You don't need weights to get strong

                    

Why don't I need weights to get bigger or get strong?

The reason is simply this: You need resistance, not weights. Adding weights is a great way to increase resistance and therefore the difficulty of an exercise so there's nothing wrong with just using weights, but it's not the only way. Maybe you've been doing hundreds of push-ups and hundreds of crunches but don't feel like you're achieving the strength or the body you want. When you lift weights you typically do 1-5 reps for pure strength development and 6-12 if you want to increase mass as well. So why would it be any different when you're not using weights? If you want to focus on endurance rather than strength or hypertrophy then it's fine, but if not you need to drop the reps. There are countless people who's goal is to either get stronger, get bigger or both, but they still do hundreds of reps with bodyweight exercises. You don't see them do hundreds of reps when bench pressing but they like to do hundreds of push-ups and crunches.

So what do you do if you can do hundreds of push-ups? Do you stop when you get to five? That wouldn't be much use either. So you increase the resistance just like you would with weights.

You might have to be a bit more creative but it can be done, and here's how.

How to add resistance to body weight exercises

There are a number of ways to do this, and here are some of them.

Partial range of movement-Let's say you want to do a one leg squat but you can't do it all the way to the floor. One option is to do it as far as you can, and then increase the depth as you get stronger. Some people are against this but it worked for Paul Anderson-the legendary weightlifter, power lifter and strongman. I would use a box if you're doing squats as it can support the knees. As you get stronger use a lower box or maybe a step on a staircase.

Weight distribution between limbs-Let's say you're finding the gap between a two arm push-up and a one arm push-up too big. What now? You can use both arms but do the following. One of your palms is flat on the ground, but on the other hand, you're only using you're thumb and first finger on the floor. This way there is assistance with one arm but there is more weight on the other arm and it has to do more work. Eventually you can remove the finger and only use the thumb. Then remove the thumb until you're only using one arm.

Straightening/ bending the joints-See my dragon flag tutorial on my site for an example of this. When I have my knees bent, the exercise is much easier, but if I keep my body completely straight, it's much more difficult.

Elevating the feet/hands-Take a normal push-up. If you elevate your feet by putting them on a box you make the push-up harder, and if you elevate your hands but keep your feet on the ground you make it easier.

So as you can see, there are many different ways to add resistance to any exercise, just like adding plates to a barbell. There is no limit to the number of increments you can have either. For example, you can elevate your feet by 30cm, 32cm, 31.4cm etc (obviously it would be stupid to be so exact but you get the point I'm trying to make), so even though gaps do exist between different variations of an exercise, you can bridge the gap as slowly or quickly as you need to. Don't worry about being exact. Just get a feel for the difficulty level.

Now you've got an idea of how to add resistance to body weight exercises, here is the workout plan. It has three exercises, of which you will use different variations as you progress, but you can add other exercises or switch one for another. More on that later. These are compound or multi-joint movements that teach your body how to work as a unit. There's an upper body pressing movement, an upper body pulling movement, and a leg movement, so it's balanced, and it doesn't take up much time. Here are the exercises.

Push-up variation-This will train the chest, triceps, shoulders and core. It's your pressing movement

Pull-up variation-Trains mainly the lats but also other assisting muscles in the shoulders, back and arms. It's your pulling movement

Squat variation-So you don't neglect your legs-Trains mainly the thighs and buttocks.

Okay so here are the different variations you can use. Going down the list, the exercises get more difficult. I've also written what I think would be a good method of adding resistance to that specific variation. See how far down the list you can go. These lists don't contain all of the different variations, there are a lot more, but you don't need all of them. Let's start with push-ups.

Push-up variations

Wall push-ups-Some people are too weak to do even knee push-ups so they can start off on a wall. It's the same thing, but instead of pushing yourself away from the floor you push yourself away from a wall. The wall is obviously 90 degrees from the floor and if you reduce this angle it makes it more difficult. Maybe you could find a slope at roughly 45 degrees for example.

Knee push-ups-Most people are strong enough to do knee push-ups so this can be a good starting point for someone who can't do full push-ups yet.

Full push-ups-There are different versions of this. The main ones are arms out-where your elbows go outwards during the movement and elbows in, where they stay close to the body and point backwards and work the triceps more. To make this exercise more difficult you can elevate your feet and put them on a box. On the other hand, the gap between knee push-ups and regular push-ups might be too large for some. In that case you can make the exercise easier by putting your hands on a box while leaving your feet on the floor instead.

