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Thursday, 1st March 2018
Squats are considered the king of exercises with one of the reasons being that they are one of the best full-body exercises and work every major muscle group in the body. One of the great things about squats is that there are so many different ways of doing them. The most popular version would be back squats, aka barbell squats, but there are also front, kettlebell, dumbbell and body weight squats among others.
Squats are a functional exercise which simulate everyday movements. Although the movement primarily works the lower-body muscles such as the quads, glutes and hamstrings, a lot of activation is required from your core and lower back to stabilise the weight. Support is provided by the upper body, so this really is a true full body exercise.
We're going to breakdown a standard barbell squat, however the same principles can be applied to almost any other variant of squats, albeit front squats which are performed slightly differently.
To perform the exercise you'll need to have your legs slightly wider than your hips with your toes pointed slightly outward. Keep your spine in a neutral position, ensuring your back is not rounded. As you squat down send your hips backwards whilst keeping your back straight, chest and shoulders up until your butt is parallel with your knees. As you come back up keep the same position and power upwards, driving the force through your quads as you keep your back straight.Whatever type of squats you prefer to do these will always stay challenging. Simply change the weight and speed of motion and keep your body challenged.
Try and implement these into your training plan 1-2 sessions per week to build a strong and stable physique!