Why Squats Are Essential to Your Bodybuilding Routine

Several bodybuilders are so enamored with the bench press that they forget to use one of the most effective full body exercise - the squats. The squats is known as the grand daddy of all exercises because of the benefits one can get from it.

First, the squats build strength and initiate muscle growth on the largest muscle in your body - your legs. The legs consist of several muscle parts but are mainly divided in groups such as: the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes/ buttock muscles and calves. During squats the quadriceps is the main muscle group targeted, however, the hamstrings, glutes and calves also participate in the compound movement of the squats.

Secondly, the squats not only involve the leg muscle group but also initiate resistance to your upper muscle group like your trapezius and your back muscles. When the bar sits and digs down into your trapezius, you struggle to lift it up thus creates the aggressive movement we want to develop and gain lean mass.

Third, the squats promotes a good cardio routine. I always prepare myself - in terms of rest and proper nutrition (carbs, protein and fats) before my leg day. It involves a lot of effort to push the bar during the squat routine that it literally burns more calories than most body part exercises. When I do bench press, lat pull downs or barbell rows I don't pant and almost puke just like when I do squats. It's intense and almost insane to do!

As most pro bodybuilders would say, if you're so busy that you could only workout once a week which exercise would you choose and why? The majority of their answers are squats! Because, it's a total body workout that involves almost all of your major muscle group and it burns calories like a furnace.

Benefits of Heavy Squats on Massive Muscle Gain

In order to build muscle in an effective manner, you need to use free weights. This is because you are actually able to lift the heaviest weights using barbells. This enables you to gain more muscle because you are straining yourself more. This does not however mean that you need to stress your body into breaking down. It means that straining your muscles is good for them as they are able to build resistance as they heal which makes them stronger and even bigger than before.

With the use of barbells, you are assured of safety because they facilitate natural movement. Your movements are fluid and they do not force your body into movements and patterns which are not natural. In addition, you are able to perform a wide variety of exercises with the barbells which helps to break the monotony and keep you not only motivated, but focused as well.

The proper execution of barbell squats enables you to gain huge amounts of muscle on your body and they have been proven to be the most essential exercise that you can do for your legs. In fact, their effects and benefits are not only limited to the legs. Your whole upper part of the body benefits from these squats too.

Barbell squats really require a lot of energy to do effectively in addition to quite a bit of strength. This process makes your body release larger amounts of testosterone and also the growth hormone. Your central nervous system communicates to the hypothalamus which then sends a message to the pituitary gland. This gland then secretes luteinizing hormones which in turn trigger the production of testosterone from the testicles. These hormones are both anabolic and their additional release enables your body to gain more mass in muscle all over and not just in the legs. Barbell squats are a mandatory requirement for anybody who is serious about gaining muscle. They incorporate the use of more muscles than any other form of training.

The key is to perform them regularly. Research has proven that in everything which we do, our bodies thrive and flourish in a regularized environment. This is true for getting up time, mealtimes and even going to bed. It is also especially true when it comes to your exercise program. The foundation of your exercise program should be based on incorporating barbell squats and this ought to be incorporated into your daily program. The success of these squats actually determines how well you are going to do on the rest of the training. For instance, once you have been doing barbell squats regularly for a few weeks, you are able to lift more weights at the bench presses because the squats have benefited your entire body.

In instances where you begin to feel like you are stressing your body, you can take a break between squats and do them every other day instead of everyday. This will enable your body to conserve its strength and rest so as to heal the muscles an recover in time for the next round of barbell squats. Work with that which is best for you.

When doing barbell squats, it is advisable to take a cup of coffee about 10 to 15 minutes before you begin. This is because as a pre- workout drink, the caffeine in the coffee works to focus your mind and also to help you to endure more. Set up a cycle however so that as much as you are getting every benefit from the caffeine, you are also ensuring that you are careful not to get addicted to it to such a point that you cannot work out without it. Endurance is important to build when it comes to barbell squats because they require a lot of energy and physical strength. They affect the quads, the glutes and the hamstring but they also mobilize the rest of the body for purposes of stabilization.

In order to do these squats effectively and therefore reap their full benefits, do the squat with a barbell with a weight on it. It is best to choose a weight which will challenge you but not kill you. The choices are between heavy, moderate and light weight. It is advised that you do not over train but rather, do the number of reps that you are able to without stressing your body.

Top 5 Squat Variations For Strong Legs

What if you want to get strong all over your entire body, and create a surge of muscle growth hormones in just ONE movement? What if just ONE movement would help propel your athletic career and make you jump higher, run faster, and hit harder? Ok, ok, so its not that simple, but the SQUAT is perhaps THE most fundamental movement for packing on muscle mass and improving athletic prowess. That's a pretty big claim, but backed up through YEARS of evidence and past monsters who squatted and squatted heavy to build rugged physiques with the strength to match.

While a lot of people will often stick to just one style of squatting, for athletes and strength freaks alike, its important to use a variety of squats in your training program. This will prevent cns fatigue, mental burn out, and will have you making progress for years on end.

Here are some of my favorite squatting variations and some general set/rep guidelines for you to follow.

1) Back Squats. You can go low bar or high bar with these, and I prefer a shoulder width or slightly wider stance. There are many classic ways to use the back squat from 20 reppers to 5x5, everyone should master how to do a basic back squat.

2) Box Squats. Using a wide stance, the box squat teaches an athlete how to SIT BACK and teaches you how to effectively use your hips, glutes and hamstrings. Among other things, the box squat breaks up the concentric and eccentric portions of the lift, which helps build explosive power. Box squats can be done for multiple sets of low reps ala westside barbell, for a maximum effort of 1-5 reps, or for moderate sets and reps if you were looking to pack on some extra size.