One arm push-ups-Again there are different variations of this exercise but the same rules apply. Elevate your arms to make it easier and elevate your feet to make it harder. You can also do negatives (just the lowering part) if you want, until you're strong enough to also lift yourself up.

Psuedo planche/hip push-ups-Well actually these could maybe go before one arm push-ups on the list but I've put them here because they might be something you use to work up to planche push-ups which are extremely advanced. Hip push-ups are like push-ups but your hands are placed by your hips instead of your chest. They can be tough on the wrists for some people so you can do them on fists or use paralletes. Elevating the feet for this exercise does not make it more difficult. Try it and you'll see.

Another thing you can do to work up to the planche push-up is to practice static holds with the planche progressions, as well as practice push-ups in the tuck planche positions.

Pull-up variations

Negatives-A lot of people can't do pull-ups so what you can do is to just do the lowering part of the exercise at first. Get on a chair to get yourself high enough so that your chin is over the bar. Then push the chair away from you and lower yourself from the bar in a slow and controlled manner until you're hanging from the bar with your arms locked out. You might have to bend your knees if the bar isn't high enough. Also, you might want to have a spotter the first time you try this, or until you're confident of being able to do negatives with no problems.

Pull-ups-Once you can do negatives easily-say 2 sets of 5 reps you can try a full pull-up. You can have a partner help you as you pull yourself up if you need to in the beginning. You probably won't need one though if you've been training negatives and are good enough at them. A tip-when you reach the bottom, lock out your arms completely and dead hang. It's harder to do this than to cheat a little and start pulling yourself up before you've reached the bottom but it will help you in the long run.

Assisted one arm pull-ups-These are a lot harder than normal pull-ups and a great way to increase the difficulty of the exercise and train for one-armers. The way to do these is to hold the horizontal bar (pull-up bar) with one hand and have the other hand holding a vertical object. This can be the vertical support bars at the sides holding the pull-up bar in place or you can throw a rope over the pull-up bar and hold onto that. So now the side that's holding onto the pull-up bar has to do a lot more work. The way to increase the difficulty with this variation is to hold the rope lower down. You will start out high, holding the rope/vertical bar only slightly lower than where you hold the pull-up bar and as you become stronger you will move lower down until eventually you'll reach around hip level. After this, you can begin to loosen the grip you have with that hand (you're still gripping the pull-up bar tightly though).

One-arm-pull-up negatives-So the next stage is to move onto slow, controlled negatives with only one arm. Pull yourself up with both arms and then lower yourself with only one arm. When you first start it might be a good idea to loosely hold onto your bicep or shoulder with the free arm just in case you over-estimate your strength and injure yourself while crashing down. Once you know for sure you can control the descent you can let go completely.

One-arm-pull-ups-Reach this stage and you've attained a very, very difficult skill to attain. Congratulations!

Squat variations

Body weight squats-Most people should be able to do body weight squats easily. Read my article on squats for some advice on technique. It's on my site. Again, if you're not strong enough you can do partial range like Paul Anderson did and increase the depth as you get stronger.

One leg squats-From my experience the best way to learn this is to just do partial range and increase the depth slowly. Use a box or something though, or it could put a lot of stress on the knees. Maybe you could lift yourself with only one leg every time you get up from a chair. Gradually increase the depth by using a lower box/chair/step/whatever you want, until you can go all the way to the floor. In the beginning when you reach the floor you can roll back so your back touches the floor and then push yourself forward and spring up using the momentum to lift yourself up. This could mess up your form though if you're not careful (which could mess up your knees) so be careful with this one. Eventually you won't need any momentum. Once you can do the exercise easily, you can grab some weights, which kind of defeats the object of this guide but whatever. I guess you could grab some big water bottles or something if you don't have weights. Maybe adding more water to the bottles could be a way of adding weight.... Anyway you could also add a jumping movement to the squat as you lift yourself up and explode through the movement rather than lifting yourself slowly.

The training programme variables

So here is what the training programme variables look like.

Days of rest for each exercise-You can train each exercise 5 days a week or even as infrequently as every 5 days. You've got two options. The option you choose will affect the number of sets you do, which I'll get onto later. Option B is recommended for those also wanting to gain some mass along with strength. If you're only bothered about strength and like to train each exercise very frequently you could pick option A.

Option A-train each exercise 3-5 days a week

Option B-Train each exercise 1-2 days a week with at least 3 days rest in between each training day. You could do all three exercises on one day but you don't have to. You can split it if you want to.

