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.
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Article Source:
https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Justin_P_Kavanagh/1515027
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