Are you looking for an effective exercise to strengthen the thighs and buttocks, the main area for fat deposits? Well, you don't need to look any further! This exercise will help sculpt your lower body and prevent fat accumulation in this area: squats. Find out the many benefits of this exercise.



Introduction:

There is no better way to strengthen your core muscles than this humble exercise called squats. It is one of the most effective fitness workouts to build and tone body muscles. You can also call it the ‘dynamic strength training exercise’ as squatting requires almost every muscle in your body. Sure it strengthens your butts and legs. But the benefits of squats don’t end there! It also tones and builds your glutes, hamstring, and quadriceps. But, of course, to reap maximum squats benefits, you must know how to do it right. So, without further ado, let’s look into further details of squatting.

  1. What are squarts?
  2.  What is squat exercise?
  3.  What are the Benefits of doing Squats 
  4.  Squats for Weight Loss: Does squat reduce belly fat?
  5.  What muscles do squats work?
  6.  How to do squats?
  7. Getting the Proper Squat Form: How to improve squat form
  8. Avoid these common mistakes when doing squats
  9.  Best Squat Variations  To Level Up your Leg Workout
  10. Safety Tips for squats 
  11.  Here’s when you should see the doctor
  12.  Are you ready to do squats every day?
  13.  FAQ
  14.  The Bottom Line

What are Squats?


Squats are a basic muscle strengthening exercise and a fundamental movement, used in all sports.

The principle? Stand upright, feet turned out and shoulder-width apart, and look straight ahead. Then bend your legs, push your buttocks back and lean slightly forward (keep your back straight, shoulders relaxed and heels on the floor). Your thigh and buttock muscles should start to warm up. Contract your abs and glutes and push on your legs to return to the starting position.

girl doing squats

What is Squat Exercise?

Squats are fundamental exercises to increase your muscle strength. A squat workout is designed to benefit the lower body specifically. Squatting is utilized by numerous athletes as it tones, builds, and strengthens the body muscles. Squat targets muscles of the thighs, hips, and buttocks.

What are the Benefits of Squats?


The squat is a great tool for strengthening your lower body!

It mainly targets the thighs and buttocks (quads, abductors and hamstrings). The strong lower limbs that you'll develop as a result of these sessions, will help you perform everyday actions more efficiently and reduce the risk of joint injury.

But that's not all: by working the stabilising muscles, this exercise helps improve your balance and also your mobility.

Furthermore, by exercising, you'll manage to achieve a greater range of movement and be able to squat lower and lower. 

Squats are particularly important in sports where explosive strength is required (running, sprinting, tennis etc.) as they directly engage the muscles which are responsible for supporting our weight (lower limbs) and moving the body.

Benefits of squats for men

  • Increased testosterone production
  • Boosts strength and ability
  • Increases circulation
  • Strengthen your core

Benefits of squats for women

  • A great exercise for your rears
  • Getting rid of the cellulite
  • Burns calories faster
  • Improved posture

Squats for Weight Loss: Myth or Reality?

The 30 days Squat challenge talks about the slimming effect of squats; however, there are many individuals who wonder if it's possible to lose weight by doing a simple squat exercise. At the risk of disappointing you, the answer is no!

The main aim of the squat exercise is not weight loss. Its main aim is to strengthen and tone the lower part of the body. Of course, repeated squats help burn calories and the toning effect prevents fat accumulating around the thighs and buttocks. In this sense then, it's possible to say that squats can help achieve targeted weight loss.

But there is no secret to losing weight: when it comes to slimming, nothing beats muscle strengthening combined with cardio training! So it's important to focus on treadmill-type activities, elliptical trainers or step machines. 

On the one hand, building more muscle will help increase your basic metabolism; in other words, you'll burn more calories when resting and exercising.

On the other hand, cardio training induces lipolysis, that is the "use" of fat as a source of energy.

To succeed, in addition to adopting a healthy, balanced diet, you need to exercise for one hour (ideally, 3 times a week), combining 50% muscle strengthening exercises and 50% cardio training. For enhanced muscle tone, always start by doing squats before a workout session. This helps speed up energy expenditure and therefore burns fat more quickly.

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What muscles do squats work?

A squat exercise can stimulate almost all the muscles in your body. But mainly squat target muscles of the lower body. The upper torso muscles support the body while you do a squat workout. 