Reps-3-5-I want you to keep it down to 3-5 reps while using heavy resistance. This is the ideal range for building strength. If you're after some mass as well, you can still get bigger while using low reps and heavy weight. You could increase the reps if you want to but I'd rather you not compromise strength, so an alternative is to make sure you ALWAYS do 5 reps instead of doing 3-5. You might have to use a slightly easier exercise variation in this case.

Sets-if you picked option A, you do no more than 2 sets in a session. If you picked option B, you can do 3-5 sets.

Minutes rest in between sets-3-5 minutes. If you want to increase mass as well as strength, then some fatigue may help you achieve that. You could decrease rest periods to 1-2 minutes, but again I'd rather you didn't compromise strength, so what you could do instead is to make sure you ALWAYS take 3 minutes rest in between sets and not any more. On the other hand, those who are only interested in strength could take 3-5 minutes rest between sets.

Not training till failure-Don't train till failure. You don't want to burn out your central nervous system and compromise strength gains. If you picked option B as your training plan, you can go very close to failure. If you picked option A, I want you to stay slightly further away from failure because you're going to be training more frequently and need to stay fresh. Make sure you could have done at least one more rep. So if you completed 3 reps and felt like you could do another 1 or 2, don't do them. Whereas with option B you could carry on and do those 1 or 2 reps (but only if you were 100% sure you could do the reps. Don't carry on until you attempt a rep and fail to do it).

Exercise variation-Choose a variation that you can do at least 4 reps with but no more than about 8. For example, if you can do 10 normal push-ups, try elevating your feet and then see how many you can do. If you can only do 3, try elevating your feet a little less this time and see how many you can do. Let's say you can do 7. That's a good variation to use for the duration of the training cycle.

The training cycle

Okay this part might seem a little complicated but it's important. If you don't follow a cycle you'll probably hit a plateau and stop improving so learn it well.

There are many different cycles you could use but to keep things simple let's go with a steady cycle that lasts 8-16 workouts. With this cycle you use the same exercise variation until you're ready to peak in 8-16 workouts. For example, lets say you find out that you can do 6 reps with a one-arm-push-up. You start a training cycle with the one-arm-push-up and after 5 workouts the exercise feels a lot easier and you feel like you could do 8 or more reps. You still carry on doing only 3-5reps and keep doing the same exercise.

After 8 workouts the exercise feels so easy that you feel you are ready to move onto a harder variation. What you can do is reduce the volume for a week (so lets say you train 3 days a week and do 2 sets in each workout. During that week reduce your workout frequency to only 1 or 2 days a week and do only 1 set per workout. However, you're either going to do more reps (if you usually did 3 or 4 then do 5) or if you already did 5 then switch to a harder variation of the one-arm-push-up (maybe elevate your feet) and do 3 reps.

After this reduced volume week, you're going to go back to your normal frequency of training (in this example, 3 days a week) but you're still doing a reduced number of sets (1 set in this example). Now you're ready for the final part of your cycle. You were doing 3 reps of one-arm-push-ups with your feet elevated. Attempt to do 5 reps with this same variation. If you succeed, wait until your next workout and choose an even more difficult variation (maybe elevate your feet even higher) and see if you can do 5 reps. If you succeed move onto an even harder variation in the following workout until you reach a variation where you fail before reaching three reps. Then after that you could go back to the last variation that you succeeded doing 5 reps with, and attempt to go beyond 5 reps. Take a few days off at the end of the cycle. At the start of a new cycle you begin with a slightly harder variation than in your last cycle. In our example we started the last cycle with one-arm-push-ups. For the next cycle we could maybe start with one-arm-push-ups with legs elevated slightly. You get the idea......I hope.

Adding exercises and final advice

This is just a guide. Don't worry about following it exactly to the letter. You can make adjustments, add your own exercises to it, experiment with different training programs/cycles etc. Just make sure you know what you're doing or you'll be wasting a lot of precious time. I think pull-ups and squats are a must. You could replace the horizontal push-up with handstand push-ups but I've kept it simple here.

You can't really go wrong if you just stick to this guide and train consistently, while resting when you need to, getting good nutrition, enough sleep etc.

