the back of your spine, particularly the erector spinae, which provide crucial protection against potential injuries.

Abs 

Your abdominal muscles work in conjunction with your lower back muscles to maintain a neutral spinal position during the Squat. This cooperative effort not only supports your spine but also strengthens the muscles responsible for your six-pack appearance, including the rectus abdominis and the obliques located on the sides. Developing stronger abs through proper nutrition can enhance their muscular definition.

Arms 

Your arms contribute to the stabilization of the bar on your upper back, supporting the work of your upper back muscles. Gripping the bar tightly adds tension to both your forearms and upper arms. While Squats do not directly target your arms like Chin-ups do, they provide isometric work for your arms, engaging them in a static manner during the exercise.

Squats also provide a workout for the vital muscle that pumps blood to your legs: your heart. Additionally, they strengthen the muscle responsible for mental resilience: your mind. Many individuals may find Squats challenging and even dislike them, but it is precisely this difficulty that makes them highly effective for building strength and muscle. Those who have the determination to incorporate Squats into their weekly routine develop discipline that extends to other aspects of their lives, such as maintaining a healthy diet and sleep habits.

If you have limited time for exercise and can only choose one, prioritize Squats. They engage a greater number of muscles, with heavier weights, and through a broader range of motion compared to any other exercise. The weight lifted in Squats surpasses that of leg curls or leg extensions. Moreover, Squats demand both weight and body balance, unlike the seated Leg Press machine. The bar travels twice the distance compared to Deadlifts. When it comes to Squats, there is no substitute. They truly reign supreme.

Squat Benefits

I owe my success in the gym to one exercise: Squats. Surprisingly, not many people incorporate Squats into their routine, often deterred by the perceived difficulty. They may even use excuses like "Squats are detrimental to the knees." However, let me be frank: if you're not Squatting weekly with free weights, breaking parallel on each rep, then your training program is simply ineffective. Allow me to present you with 11 compelling benefits of Squats, 11 reasons why you should embrace Squatting starting today...

1. Gain Strength: Strength is the measure of your ability to overcome external resistance. When you Squat, the bar rests on your back, defying gravity's pull. Your muscles must generate force to control the descent and subsequently raise the weight. By increasing your Squat strength, you fortify your entire musculature, which translates to enhanced performance in daily life and sports.

2. Build Muscle: Squats engage a multitude of muscles simultaneously. As your legs bend, your torso remains stable, and your upper body supports the bar. This synchronized effort stimulates the release of muscle-building hormones, such as testosterone. The more weight you Squat, the greater the gains in muscle size and strength. This is especially crucial for countering the natural decline in lean muscle mass that accompanies aging.

3. Burn Fat: Fat loss occurs when you expend more energy than you consume. Squats prove highly effective in this regard, as they involve numerous muscles and substantial weights, resulting in heightened energy expenditure. Additionally, intense Squat sessions elevate your metabolism for hours after your workout, thanks to the phenomenon known as Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC). When complemented with proper nutrition, Squats can accelerate fat burning and help you achieve a chiseled six-pack.

4. Increase Fitness: Squats not only strengthen your muscles but also improve cardiovascular fitness. Your heart, being a muscle itself, benefits greatly from Squat training. The increased efficiency of a stronger heart reduces the effort required for activities like climbing stairs or running. Over time, this leads to lower heart rate and blood pressure, culminating in enhanced cardiovascular health. Contrary to some opinions, Squatting is genuinely beneficial for your heart.

5. Increase Endurance: Stronger legs contribute to enhanced running performance, enabling you to cover more ground with less effort. While Squats won't magically turn you into a marathon runner overnight, they will make a 5k run feel more manageable. Rest assured, Squatting won't impede your speed or bulk you up unnecessarily. Doubling your Squat workload will indeed increase muscle mass, but not to the point of hindering your agility. Think of Squatting as upgrading the engine in your car.

6. Increase Explosiveness: Explosiveness refers to your ability to generate force rapidly. In physics, this equates to power—the amount of work you can accomplish within a specific timeframe (P=W/t). Stronger legs can accomplish more work within the same time frame, thus increasing your power output. Squats foster explosive power for sports by improving muscular power generation. Contrary to popular belief, Squats don't make you slower; they make you faster.

7. Strengthen Bones: During Squats, gravity pulls the bar downward, exerting vertical compression on everything beneath it. This compression stimulates your bones, which respond by becoming stronger. Bones are living tissues, capable of healing if broken. Regular Squatting does not impede growth; instead, it enhances bone density, fortifying them against fractures and safeguarding against conditions like osteoporosis.

8. Strengthen Joints: Squats strengthen the muscles surrounding your knee, hip, ankle, and spine joints, as well as your tendons and connective tissues. This comprehensive strengthening provides crucial support and protection to your joints and spine, minimizing the risk of injuries. Moreover, Squats can aid in the recovery from lower back or knee pain, provided that proper form is maintained to target joint strengthening rather than causing undue stress.

9. Increase Flexibility: Squats do not compromise your flexibility or make you "muscle-bound." In fact, many individuals discover their lack of flexibility when attempting Squats for the first time, as deep Squats require proper hip mobility. Regular Squatting allows your legs to move through a full range of motion, preserving hip flexibility and potentially alleviating lower back pain.

10. Improve Balance: Squats actively engage your body's balancing mechanisms as you stabilize the bar during movement. This continual focus on balance enhances your overall equilibrium and coordination. Additionally, Squats heighten your spatial awareness, allowing you to better perceive your body's movements through space (proprioception). Consequently, you become more adept at sports and learning new skills, reducing the likelihood of falls or balance-related mishaps.

11. Build Discipline: Let's not underestimate the mental fortitude required to tackle Squats. Pushing through challenging workouts, even on days when motivation wanes, cultivates discipline within the recesses of your mind. This discipline transcends the gym and permeates other areas of life. It bolsters your ability to adhere to sound nutritional habits, maintain consistent sleep patterns, remain diligent in your work, and more. Squats serve as a catalyst for building discipline.

And that's not all. Weightlifting in general offers additional benefits, such as reduced cholesterol levels, improved glucose metabolism, and enhanced insulin response. However, Squats reign supreme as the ultimate weight training exercise. They engage numerous muscles, encompass a broader range of motion, and involve heavier weights compared to any other exercise. Consequently, Squats should take precedence in your gym routine, especially if time constraints limit you to a single exercise.

Embrace the Squat and unlock a multitude of physical and mental rewards. No other exercise compares to its effectiveness and efficiency.