Beautiful, slim legs and a toned bottom – that is the dream of every single woman. And we all know the secret – sport, sufficient exercise and a balanced, healthy diet. If you're looking for a great way to work out at home and lose a few pounds at the same time, then squats are the way to go. Besides thePlank exercise variationsThe squat is also one of the most effective exercises for a home workout and delivers amazing results in a very short time. It's not for nothing that they are called the mother of all exercises. But in order to benefit from the many advantages, correct squat execution is an absolute must. We'll tell you how to do this and lots of great variations that provide more variety in our article!
Contrary to what many people think, squats are not just for weightlifters or bodybuilders. This primarily trains the buttocks and legs, but the lower back and abdominal muscles are also stressed. Additionally, adding squats to your exercise routine can help reduce your risk of injury, improve your performance and coordination, and strengthen bones.
Squat execution – How to do it right!
Although the squat execution seems fairly simple at first glance, there are many small mistakes that can lead to permanent injuries to the back and knees. It is therefore recommended that fitness beginners in particular learn the clean technique under the supervision of a trainer. And this is how it's done:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
- Tighten your abdominal muscles and draw them in.
- Now slowly lower your body as if you wanted to sit on a chair. Do the movement slowly.
- Slowly bend your knees until you reach a 90 degree angle, making sure to distribute your weight evenly across your entire foot. You are not allowed to stand on your tiptoes.
- Hold the position for a few seconds.
- Exhale and push your upper body up over your heels. When performing the squat, it is important that the upper body remains unchanged during the movement.
What are the squats benefits for our body?
The squat is actually much more than a simple leg exercise. Performing the exercise regularly offers a variety of benefits for our entire body as well as for our health.
- Tightens the legs and buttocks –This is probably the most logical advantage of squatting. The exercise primarily targets the quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteus maximus, which strengthens the legs and tones the butt.
- Strengthens the core muscles –In order to maintain balance during the downward movement, the abdominal and back muscles are involved in the squat. The result is a flat stomach and a stronger lower back. A study conducted in 2018 found that the squat is just as effective for core muscles as the classic plank exercise. Strong core muscles can make everyday movements like twisting, bending, and even standing much easier and reduce back pain.
- Squats stimulate hormone release –Squats are a classic strength exercise and therefore a wonderful way to promote growth hormone production.
- Help build muscle –The squat execution is fairly static and targets specific muscle groups rather than increasing your heart rate. This will also help you burn calories, but not as much as jogging or running on the treadmill, for example.
- Burn calories quickly –Burning calories is most often associated with endurance training. However, running one has changedHIIT Training Planwith squats and other exercises have proven to be the better method to achieve faster results. In addition to burning fat, muscle building is also promoted and this in turn ensures the so-called afterburn effect. According to Harvard Medical School, a 180-pound person can burn up to 260 calories during a 30-minute strength training session.
- The squat can be done anywhere and without special equipment -Although there are countless variations using dumbbells, kettlebells or resistance bands, the classic bodyweight squat is the ultimate on-the-go exercise and can be done anywhere and at any time.
- Ideal for effective upper body training –If there's one exercise that works the most muscles in your body at once, it's the squat. Adding weights to your routine also works the upper body, essentially giving you the perfect full-body workout in a single exercise.
- Squats against cellulite –No matter how fit you are, you can still have cellulite on your butt or legs. Approximately 90% of women worldwide struggle with cellulite. One of the biggest benefits that squats offer to women is that they improve blood circulation. The exercise ensures that sufficient nutrients and oxygen reach the most important organs. Regular stretching of muscles and healthy blood flow are realMiracle weapons against cellulite.
- Improve digestion –Although the leg and buttocks muscles are primarily trained, other muscle groups are also trained. This increases the speed at which fluids flow through the body and the result is better and faster digestion.
- The squat improves flexibility and helps prevent injuries –The reason for most training injuries is weak joints, connective tissue and stabilizer muscles - these are the muscles that are not directly involved in the movement, but support the primary muscle groups in proper execution. But clean technology is essential for this.
What are the most common squat mistakes?
Just like with all other exercises, correct and clean execution plays a very important role in squats. Below are some of the most common squat mistakes.
- The tips of the toes and heels lift off the ground -In order to evenly distribute the load during the exercise and maintain balance, it is very important not to lift your heels and toes off the floor. This leads to greater pressure in the knees and can cause permanent injuries.
- Knees buckle inwards –By buckling the knees inwards, the joint is placed in an unsafe and unstable position. This makes the risk of injury to the knees and lower back very high.
- Not enough depth –If you don't squat deep enough, the muscle groups are hardly used. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the legs are parallel to the floor at a 90 degree angle.
- Keep your gaze downwards –Although it seems somewhat natural to look downward while performing the squat, instead you should keep your neck in a neutral position and your eyes forward. You should also focus on keeping your spine and upper body straight and upright.
Variety in the training routine helps with motivation - squat variations
Once you are familiar with the classic squat execution and have mastered the clean technique, you can increase the difficulty by adding different squat variations to your training. This helps keep the exercise interesting while activating different muscle groups. For example, you can use barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls or even fitness bands. But to prevent serious injuries, it is particularly important to maintain correct posture.
- Sumo Kniebeugeis a very slight deviation from normal squats and differs primarily in the position of the feet. To do this, place your feet slightly wider than hip-width and point the tips of your feet outwards. Tense your stomach, stretch your back and lower your body downwards. Make sure your knees point in the same direction as your toes. Hold the position briefly and then return to the starting position. In addition to the leg and glute muscles, this exercise also targets the inner thighs.
- Barbell squatis considered the king of strength training exercises. If you are a beginner, we recommend starting with lighter weights and slowly increasing the difficulty. Place the dumbbell on your upper back and keep your chest stretched. Place your feet hip-width apart and turn them slightly outwards. Tense your stomach and pull your shoulder blades back. Now slowly lower yourself down, hold the position briefly and then stretch upwards. Make sure that your back does not arch and that your spine remains neutral.
- With kettlebells or dumbbells over your head –This variation trains the lower back and shoulder muscles. The movement is not much different from the classic squat, so you should pay close attention to your technique. Take either a medicine ball, a kettlebell, or two dumbbells in your hands and hold them above your head throughout the entire exercise. Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width and then squat down.
- Jump squatsis a wonderful plyometric exercise or in other words – an aerobic exercise that increases your heart rate and stimulates fat burning. Since this puts more strain on the joints, it is important that you do not have problems with your knees and hips. Perform a normal squat and as you move up, jump as high as possible.
- Single leg squatis an incredibly effective functional exercise to increase your endurance and coordination. The variant is also a real challenge for professional athletes. It is therefore recommended to use a chair as an aid initially. Stand in front of the chair and lift one leg. Then squat until you touch the chair. Then return from this position to the starting position. Once you have mastered a clean technique, you can increase the difficulty level. To do this, stand upright on one leg and extend the other leg forward. Now squat as deeply as possible and keep your leg stretched and above the ground. For better balance, lean your upper body slightly forward and keep your back straight. Come to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.