Don't expect to progress from pull-ups to one-arm-pull-ups and from wall push-ups to planche-push-ups without any hiccups along the way. Your progress will slow down, you might get injured, and sometimes you might start doubting whether you'll ever get to the most advanced variations. It'll take you many months, even a few years to get to the most advanced variations of push-ups and pull-ups. Don't give up. This is what separates those few who make it from everybody else. If it was easy, everyone would be strong as hell and then your achievements wouldn't be so impressive, so just have fun, aim high and train consistently without giving up. Get in touch and tell me about your progress while following this plan, send me videos when you're able to do some of the cool feats such as one-arm-pull-ups, send me before and after pictures if it's changed the way you look.

Later

Hiten Gorecha

Personal trainer in Nottingham

[http://www.theflyingspirit.co.uk].

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Tendinopathy

                    

Rotator cuff tendinopathy is a term used for cuff tendon conditions. There is no definitive agreement on exactly what constitutes tendinopathy. The term "tendinopathy" is applied generally to diseases and conditions that can affect tendons. There are more specific conditions such as rotator cuff tendinosis or tendonitis.

It is important to differentiate tendinopathy injuries from cuff tears. Tears are an entirely dissimilar condition. A number of the symptoms can be comparable; indeed, a number of the treatments are also very alike. Nevertheless they remain very different and distinct ailments.

Overuse Injuries, RSI and CTD.

Overuse injuries is a term that covers a broad range of repetitive motion injuries. It encompasses conditions including RSI (repetitive strain injury) and CTD (cumulative trauma disorder). The chief distinction is that the terms RSI and CTD are most frequently connected with workplace injuries and the phrase overuse injuries is mainly applied to sports injuries.

RSI includes such things as tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome and trigger finger. CTD is, in point of fact, pretty much, the same thing; the terms are virtually interchangeable.

Tendinopathy, Tendonosis Tendonitis, and Paratenonitis

Tendinopathy - The suffix "pathy" simply means illness or disease. Rotator cuff tendinopathy therefore is a more general term for a tendon injury.

Tendinosis- The suffix "osis" means a process, condition or state that is abnormal or diseased. Tendinosis is a chronic condition an accumulation of microscopic injuries that fail to heal properly

Tendonitis - The suffix "itis" means inflammation. Tendonitis injuries are those accompanied by inflammation.

Paratenonitis

The term paratenonitis refers to an injury specifically of the outer layer of a tendon. Previously terms such as tenosynovitis and peritendinitis were used. Tendinosis and paratenonitis can occur separately or together. In other words you can suffer an injury to the tendon, to the tendon sheath or to both at the same time.

Tendinopathy treatment

Regardless of the specific condition it is vital to keep in mind one very simple fact. The one person that can influence your recovery the most is YOU! Rotator cuff muscle exercises and rotator cuff strengthening exercises play a vital role in your recovery.

Whether it is a tendinopathy, a large tear, a small tear or impingement the response is the same. Performing a series of strengthening exercises will hasten recuperation and prevent a repeat. Join me to learn more about rotator cuff tendinopathy and how you can take action to overcome it.

Steve Kaiser has used exercise to treat his own rotator cuff symptoms. Learn how you could do the same at Rotator Cuff Therapy Exercises

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The need for SPEED through Calisthenics

                   

Calisthenics are exercises consisting of a variety of gross motor movements including - running, pulling, pushing, squats—often performed rhythmically and generally without equipment or apparatus. They are, in essence, body-weight training.

Calisthenics Benefits for Speed Training Explained

Calisthenics are perfect for getting in proper shape for running and for gaining the break-neck speed you need to win trophies and make headlines. But some runners and speed training athletes feel that calisthenics aren't necessary for getting faster. And some are under the misconception that calisthenics training actually makes you slower. That couldn't be further from the truth. The following calisthenics benefits for speed training should clear the matter up nicely.

Introduces Variety Into Your Training

One of the best benefits of engaging in calisthenics is the fact that you are getting tons of variety in your speed training workout. When you incorporate knee raises, push ups, crunches and planks with very few rests in between sets, you are conditioning your body to be as fast as possible. Remember to keep pushing yourself and to keep trying out different exercises so that you can condition your body even more.

Improves Coordination

When you speak of calisthenics benefits for speed training, you can't leave out coordination. Coordination plays a huge role when it comes to how fast you are, and if your coordination is off just a little bit you won't be able to increase your turnover rate and other runners will eventually blow right past you. But if you engage in various calisthenics a few times per week, you'll become much more coordinated and your speed will increase as a result.

