Exercises and Workouts - How To Perfect The Squat

If there's one exercise you must get into your workout program if you are going to have success with boosting your strength optimally - it's the squat. Squatting is great because not only will you hit every single muscle group in your lower body very effectively, you'll also work your core muscles at the same time. Plus, the calorie burn you'll also get from the squat is something you definitely won't want to overlook if fat loss is your goal.

All of this said, some people squat using very poor form which lands them on a one-way path to injury.

To help prevent this from happening to you, let's walk you through what you need to know to ensure you are squatting properly.

1. Go As Low As Possible. First, you want to focus on going as low down to the ground as possible while doing the squat. One mistake some people make is only going down to about 90 degrees. The problem with this is you're only really going halfway down, so you're only going to get half the results.

Unless you have serious pre-existing knee pain to worry about, go all the way down. It will ensure you hit the glute muscles most effectively as you do the movement pattern.

2. Adopt Only A Slight Lean Forward. Next, be sure you also are adopting a slight lean forward - no more. If you lean forward too much, especially if you have weight on your back, you are going to be seriously straining your lower back joints and this will lead to lower back pain down the road.

Lean forward slightly if needed for balance - but no more. If you feel like you have to lean forward more, you're likely using too much weight and should lighten up a bit.

3. Watch Your Knees. Finally, be sure you are also watching the placement of your knees. You want them to be moving directly over your toes - not to one side or the other.

If they cross over to the inner or outer thigh, you can rest assured you are going to be experiencing knee pain, if not right now, in the future.

So keep these tips in mind as you perform your squats. Done properly, this is easily one of the most effective exercises you could have in your program, so one you will want to be taking advantage of.


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