J'AIME April 2021
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• Stand up straight with your feet shoulderwidth<br />
apart and your chest facing forward.<br />
• Bend the knees and hips, sticking your bottom<br />
out as if you’re sitting down on a chair.<br />
• Squat down until your thighs are parallel to<br />
the floor. Then squat a bit lower so your hips<br />
are below parallel. Your knees from above<br />
should be behind your toes.<br />
• Pause for a second. Your back should be<br />
straight, not curved at all.<br />
• Press into your heels and straighten your legs<br />
to return to the upright, standing position.<br />
For more detailed instructions and to check your<br />
technique it’s always best to contact a qualified<br />
personal trainer in order to avoid injury from<br />
incorrect technique.<br />
Variations<br />
Variety is the spice of life. There are a whole<br />
range of different types of squats that can be<br />
incorporated into workouts to help keep them<br />
fun and varied. It’s so easy to get bored of<br />
always performing the same old exercises so<br />
adding variety to our workouts will really help<br />
with maintaining motivation and not getting<br />
bored and giving up. Different squats also<br />
target the muscles slightly differently, for<br />
example squatting with the legs further apart<br />
works the inner thighs and glutes a little more<br />
than the quads.<br />
If a squat variation includes an upper-body<br />
movement, like an overhead press, our upper<br />
bodies will then also be worked (in this case<br />
some shoulder and arm work).<br />
Squat variations that include plyometrics,<br />
like a jump, can increase our heart rate<br />
quickly, making them great for combining<br />
cardio training as well as lower body strength<br />
training.<br />
Equipment can be used to vary squat<br />
workouts, such as dumbbells, kettlebells,<br />
barbells and resistance bands.<br />
My clients’ firm squat favourites are: sumo<br />
squats, single leg squats, prisoner squats, front<br />
squats, squat pulses, squat jumps, narrow<br />
squats and overhead squats. There are many<br />
more to choose from and enjoy in your<br />
workouts.<br />
For more information on squats, squat<br />
techniques or anything else fitness related,<br />
contact Raul at raul@ambitionpt.co.uk<br />
or via social media. Happy squatting!<br />
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