Muscles Trained: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, lower back, abs.

Intro: Squats are one of the best exercises that you can do for your body. They work practically every muscle in your body and help you build a strong core. They are often misunderstood because of the injuries associated with them. Performing them safely and correctly will greatly reduce the risk of injury.

If you are serious about fitness and bodybuilding, squats should not be neglected. This article will discuss full squats rather than the knees parallel version. It is believed that going all the way down is actually safer regarding knee safety. Stopping at parallel puts extra pressure on your knee joint that the full squats do not. Form is crucial to achieving any type of success with squats. Performing them incorrectly can cause serious injury to many parts of your body. We recommend mastering the correct form using an empty barbell only, before moving onto heavier weights.

How it is performed: Approach the squat rack and adjust the height accordingly. We recommend that you do not use a pad as it will not allow the barbell to be placed above your center of gravity. You may believe this to be a discomfort at first but you will adjust to the bare barbell being placed on your back. Position your feet so that they are slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Make sure that the barbell is resting on your rear delts or lower traps. Your flexibility may not allow you to put the barbell on your rear delts at first, but with enough practice, your flexibility will improve.

Grasp the barbell a few inches wider then shoulder width apart. Step backwards with the barbell on your back. Keep your head looking forward, your abs tight, and your lower back arched. Neglecting any of these could mean a potential injury. Lower your body using your knees and go down until your hips and knees are fully bent. You should be going past parallel into the, “hole.” Using your legs, drive your body and the weight back up until you are standing in the original starting position.

Keeping your body tight throughout the movement is very important. Looking down or rounding your back could mean serious problems. After the set, walk forward to the rack and release the weight. Never position yourself so you are walking the weight backwards into the rack.

Variations of the squat include hack squats and front squats. In depth articles will be featured on their execution.