How To Do Squats Correctly At Home?

Slim legs and shapely buttocks - it's every woman's dream. And everyone knows the secret well: sport, suitable exercises and a healthy and balanced diet. So, squat training is the easiest way to sculpt the lower body and it is very easy to practice both at home and in the gym. Much like the abdominal plank, squats have become a staple athletic trend delivering stunning results in no time. What's more, doing squats helps reduce the risk of injury, improve performance and coordination, and strengthen bones. However, although it may seem easy and straightforward at first, this exercise is often poorly performed, preventing us from taking full advantage of its effectiveness. So let's see the mistakes to avoid as well as the many variations available!

How to do squats correctly?

The benefits of squats for the body may be diminished if the movements are poorly executed. Many small mistakes can lead to permanent injuries to the knees and back. Therefore, it is particularly recommended for beginners in fitness to do squats under the supervision of a trainer in order to learn the technique well. Here is a little rundown of the correct movements:

• Place your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Hold your arms in front so that they are parallel to the floor and keep your shoulders in the back.
• Inhale and begin to descend, while contracting your glutes and abs, as if you are about to come and sit on a chair, knees outward and heels glued to the floor.
• Stop your buttocks at your knees and hold the position for a few seconds.
• Go back up and breathe out.

At the risk of repeating ourselves, doing squats in the correct way can build your thighs and glutes and even tone your figure. It is a basic exercise that requires an ideal posture in order to get the most out of it. If you are a novice, we recommend that you practice in front of a mirror until you have mastered the correct movements. Check out a video below that could guide you!



What are the benefits of squat training for the body?

Squat training is much more than just an exercise designed to strengthen your legs and glutes. In addition to offering many variations, squats also have several benefits for the body and for general health. Here is a detailed list:

• Firming the lower body: This is probably the most logical benefit of squat training because it works the quads, adductors and hamstrings.
• Doing squats strengthens the core muscles: so that we can maintain balance when descending, the abdominal and back muscles also participate. This results in a flatter stomach and stronger lower back. A 2018 study found that squats are as effective for core muscles as the plank and its variations. Strengthened core muscles can facilitate everyday movements such as turning, bending, and even relieving back pain.

• Squats promote hormone release: Squats are a classic strength exercise and therefore are a great way to stimulate the production of growth hormone (HGH).
• Calorie Burning: As a general rule, squats are a fairly static exercise that targets specific muscle groups and does not burn too many calories. The burning of these is mainly associated with endurance training where the heart rate is high. However, doing squats in combination with exercises in a HIIT training program is the best way to burn more fat fast. According to Harvard Medical School, a person weighing 80 kg can burn up to 260 calories during 30 minutes of cardio training.

• Squats can be done anywhere and without special equipment: although there are several variations of this simple exercise (with dumbbells, kettlebells or fitness bands), the classic squat can be done anywhere, anytime and without an equipment.
• Squats are also good for training the upper body: a simple exercise at first, squats can work muscles all over the body simultaneously. You only need to add weight to train your upper body too and voila! You get the perfect whole body workout in just one exercise.
• Squats improve flexibility and help prevent injury: Most sports-related injuries occur because of weakness in stabilizer muscles and connective tissue. Squat training strengthens them while improving flexibility.

• Squat training protects against osteoporosis: doing squats tends to improve bone density not only in the hip but also in the spine. Strong, healthy bones prevent injury and protect against osteoporosis.
• Doing squats strengthens the knees: contrary to popular belief, squats are not bad for the knees. On the contrary ! Squats well done stabilize and protect the knees. What's more, they tend to eliminate chronic pain.

• Squats against cellulite: About 90% of women around the world fight against cellulite mainly localized on the thighs and buttocks. But sometimes anti-cellulite treatments like a balanced diet, natural remedies and daily massages are not enough to say "goodbye" to orange peel. Sport also plays an important role! And that's one of the biggest benefits of squats: They improve blood circulation and ensure that enough nutrients and oxygen get to the most important organs.
• Squats improve digestion: Squats mainly work the legs and buttocks, but it turns out that other muscle groups are involved as well. This increases the speed at which fluids pass through the body, resulting in better, faster digestion.

Doing squats at home: mistakes to avoid

Having become a real sporting trend, the squat is a faithful ally for shapely buttocks and refined thighs, provided that the movements are carried out correctly. So, to achieve amazing results, find out below the five most important mistakes to avoid:

1. Lift the heels and toes off the floor: It is very important not to lift them off the floor so that you can distribute the weight evenly during the exercise and keep your balance. If not, injuries can occur to the knees.

2. Bring the knees together: this move is unstable and dangerous and increases the risk of injury to the knees and back.

3. Do not lower the pelvis low enough: doing squats without lowering the pelvis low enough prevents the buttocks from building up because the muscle groups are hardly used.

4. Perform a weightless squat workout: Weightless squats are ideal for beginners, but if you have been doing this exercise for several months, it is normal to not progress. Indeed, the muscles need resistance in order to tone up. So add dumbbells to your exercise routine by gradually increasing the load.

5. Do daily squats: It is essential to respect the rest days so that the muscles have time to recover. Doing squats every day can hinder your progress as the body goes into overtraining. This means that the muscles are damaged and overwork will damage them.

The different variations of squat training

Once you have mastered the correct squat technique, you can increase the difficulty level by adding different variations of the exercise to your workout. This activates different muscle groups and energizes your exercise routine. So, check out the most popular squat variations in the following paragraphs!

The Sumo squat is the most well-known variation of the traditional squat and differs mainly in the position of the legs. These should be much further apart than usual and the toes should be pointed slightly outward. This variant allows you to work the inside of the thighs (the adductors).

Doing squats with weights is considered one of the top exercises in strength training. If you are a beginner, we recommend that you start with light weights and gradually increase the load. You can use dumbbells, kettlebells, or a barbell.

The jump squat is a wonderful plyometric exercise that allows you to burn maximum fat. Moreover, this activity is not recommended for people with problems with the knees or hips. So do a normal squat and jump as high as you can on the climb.

The pistol squat or the one-legged squat is one of the more difficult variations to perform. A real challenge for professional athletes, this exercise is incredibly effective at improving endurance and coordination. Consider using a chair at the start until you have mastered the technique. This exercise involves having your hands and one of the legs stretched out in front of you. Then we do squats! Yes, it's too difficult but practice makes perfect!