This article is meant for both beginners and weightlifters. The squat is a great exercise for both the upper and lower body. It is primarily aimed at the thighs and buttocks, but also works on the hamstring muscles and lower back. There are several variations and this article will tell you how to do them.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Doing a Classic Squat (with the Barbell)
Step 1. With your feet flat on the floor, point your toes slightly outward
The feet should be about shoulder width apart. Get under the bar by bending your knees slightly. The bar should be adjusted according to your height. It is important to focus your weight on your heels, but keep your feet flat on the floor. Avoid putting weight on your toes or toes, as this hurts your knees.
- If your feet are pointed forward, your knees will tend to bend inward, so rotate them outward. Imagine your left foot marks 10 o'clock on a clock and your right foot marks 2 o'clock. With your feet arranged this way, do your best to maintain good stability and not overdo the weight. Don't rotate your feet any further.
- The feet should be shoulder-width apart, no further apart, otherwise the adductors (inner thigh) would be involved in the movement, stressing the medial collateral ligament (CML), abnormally weighting the knee cartilage, and displacing the patella. Similarly, do not put your feet too close, as you risk distributing the weight on the toes: this is bad for the feet and knees.
Step 2. Rest the barbell behind your head, with the weight on your shoulders
Put your shoulders under the bar so that it crosses the back of your shoulders horizontally. You have to rest it on the trapeze, Not on the neck. Grab the bar with your hands in a place that you find comfortable, usually about six inches away from your shoulders (outward). If this is your first time doing a squat, first do it weightlessly on the bar to learn the movement well.
- Lift the barbell off the cradle. Then, step forward or backward, otherwise the base will interfere with the movement.
- When doing squats, you should always be assisted by someone. This is especially important if you need to remove a barbell from a support base and reassemble it.
Step 3. Bend your knees and slowly lower your hips, as if you want to sit in an invisible chair
Look straight ahead, keeping your back straight and chin up throughout the exercise. Keeping your spine aligned, bend over as if you were going to sit down. Keep your heels on the floor.
- Check your knees - they should be in line with your ankles, not going over them.
- Do not lean your back forward or backward.
- Keep your head up and shoulders straight.
- Only squat up to the point where you can do it without difficulty. You will be able to lower yourself more and more as you grow stronger.
Step 4. Keep your hips slightly forward (don't push your buttocks out) as you lower them to the same height as your knees
Contract your abs and keep your lower back in an almost neutral position. Slightly arching your back may be unavoidable, but minimize it by keeping your head and chest high. To squat correctly, squat down until your quads are parallel to the floor (hips and knees should be on the same level).
- Make a commitment to squeeze your abs during the movement - this helps you perform the exercise better. Let your body assist you in managing your weight.
- Distribute your weight on your thighs and heels, Not on the fingers. Also avoid misaligning your ankles and knees.
Step 5. Rise up by lifting your hips up and forward to recover from the starting position
When squatting, push on your heels and lift the weight, maintaining a correct and safe position. As you straighten your legs and move up slowly and evenly, try to use almost every part of your body.
- The back should be straight. Do not let the spine sag during the exercise.
- Try to use your glutes to lift yourself up, without involving your back.
- Try to perform this movement smoothly, so as to avoid injury and make the most of your body's energy.
Method 2 of 3: Perfect Posture
Step 1. Never bend your back:
always keep your chest high and open. The spine should be well aligned (i.e. respect its natural curve, as if you were standing upright). If you keep your hips back and your chest high, you will avoid hunching it. Many begin to hunch over when they get tired, so the back begins to sag. This is dangerous and ineffective. Regardless of your fatigue, you need to focus on back alignment.
- If the spine curves, this can cause serious injury.
- If you can't do one rep properly, don't do it at all - it's much better not to train than to have bad posture.
Step 2. Distribute your weight on your heels, never on your toes
If you want, you should be able to lift and move your toes. Leaning on your toes stresses your knees, while leaning on your heels gives you a much firmer base.
Step 3. Keep your knees in the right position
Don't let them stagger or push inward as you squat, otherwise this will damage them. To avoid misalignment, push them to the right position throughout the squat. You have to keep them mostly still: obviously they will bend when you lower yourself, but for the duration of the exercise they will remain more or less in the same position. If you feel some muscle strain in the buttock area, you are doing it right.
