Squats are one of the most common movements we do throughout the day. Toned buttocks and strong legs aren't the only benefits you'll get from this exercise.
Various variations of squats are used in the rehabilitation of athletes after injuries, and doctors recommend them to improve the reproductive function of men and women. The list of advantages can be continued endlessly.
Every day we squat dozens of times without even knowing it. It would seem that the legs and buttocks should become more voluminous and more prominent, but this does not happen.
Egor Fukalov
fitness trainer
For squats to become effective, it is important to consider two points: a high-quality load so that muscles grow, and the correct technique.
Content:
- Why are squats so popular?
- Benefits of squats;
- Harm from squats;
- What muscles work when squats;
- General squat technique;
- Ways to squat at home:
- Plie
- Side step squats
- Jump Squats
- Wall Squats
- Gun
- Martin
- Scissors
- Ways to squat with a load:
- Squat with dumbbells
- Plie with kettlebell
- Squat with dumbbells on shoulders
- Single leg dumbbell squat
- Barbell Squat
- How to breathe correctly when squatting
What is the reason for the popularity of squats?
It is not without reason that the legs are considered the support of our body. On average, we spend ten to twelve hours a day on our feet. Therefore, they need to be kept in good shape. But how? Many men believe that to pump up their body they need to go to the gym. But this is not entirely true. To build up a large mass, you undoubtedly need to lift iron, and it makes no sense to store it at home. Then you need a gym.
And for a sculpted and energetic body, doing exercises at home is enough. Squats are considered the king of such exercises, because they replace many others in terms of effectiveness. With the help of squats, you can lose weight, tighten your figure and keep yourself in good shape.
To create a sculpted body, especially the gluteal muscles and thighs, and increase leg endurance, it is recommended to lower and lift the body by bending the knees. Which leads to strengthening and building muscles. Also, if you do exercises every day, you can forget about pain at the end of the working day. The exercise is included for medical purposes; more precisely, it is prescribed as part of a cardio training program.
Squats, unlike other exercises, have the following advantages:
- Easy to perform, allowing you to do the actions at home and in the gym;
- Working with different types of muscles when changing your technique;
- You don't need to buy equipment to do squats.
Before starting training, read about the benefits and harms to understand the productivity of exercise on the body. I think every man is interested in knowing what these actions will bring to health.
What happens to your body if you do 100 squats every day?
Squats for weight loss
If your weight is 75–80 kg, then by doing 100 squats every day for 5 minutes, you will burn about 40–45 calories (the higher your weight, the more calories you will burn).
Using weights (for example, dumbbells), you can increase this figure to 200 - 400 calories.
By squatting and following the principles of rational nutrition, in just 2 weeks you will lose at least 1 – 2 kg.
Benefits of squats for weight loss:
- Acceleration of metabolic processes.
- Saturation of the body with oxygen.
Squats for figure
After 6 - 8 weeks of daily squats 100 times, you will notice the following changes:
- The hip line will become clearer and rounder.
- The buttocks will gain elasticity.
- The abdominal press will be strengthened.
- The inner and outer thigh muscles will tighten.
- Your posture will be straightened.
- In men, the leg muscles will become more prominent.
- In women, the waist will decrease in volume by several centimeters.
In addition, during squats, the abdominal wall contracts rhythmically, which helps strengthen the abdominal muscles.
But truly visible results for the buttocks and waist can be achieved by gradually increasing the number of squats to 200 or more per day, and it is recommended to squat with weights.
Squats for endurance
After the first two days of squats (especially if you do them incorrectly and are overzealous), you will feel nothing but fatigue and severe muscle pain. And the main thing here is not to give up, but to continue to squat every day.
On the sixth day, 100 squats will be much easier for you.
On the tenth day, you will notice that the muscles in your legs have begun to acquire, albeit slightly, relief.
After 3 weeks, you will not only easily complete a hundred squats, but you will also notice that your legs have become much stronger. Now the morning long-distance run will not be accompanied by pain in the legs and shortness of breath.
Squats for work ability
During squats, blood circulation increases, which has a beneficial effect on blood vessels and brain cells, which are enriched with oxygen.
By squatting 100 times every day, you will become:
- more energetic
- more concentrated
- more carefully,
- more stress-resistant.
Squats for the Heart
By squatting 100 times a day, you will increase venous circulation in the legs and blood flow directly to the heart, thereby facilitating its work, since any cardio load (and squats without weights are specifically cardio load) trains the heart muscle.