You'll Get Stronger

One of the most obvious calisthenics benefits for speed training include the fact that you will be getting stronger with each session. Of course you'll need to make sure you're getting plenty of fuel in the form of healthy foods and beverages and that you're getting plenty of rest, but if you do calisthenics in the form of pushups and leg raises and all the other exercises you tend to do when you're training, you will get stronger and that will increase your power and, ultimately, your speed.

What Does It All Mean?

Hopefully by how you are convinced that you need calisthenics in your training regimen if you want to develop the kind of speed that makes others, including college scouts, take notice. You don't want to be the slowest person on the field and you certainly don't want to be second place. You want to win, and that's why you train every chance you get, using all the tools you've been taught in order to carry you towards your winning goals. But if you don't include calisthenics with the rest of your tools, you will eventually reach your glass ceiling and that's where you'll stay. So instead, realize the calisthenics benefits for speed training and train the way the experts do. Calisthenics are not 'old-school' or outdated, and they certainly won't make you any slower. Instead, they'll make you more coordinated, stronger and faster than ever. If you don't believe it, try incorporating calisthenics into your normal routine and you'll reach any speed-training goals you reach for yourself, guaranteed.

If you want to find more calisthenics benefits for speed training plus tons more, visit [http://www.HowToIncreaseSpeedInRunning.com], where you'll find everything you're looking for, including [Mind-Blowing Speed Training].

Anthony Sanza - How To Increase Speed In Running

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How to build your own Home Gym - CrossFit style

                    

If you want to begin CrossFit or Kettlebell training, it can help to equip your home with your own gym. While there are gyms that specialize in these types of training, there are many reasons why a home gym may work better for you.

With a home gym, you don't have to worry about the schedule and hours, childcare, and feeling intimidated to work out around other people. The good thing about CrossFit or Kettlebell training is that it doesn't take a whole lot of equipment.

Whether you're ready to completely outfit your home gym or you want to build it a little at a time, there are equipment items you can purchase to help you participate in this training at home. Having a home gym can be a big investment early on, but it will save you money in the long run.

There are several small pieces of equipment you can purchase that won't break the bank. Kettlebells are essential to your gym and are very economical. You can purchase just one or a complete set to help you advance as you gain strength.

Jump ropes are used in CrossFit training and are one of the simplest and least expensive pieces of equipment around. You may want to invest in one that will last a long time. But even the most expensive jump rope will be quite affordable.

Barbells and bumper plates are also essential for conditioning when you're participating in CrossFit training. You'll need to purchase a set that includes a variety of weights for different purposes such as dead lifts and squats. This is one of the more expensive sets you'll need.

It's also helpful to have a bench to use for weight lifting as well as a pull-up rig. Again, these are pricier items but once you invest in them, they should last a lifetime and keep you from having to spend money on a membership to a gym.

CrossFit employs running and rowing, so you'll need to have the appropriate gear for those activities. You'll need good shoes that can serve many different activities. There are some shoes specifically designed for CrossFit as it has become so popular.

You'll also want to invest in a good rowing machine for your gym so you can get the full body workout that rowing provides. Gymnastics rings and climbing ropes are also good additions to your home gym.

You need to make sure that this equipment is properly installed so that when you apply your body weight it will remain stable. Safety is always an important consideration in a home gym. If you're looking to make a great space for working out in the privacy of your own home, investing in equipment for a CrossFit or Kettlebell gym is a great way to do it.

Russell (Rusty) Hart is the founder of the Health, Fitness & Sport Club, an online network of websites devoted to the promotion of health, fitness and wellness. The sites encompass a wide variety of health and fitness activities including general health matters, pilates, yoga, CrossFit, treadmill training, running, kettlebell, swimming, and more. Also covered are Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), Positive Thinking, the Law of Attraction and related topics. Those interested can visit the HF & S Club home site at  [http://www.healthfitnessandsport.com], and, for a special offer,  [http://www.kettlebellsnatchx.com/kettlebell-advantage/]

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CrossFit attracts 8 types of athlete, which one are you?

                     

CrossFit Boxes are a lot like Boxing Gyms. They are full of characters, we are all unique CrossFit snowflakes in our amazing fitness community.

In addition to being great places to workout, boxing gyms can also be good places for comradeship. But just like working in an office, there may also be people present who are annoying to be around, and are hard to avoid.

Here are a few personalities you may find and some tips to deal with them.