- Try to keep your knees pointing outward. Lift yourself up by pushing on your heels, Not on the tips.
- Never let your knees go past the toes, as otherwise you risk damaging the patella tendon and ligament.
- Your knees may move slightly forward as you lower yourself down, but that's not a problem - the important thing is that they don't go beyond your toes.
Step 4. Do not rest the barbell on your neck
It should be placed on the trapezoid. If you feel that the barbell is pressing on the neck bone, it is in the wrong position: in fact, this happens because it is pressing on a vertebra. Lower the bar slightly and distribute the weight on the upper body evenly.
You may find it helpful to have a slightly wider grip
Step 5. Inhale as you lower yourself and exhale as you stand up
This allows you to effectively exploit the body's natural rhythm, allowing you to make the most of the air and perform the squat correctly.
In general, inhale at the beginning of an exercise, such as a stretch, then exhale to perform the most explosive movements
Step 6. Warm up to avoid injury and to prepare your body
As with any other sporting activity, warming up and stretching is necessary to avoid tension or injury. First, warm up by accelerating your heart rate, then follow the instructions below to perform a warm-up squat, but with little weight.
- What is the difference between static and dynamic stretching? The first is to hold a position for a certain amount of time (usually 15-30 seconds); the second involves controlled movements of varying degrees. Active stretching is sometimes recommended because warming up like this can lower the risk of getting hurt. Shoulder rotations, mini footballs, sumo squats, and torso rotations are all good examples of dynamic stretching.
- If you are not used to squatting and training to build muscle mass, do not use weights at first or use an unloaded barbell.
- If you are more experienced or find that an unloaded barbell is too light, choose weights that suit your strength and load the bar. If you can adjust the height of the cradle, set it to a level that matches the bottom of the shoulders, roughly the armpit area. Don't use too much weight, otherwise you risk getting hurt.
Step 7. Don't wear a support belt while learning how to do this exercise
It is an accessory that supports the back and aligns it with the rest of the body, but you have to get used to doing all this yourself. In any case, when you are more trained and have a strong enough back, a belt can be useful to support the back and the muscles of the abdominal corset for the most intense lifting exercises.
Method 3 of 3: Try Squat Variations
Step 1. Do squats without weights to warm up or build muscle mass by doing safer, low-impact exercises
Harnessing your body weight can be helpful for beginners or for warming up. When paired with push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups, squats that use your body weight can help make for a great low-impact workout. Aim for 15-30 reps per set. To further build muscle, try this one-legged exercise.
- Place your feet on the floor, approximately shoulder-width apart.
- Place your feet slightly outward. Imagine a clock: the left foot should indicate 10 o'clock and the right foot 2 o'clock. They must not be parallel forward.
- Look ahead of you. Bend your knees as if you want to sit down, keeping your heels firmly on the floor.
- Contract your abs and keep your lower back almost neutral (it may be inevitable that your back will arch slightly).
- Squat in a controlled manner, so that your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Stretch your arms to find balance.
- Rise slowly and in a controlled manner. From the squatting position, push yourself onto your heels and slowly stand up; if necessary, find balance by leaning forward.
Step 2. If you can't do traditional squats for now, try dumbbell squats to start building muscle mass
Stand in front of a solid chair without armrests or a chest and imagine that you have to sit down. This is a great exercise for beginners. Grab a dumbbell in each hand, keeping your arms at your sides. If you are a beginner, 2 kg dumbbells will do. Once you get stronger, you can gain weight.
- Spread your feet roughly shoulder-width apart, pointing slightly out.
- Bend your knees. Push your hips back and slowly squat down until your buttocks are about to touch the chair or chest, then stand up.
- Don't extend your knees. Always keep them relaxed. Also, keep them from going over your toes. You will feel the movement more in the thighs than in the knees.
Step 3. Try making a plie
Grab the end of the dumbbell or a kettle ball with both hands, placing it in an upright position. Keep your abs contracted throughout the squat - this will help you maintain some balance.
- Put your feet in the right position. They should be slightly more than shoulder width. The feet should be pointing out about 45 degrees. This squat is inspired by a classical dance position called plié.
- Lift your heels off the floor. Keep your balance on your toes and bend your knees.