Squats are also useful for normalizing the functioning of the nervous and respiratory systems, as well as the vestibular apparatus.
Squats for injury prevention
Intense physical activity can negatively affect the condition of ligaments and joints. If you want to avoid these problems, you need to train the muscles of your lower body. And regular squats will help you with this.
By performing 100 or more shallow squats daily, you will improve the condition of your joints, which will stop “crunching”, strengthen your knees, ankles, as well as the muscles of your legs and back, which is an excellent prevention of sports injuries.
But keep in mind that deep squats put intense stress on your knees, so if you have problems with your knees, then practice static shallow squats.
Benefits of Squats
The most effective actions on the body:
- Improves the circulatory system of the pelvis - this has a good effect on the body, and also helps in the treatment of prostatitis;
- Normalizes and gives elasticity to the skin;
- Straightens posture as the muscles of the back, buttocks and abs begin to work;
- Improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
- Good for digestive processes;
- Develops the kneecaps, calf muscles and hip joints;
- Affects the growth of body muscles;
- Destroys fats on the body.
Harm from squats
There is a lot of harm from squats if you do not follow the correct technique . For example, when your back is hunched, your shoulders are tilted forward, and the weight on your body is too heavy, you may encounter the following problems:
- Knee injuries (strained tendons);
- Discomfort in the kneecaps;
- Weakness in the joints;
- Complication in the spine.
If you have severe illnesses, then the decision to engage in sports activities, especially squatting movements, is only with the permission of the therapist. Otherwise, the consequences for the body are catastrophic, for example, for people with spinal problems and similar diseases. After what has been said, it will seem to you that playing sports is not easy - don’t despair , the main thing is to maintain discipline, like everywhere else.
Experts
- James Castle-Mason is an all-round fitness guru, master trainer and exercise specialist.
- Luke Worthington is not only a fantastic person, but also a biomechanical expert and personal trainer working with MMA fighters, Commonwealth and Olympic level athletes in Russia, UK, USA and Europe.
- David Arno is a strength and conditioning specialist who works with nutrition innovators Nutrifix and part of the elite Evolve 353. Arno knows the ins and outs of building a powerful body.
What muscles work when squats
It is a well-known fact that representatives of the stronger sex, when playing sports, are more aggressive than representatives of the fair sex. This is manifested in the number of actions, more than a kilogram in weight (if sports equipment is used). On the one hand, it seems that home exercises without lifting weights will not bring the desired effect, but on the other hand, we use many muscles with just one squat, here are the most basic of them:
- gluteal
- soleus muscles
- quadriceps femoris
- adductor muscles of the thigh
General squat technique
A person engaged in physical training, and who has decided not to harm his health, must clearly reproduce the correct implementation of the following instructions:
- It should not fall very low, but to a distance when the thigh is parallel to the floor. Because deep approaches have a negative effect on the knee tendons.
- It is imperative to bend your knees at an angle of ninety degrees.
- A safe position is considered to be when your feet are at shoulder level.
- The feet should be fully on the surface, and be sure not to lift your torso off when squatting.
- When you rise from the floor, your knees do not protrude beyond your toes.
- While performing, you should only look forward.
- When performing, the back must be level, and the body is slightly tilted forward.
- When you lower, be sure to tense your gluteal muscles to improve the effect.
- All actions performed must be performed at a slow pace, avoid jerking.
- At the slightest sensation of pain, stop and rest for a few minutes.
- Delay from three to five seconds at the lowest point.
- Do the training in sets, thereby giving the muscles a break.
- Ten to fifteen reps, and three to four sets. If you add weight (dumbbells, barbell), then reduce the number of repetitions and approaches.
- You cannot increase the load immediately, only gradually. When a beginner has gained experience in the classic squat, only then use weights.
- You need to do exercises in the middle of training, if you have already warmed up, but not at the limit of your capabilities.
- If you start, do it every day.
- Inhale as you lower, exhale as you rise.
Basic Rules
The gluteal muscle is a paired muscle. It consists of the following types of muscle fibers:
- large - responsible for the fit of the butt;
- medium - forms a beautiful hip line;
- small - help create a smooth hip line.
Knowing how you can pump up a girl’s buttocks at home, you can change the shape and size of the butt and correctly correct problem areas.
There is a misconception that you can get a round buttock by walking for a long time every day. Walking is effective in maintaining the tone of the whole body, but it is impossible to pump up the gluteal muscles in this way. Firm buttocks can only be obtained through intense training and a significant number of repetitions when performing approaches.
