Different types of squats.
While squats mainly develop the muscles of the front part of the leg and the gluteal muscles, other muscles are also involved. The different position of the foot and the depth of the squat can activate other leg muscles, such as the hamstrings in the back of the thigh, as well as adductor and fine muscles along the inner surface of the thigh.How to do squats
As with any exercise, the key to doing squats correctly and preventing possible injuries is proper form and technique. Follow these tips before you start:
Keep your back straight. Try not to round your back when going down or up. A stooped back under weight can lead to spinal injury in the upper or lower part.
Watch your knees over your toes. Do not allow your knees to extend beyond the tips of your toes. It's bad for the knee joints.
Put your feet up. Keep your heels firmly on the ground and your knees in line with your feet, not splayed inwards or outwards.
Look straight ahead. Try not to look down. Remember that your back and buttocks are in the correct position, your back is straight, and your buttocks are elongated.
Start with lighter weights. Don't start with too heavy weights. Try one to three sets of 6-10 squats with lighter weights. If you are new to exercise, you can skip the extra weight and just work on the form using your own weight.
Always follow the correct form and safety precautions when performing squats or any other exercises with weights.
6 Types of Squats Worth Trying
To build additional strength in addition to exercises with your own weight, perform squats with basic simulators, such as barbells, dumbbells, Smith's simulator, kettlebells and pancakes. You can also try different leg positions and go all the way down (as far as you can) or only half.
Choose a workout that suits your specific fitness needs and goals by trying out different patterns of approaches and repetitions until you figure out what works best for you. In the following squat exercises, various equipment is used to work out the quadriceps and gluteal muscles and strengthen the lower body.
Front squats with a barbell
Front squats with a barbell place the barbell in front of the chest, and sometimes use a cross grip to hold the barbell in place. If you have balance problems, be sure to use as light a weight as possible. You can also skip this exercise until you develop sufficient lower body strength.
Stand under the barbell in a squat rack at shoulder level. Position your hands under the crossbar so that it rests on the front of your shoulders. Tighten your core muscles.
Lift the barbell by bending your knees. Take a step back to your usual squat position.
Lean forward at the hips and pull them back as if you want to sit down. Continue until your hips are parallel to the floor.
Push off with your feet to return to the starting position, and repeat the required number of repetitions.
Squats with a barbell on the back
Squats with a barbell on the back are standard squats with a large neck. You will place a barbell and weights on the trapezius muscles at the back of the neck. Barbell squats are aimed at the quadriceps, buttocks, calves and core muscles.
Place the barbell on the squat rack at the level of the upper chest.
Stand under the crossbar so that your shoulders rest on it, knees slightly bent.
Hold the barbell on top of your shoulders.
Push off to straighten your legs and remove the barbell from the racks.
Bend your hips and bend your knees, pushing outward to point your knees in the direction of your feet. Keep as straight as possible, lifting your chest high.
Continue to lower until your hips are parallel to the floor.
Push off with your feet and straighten your legs until you stand up. Do not lift your hips first, but push the whole body as a whole, pushing strongly with your feet.
Squats with dumbbells
To perform a squat with dumbbells, dumbbells can be held in different positions — on the shoulders, hanging on the sides or on the chest.
Split squat
Split squats (also called Bulgarian split squats) can be a great way to change the standard horizontal stance. This is a great one-sided exercise and a great alternative for those who experience knee pain when squatting with their back.
You can do this with a standard barbell squat or with any combination of dumbbells, kettlebells or other weights of your choice. You can also lift your back leg for extra load.
Stand in front of the bench, take two dumbbells and carefully place your right foot on the bench.
Bend your left knee and lower your right knee. Your weight should be on your front left leg.
Lower yourself until your front thigh is at least parallel to the floor.
Push off with your front foot to get up, but don't block your knee.
Repeat the required number of repetitions, then switch sides.
Sumo Squats
Also known as the sumo stance because of the wide setting of the foot, squats with wide setting of the legs activate the muscles of the inner thigh, such as the thin thigh muscle and the large adductor muscle. The instructions below refer to sumo squats with a barbell, but you can also perform this movement with a kettlebell.
Place the barbell on the rack at shoulder level.
Stand under the crossbar and place it on the back of your shoulders. Grab the crossbar from above.
Push off with your feet to take the barbell.
Put your feet wider than your shoulders, socks slightly apart.
Tighten the body, inhaling, as if expecting a blow.
Lower yourself until your hips are parallel to the floor.
Exhale and push off with your feet to return to the starting position.
Squats on one leg (pistol)
One—leg squats are an advanced exercise that requires strength and balance, although you can also use various devices to help you maintain balance, such as a suspended exercise machine, a chair or a rack.
Stand up with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Lift one leg off the ground and extend the leg in front of you.
Raise your hands in front of you for balance.
Slowly lower yourself into a squat, pulling your hips back and bending your front knee.
Continue to lower until the standing hip is parallel to the floor.
Rise to stand up, pushing off with your standing leg and straightening your leg.
Squats in Smith's car
The Smith machine (frame rack) is standard equipment that can be found in most gyms. The barbell is positioned between two crossbars, so that the barbell moves up and down along the same trajectory. Horizontal movement is not allowed.
Many people use Smith's machine to perform squats with a barbell on their chest or back, but the safety and effectiveness of using it for squats is often controversial.
Result
Squats are a basic model of human movement and an excellent exercise for working out the lower body and core. Changing the variations of squats will help you not get tired of one type of squats and improve your shape by loading your muscles in a new way. If you don't know how to perform any of these sit-ups, contact your personal trainer for help.
