What muscles work during squats? Plus, personal trainer tips for the best squats

The odds are you’ve done a squat or two. General exercise It may have been learned in gym classes. But do you know the proper shape of a squat and which muscles it works? Ensuring you are doing squats correctly can help you It will increase your strength Avoid injuries. That’s why we reached out to certified personal trainers to learn about squats, how to do them, and everything you need to know about their benefits.

How to do squats

Ellen Thompson, NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Area Personal Manager Blinking fitnessIt gave me a good shape and basic squat rundown. “Don’t forget to lift your chest with your feet apart, your toes point slightly outward,” she explains. “Press your hips backwards as if you were sitting in a chair. Your knees track your toes and lower yourself until they are parallel to the ground, not forward or inward. Go through your heels and get up.”

Beating and standing up is a basic movement, but Thompson’s explanation shows that much of what makes squats a valuable exercise is where you can derive your strength in each part of the movement. Pushing your hips back, lowering and running through your heels is key to attracting the muscle groups that benefit most from this exercise.

There is also a squat element. do not have do. Porta PageNCPT and Educational Curriculum Coordinators Balanced Body Inc. , tell them to gently push your knees outward and avoid pushing inward. She also points out that keeping the heel ground is perfect for preventing tension while ensuring that the glut section is working just by hoping for exercise.

Thompson also warns against rounding your back or pushing your knee too far forward over your ankle. Ultimately, squats are a very accurate exercise and require a strong shape.

What muscles work during squats?

As a combined exercise, squats involve your quadriceps, glut, hamstrings, core, adductors and calves. Strength training exercise.

“Squats allow multiple muscle groups to work, so they are great exercises for full body strength and muscle growth. This also makes for a higher movement. Calories burn Thompson says.

Squats strengthen various muscle groups. This is part of the fundamental exercise work you need to build towards bigger fitness goals.

“Daily squats also help with overall lower body functioning, reducing the risk of injury,” says Page.

Squat variations you can try

Basic squats bring a lot of value to your training, but you can adjust your squats to gain other benefits by increasing resistance or using additional muscle groups. Adding resistance allows you to move from purely weight exercise to use additional equipment. Squat rack.

As explained in Page and Thompson, it is worth completing the form first using a regular weight squat before attempting the next squat variation.

• Back squat and Front squat Use barbells on top or front shoulders, respectively, to focus on specific areas such as lower body strength and square amount. in 2024 research, Both of these squat variations promoted strength-related improvements, while back squats resulted in greater strength-related improvements.
• Please try it Goblet squatyou have a Kettlebell or Dumbbells in front. This involves the core and challenges upper body stability.
• Jump squat Do you add explosive movement to your movement and build strength and endurance? If you’re adding weights, practice without weights first to complete the form. You can then add some light weight while you’re in progress.
• Another stance, such as a wider stance for SUMO squat Or height heel for Heel elevator squattargets muscle groups differently.
• It slows down with Paused squatwhere you hold it at the bottom of the squat, you can strengthen your muscle control.
• Bulgarian split squats Play with one foot raised on the box. This will target one foot while adding balanced components. a Pistol squat I try to do the entire exercise on one foot, with the other legs protruding straight ahead in front of me.
• You might try it out too, to work a similar muscle group without straining your knees while holding the squat position The wall is sitting. According to the page, they build isometric strength and leg endurance.

Who should avoid squatting?

With so many squat variations, it’s important to check in yourself and monitor your pain – especially if you’re taking a variety of shapes or have a recent or chronic injury. Your personal trainer or medical professional can recommend whether to perform a specific squat variation depending on your own combination of injury risk factors.

According to Page and Thompson, you can benefit from being careful when incorporating squats into your training.

• Those with knee injuries that require knee sitting, glute bridge or leg pressing will not apply pressure on their knees.
• People with lower back problems. Split squats and leg presses may be less taxable on the lower back.
• People with a history of ACL/MCL damage may be better equipped with shallow or supported squats, as they have more control over the depth and range of movement.
• Hip pain and mobility issues may show better results with side squats or SUMO squats.
• If you are dealing with ankle mobility challenges, consider squats that have an heel generated for its additional benefits.

In all cases, stretch And, in addition to exercise like squats, mobility jobs can help reduce the likelihood of injury or reassessment if you are recovering from past conditions or concerns.

Expert Tips for Getting Started with Squats

When it comes to starting squats, the page recommends starting with your weight and going your way to add weights and depth. “We start with two or three sets of 10-12 reps, focusing on form and control,” Page says. “The sign that it’s time to progress is that all the reps can be completed with good shape and minimal fatigue, add another set, increase the reps to 12-15 or add resistance.”

Thompson recommends a similar routine of 2-3 sets with 10-15 reps, prioritizing proper depth and knee tracking rather than maximizing the number of reps and sets. Adding dumbbells to a goblet squat is the logical next step to adding resistance, and barbell squats (front or back squats) can also push you further. Don’t forget to reduce the set with the person in charge when adding new resistance until you get used to it.

“If you feel your form is solid, you can increase the number of reps. Plus, if you start to feel the squats easily, you can increase the number of reps. The same goes for weight!” Thompson says.

Conclusion

Basic squats are simple moves, but beneath what appears simple, there is a key element of good shape that will make a valuable addition to you Full body training routine. Also, various adjustments allow each squat to move additional muscles and build strength and endurance in a clear way.

Advice from a certified personal trainer who has studied how your body responds to various exercises can help you avoid injuries and get good training without exacerbating past injuries. And finally, if you observe your body responds well, start your small training routine small, knowing that you can go your way to a higher rep, set, and resistance level.