Important conditions for effective muscle work:
- eat right, maintaining balance;
- exercise periodically;
- Enough rest and full recovery.
Ignoring at least one of these factors will reduce all efforts made to nothing.
Eating right is important to help your butt muscles grow, but lack of exercise will lead to excess calorie intake, causing weight gain. The need for rest is due to the fact that the gluteal muscles grow only when resting. The total number of hours of sleep should not be less than 8
The total number of hours of sleep should not be less than 8.
When trying to eat right, you should remember that you should not overuse fruits due to their high fructose content. If energy is not spent on time, fat deposition occurs. The ratio of nutrients should be as follows:
- proteins from 20% to 30%;
- fats from 10% to 20%;
- carbohydrates from 50% to 60%.
Experts say that to obtain round shapes, the daily calorie intake must be increased to 500 calories, that is, energy expenditure should be less. It is impossible to achieve a double effect at once - pump up your butt and lose weight. First you need to increase the mass of the gluteal muscles, and only then start losing weight.
Ways to squat at home
When doing squats at home, you should only use your own weight. Be more careful when using dumbbells and weights during exercise. Perhaps you don’t, then the option of using ordinary eggplants filled with water or sand is suitable. Follow the instructions for the classic method of squats, various options without a projectile and with a projectile. There are many types.
Even from the physical education bench, we are taught the standard version:
- Straight back, straight shoulders, gaze directed only forward. Be sure to tense your stomach and buttocks.
- Bending at the knees, tilt the body forward, moving the pelvis back.
- At a ninety-degree bend, hover for three to five seconds.
- Straighten your legs and raise your body without lifting your feet off the floor.
If you are tired, you can change the tension on your torso with the classic version, you need to change the position of your arms: cross them on your chest; put on the belt; parallel in front of you; cross into a lock; put on shoulders; throw it behind your head with your elbows apart.
Don't forget the importance of warming up. Before each workout, be sure to warm up, it makes your body more flexible. And this way you will achieve greater results from your activities. A big plus is the reduced risk of joint damage. And most importantly, do everything slowly!
After mastering the classic form, you can move on to actions where your own weight will be used:
Plie
You need to get into a standing position and spread your legs as wide as possible. And spread your feet to the sides. Squat down as low as possible, bending your knees at right angles. Slowly rise to a standing position and straighten up. |
Side step squats
We get up and bring our feet together. We take a step to the side, moving the hip to the side. Bend your knees at a right angle. We return to the original position. Do the same task with the other side of the body. |
Jump Squat
We get into the initial state, place our hands shoulder-width apart. We lower ourselves by bending our knees 90 degrees, while inhaling. And while exhaling, we jump from the lowest point. We squat when our feet touch the floor. When taking the first steps in mastering this technique, it is recommended to make only two or three approaches. |
Wall Squats
Place your feet shoulder-width apart and lower your arms along your body. Standing, lean against the wall with the back of your head and back. Bend your knees and go down the wall, lowering your torso to take a sitting position. Maintain this state for a long time (as long as your body can withstand before it becomes painful). Return to a standing position. Do several repetitions in a row. |
Gun
We place our feet shoulder-width apart. We first transfer the entire body weight to one leg and lift the other. We stretch our arms forward and hold them. Look only forward, we work mentally, not visually. We begin to slowly bend the knee of the leg (on which we transferred all the weight), and come to a sitting position. Straighten the other leg as much as possible and keep it suspended. The torso should be slightly tilted forward and the pelvis should be pulled back. In a sitting position, tense your buttocks and thighs and hold this position for several seconds. Slowly return to the starting position, change legs, and begin performing again. |
Martin
The exercise is completely similar to the “Pistol”. Except that you don't need to stay in a sitting position for a few seconds. And repeat squats until you feel pain. Then we change legs and do it again. |
Scissors
In a straight standing position, put your first leg back. Bend your knees at an angle of 90. Go down on one knee. By slightly touching the floor, return to the initial state. Do the number of repetitions with the first leg until it starts to hurt. Then we change to the second one and begin action again. |
Training program for buttocks
Well, as usual, I’ll give you some specific recommendations on how to create a training program for this muscle group.
Newbie
If you are a beginner, then only deep squats will be enough for you to grow your gluteal muscles.
This is truly the best exercise for developing the gluteal muscles, as well as in bodybuilding in general. Although I am generally against specializing in one muscle group if you are a beginner.
For beginners, it is better to work according to this program. There is no need to think about specializing in the butt.