Squatting targets lower muscles, including:

  • Quadriceps (front of the thigh)
  • Hamstrings (back of the thigh)
  • Calves
  • Gluteus maximus, Gluteus minimus, Gluteus medius (buttocks)
  • Adductor (groin)
  • Hip flexors

The squat exercise also helps build the core muscles in your body, such as 

  • Rectus abdominis, 
  • Transverse abdominis, 
  • Obliques, and 
  • Erector spinae.

How to do Squat Exercise?

Let’s see how a basic squat exercise is done.

  1. Stand in the proper position with your feet wider than the hips and toes pointing slightly outwards.
  2. Keep your chest up and put your arms out straight, keeping them parallel to each other.
  3. Shift your body weight onto the heels.
  4. Inhale and bend your knees slightly to push the hips back. 
  5. Squat down and keep the knees parallel to your feet.
  6. Stand back up to complete the movement and breathe out.
  7. Remember to keep your body tight and your head straight up throughout the movement.

Getting the Perfect Squat

  • Start with the right stance
  • Keep your body aligned
  • Keep your chest up
  • Shift the body weight on your heels
  • Keep the torso upright
  • Keep knees parallel to the feet but not beyond toes.

Common Mistakes to Avoid while doing squat workout

  • Poor breathing process
  • Overarching the back
  • Putting body weight on the balls of the feet
  • Knees buckling in

Best Squat Variations to level up your leg workout

  • Back Squats
  1. Set up a barbell and rest it on your upper back muscles to perform a back squat exercise.
  2. Unrack the barbell and move a few steps backward.
  3. Keep your legs wider than the hips and bend your knees a little while back squatting
  4. Your head and neck should be in a neutral position. Keep your chin tucked throughout the squat exercise.
  5. Evenly distribute your body weight and rotate your shoulders outwards
  6. Begin moving down by bending your knees, hips, and ankles.
  7. Pause when your legs are parallel to the floor. 
  8. To move up, squeeze the glutes and shift your hips forward.
  9. Straighten your knees slowly while keeping your chest up.


The back squat benefits you by activating the body muscles more than normal squats. It is also known as barbell squats. 

A back squat workout targets quadriceps, adductor magnus, and gluteus maximus. 


  • Overhead Squats
  1. Establish the correct position with the barbell placed overhead and your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Keep your hips neutral, core braced, and start descending.
  3. Maintain the position with the foot down, core tight, and hip crease below knees.
  4. Ascend out of the overhead squat exercise with your chest up 
  5. Stabilize your shoulders and upper back. Repeat.

Unlike the squatting methods, the overhead squats require you to keep your body more upright, thus more engaging the quadriceps and trapezius muscles.

  • Jump Squats
  1. Take the correct position, feet shoulder-width apart, chest up and head neutral
  2. Form a sitting position moving your hips back. Bend a bit forward to protect your lower back from getting hurt
  3. Keep the palms together while squatting down.
  4. When getting up, propel and jump by throwing your hands down.
  5. Squat down when you land on the ground
  6. Make sure to not buckle in your knees and keep your palms together.


Jump squats are considered the best squat exercise to burn calories faster. It works on the hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, glutes, and lower abs of your body.

Safety Tips to keep in mind while squatting

  • Do not lift the weight by bending forward in barbell squatting.
  • Do not buckle in your knees. 
  • Never look down as it negatively affects your body posture.
  • Please do not start a squat exercise from the knees, putting extra pressure on them.

Here’s when you should see the doctor

Many people perform squats as per their daily routine. Squatting regularly should not cause any aches or pain in your body. However, incorrect postures can lead to severe health problems. It is recommended to visit a doctor in case of knee or back pain caused while doing the exercise. 

Are you ready to do squats every day?

Of course! Who doesn’t like a toned and healthy body? Regular squatting can increase your muscle strength and boost your bones. Several benefits of squats include improved blood circulation, core strengthening, muscles building, and burning calories.

FAQs

1. Can I do squats every day?

Yes, you can do squats daily. Regular squatting will help you strengthen your core muscles and sculpt your body.

2. Do squats burn belly fat?

Yes. A squat exercise can help you burn belly fat. It works on the core muscles, hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps, helping you to burn calories quicker.

3. What are squats good for?

Squatting is essential for maintaining a good posture, strengthening the core muscles, building the lower body muscles, and toning the rears and legs.


The Bottom Line

Squats, often called the king of exercises, have several benefits. The advantages of squats include muscle strengthening, core building, and toning of your body. Squatting may look easy, but it takes a lot of practice to get the correct form. However, starting with 30 squats a day will gradually make your body stronger and more flexible. First, however, you must know the proper technique of squats to attain the squats benefits mentioned in the article.

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