How to Do Squats Properly

The biggest mistake you can commit if you do strength training is neglecting squatting. The squat is maybe the most important exercises of all. It not only strengthens your leg muscle groups but also has a positive impact on your cardiovascular system, stamina and even your upper body. The benefits of squats are numerous, so do it!

However, it only works if you do it correctly. Many beginners think that it is about nothing else just putting the barbell on their shoulders and going down. Far from it! Badly performed barbell squat will not only never bring you results but also can cause injuries.

So, it is vital to learn the proper form of a squat. Within the following video, you can learn it and see what are the typical mistakes beginners do.

Let’s Recap How to Squat Properly

Keep you back and spine straight. You need to push your chest out and pull your shoulders back. You must not bend your back forward.

Keep your lower back straight as much as possible. If you lean forward or if you lean too much backwards that puts huge pressure on your lower back.

Keep your head straight. Pay attention to not looking the ground. Find a spot on the wall that is in front of you and keep your eyes on it while you do squat.

The proper way to breath. Exhale when you go up and inhale when you go down. Proper breathing helps a lot to finish the number of reps you want and even with handling heavier weights.

Point your feet a bit outwards. This helps to engage your hamstrings and glutes when you do the movement. It is also good to open your hips and keep the position.

The depth of the squat you can do depends on the flexibility of your hips. The more flexible they are, the deeper you can go down. The rule of thumb is to go down at least to have your hamstrings parallel with the floor.

A lot of bodybuilders go so deep that their butt reaches the ground. If you can go down so deep without any feeling of pain in your knees and lower back, then you may go down so deep. However, reaching the parallel position is enough, I never risk to have injuries.

Use weights that you can handle. Lifting too heavy weights almost always results in improper performance. Depending on the number of reps you need to use weights that are heavy enough to develop but not too much.

These are the most important rules of proper squatting. Follow these tips to have more efficient and safer leg workouts. The best is of you do this exercise in front of a mirror so you can see yourself and correct your mistakes. If you are total beginner, start with bodyweight squats first.

Did you learn the proper form for a squat? Share with your friends.