If your level of training is already high enough and you want an outstanding butt, then the following set of exercises is for you.
Advanced
For advanced athletes, we will do all three of the coolest exercises that we discussed in the article.
We perform the complex, starting with squats, because This exercise is basic and it uses not only the gluteal muscles (although ideally you need to achieve concentrated loading of the buttocks).
There is a variation of this exercise in the Smith machine. There you can achieve more concentrated loading of the gluteal muscles, because... movements are limited and stabilizer muscles are switched off.
Next comes the “deadlift”. The exercise is also basic, because Involves both the buttocks and the hamstrings.
The third exercise is conditionally basic, but more isolating the buttocks. Therefore, we perform it at the end. In this exercise, you need to lift the weights very carefully so as not to injure your knee joints.
The rep range, as you can see, is unusual 6-15 reps. As I said above, our buttocks are filled with many mixed muscle fibers, so they respond to load in almost any number of repetitions, experiment with what works best for you: low repetitions (6-8) or high repetitions (12-20).
Ways to squat with a load
The methods of exercise without the use of heavy artillery were described above. Below is a description of exercises where dumbbells and weights are used. But remember about safety precautions and compliance with the accuracy of the exercise technology. This way you will avoid medical interventions, maintain and improve your health.
Squats with dumbbells
We take dumbbells in both hands and place them along the body. We take a standard pose (straight back, straightened shoulders, etc.). While squatting, we inhale air, the kneecaps should be bent at an angle of 90. We hold in a sitting position for three or five seconds. We return to the starting position by straightening our legs, do not forget to exhale when lifting. |
Plie with kettlebells or dumbbells
A plie with one kettlebell is performed almost the same as without a kettlebell. Just adding a couple of actions to the exercise. In the created stance (Plie), we take the weight with both hands. We place our hands between our knees and bend our elbows slightly. When straightening your legs, pull the weights to your chest if possible. |
Squat with dumbbells on shoulders
In each hand there is a dumbbell (you take kilograms of equipment from small, then everything depends on the pain, look and gradually the load increases), bend your elbows, thereby bringing the equipment closer to your shoulder. Let's start with the classic exercise. When rising from a seated position, it is important to keep the dumbbells at shoulder level. And to achieve greater efficiency, lift the projectiles upward when straightening. |
Single leg dumbbell squats
You'll need another chair here. We take a small weight in each hand and place it lengthwise to the body. Straight stance, we take one leg back and throw it back onto the chair. We do the exercise on the supporting leg, but we must remember that the knee of the second leg, which is thrown back onto the chair, does not touch the floor during the squatting movement. |
Squats
The most effective way (without the interaction of chemicals) to combat impotence and increase male strength, we can safely say that this is squats with a barbell. To do this, you must follow the correct execution of the exercise technique. Place the barbell on the rack in such a way that it is easier to grab it rather than stretch it. Place it on half of your lower trapezius and grasp the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart. We take a deep breath, then slowly lower ourselves lower, bending at the knees. We move our body a little forward, but remember to keep our back straight. We fixate in a low position for three seconds. Exhale rise. |
Sample programs
The squat pattern is of great importance to obtain the desired results. It allows you to create and control the progression of the load by increasing the number of repetitions, approaches, weight of weights and is suitable for beginner athletes. She will help girls change their body shape, work on the beauty of their legs and buttocks, improve their endurance, and remove excess weight from problem areas.
Men need it to gain muscle mass and strength. At the same time, the program aimed at increasing the number of muscles and strength differs from the one that girls should work on. Squats for weight loss are aimed at gradually increasing the number of repetitions in the approach.
Squat chart for 30 days for girls
The 30-day squat table for girls assumes a regular increase in load. The program is aimed at losing weight and increasing endurance.
If you have training experience and the loads seem easy, you should start with 80% of the repetitions of the maximum and increase them in proportion to the table. With small daily workouts you can achieve big results. Gradual adaptation of muscles to new loads will allow you to get a significant effect over time. At the end of the cycle, it is advisable to perform the exercise in several approaches.
Squats for the buttocks, the monthly program of which is given in the table, are performed according to the following scheme.
