Squats are a compound movement, meaning they work multiple muscle groups at the same time.
Although pictured is a barbell back squat, there are multiple variations of a barbell squat exercise that you can include in your workout to target different muscles:
- Barbell front squats – targets more of the quads
- Barbell back squats – targets more of the glutes/hamstrings
- Barbell overhead squat – targets the upper body more than a standard barbell squat
BENEFITS:
- Build your quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves
- Strengthen your core and back
- Improves your balance
- Increases mobility
- Supports healthy posture
- There are a TON of variations to target different muscle groups and reach different goals!
TIPS:
- Warm up! Do some dynamic stretching and mobility movements to warm up your body and prevent injury
- Wear flat shoes
- This will allow you to push through your heels than your toes. Vans or converse will do the job, but there are also some great squatting shoes on the market
- Tighten your core to un-rack the barbell
- Right before starting the squat, take a deep breath
- Initiate the movement by pushing your hips back, keeping your chest up and descending with your hip crease past your knee crease
- Exhale as you extend your legs back to standing position
Watch this video to see a properly performed barbell squat!
