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Squat

Description

The squat is a lower body exercise that targets the muscles in the upper leg and lower back. It develops general lower body strength, and it develops stabilizing muscles around the hips, abs, and lower back.

Primary Muscles Involved

• Gluteus maximus
• Quadriceps
• Hamstrings
• Erector Spinae

Procedure

When watching the following video, break the movement down into four segments: Stance, Descent, Ascent.

1. Stance -- Pay attention to foot position, bar placement, and grip placement.
   • Stand with heels shoulder width apart, facing outward by 30 degrees.
   • The bar should rest on your trapezius muscles, or between your trapezius and rear shoulder muscles.
   • Your hands should be positioned outside your shoulders and your elbows pointed back, but not flared out.
2. Descent -- Keep a straight back through the entire motion. Your hips will move back as the knees bend forward inline with your feet. This will keep the weight centered on your heels and prevent loss of balance. Stop once the quadriceps or hamstrings are parallel to the floor.
3. Ascent -- Push up by straightening your knees and pushing your hips forward at the same time. Return to the Stance position.

Variations

Each squat variation places the barbell at a different resting point. The variations put strain in different stabilizing muscles, though the primary muscles involved remain the same.

Front Squat

The front squat changes the Stance and Bottom segments of the movement. It places more strain on the quadriceps and abs. The bar is positioned on the front shoulders with raised arms, and the back is more upright. At the Bottom, the knees are pressed forward and the shins make a sharper angle with the ground compared to the Back Squat.

Pause Squat

The pause squat is identical to the back squat in movement. The difference is that when you reach the bottom, the position is held for three seconds.