Finding Fitness: How to do a proper squat

Hey, everyone! Welcome back to another installment of “Finding Fitness.”

The barbell high bar squat is what we will be focusing on today. Remember to grab a water bottle and a phone to record yourself as you go through this movement. As always, make sure you are cleared with your medical provider before performing any type of exercise.

The squat has been a go-to exercise for endurance and strength since the beginning of time. Now, I know what you are thinking, “Who doesn’t know how to squat?”

This isn’t just you crouching down to pick something off the ground. This is a movement that engages your vastus lateralis, your vastus medialis and your vastus intermedius. This will help you burn tons of calories and get a good sweat in. So please, hear me out.

To begin, place yourself in front of the bar and take a few deep breaths. Next, put yourself under the bar and inhale, keeping the bar on your traps and hands gripping the bar. Brace in your belly as you push the weight up and out of the rack.

Follow this by stepping back two steps, stagger your legs a little bit wider than shoulder width apart. Make sure your toes are pointed out slightly. This will help your knees follow a natural path. Next, take a deep breath in and brace once more in your core and start to squat your body weight.

It should feel like you are going to sit into a chair. Next, you need to let your knees follow the way your feet are pointing out. They should not bow in or out at any time in the movement. Your chest should stay elongated and neck in neutral position. Next, aim to descend until your thighs are parallel with the floor beneath you.

As you get more comfortable, try to increase the depth of your squat and increase the range of motion in your hips and legs. After the descent, use your thighs and glutes to push yourself back up. Take the first few sets slowly and in front of a mirror or camera to make sure your form is good. If you feel the movement in your quadriceps and glutes, you are most likely performing a good squat.

To start, aim for three sets of 6-10 reps for strength building. 

That wraps it up for this week. Hopefully your squat game improves as you add this workout to your regimen. Next week we will dissect another large movement, the deadlift. If you are looking for extra workout motivation, please feel free to follow my Instagram (@evouzumaki) and don’t be afraid to message me. I am always willing to help.

Have a great week everyone and never give up!