SQUATS: GRAND DADDY OF ALL THE EXERCISE
One of the best exercises of all the exercises is none other than SQUATS. This exercise is surrounded by wrong notions. Many people think that squats cause knee pain or knee injury. It is being noticed that very few people working out in gyms perform squats with an accurate form. Hence we come to a conclusion that squats never cause knee pain or injury but performing wrong squats eventually results in a knee injury.
Squats are structural lift that predominantly works upon the Leg muscles. It is a very basic movement which is performed by every human being on a day-to-day basis while sitting on the floor while playing any sport like cricket or baseball. But this is one of the most feared exercises in the world because of its after-effects!!
In this article, we are going to discuss the Advantages of doing Squats exercises and the correct setup to perform the same.
Advantages of Performing Squats
As Squat is a structural movement it works upon the entire body which gives a carry-over effect to the upper body as well.
Since Squat is a lower body movement it covers the 60% musculature of the body which results in hypertrophy and strength gains.
Squats mainly target Quadriceps and Gluteus Maximus muscles and to improve the overall strength and hypertrophy of the other leg muscles you can go through
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Legs are the base of the body, doing Squats exercises will improve the strength of the legs and will also add athletic and aesthetic value.
As squats give a carry-over effect, they can also be performed as a single exercise when you are short of time in the gym.
The technique of SQUAT Exercise:
Step 1) Hold the barbell on the scapulae, place it exactly where the posterior deltoid is dense and thick. Avoid placing the barbell on the cervical (below the neck), a common mistake done by people which later leads to compression in the cervical and radiating pain in the arms. Holding the barbell high above on the cervical also causes unnecessary rounding of the spine disturbing the form. See to it that if a straight line is drawn from top to bottom then the barbell should be seen exactly above the subtalar joint (ankle)
Step 2) Barbell grip should not be held very wide as it will loosen the tightness in the entire body which is of utmost importance.
Step 3) Distance between the legs should be slightly wider than the shoulder width. Toes should be slightly outwards as that is the way we always stand.
Step 4) Lift the barbell from the rack and take 1 step backward. Hold for a second so that the weights get stable before starting the exercise.
Step 5) Take a deep breath from the nose and hold the breath and slowly go in a squat position maintaining tightness in the body and a neutral spine. Eye gaze should be forward. Your Hip joint should cross the Knee joint while going down.
Step 6) Do not sit on the haunches as it may loosen the tightness of the body. The moment your hip joint crosses your knee joint, stand up till the knees are completely extended.