1. The president of the woman haters' club. 

Boxing is still a male-dominated sport, and some women get a less than warm welcome in the gyms. I understand a man who doesn't want to spar with women, perhaps because they have been raised to not to hit women. But I don't have much patience for men who think women who don't belong in boxing. The best way to deal with this type is just to show up regularly at the gym. When they realize they can't run a woman off with sexist snide comments and jokes, they'll back off because they've got nothing else to run with.

2. The lost puppy. 

There's at least one person in the gym that requires a lot of hand holding and encouragement. Unfortunately, some individuals' neediness could keep others from getting their workout done. Be helpful, be nice, but when the same person starts clinging for dear life, send them over to the coach.

3. The talker. 

This could be anybody from a former champ who has endless advice for everybody to people who like to declare their political views to everybody within earshot. Just like the lost puppy, the talker can eat up a lot of time that could be better used working out. When the bell rings, cut the conversation and move over to the nearest piece of equipment.

4. The choosy sparring partner. 

Some people beg the coach to spar, but as soon as the coach matches them up with someone, they change their minds. But they will attempt to talk someone else into sparring with them whom they think is more appropriate. I knew guys who treated the sparring sessions - which are supposed to be opportunities to learn and build up skills - like regular boxing matches. It was important to have a sparring partner they could "win" against. Other fighters in the gym can refuse to spar with those individuals if they notice this behavior. Coaches can refuse to allow these folks to spar unless there is an attitude adjustment.

5. The people who whine. 

When I see someone like this in the gym, I automatically wonder: why are they here? My favorites are those who show up the first day and give a list of what they will not do in regards to working out. It does not matter if alternatives and moderation's are offered because the people who complain don't want to do those, either. Usually the complaints are coming from people who seem to not know what boxing was before they signed up for the gym. Wait them out. Most will drop out after awhile.

Don't let a few characters ruin your workout.

Follow one woman's journey through the world of boxing by reading Boxing Mid-Life at http://boxingdiva.blogspot.com.

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The British Army now trains Squats, do you?

                      

If I had to choose just one weight training exercise that builds overall lean muscle mass and increases strength, it would have to be squats.

But it's important to learn how to squat correctly.

Having good form and technique is crucial to get the maximum benefit and to avoid injury. It's not a difficult exercise to perform, and I recommend it to anybody.

Originally, I had planned to make a list of "10 reasons why you should squat", but I ended up expanding the list as I went on.

Some of these I have researched and some are from my experience of squatting over the years.

People still have a misconception about squatting and think they are meant only for pro athletes and bodybuilders.

That's not true; squatting is suitable for anybody, both male and female, who are interested in building lean muscle and burning fat as well as improving their health.

Why Every Woman Should Squat

It is especially great for the ladies that want a great set of legs and a sexy butt. Think Jen Selter, Instagram Sensation.

Jen Selter has inspired thousands of women around the world to get a bigger butt.

If you don't know who Jen Selter is, you can do a Google search to get more information about her.

If you are on Instagram, you may have seen her photos.

It's quite possible that Jen Selter had a huge influence on a lot of girls wanting to follow in her footsteps to getting the body of their dreams. Who knows... ?

Okay, back to what I was saying before...

When you think about it, everybody, whether they realize it or not, we all have to sit down, stand up and pick something up off the floor.

We never think about making these movements. Our bodies have been programmed to do these things ever since we were kids.

It just feels natural.

Squats, when done properly, is the best compound exercise for building mass as well as increasing size and strength in the body.

Before I get into the 20 reasons why you should squat, I'd like to share my squatting story...

I remember when I first took up squatting in the gym. I used to squat with bad form for months without realizing what I was doing wrong.

And one day, while I was holding a 100 kg bar cross my shoulder, I lost my balance, and the weight came down on top of me.

Lucky enough, two guys rushed over and were able to grab the bar in time. This was all a result of bad form and not setting myself up to do them properly.

Not only did I have bad form, when I squatted, I didn't go all the way down, afterall, it's the deep squat that activates your glutes and hamstring muscles to it's full potential.

I still see guys at the gym, with bad form and usually point out the mistakes they make and the correct way to do them. Usually appreciate my guidance.

So guys, save yourself the time of causing an injury. Trying to impress your gym buddy, isn't worth it, unless you both know what you're doing.

For extra safety, you can even do your squats on a smith machine. So if you are a beginner, then I suggest squatting on a smith machine until you get used to doing them properly.

Squatting on A Smith Machine

Most good gyms have a smith machine, where the bar is connected within steel rails, for added safety.

