Squats

Hey all! I haven't posted a workout in a while so I figured I'd share a part of my workout that I do on leg days.  One of the best workouts you can do, whether you want to build muscle or lose weight, is squats.  They work so many of your muscles at the same time   you just have to make sure you do them right! It isn't a squat if you cheat and don't go all the way down.  Ass to the grass is what I always say! It is controversial as to whether you should go all the way down when you squat because it could be damaging to your knees, but going all the way down will give you a strong core, back, and legs.  In my opinion, form is more important than the amount of weight your doing.  If you use more weight and aren't doing it right, you aren't going to see results and you'll probably end up hurting yourself.  Some things to remember when you're squatting: make sure you don't arch your back, keep your abs tight, and try not to extend your knees past your toes.  I won't go into detail because I'm not an expert but a good way to learn how to do a squat properly is to google it, watch videos, and read up on it because there are different correct positions as far as bar and foot placement.  Also, squats can be done in the squat rack, the smyth machine, dumbbells, medicine balls, etc...so do what you're comfortable with!

Here's the squat workout I do on my leg days:

Warm up with body squats

Feet positioned normal, about shoulder with apart:
2 x 10 medium weight
2 x 8 higher weight
3 x 6 highest weight

Feet positioned close together:
2 x 10 medium weight
2 x 8 higher weight
3 x 6 highest weight

Feet positioned very wide, toes pointed out:
2 x 10 high weight
3 x 8 max weight

*Come up only 3/4s of the way after you squat
*Little rest in between...30 sec or less! If you really want a good workout, do 30 second bursts of cardio (mountain climbers, jumping jacks, etc.) between sets.