3) Front Squats. These are the ultimate quad builder, along with being a tremendous movement for the core and upperback. Multiple sets of low reps are fine as is something more high volume like 5x5 or 6x6. There are 160lb olympic weightlifters that can front squat over 550lb, so get to work!

4) Zercher Squats. These can be done in a power rack, and are great for building the entire body. By holding the bar in the crooks of your arms, your upperback, lats, and arms have to work hard to keep the bar in the place and your core has to brace extremely hard making this movement super effective and definitely getting a big bang for your buck.

5) Sandbag Squats (Various). Training with sandbags is a great way to increase overall body strength, and doing various squats with a moderate to heavy sandbag is awesome for building leg strength and toughness. My favorite variations are bear hug squats, zercher squats and shoulder squats. Each variation has unique benefits and should incorporated into every combat athletes program. While most people think in terms of big barbell squatting numbers, there's no rule saying that you can't get superior USABLE leg strength from high rep sandbag squatting.

For a strong lowerbody, and legs that resemble Tom Platz's, squats are and always will be THE KING.

Leg Routine - Only Dumbbells

A leg routine at home with limited weights can be tough. I have been asked about getting a good workout with just dumbbells available. I recommend still doing the basic exercises you would do at the gym like squats, lunges and dead lifts but with slight differences to use dumbbells instead of a barbell.

As with most exercises when trying to develop definition, do 3 - 4 sets of 8 - 12 reps each. The only difference will be for dead lifts and hamstring curls where you will do 10 - 12 reps.

Leg Routine Part 1 - Squats

There are three forms that work well. Regular dumbbell squats are done with the weights held one in each hand beside you as you go down to at least a 90 degree angle in your legs. Goblet squats are much the same except the position of the weight. Hold a dumbbell in front of your upper chest with both hands when doing the squat. This is very much like a front squat. The Bulgarian split squat is a one-legged squat done with your back leg on a bench as you squat with the front leg only. Check the link for a complete description and picture.

Leg Routine Part 2 - Lunges

There are four versions. Regular lunges are described in a previous article. Reverse lunges are done by moving in the opposite direction. Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand by your sides, palms facing you. Place one foot back and lower your body until both knees form a 90 degree angle. Pause and push yourself upright.

Stationary Lunges are done in the same way as reverse lunges except your feet do not move from their positions. Keep one foot in front and one behind you and lower yourself as before. Do all reps for one leg before switching positions.

Side Lunges follow the same procedure as a regular lunge but the foot placement when stepping will be sideways.

Leg Routine Part 3 - Dead Lift

With using dumbbells, I would recommend stiff legged dead lifts. Hold a dumbbell in each hand instead of a barbell across your shoulders and perform a regular dead lift with your legs kept straight throughout the movement.

Leg Routine Part 4 - Calf Raise

You can do a basic calf raise while holding dumbbells and standing on the edge of a stairs or a 2 x 4. Do them with both legs at once or one leg at a time. The other variation is to do them while sitting and place a dumbbell on your knee when lifting.

How to use all of these? Perform TWO squats, one lunge, one dead lift, and one calf raise exercise. Add to these the following two leg routine exercises:

1. Step-up: Holding a dumbbell in each hand, step up onto a low bench or stairs using the same leg for all 8 - 12 reps before switching legs.

2. Dumbbell Hamstring Curl: Lie face down on a bench or other raised flat surface with a dumbbell held between your feet. Raise the weight to your butt and slowly lower to the start.

As a whole, you have variations in the exercises to choose from and a good mix of angles and styles to develop good muscle development.

Why the Squats Are the Best Exercise For Building Muscle Fast

Squats are no doubt the hardest, most demanding, and painful exercise for building muscle that you can do. Proper discipline and willpower are needed to do them correctly.. If you do some squats until you can do no more then you know what I mean. Even experienced bodybuilders have trouble mastering the squat. However, if you want to experience fast muscle gain then there is no doubt that the squat is the best exercise to achieve this.

Because they are hard to do your body releases greater amounts of testosterone and growth hormone. This means you will gain more size and strength to the lower body area. Your upper body will also gain more muscle from a larger hormone secretion. Another factor is that by doing the squats it will help you to excel in your other exercises. You should make the squat your number one exercise above all else for building muscle.

So now it's time to start on those squats but to do these properly you need to follow a few rules.

To keep safe when performing your squats use a power rack or cage. This means it's up to you to set the height of the bar. If your muscles start giving out you can then drop the bar onto the safety pins. Really the safety pins should be set to just under the depth that you're squatting to, and set the J Hooks around your nipple level.

Make sure your head is pulled back as you perform the squat. Slightly arch your lower back, and raise your chest. Try to not look up or down and focus straight ahead. Also try to not lean forward too much.

Now at the bar you should have your hands positioned at roughly the same width as you would a bench press.

Make sure the bar is evenly positioned along your traps. When placing the bar you should it needs to rest across the lower portion of your traps and your rear delts. You should have the feeling the bar is now going to roll off your back. Most injuries when doing squats occur when backing up, so only back up as far as you need.

Your feet should be spaced at should width and pointed at roughly 45 degrees.

Now deep breath, and start your squats. Squat as though your going to sit in a chair placed behind you.

Try to make sure your knees stay in line with your feet, try very hard not to bow them inwards. Get your thighs parallel to the floor when your lowering down.

When reaching the bottom then start to rise. DO NOT stop and relax in the bottom position.

When rising, get that back straight and drive those heels to the ground to get to the start position as quick as you can. Now you're back to the start, take another deep breath and continue squatting until finishing all of your reps.

Now remember, treat squats properly and your muscle gains should be amazing.. Try to do squats once a week., doing 2 sets of 5 - 7 reps. With time you should be increasing your weights or the amount of reps you do.