Back Squats

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Let’s get ready to back squat

The back squat is a favorite for getting the muscles worked in the lower body. It helps to build strength in the glutes, hamstrings, calves, and quadriceps. It is essential for stability, athletic performance, and aesthetics. Squats add strength to your skeleton, mainly in the spine and lower body. Squats improve your flexibility, too. As you become older, your tendons, muscles, and ligaments become less elastic. Regularly doing squats can help slow down this process and limber you up.

Primary Muscles Worked

  • glutes
  • quadriceps
  • hamstrings

Secondary Muscles Worked

  • calves
  • core

How To Do The Back Squat

  • place a barbell in a rack just below shoulder-height
  • dip under the bar to put it behind the neck across the top of the back
  • grip the bar with the hands wider than shoulder-width apart
  • lift the chest up and squeeze the shoulder blades together to keep the straight back throughout the entire movement
  • stand up to bring the bar off the rack and step backwards
  • place the feet so that they are a little wider than shoulder-width apart
  • sit back into hips and keep the back straight and the chest up, squatting down so the hips are below the knees
  • from the bottom of the squat, press feet into the ground and push hips forward to return to the top of the standing position

Things To Avoid

  • rising with your butt first
  • angling your knees inward
  • moving your knees too far forward when they bend
  • not keeping your back straight

Benefits Of The Back Squat

  • challenges the core
  • strengthen the muscles necessary for stability,  athletic performance, and aesthetics
  • develops discipline and focus
  • increase calories burn
  • help prevent injuries
  • builds strong bones

The correct squat form can vary from person to person. Anatomical differences and flexibility are common reasons for the variance in form. These individual differences can impact the width of your stance, foot position, trunk position, and depth of the squat. Ultimately, the proper squat form should be comfortable for you while ensuring the heels are on the ground, the knees are in alignment with the toes, the depth is appropriate, and the back is straight.

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