Barbell Squats are a unique strength exercise not only for the legs, but also for the muscles of the whole body that everyone needs to do. Every sports physiologist, fitness trainer, and competitive athlete will tell you that squatting is the best exercise possible and there is overwhelming evidence for that. The question "Why do you need to squat" is of interest to almost all beginners who came to the gym for the first time. Many inside themselves do not find the answer to it, because there are still a lot of other exercises for working out the legs, but not so tiring. Indeed, squats are an incredibly energy-consuming exercise, after several approaches of which sometimes there is not even strength left for other muscle groups.
In addition to the classic version of squats, there is a huge variety of all kinds of squats, and all of them help not only build muscle mass, but also increase the strength and endurance of the lower body, improve overall coordination of movements and improve overall health.
Why squats are invaluable
Squats are a kind of panacea for all problems that arise.
1. Strength and muscle gain
About 67% of the muscles in the entire body are built by squats. That is, if you exclude squats from the training process, then the athlete will achieve a maximum of 33% of the possible 100% success.
You can come to the gym: bench press, swing biceps, triceps, shoulders, forearms. Or you can just squat and get twice the load through one exercise. The body will get that maximum fatigue and the greatest anabolic effect from the squat.
Even rare workouts once a week will give a noticeable result in the growth of strength and mass if the athlete squats.
2. Excellent aesthetic shape
No exercise will make your glutes and thighs as beautiful as the squat. Appetizing elastic butt is important not only for women, but also for men.
3. Pumped up abs
During the exercise, all the muscles of the abdominal region work. Research data has confirmed that squats with heavy weights load the abs even more than regular crunches.
4. Increased sexuality
During men's squats with a barbell, a kind of light massage of the prostate gland takes place, blood stagnation in the legs and pelvis is eliminated, a large release of testosterone is produced and muscle tone is increased. All this has a positive effect on potency and improves overall health.
5. Stable work of the central nervous system
During squats, the body receives a stressful load and the general adaptation mechanism is activated, which increases the resistance of the central nervous system to external influences.
6. Rejuvenation of the body
By working on the strength and endurance of the lower body, the development of the whole body will be carried out at a mechanical level. If you do not philon and give all the best on squats to the fullest, then rather quickly you can forget about the feeling of fatigue in the legs with additional loads and unplanned walks. Exercise prevents the development of degenerative changes, increases the strength of connective tissue formations and improves bone mineralization, which prevents the development of osteoporosis (senile disease). Therefore, for older people, squats are no less useful than for young athletes.
7. Improving blood circulation
The regularity of the exercise improves the functioning of the blood vessels in the pelvic region, the metabolism is also normalized, and the skin becomes healthier and tighter.
8. Development of flexibility
The squat is a versatile movement that requires high flexibility. Without good flexibility of the hip joints, work on stretching all the muscles of the thighs and ligaments of the feet, you cannot sit at full amplitude.
9. Accessibility
Squats do not require expensive exercise machines, special equipment, or additional costs. All that is needed is a barbell and a pair of dumbbells, but on demand, even this equipment is replaced at home with a sandbag or a barrel of water.
What is the priority of squats: quantity or quality?
There are no strict criteria for the number of squats performed - training programs are drawn up purely individually. The training program should be prescribed by a specialist and vary the squat technique, loading exactly the right muscles.
Much depends on the physical fitness of the body, the goals set (increase in muscle volume or weight loss), the amount of additional weight used in the training process. Problems such as "frail legs", "second knee", "small or big butt", "lower legs", "ears" are not solved by special isolating exercises, but simply by changing the position of the legs and the depth of the squat.
It is not the quantity that matters, but the quality of the squats. It is important to adhere to the correct technique and exercise regularly. No need to wait for quick results and use squats in a panic once a year a week before the planned vacation. Your body is worth doing your whole life!
With a competent approach to training and nutrition, after 1 month the result is felt, after 2 - it is noticed, after 3 - others notice it, after six months it will be possible to think about adjusting the details, and after a year a strong, flexible and graceful figure will say thanks to a squat.
Conclusion: Natural strength sports are unthinkable without squats!
Video on how to squat correctly:
