Squats with a barbell for girls - the correct technique

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Squats are the best functional exercise. These basic movements work the major muscle groups in your body and help strengthen your hips, quads, adductors magnus, hamstrings, lower back, core, and glutes. But if you're a beginner or can't squat fully, you risk injury to your knees and back. In this article, you will learn how to perform squats in a few simple steps and what is the correct squat technique for girls. There will also be many variations of the squat for detailed muscle development. Let's start!

Squat with a barbell. From scratch to ideal

What you will need:

• Comfortable clothes
• Sport shoes
• Headband and/or headband

How to squat for a girl step by step

Video instructions on the technique of performing the exercise.

Step 1: Starting Position

Stand up straight with your back straight; Place your feet slightly wider than your shoulders and parallel to each other, your toes slightly turned out (about 5-20 degrees), your shoulders relaxed and your chest raised. Look straight ahead, extend your arms and squeeze your buttocks so that your pelvic area is symmetrical with an imaginary straight line running from your left leg to the right.

Step 2: Starter Squat

Look forward, keep your back straight, and engage your core. Inhale, push your butt back and begin to bend your knees. Your weight should be on your heels and NOT on your toes.

Step 3: Full Squat

Pull your buttocks out and look forward. Sit with all your body weight on your heels. Your knees should not go past your toes. Lower yourself down until your hip joint is below your knees. Yes, this is the correct full squat. If your hip joint is not lower than your knees, then this is a partial squat.

Step 4: Delay

Hold your hands in front of you or grab your right wrist with your left hand and look straight ahead. Make sure your pelvis is in line with your toes and your knees are no higher than your toes. Your hips need to be pushed back, core tight and thrust out. Hold this pose for 3 seconds.

Step 5: Return to Starting Position

Exhale and begin to return to the starting position. Keep your body weight on your heels, shoulders back, and chest lifted.

Step 6: Repeat

Inhale again and lower yourself into a squat position. Hold this position for 3 seconds and return.

Advice. Be careful when learning to squat. Take your time. Squatting correctly is more important than doing 3 sets of 30 reps.

So you see, squats aren't that difficult at their core. You just need to be patient and observant to recognize and correct the incorrect squatting technique you were following previously. Now, before we move on, I would like to introduce you to the advanced level of squats. You can do them as part of your regular workout, but make sure you do them correctly.

What muscles work during a squat?

This exercise targets the hip rotators, gluteus minimus, and gluteus medius. The lower legs are stabilized by the ankle muscles as well as the calf muscles. The muscles of the body also work - the muscles of the abdomen, lower back, and also those responsible for straightening the spine. This complex effect causes a significant consumption of calories, which is very good for women losing weight. The benefits are undeniable - doing squats (either in the gym or at home) is recommended for all girls.

Squat with a barbell on the shoulders for girls - 8 variations

Pulsating Squats

Target:

Quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes, calves, adductors magnus and core.

Duration – 7 minutes.

Technique:

1. Stand straight with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, your toes slightly turned out, your shoulders back, your chest forward and your arms in front of you.
2. Inhale, push your hips back, and squat down, keeping your weight on your heels. Make sure your hip joint is slightly lower than your knees and your knees do not go past your toes.
3. Now, instead of returning to the starting position, “pulse” in the squat position - rise and fall often and slowly.
4. Count to 10.
5. Exhale and slowly return to the starting position.
6. Do 2 sets of 5 reps. Increase the number of repetitions and sets as you progress physically. To enhance the effect and benefit, you can use a dumbbell.

Explosive Squats

Target:

Quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes, calves, adductors magnus, core, biceps and neck muscles.

Duration – 7 minutes.

Technique:

1. Stand straight with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, your toes slightly turned out, your shoulders back, your chest forward and your arms in front of you.
2. Inhale, push your hips back, and squat down, keeping your weight on your heels. Make sure your hip joint is slightly lower than your knees and your knees do not go past your toes.
3. Now begin to return to the starting position and, before fully standing, jump up. At the same time, lower your arms to your sides to help propel your body upward.
4. Land softly on your feet, extend your arms forward, bend your knees slightly and lower yourself back into a squat.
5. Do 2 sets of 10 reps. Increase the number of repetitions and sets as you progress physically.

Squat with forward and backward jumps

Target:

Quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes, calves, adductors magnus and core.

Duration – 10 min.

Technique:

1. Stand straight with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out, shoulders back, and chest forward. Clasp both hands and keep your elbows slightly bent.
2. Inhale, push your hips back, and squat down, keeping your weight on your heels. Make sure your hip joint is slightly lower than your knees and your knees do not go past your toes.
3. Get into a half squat and squeeze your buttocks.
4. Jump forward and backward, keeping your feet in the same position. Make sure the landing is smooth.
5. Once you have jumped in both directions, inhale and squat again.
6. Do 2 sets of 10 reps. Increase the number of repetitions and sets as you progress physically.

Plie/sumo squats

Target:

More adductors, quads, hip flexors, calves, core and back.

Duration – 5 minutes

Technique:

1. Stand straight with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, toes turned out 45 degrees, shoulders back, and chest forward. Clasp both hands and keep your elbows slightly bent.
2. Inhale, push your hips back, and squat down, keeping your weight on your heels. Make sure your hip joint is slightly lower than your knees and your knees do not go past your toes.
3. Hold this pose for 2 seconds.
4. Exhale and return to the starting position.
5. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
6. As you develop physical strength, you can use dumbbells to make it more challenging, or you can do this barbell squat.

Squats with biceps curl

Target:

Quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes, calves, adductors magnus, chest, core, back, biceps, shoulders, wrist extensors and flexors.

Duration – 7 minutes.

Technique:

1. Stand straight with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out, shoulders back, chest forward, and elbows slightly bent.
2. Take 2-3 kg dumbbells in your hands. This is a normal weight for women. Bring your elbows close to your body. Your palms should face forward and your arms should be at the sides of your body.
3. Inhale, push your hips back, and squat down, keeping your weight on your heels. Make sure your hip joint is slightly lower than your knees and your knees do not go past your toes. As you squat, lift your forearms until the dumbbells almost touch your shoulders. Remember to keep your shoulders still.
4. Hold this pose for 1 second.
5. Exhale, rise up, lower your forearm and return to the starting position.
6. Do 3 sets of 10 reps. For good pumping of arms and legs, progress in weights and number of repetitions.

Squats with shoulder press

Target:

Quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes, calves, adductors magnus, chest, core, back, biceps, shoulders.

Duration – 10 min.

Technique:

1.Stand straight, place your feet slightly wider than your shoulders, toes slightly turned out, shoulders pulled back, chest pushed forward, hands holding 2-3 kilogram dumbbells.

2. Raise your arms and align your shoulders. Your forearms should be at right angles to the top of your shoulders.

3.Inhale, push your hips back, and squat down, keeping your weight on your heels. Make sure your hip joint is slightly lower than your knees and your knees do not go past your toes. As you squat, raise your arms up and straight above your head.

1. Now exhale and slowly rise from the squat position, bend your elbows and return your arms to the starting position.
2. Do 2 sets of 10 reps. Increase the number of reps, sets, and weights to make your most beautiful lady parts look great.

Sumo squats with barbell on shoulders

Target:

Shoulders, glutes, lower back, abs, quads, chest, triceps, biceps, thighs, calves, adductors magnus, hip flexors, wrist flexors and extensors.

Duration – 10 min.

Technique:

1. Step up to a squat rack. Add weight plates to either side of the bar while it is still on the rack. Now step up to it and place it across your shoulders, just below your rear deltoids. Hold the barbell with your hands: palms forward and elbows close to your body.
2. Squeeze your shoulder blades and rotate your elbows forward. Place your feet slightly wider than your shoulders and squeeze your buttocks. Your chest should be forward, your spine should be in a neutral position, your knees slightly bent and your toes turned out.
3. Remove the bar from the rack. Push your hips back and squat down. Continue moving down until your hip joint is slightly below your knees. Your knees should not go past your toes, and all your weight should be on your heels.
4. Exhale and return to the starting position.
5. Do 2 sets of 5 reps. This is exactly how to squat with a barbell correctly.

Goblet squats

Target:

Glutes, core, quads, back thighs, lower back and shoulders.

Duration – 7 minutes.

Technique:

1. Stand straight with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out, shoulders back, chest forward, and elbows slightly bent.
2. Take a 2-3 kg dumbbell in your hands. Bring your elbows close to your body. Your palms should face forward and your arms should be at the sides of your body.
3. Inhale, push your hips back, and squat. Make sure your hip joint is below your knees and your knees should not go past your toes.
4. Hold this pose for a second.
5. Exhale and return to the starting position.
6. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
7. You can perform these squats with a barbell, the technique will not change.

These are 8 different squat variations for girls with or without a barbell that you can do to tone your body and burn fat. As you train more and more, squatting will become easier. Here is a list of the benefits you get from doing squats on a regular basis.

