Squats are called by some the king of all muscle building exercises. I personally would put the deadlift right there along side squats for building muscle. I wanted to share this article with you that I got from Sean Nalewanyj
Simply put, squats are the most difficult, intimidating and
painful exercise you could possibly have in your arsenal. They
require massive amounts of discipline and willpower to perform
correctly.
After you have performed a set of squats to failure, you'll know
exactly what I'm talking about. They are also a challenging
exercise to master from a technical standpoint.
All this aside, squats are one of, if not THE most effective,
growth-producing exercises you could possibly include in your
workout routine.
They will pack more size and strength onto your lower body than
any other exercise out there, and due to their high level of
difficulty, they also force your body to release higher amounts
of important anabolic hormones such as testosterone and growth
hormone.
This increased secretion of hormones will pack muscle size onto
your entire upper body as well.
Quite simply, they really, really work.
Unfortunately, many people have yet to experience the benefits
of heavy squatting. It seems that people will come up with just
about any excuse they possibly can in order to steer clear form
the squat rack.
If you're in the gym with the goal of maximizing your total body
muscle gains, squats are an absolute must.
***Proper Squatting Technique
For safety reasons you should always perform your squats in a
power rack or cage. This way you can adjust the height at which
you clear the bar, and you can drop the bar on the safety pins if
you need to bail. The safety pins should be set at just below the
depth you are squatting and the J Hooks should be set at about
the level of your nipples.
At all times during the squat your head should be pulled back,
your chest raised and you should have a slight arch in your lower
back. You should always be looking straight ahead, and at no time
should you be leaning too far forward, or be looking up or down.
Step up to the bar, placing your hands at about the same width
as a bench press. Before clearing the bar, make sure it is placed
evenly along your traps. The bar should rest on the lower portion
of your traps and across your rear delts. It should almost feel
as if the bar is going to roll off your back.
Now that you have cleared the bar, take only as many steps back
as necessary. Most squat injuries occur when backing up, so make
sure that you only back up as far as you need to. Your feet
should be placed about shoulder width apart or slightly wider,
and they should point out at a 45-degree angle.
Take a big, deep breath, and make your descent. You should not
lower yourself straight down, but rather as if you were sitting
in a chair behind you. At all times your knee must remain in line
with your feet, and they should never bow in. Lower yourself
until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground.
As soon as you have reached the bottom position, rise up
immediately. Do not relax in the bottom position! Drive up with
your heels and straighten your back as quickly as possible.
Once you are in the upright position again, take another deep
breath, and continue the lift until you have completed the
desired number of reps.
***Final Thought
You have all the reason in the world to get into the squat rack,
so go ahead and do it. Treat this lift with respect and you'll be
shocked at the resulting muscle gains.
I would recommend performing your squats once per week, for 2
sets of 5 to 7 reps. Focus on pushing yourself hard on this
exercise and continually strive for more weight and more reps.
Sean
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