- Lower yourself slowly. Line up your hips with your shoulders and keep your back straight.
- Your knees shouldn't go beyond your toes.
- Get up slowly. Lower your heels as you do this.
Step 4. Try a front squat to exercise other muscles
It is a variant of the classic one. It consists of holding the bar in front of you instead of behind. Rest the barbell under the neck, on the chest, parallel to the collarbone. Grab it from below. Make sure your hands are comfortable. They are usually placed about 15 cm away from the shoulders.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor, about shoulder-width apart. Get under the bar and bend your knees slightly. While performing the exercise, you need to distribute the weight equally on your feet. Turn your feet slightly outwards, do not keep them aligned forward.
- Looking straight ahead, keep your back straight and bend your knees. Keep your heels firmly on the floor. Make sure your quads are parallel to the ground to perform the movement correctly.
- Lower yourself in a controlled manner, making sure your thighs are parallel to the floor. Go no further. Distribute your weight on your thighs and heels or toes, rather than on your toes or knees.
- Get up by pushing on your heels. Always keep your torso contracted.
Step 5. To start building muscle mass, try elevated squats
Remember that this exercise is very challenging, so it is only recommended for those who are trained. If you are not yet, use an unloaded barbell or very light dumbbells. Remember to keep your body as straight as possible, without bending forward or back - you'll get better results.
- With a wide grip, lift the barbell over your head, fully extending your elbows.
- Push the shoulder blades towards each other and keep the muscles of the abdominal corset contracted.
- Looking straight ahead, keep your back straight and bend your knees. Keep your heels firmly on the floor.
- Contract your abs and keep your lower back in an almost neutral position (a slight hunch may be unavoidable).
- Lower yourself in a controlled manner until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Always keep your shoulders back and your weight on your heels.
- Rise up by pushing on your heels. Always keep your torso contracted.
Step 6. Keeping your torso in the same position, lunge
Step forward with one leg by bending the knee, while the other leg will extend behind you. Here's how to proceed:
- Keep your spine straight.
- Lower your hips towards the floor so that your back knee touches the ground.
- Keep your front knee bent 90 degrees.
- Stand up by pushing on your front heel, keeping your back straight.
- Repeat with the other leg.
Step 7. To train other muscle groups, lower the barbell slightly to your shoulders when performing normal squats
Lower it about 3 cm, then do a squat as usual. Squats with a low grip train the quadriceps more than the hamstring muscles.
You can also stretch your arms behind you and keep the barbell in the leg area. At this point, keep the usual posture for doing squats, the only difference is that your arms will be fully extended and the weights will touch the floor between repetitions
Advice
- To understand how to perform the movement correctly, practice weightlessly in front of a wall, with your toes about 5 cm away from the base of the wall. If you tend to lean forward, this will help you correct the position.
- When doing a squat, keep your back straight. Once your quads are parallel to the floor, squeeze your glutes and thighs to get up.
- Keep your weight on your heels, push your glutes back and look forward.
- The movements of a squat should be slow and controlled (unless you are being followed by an instructor or are training for a specific goal, thus being absolutely sure of what you are doing). As you lower yourself, don't let yourself fall, it doesn't have to be gravity doing all the work. Similarly, when you get up, you need to get up naturally, without jumping or bouncing.
- Avoid knee straps. They compress the fluids inside the knee, where the meniscus is located. This can put excessive stress on the cruciate ligaments.
- If possible, attach supports to the barbell cradle so they can support the weight if you can't get the bar back in place. Instead of falling to the ground with the weight, you can simply sit on the floor and the weight will be supported by the supports.
- Don't think squats will widen your glutes - it's just a myth. The rate of development of these muscles and their shape are determined by genetics.
Warnings
- Don't bounce when getting up. This happens when, after having lowered, you try to use the impulse to help you recover the starting position. This puts a lot of stress on the knee joint in general and can cause injury in the long run. If you overdo it, it can literally dislocate your knees. Try to have good posture throughout the exercise.
- If done the wrong way, squats can be quite dangerous. Never bend your back improperly or let your knees drop forward.
- Never arch your back. If it is straight, the weight will be supported by the legs. If it is arched, the weight will go to the torso and base of the neck, which are not in the right position to support it.
