6 reasons to tell you why you should squat, 8 variation movements, make the stimulation more comprehensive and complete
Squatting is one of the most common movement patterns in our daily life, but when we use this movement as a fitness movement, we focus on the movement itself, rather than other specific purposes (such as picking up things), because in the In the process of fitness, the squat, as a classic compound movement, will involve more than 200 muscles in the whole body. Even body weight exercise will have a positive impact on muscle gain, fat loss, shaping and health.
First: From the point of view of muscle building
Squats are mainly exercises to exercise the buttocks and legs, and the legs are the largest muscle groups in the body. The effective growth of the leg muscles will inevitably lead to the increase of muscles in the whole body. In addition, although the squat is mainly for the buttocks and legs The movement is also a compound movement involving multiple joints, so other parts of the body can be effectively exercised during the squat.
Second: from the perspective of fat loss
An increase in muscle content means an increase in basal metabolism, and an increase in basal metabolism means an increase in daily calorie consumption. Therefore, regular squat training is conducive to fat burning and fat loss. In terms of fat effect, the more muscles involved in a certain movement, the better the fat-burning effect, and the squat, which involves 200 muscles in the whole body, will also produce considerable calorie consumption.
Third: From the point of view of shaping
Squatting is an action that mainly exercises the muscles of the buttocks and legs, and the coordinated development of the buttocks and legs will affect the proportion of the entire body, which will not only make one's body look tall and straight, but also visually elongated The lines of the legs will also make the waistline appear thinner.
Fourth: From the perspective of anti-aging
Muscle loss is one of the characteristics that make us appear old. With the loss of muscle content, our skin will appear loose, which makes us look old, and squats can promote the growth of muscles throughout the body, so Regular squat training can at least ensure that the muscles are not lost.
Fifth: From a Health Perspective
The lower extremities are the chassis of the body. Only when the lower extremities are stable will our body be healthier. From the perspective of the hips, the developed hip muscles play a role in stabilizing the pelvis, and at the same time allow us to have a healthy hip joint. When the flexibility of the hip joint is limited, it will not only make us unable to complete a certain action normally, It can also cause compensation of nearby joints, thereby increasing the pressure on the waist and knees and causing injury. From the perspective of the legs, the developed leg muscles can not only protect the joints, but also form a certain pressure on the bones to stimulate bone growth, so that we can still have strong legs in old age.
Sixth: In terms of hormone secretion
Medium and high-intensity leg training is one of the effective means to promote the secretion of testosterone, and a certain level of testosterone is not only conducive to building muscle and reducing fat, but also to protecting the heart and lungs, regulating mood, and thus more conducive to physical and mental health.
In the process of buttocks and leg training, although squatting has its unique advantages, for the entire gluteal and leg muscles, the target muscles stimulated by simple squatting movements are relatively single. Therefore, in addition to standard squatting , we might as well choose some variant movements to do, which will make the stimulation more comprehensive and in-depth, and also make the training interesting and not monotonous.
So let's share a set of variable squat movements to meet our squat needs, so as to give full play to the advantages of movements to make the training more complete.
Action 1: Front Squat
In the process of squatting, raising the arms in front of the body is conducive to maintaining the balance of the body, so as to better complete the action. The action is relatively simple, so it is more suitable for novices to do it.
Open your feet about shoulder-width apart, keep your lower back straight, your core tight, and your arms hanging naturally at your sides
Keeping your back straight, sit back and bend your knees and squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground or slightly lower, then stand up and squat again after your body is stable
Keep your back straight throughout the movement, keep your knees in the same direction as your toes, raise your arms forward when squatting, and drop your arms back when restoring
Action 2: Squatting
Holding our head with our hands will increase the instability of our movements during the squat, because it is more difficult than the front raise squat, because it requires us to engage more of the core during the squat.
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, lower back straight, core tight, hands behind head
Keep your body stable, keep your back straight, sit back and bend your knees and squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground or slightly lower, then stand up
Keep your back straight throughout the movement and keep your knees in line with your toes
Action 3: Wide Squat
Standing with feet wide apart can improve the problem of squatting range due to limited ankle flexibility, that is, it can allow us to squat more deeply, and at the same time, wide distance can shift the focus of stimulation from the legs to the buttocks, so that the hips are larger muscles are better stimulated.