Program | |
Day | Number of repetitions |
1 | 20 times |
2 | 25 times |
3 | rest |
4 | 30 times |
5 | 35 times |
6 | rest |
7 | 40 times |
8 | 45 times |
9 | rest |
10 | 50 times |
11 | 55 times |
12 | rest |
13 | 60 times |
14 | 65 times |
15 | rest |
16 | 70 times |
17 | 72 times |
18 | rest |
19 | 75 times |
20 | 77 times |
21 | rest |
22 | 80 times |
23 | 82 times |
24 | rest |
25 | 85 times |
26 | 88 times |
27 | rest |
28 | 90 times |
29 | rest |
30 | 100 times |
Squat program for men
A set of squats can be built both for home and for the gym. First, you should work on your muscle endurance.
Monthly program for men | |
Day | Number of repetitions |
1 | 30 times |
2 | 35 times |
3 | rest |
4 | 40 times |
5 | 45 times |
6 | rest |
7 | 50 times |
8 | 55 times |
9 | rest |
10 | 60 times |
11 | 65 times |
12 | rest |
13 | 70 times |
14 | 75 times |
15 | rest |
16 | 80 times |
17 | 85 times |
18 | rest |
19 | 90 times |
20 | 95 times |
21 | rest |
22 | 100 times |
23 | 105 times |
24 | rest |
25 | 110 times |
26 | 115 times |
27 | rest |
28 | 120 times |
29 | 125 times |
30 | rest |
There is no point in increasing the number of squats in the future. You need to do the exercise in several approaches and start using additional weight.
If the goal is to increase muscle mass, an example of a training plan is as follows.
Program to increase muscle mass | |||
Day | Weight, kg | Number of approaches | Number of repetitions |
1 | 20 | 3 | 6-12 |
2 | – | – | – |
3 | – | 3 | 15-20 |
4 | – | – | – |
5 | – | – | – |
6 | – | – | – |
7 | 25 | 3 | 6-12 |
8 | – | – | – |
9 | – | – | – |
10 | – | 3 | 15-20 |
11 | – | – | |
12 | – | – | – |
13 | – | – | – |
14 | 30 | 3 | 6-12 |
15 | – | – | – |
16 | – | – | – |
17 | – | 3 | 15-20 |
18 | – | – | – |
19 | – | – | – |
20 | 35 | 3 | 6-12 |
21 | – | – | – |
22 | – | – | – |
23 | – | 3 | 15-20 |
24 | – | – | – |
25 | – | – | – |
26 | 40 | 3 | 6-12 |
27 | – | – | |
28 | – | – | – |
29 | – | – | – |
30 | 10 | 3 | 15-20 |
In this program, progress is to increase working weights. An important condition for muscle recovery and growth is alternating light and heavy training.
How to breathe correctly when squatting
During any activity, you must remember how to breathe effectively and not disrupt your breathing rhythm. Oxygen is needed by the body to maintain endurance. Directly affects the health of the body, organizes access of oxygen to the blood. This means it makes the lesson more effective. A large flow of oxygen allows you to speed up the burning of fat deposits, improve the recovery of muscle strength, and fatigue goes away faster. The importance of breathing comes first.
When performing the exercise, you need to inhale at a time when the muscles are in a relaxed state. We exhale when we are tense to the maximum. For example, actions performed with a barbell, inhalation occurs when bending, and exhalation occurs when lifting.
It is imperative that the breathing be deep, but at the same time comfortable. Anything uncomfortable prevents the body from achieving great results. When inhalation occurs, the stomach should inflate. Yes, perhaps you find this action less convenient than multiple inhalation actions. But it is precisely in this rhythm of breathing that the body is ensured to receive the maximum amount of oxygen without wasting energy.
The big result depends on how you breathe (through the nose or mouth). It is imperative to inhale through the nasal passages, since as the air passes through it heats up, it becomes moist and clean from any infection. But we exhale through the mouth so that the air comes out faster. In this way, we ensure ourselves long endurance during training, since an erratic rhythm leads to a large loss of energy.
Anything else I need to know?
Funny if you didn't ask. Yes. Reducing injury should be the most important aspect of your squat technique. It doesn't matter if you do 100 squats one day but then can't walk for the next week. Worthington suggests doing vigorous leg, hip, and upper back stretches before performing heavy exercise.
Taking a break is equally important, especially if you feel a pang in your spine during exercise. Arnot recommends a light walk or jog to get the blood moving, clear any toxins from damaged tissue, and provide oxygen and antioxidants to any damaged areas. A good sports massage or salt bath will also help your muscles relax.
Finally, Castle-Mason cautions against overtraining. If you feel that your muscles are excessively compressed and stiff, limit your movements.
Additionally, continue to focus on your posture and weight distribution and you will reach your 100 squat goal in no time. It's just footwork.