Warm-up

Squat down as deeply as possible, then jump up. Repeat this 10-15 times, after which you can run in place or on a treadmill for 5-7 minutes and start squatting. This warm-up will warm up the muscles of the buttocks. If the weights when performing a squat are already quite large, you need to squat several times with fewer weights or an empty bar before doing it.

What are the benefits of squats for girls?

• Helps burn fat.
• Tones muscles.
• Increase muscle strength.
• Improves quality of life.
• Improves endurance.
• Prevents injuries.
• Helps cleanse toxins.
• Improves blood circulation.
• Helps get rid of cellulite.
• Increases flexibility.
• Improves posture.
• Strengthens bones and joints.

In conclusion, anyone can squat, but your main goal is to do it correctly. Follow the instructions to master this simple yet highly effective exercise. So, get up and squat to get a fabulous and lean body!

Additional exercises

Of course, after a few months of training, squats alone will not be enough for you. To maximize the development of your hips and buttocks, you can combine squats with the following exercises:

1. Leg curls in the machine pump up the hamstrings. Your task is to lie down on the bench, grab the special holders with your ankles, and then begin to pull your heels towards your buttocks. An indicator that you are doing everything correctly is a burning sensation in the muscles, similar to a slight tickle.
2. Leg extensions in the simulator develop the quadriceps of the thighs. These are exactly the muscles on the thighs that are emphasized by tight trousers.
3. The leg press is a great alternative to classic squats. It is great for people who have lower back problems. In this exercise, the movement is identical to squats. The buttocks, hip flexors and extensors are actively involved in the work.
4. Lunges with dumbbells or a barbell are an exercise that can be performed both in the gym and at home. Remember when we talked about the scissor squat? So, the technique here is almost the same. The only difference is that the back leg should not be straight. It needs to be bent at the knee joint, and the knee should be pulled towards the floor. There is no need to touch the floor.

Questions and answers

Experts' answers to readers' questions

How many calories do squats burn?

Use this simple formula: number of squats * your body weight (plus weight of dumbbells if you are using them) * 0.096. This will help you figure out how many calories you can burn by squatting.

Do squats hurt your knees?

Yes, if you do them wrong. Squats must be performed correctly to prevent knee or back injuries. Follow the instructions given in the article to learn the correct technique.

How are squats good for lower back pain?

If you suffer from lower back pain, see your doctor to see if you can do squats or other exercises. Lower back pain should be treated with regular physiotherapy, yoga, and medications.

Home Squat Program

The squat is an energy-consuming exercise. It is worth training once or twice a week, using a split program for different muscle groups. But if you do it for weight loss, you can include it in a circuit training program 3 times a week. The optimal squat training for a beginner is 10-12 repetitions (3-4 sets). At first, don’t think about how to increase your squat, focus on your technique. After a while, seeing the first results, gradually increase the load - more repetitions and more approaches.

Program for training at home without a bar or with light weights

To achieve greater results, stick to the right diet. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the BUCH nutrition system and the body drying program for girls.

Crossfit complexes with exercise

All variations of this exercise can be used quite successfully in CrossFit. This will set an unusual load in which you will pump up all major muscle groups in a short time and create all the prerequisites for becoming stronger and more resilient.

Author Yaroslav Khvatov

Training experience - more than 8 years. Winner and medalist of All-Russian powerlifting and deadlift tournaments. Candidate for Master of Sports in deadlift.

Anatomical features

The buttocks are formed by three posterior muscles - large, medium, small. Each performs its specific function. The large one is used when moving the legs to the sides and back, while straightening the torso, and occupies the largest area of ​​the buttocks. The small one is located directly under the large one. Together with the middle one, they work only when the leg is abducted to the left and to the right.

The gluteus maximus muscle is most active during body extension. A similar load can be caused by doing:

• squats with weights - dumbbells or barbells;
• lunges;
• Romanian and deadlift;
• bending when a barbell rests on your shoulders.

Medium and small are involved in work when:

• swing your leg while lying on your side and from the lower block to the sides;
• leg extensions in a sitting machine;
• abducting the legs from a standing position with the machine lever.

Common mistakes

Insufficient attention to the position of the back. Often, under the influence of the weight of the barbell in one of the phases of movement, novice athletes begin to slouch, which can lead to a back injury

Shift of the center of gravity. This error is more common in the positive phase of the movement, when the athlete, trying to lift the weight, shifts the load to the toes, thereby increasing the risk of losing balance. Working with too much weight. Many gym goers, especially novice athletes, often chase heavy working weights, naively thinking that by doing so they will demonstrate their strength. In fact, working with too much weight impairs the technique of performing the exercise, which can lead to various types of injuries.