This will prepare you for when you're ready to do them on a squat rack.

I think one of the main reasons why some people avoid doing squats is because they are afraid of risking the chance of getting injured.

But if you know how to do them correctly, not only will it increase muscle mass in your lower body, but it will do them same for your upper body.

It doesn't matter whether you want to lose weight, build muscle or increase strength, squatting will help you achieve each of these goals as long as you stay consistent and aim to lift heavy often.

I wouldn't recommend doing squats more than twice a week. Like any weight lifting exercise you do, your muscles need time to grow. So recover is essential.

If you keep exercising the same muscles every day, you're not giving them time to recover and could do some damage if your not careful.

If you're a skinny guy and you want to build muscle, a good start would be to do five sets of five, at your body weight. Once you can get to a stage where you can lift your own body weight, you can gradually increase the weight as you get comfortable lifting heavier.

It's a big achievement when you know you can lift more than your own body weight. That's how you know you are getting stronger each week.

When you can lift heavier weight each week, you will feel inspired so that you look forward to your next squat session.

Here are the 20 reason's you should squat

1. Increase Size And Strength In Your Entire Body

When you squat, you will also build muscle in your hamstrings, quads and calves. Due to the high amount of HGH released, you will also build size and strength in the rest of your body.

The reason this happens is because when you perform a squat the correct way, your body is forced to naturally increase its own anabolic hormones that will cause other muscle groups to get bigger quicker the next time you train them.

2. Improves Circulation In The Body

Squat exercises get the blood pumping in your entire body and improves your health all round.

3. Increase Testosterone & Growth Hormones

Exercises such as squats and dead-lifts release essential growth hormones that contribute to muscle growth and strength gain in the entire body.

4. Increase Core Strength

Squats hit your entire core muscles from every angle, so it gives you every reason to do them if you want killer abs.

5. Improve Flexibility

Because the deeper you squat, the more flexible you become. Squatting will also increase hip flexibility. A lot of people carry a lot of stress in their hips because they have bad posture so they feel the need to sit down more often.

6. Great For Burning Fat

Most of the muscle you gain from squatting heavy will come from your lower body, and the more muscle that you gain the more fat you will burn.

7. Squats Strengthen Joints

Once you know how to perform squats correctly, not only will it prevent injury, but it will also strengthen your joints too. When you squat down, with all that weight on the bar, you are engaging your ankle, knee and hip joints at the same time.

8. It's Functional For Completing Daily Tasks

What I mean by this is that It makes your daily tasks easier, like if you are carrying groceries' home or lifting or moving furniture in your house. So it makes your body safer during real world activities.

9. Reduce The Risk Of Getting Injured

Squatting is a safe exercise; once they are done correctly it will reduce the risk of injury. Because as you expand the depth of each squat, you will increase strength in your quad muscles that will also enable you do perform other compound exercises with ease.

10. Become A Better Athlete

It doesn't matter what sport you do; you need to be squatting. It's essential to have a strong lower body, whether you're doing swimming, playing tennis or basketball. You should squatting.

11. Increase Vertical Jump

Squats are great for increasing your rate of force development that is important if you want to be able to jump high. I found barbell jump squats a great way to increase vertical jump.

12. Improved Workout Efficiency

I'm a strong believer that squats improve strength, stability and efficiency when it comes to doing other weighted exercises such as bench press, deadlifts and even pull-ups. I find that it gives you that extra edge over that's crucial when you're trying to squeeze out one last repetition, when you've reached failure.

13. Develop A Great Set Of Legs And Butt

It makes no difference whether you are male or female. Squats will give you a great set of legs and butt. So ladies, If you want to activate those butt muscles, do deep squats with a wide stance so that it gives your butt a better workout. Your friends will want to do what exercise you did, while the lads will be drooling over you.

14. Get Killer Calves

For those of you who are ashamed of having skinny legs, like I once had. When you squat heavy, it will gradually build muscle in your calves. No more chicken legs.

15. Squats Are Cheap

All it takes is a barbell or a set pair of dumbbells. You don't have to buy them brand new either.

16. Increase Sprint Times

According to research, studies show that sprinters can increase their sprint times by a significant degree as a result of squatting.

17. Improve Athletic Performance

Not only will you gain size and strength in your legs, squats will also increase your performance capacity to run faster and jump higher.

