A Beginner’s Guide To Squats
Squats are a well-known exercise that you either love or loathe.
There are a number of benefits to incorporating squats into your workout routine, and thankfully there is a wide range of squat variations to keep you from getting bored.
Keep reading below to read our handy dandy guide on the different kinds of squats that will help build your dream behind!
Why Are Squats Important?
Squats are so important to your fitness routine as they work multiple muscles across a number of different joints, essentially toning your lower body. Although squats are just leg exercises, they can actually burn fat around your thighs and glutes while also strengthening your core – this makes squats a really amazing way to burn fat fast and increase blood circulation in the body.
Some of the many benefits of squatting are; reduced risk of injury, increased calorie burn, raised athletic ability and improved mobility.
How To Do The Perfect Squat
Before we dive into the different variations of squats, let’s be sure you are doing squats with the right posture and form, and if your beginner squatting technique isn’t right – then all of your efforts might be for nothing. Performing squats with the wrong form can have a number of consequences, such as not reaping the full benefits while also causing damage to your back and knees.
When squatting, try to remember the following:
- Warm Up. Do not skip a warm-up and ensure you adequately stretch to prevent any strain or injuries to your body.
- Keep your feet shoulder-width apart while keeping your chest up and core tight.
- Imagine you are sitting down on a chair and lower yourself slowly until your thoughts are parallel to the floor.
- Squeeze your glutes and thighs as you come back up.
- Ensure your knees do not cross your toe level and do not lean in front.
Different Types Of Squats
The two different kinds of squats are – weighted, and bodyweight squats.
Bodyweight squats are calisthenic exercises that use your body weight, while weighted squats incorporate gym equipment into the squat, such as free weights or medicine balls.
Some examples of bodyweight squats are:
- Single leg squats
- Toe squats
- Squat to jump to squats
- Plie squats
- Pistol squats
Some examples of weighted squats are:
- Overhead squats
- Dumbbell squats
- Weighted single-leg squats
- Barbell back squats
- Wall squat hold with weights
How Many Squats Should Beginners Do?
A great starting point for squats is beginning with 3 sets of 10 reps of one squat variation.
If you start practicing this just a few days a week, you can then start to progress on to do different squat variations – both weighted and bodyweight.
