Do you know how to do squat in the right position ?
When performing a squat, the trainee lowers their hips from a standing posture before standing back up. In a squat, the hip and knee joints flex while the ankle joint dorsiflexes; in contrast, when standing up, the hip and knee joints extend while the ankle joint plantarflexes.
Squats are regarded as a crucial workout for boosting the size and strength of the muscles in the lower body as well as for strengthening the core. The quadriceps femoris, adductor magnus, and gluteus maximus are the main agonist muscles employed in the squat. Along with other muscles, the squat isometrically engages the erector spinae and the abdominals.
The squat, together with the deadlift and bench press, is one of the three lifts used in the strength sport of powerlifting. It is regarded as a foundational exercise in many well-known leisure fitness programs.
Starting from a standing position, the movement begins. A weighted barbell is frequently utilized, but dumbbells and kettlebells can also be used to add weight. When a barbell is used, it can either be held higher across the rear deltoids, known as a low bar squat, or held lower across the upper trapezius muscle, known as a high bar squat. The torso and associated weight are lowered by bringing the hips back and bending the knees and hips, which is followed by a return to the upright position.
Squats can be done at different depths. The hip crease, or top surface of the leg at the hip joint, must extend below the top of the knee to meet the criteria for competition; this is referred to as "parallel" depth. There are other additional definitions for "parallel" depth, which may be perplexing, but none of them corresponds to the norm in organized powerlifting. These additional standards are: bottom of hamstring parallel to ground;[6] hip joint itself below top of knee, or femur parallel to floor; and top of upper thigh (i.e., top of quadriceps) below top of knee, in that order.
Squatting below parallel counts as a deep squat, whilst squatting above it counts as a shallow squat. Some experts advise against performing deep squats; while compressive forces on the menisci and articular cartilages in the knee peak at the same high angles where forces on the ACL and PCL diminish at high flexion. This makes it challenging to compare the relative safety of deep versus shallow squats.
The muscles surrounding the joint contract eccentrically as the body descends, reaching their maximum contraction at the bottom of the movement while slowing and reversing descent. The hips, knees, and ankle all undergo flexion as the body descends. The strength from the bottom comes from the muscles surrounding the hips. The hamstrings lose tension if the knees fall forward or cave in, which reduces power when climbing. Returning to the vertical position causes the muscles to contract concentrically. The hips and knees extend, and the ankle plantarflexes.
The body being flexed too far forward and lowering too quickly are two common squat form mistakes. Rapid descent puts the lift at risk of failing or injuring someone. This happens when the fall leads to the squatting muscles relaxing and the loss of stiffness at the bottom. A spinal disc herniation is possible when the torso is overextended, which significantly increases the forces acting on the lower back. Another mistake is when the knee enters a valgus posture, which can put undue strain on the knee joint since it is not aligned with the direction of the toes. The elevating of heels off the ground, which lessens the contribution of the gluteus muscles, is another common mistake. [
Antagonizing muscles
quadrupedal muscle
maximus gluteus
Magnus the adductor
muscles that stabilize the soleus
Spinae Erector
Internal and external obliques Rectus abdominis
Gluteus medius and minimus Gastrocnemius Hamstrings.
Strong legs have benefits beyond aesthetics. Leg strength is necessary for even the most basic daily activities like walking. This means that including leg exercises in your program is essential for maintaining good health.
But you might be unsure about where to start.
Making an efficient leg workout doesn't have to be difficult, whether you're sweating it out back at the gym or working out at home pandemic-style. Let's start now.
Moving techniques for a nice leg exercise
Simplicity is preferable when creating an efficient leg workout. Squats, hip hinges (deadlifts), and lunges are the fundamental lower body exercises that should make up the majority of your programming.
These exercises naturally concentrate on the primary leg muscular groups—the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.
There are numerous variations and methods to advance once you have mastered these moves, which will keep you challenged.
Here's a quick breakdown to help you plan your leg workout: Squats are a good place to start, followed by hip hinges, and finally single-leg motions.
ROUNDS OF EXERCISE
How many sets and repetitions should you perform for your leg exercise?
Pick 3-5 exercises for each leg workout as a beginning trying to improve overall fitness while adhering to the idea of keeping things straightforward. After that, perform each exercise for 3 sets of 8–12 repetitions, being sure to exhaust your muscles but not to the point of failure .
Why are there only five exercises? You'll be able to concentrate on those crucial moves and give your best effort. Your workouts may become ineffective if they last for too long.
How often should you work your legs each week?
According to recent studies, there is little difference between training the main muscle groups once per week and three times per week when striving to maximize muscular growth
The volume of your resistance training—the number of sets and reps you're performing—is what most influences your muscle growth. Working the same muscle area more than once a week tends to result in worse results than sessions with higher volume (such as 3 sets of 12 reps or even 4 sets of 8 reps) .
How to properly warm up and cool down
Without an appropriate warmup and cool down, a workout cannot be considered effective.
To get your heart rate up and your blood flowing during your warm-up, try to start with 5 minutes of easy cardio. If you have the time, spend 5 minutes releasing soft tissues on the foam roller.
After that, begin a dynamic stretching practice that includes lunges, squats using only your body weight, hip openers, and leg swings.
It's a good idea to perform a more involved stretching exercise after your workout.
Exercises for working your legs
Choose from this list of the top 15 leg exercises to create your next leg workout.
The back squat
A back squat targets your posterior chain, or the back of your body, which includes your glutes and hamstrings.
How to execute:
Start with standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and a barbell loaded on your traps. Your toes should be slightly turned out, your chest should be proud, and your gaze should be front.
Drop to the floor by bending your knees and sitting back into your hips. Make sure your knees are slightly out and not crooked.
As far as your mobility will allow, lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Then, push yourself back up to the starting position.