Feet about twice shoulder width apart, lower back straight, core tight, arms in front of legs
Keeping your back straight, sit back and bend your knees to squat, your arms move down naturally with the movement as close to the ground as possible
Squat down to the top of your movement, then stand up
Keep your back straight throughout the movement and keep your knees aligned with your toes
Action 4: Squat with feet together
Narrow squat will limit the range of motion of the ankle joint, so the squat range will be lower, but it will form a more obvious stimulation to the front of the quadriceps, so in the process of narrow squat, achieve your own range that is Yes, don't pursue the thigh parallel to the ground or slightly lower, otherwise it will cause the phenomenon of arched back, which will cause more pressure on the back
Stand with feet together, back straight, core tight, arms hanging down naturally
Keeping your body stable, sit back, bend your knees and squat, and stand up when you reach the top of your movement
Complete the movement with your back straight, making sure your knees are in the same direction as your toes
Action 5: Step squat left and right
Completing the squat by stepping from side to side can increase the instability of the movement, so that the coordination of the body can be exercised, and at the same time, more core participation can be mobilized to maintain the stability of the body, so that the core can also be obtained to a certain extent. exercise.
Stand with feet slightly apart, back straight, core tight, arms hanging naturally at your sides
Keep the body stable, take a step to the side to stand with feet wide apart, after the body is stable, sit back with the hips, bend the knees and squat, get up after reaching the top of the movement, move the legs inward and restore it while getting up, and then turn to the side Step out the other foot and squat again
When squatting, lift your arms forward, and when you stand up, lower your arms back to restore, keep your back straight throughout the movement, keep your rhythm even, and keep your knees and toes in the same direction
Action 6: Squat jumping and jumping
Combining narrow and wide squatting, and then adding jumping movements, can give full play to the advantages of the two movements, and at the same time can accelerate the burning of fat and improve explosive power, which is not only conducive to fat loss, but also to the improvement of cardiopulmonary function. .
Stand with legs slightly apart, back straight, core tight, arms hanging down naturally
Keeping your back straight, sit back and bend your knees to squat, get up after the top of the movement, jump up while you get up, and let your feet fall to the ground
After the body is stable, bend the hips, knees and squat again, get up after the top of the movement, and jump back to restore the feet while getting up, and then squat again
Keep your back straight throughout the movement, keep your movements consistent and elastic, and keep your knees in the same direction as your toes
Action 7: Rotation Squat Jump
On the basis of the squat jump, adding the twist jumping action once again increases the difficulty of the action, so that the coordination, stability and explosive power of the entire body can be effectively developed.
Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, lower back straight, core tightened, arms hanging naturally at your sides
Keeping your back straight, sit back and bend your knees and squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground or slightly lower, then stand up, jump up while you stand up, and turn your body 90 degrees to one side
Stand on your feet, bend your knees and squat again, and jump back in the opposite direction when you get up
Keep your back straight throughout the movement, keep your knees in the same direction as your toes, and pay attention to cushioning when you land on your feet
Action 8: Left and right side lunges
Side lunges can effectively exercise the quadriceps femoris, gluteus maximus and adductor muscles of the inner thigh, so that the inner thigh becomes firm and linear. Of course, this action can also be used as an action to stretch the inner thigh.
Stand with feet wide apart, back straight, core tight, hands on hips
Keep your body stable, keep your back straight, sit with your hips back and sideways and squat down, until the thigh of one leg is parallel to the ground, and feel the pull on the inside of the other leg
Stand up after a pause at the top, and then complete the other side of the movement
Complete the movement under the premise of keeping your back straight. Pay attention to keeping your knees in the same direction as your toes. Pay attention to controlling your squatting range. You can feel a slight pull on the inner thighs. Do not use too much force and cause strain
Although squatting is good, it is necessary to complete each movement under the premise of ensuring the quality of the movement, otherwise it will not only not exert the advantages of the movement, but also cause unnecessary damage.
Make sure to keep your back straight and not arched throughout to avoid putting more pressure on your back.
Pay attention to keeping your knees in the same direction as your toes. In addition to conscious control, you can also use elastic bands to assist in this.
Develop hip flexion awareness, that is, sit back with the hips, do not subconsciously bend the knees and squat, this will cause the knee joint to push forward, and at the same time it will cause the center of gravity to become unstable and shift to the toes, and we want to let the body To maintain balance, you will involuntarily tiptoe. This situation can lead to increased pressure on the knee joint, resulting in knee injury.
Don't overly ask your knees not to exceed your toes, as long as your center of gravity falls on the soles of your feet, because due to different squat methods, different squat ranges, and individual differences, it is also a natural phenomenon for your knees to exceed your toes. Emphasizing that the knees should not go beyond the toes will cause the upper body to lean forward excessively, which will cause excessive pressure on the back and cause injury.
If you perform this set of movements as a whole set, start training after you are familiar with the essentials of the movements and fully warmed up. Each movement is 12-20 times, 3-5 sets each time, 1-3 times a week, and do after training. Good systematic stretching to help target muscles recover.
Listen to your body during the movement. If you feel pressure, you can complete as much as you can. Don't force it. If you feel uncomfortable, you should extend the rest time between movements or stop exercising.