SQUATS, SQUATS AND MORE SQUATS

One overriding question prevails in fitness: What’s the best exercise? It does not matter what the goal is or who is asking the question, everyone assumes that there must be one best exercise to get them in shape. Fitness professionals are bombarded with queries such as, “What is the best cardio to do?” or “What is the best exercise to get a six pack stomach?” The answer to all of these questions is quite simply the squat. If you want to get stronger, improve flexibility or change your body composition then squat. If you want to run faster, jump higher or just maintain the highest quality of life, then squat.

The squat can and should be officially crowned as the king of all exercises. It is fundamental and essential to everything we do in life. If you sit into a chair only to get up later on then you have done a squat. If you use the bathroom then you have done a squat. If you want to maintain your independence then you must be able to squat. If you cannot pick yourself up after you fall then you certainly cannot live by yourself.

In a nutshell the squat includes the basic ability to raise and lower one’s center of mass. It is a motion essential to all of life’s pursuits. Couple that with the simultaneous expression of posterior chain strength and flexibility and you have an incredibly functional and intense movement both with and without added weights. Include the need to stabilize the spine during execution and you have found the perfect movement to challenge all of the body’s systems.

Performing a perfect squat can be years in the making but it is worth its weight in gold. The benefits gleaned from squatting are manifold. It helps increase bone density and it trains the core muscles to eliminate unwanted movement (this is actually the intended use of the core but that is a whole other topic)) and it allows for large loads to be moved quickly. Finally, the squat prompts a strong nueroendocrine response that releases hormones essential to growth, strength and metabolism.

Start by making sure you can perform a proper body-weight squat. This will strengthen your glutes and hamstrings while stretching your hip flexors which will allow for proper range of motion. Make sure you keep your knees from buckling and use your hips to develop torque and power. Train your midsection and spinal erectors to ensure an organized midline. If these muscles are weak you will not be able to support significant loads on your spine. Train heavy some days and train for speed on others. Use different versions of the squat including high-bar, low-bar and box squats. Augment your training with Olympic Weightlifting and or plyometrics when possible. Always allow for proper recovery.

Want to get strong and ripped at the same time, all while trouncing your peers on any performance metric? Get off your chair, that’s rep number one, and start squatting.