18. There Are More Than One Variation Of Squats

Not just the traditional bodybuilders squats where you place a barbell over your shoulders. You can do dumbbell squats, kettlebell squats, wall squats, plie squat and barbell front squats. There are lots more ways to squat.

19. You Can Squat Just About Anywhere You Like

You don't have to be in the gym to squat, and you don't even need gym equipment. You can do them at home, at work or the beach.

If you do a Google search for "Squat without equipment, I'm sure you will find lots of variations. Try doing 100 bodyweight squats, and I'm sure you will feel the effects from it. Even 50 is good enough.

20. Squats Are A Universal Compound Exercise

Other than dead-lifts, squats are a mainstream exercise that uses more muscles in the body.

Now It's Your Turn

Now that you have read all the reasons why you should squat, it's time to add squats to your next workout. It doesn't matter whether you're a pro bodybuilder or a beginner, you can start squatting and will notice almost immediate results as long as you stick with it.

Want more workout tips? Get my complete workout program and diet plan right here. This 12 week training program offers you a 4 days per week workout program that is designed to build lean muscle and burn unwanted body fat at the same time.

It includes, printable workout logs, meal plans, abs workouts and more!

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Ever since CrossFit became popular, I have avoided any form of supportive discussions or been a participant in any local boxes that provide CrossFit workouts.

I can now say that my opinions have softened, judgment has subsided, and the CrossFit workouts I've experienced have me as happy as a clam.

I've been passionate about strength training since the age of fifteen. With my history of obsessive weightlifting and strict nutritional planning, forming opinions regarding health and wellness became a strong suit of mine.

Why have I been so steadfast and stubborn with my exercise beliefs?

I feel that I've spent plenty of passionate time and money studying under extremely reputable teachers in the exercise and nutrition industry.

If you have ever received a certification, you just might agree that it's easy to get "guru-eyed" and follow the path of one specific belief system.

It's crucial to listen and learn from someone, but even more important to remain open to different suggestions, techniques, and philosophies.

When all the CrossFit workouts started pouring into the mainstream, there were clusters of happy fitness folk and plenty of CrossFit player haters.

Why were people bashing it?

Were people annoyed at the trend, or jealous of its popularity taking over? Was the personal training community perturbed after watching the viral CrossFit YouTube follies? Maybe health practitioners became flustered, thinking that it's not considered clear-cut and precise exercise prescription and program design?

I used to relate to all of these at one time, however now I feel liberated. I've opened my door of stubbornness, done my own research on a reputable CrossFit gym, and have personally experienced CrossFit workouts for myself.

I don't have the statistics on this, but I've observed plenty with my own two eyes, so listen up.

A common complaint is that people are getting injured because of CrossFit.

I want you to think about the amount of personal trainers and regular commercial gyms we have humming along today.

I'm certain that the number of poorly educated personal trainers, ill-prescribed exercises, and ego driven attitudes completely outweight the CrossFit community... by a lot!

I do feel that people who are beginners to exercise need to develop a foundation before participating in more challenging workouts that requires a volume based approach. Form and body awareness is a must, alongside developing stability, strength, and power.

I'm not here to debate which group is more educated, whose program design is more scientifically backed, or which community teaches better form.

I simply want to share my personal and professional experience.

The 4 powerful perks that CrossFit has provided me with are:

Extraordinary exercises & challenging programs

A supportive environment

Passionate & educated coaches

A shitload of fun

Part of the reason why I started participating in CrossFit workouts is because I wanted to learn different exercises and experience new demanding programs. In just a couple weeks I've learned a handful of fresh exercises that have provided an amazing boost to my challenge meter.

Have you ever longed for an encouraging environment and community? I've been craving it! Finding a new exercise setting that provides this type of framework has been a blessing in disguise. I felt it in my first week!

I look for passion and an educated background when it comes to someone I hire and pay for health and wellness. All it took was a bit of yelp investigation and website research, and I was sold on a local CrossFit location. (Yes, my in person experience with the coaches have been great as well)

When was the last time you had a shit-ton of fun during exercise? Sure, I've been an exercise enthusiast for some time, but even I get bored with typical exercise program design. I was so cheerful after my first week of CrossFit, I almost vomited a rainbow.

My participation has been steady in CrossFit workouts lately, and I look forward to seeing what challenges and gains are ahead.

Will the regular health community disown me and say bon voyage, due to my shifting of CrossFit beliefs and opinions? Maybe their concrete beliefs will soften as the days go on.

Let's give it some time, and see who turns into a happy clam next.

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