What does squatting 100 times a day do? When you get up in the morning, squat to one hundred. What will happen if you do this every day? Squats and side leg raises

We often come across the opinion on the Internet that, supposedly, squatting without weight every day, at least 100, at least 200 times, is pointless and even harmful, it won’t do any good, but the harm... wow!

To be honest, it’s strange to even come across such a point of view; is it really true that everyone writing these articles is of crazy size, who only recognizes a squat of 100 kg?

What happens if you squat every day?

So, let's figure it out and see what the result will be if you squat every day? We rely on knowledge of human physiology, personal experience and various reviews. We will also be glad if you share your personal experience in comments!

Increased muscle flexibility

It's no secret that with age, the flexibility of the human body only gets worse, which significantly affects the quality of life and activity. Therefore, squats, this banal, simple, universal movement will perfectly help you stretch your “stiff muscles”.


It is no coincidence that squats in one form or another (with a shortened amplitude, with the addition of circular rotation hands, etc.) are included in a wide variety of practices: from harmless exercise therapy to shamanic qigong and kundalini.

You can call it “improving the circulation of qi energy throughout the body”, “accelerating the chakras” or “accelerating the energy flow through the body” - the essence will be the same, you will really feel better from this simple movement.

The essence of “anti-migraine exercises,” “yoga for headaches,” or even exercise therapy for osteochondrosis comes down to simple and understandable goals: blood and lymph need to be dispersed, the muscles need to be slightly stretched and stretched, and the body’s tissues should be enriched with oxygen and other useful substances.

So if you don’t want to just squat every day, then convince yourself that you are joining an ancient practice of some kind, because squats are one of the most natural positions of our body, “built-in” into our physiology.

For example, previously a person went to relieve himself in a deep squat position. Nowadays we rarely find ourselves in this position, despite the fact that it is very useful.

Saving joints

Let's look at a little physiology. For every joint in the body, it is necessary to provide “nutrition” to the cartilage and its movement.


What does a joint actually consist of? A joint is a connection of bones, each of which is covered with cartilage. The joint itself is enclosed in an articular capsule (capsule), which is attached to the articulating bones. It ensures the tightness of the joint and protects it from damage due to the fact that its inner membrane, synovial, produces the so-called synovial membrane into the joint cavity. synovial fluid.

It is needed for wetting and nourishing the cartilage, its normal sliding.

What is needed to produce this liquid? Two things: movement and contraction. If a joint doesn't go through its full range of motion, then the body says, "Okay, so I won't use it." In other words, we don't rotate our knees and hips through their full range, parts of the joint begin to degenerate and stop producing synovial fluid.

Cartilage is a smooth surface that plays a vital role in the joint itself. It is thanks to it that the heads of the bones slide smoothly relative to each other and absorb the loads that the joint experiences during movements.

We emphasize very important point : the joints (and the vertebrae) in fact do not have an independent blood supply; they receive the nutrition necessary for normal and painless work from the surrounding tissues by leakage.

So, the cartilage of the joint absorbs synovial fluid only when moving: when you squeeze your fingers, synovial fluid comes out of the cartilage into the joint cavity, when you squeeze it, it is absorbed back into the cartilage, delivering food to it.

If you are overweight excess weight, which puts an overload on the joints, or (low amount of movement in life), which gives insufficient load, due to which the blood supply is disrupted, the cartilage does not receive normal nutrition, the process of dying off old cells is underway, and the generation of new ones is stopped, cartilage " dries out” and pain begins.

So squats, and even every day, especially without weight, are the best way to both prevent and treat problem joints. We absolutely agree with Bubnovsky in this regard and consider it the best medicine for joint pain.

Development of coordination

The more often you perform a movement, the better you will get at it. But besides this, developing coordination will give you other benefits that are common to the whole body: improved mobility and mobility.

In principle, this happens according to the same principle - to stretch the muscles, ligaments and tendons for better blood supply.

Improving your sex life

Thanks to daily squats, you can improve blood circulation in the pelvic organs and thereby increase your sexual activity!


By squatting every day, I noticed that blood circulation in the pelvic area has improved significantly. This had a positive effect on my family life and on the relationship with my beloved.

In addition, I felt that in general it became much easier for me to move, my legs were no longer so fast and did not get so tired, and climbing stairs or up a mountain became much easier for me.
And in general, I have become more fit, agile, dexterous, and my reaction has improved.

Benefits for the Heart

In our body, in fact, there are two hearts, the first is the heart in the literal sense and the second is the peripheral one, i.e. muscles. Special studies have shown that the activity of skeletal muscles, promoting blood circulation, does not impede, but, on the contrary, greatly facilitates the work of the heart muscle, provided that the physical activity is not excessive.

Skeletal muscles are a kind of peripheral “hearts” that help return venous blood to the heart, working like pumps. The fact is that as it moves through the arterial vessels, blood pressure decreases significantly. And in order for the blood to rise through the veins to the heart again, the help of peripheral “hearts” is necessary.

Squats are great way to maintain normal blood flow. Here is an excerpt from Bubnovsky’s works on the benefits of squats for your heart:


Squats - execution strength exercises for legs with the connection of the muscles of the foot, lower leg, thigh, buttock. They are performed accompanied by a diaphragmatic exhalation “haaa”, that is, an active exhalation with each extension of the legs (that is, when standing up).

This is not a burden on the heart, but a help to it. That is, the “peripheral heart” picks up the arterial wave of blood and delivers it back to the heart while maintaining the required speed and volume of blood flow. Nature has not come up with other mechanisms for maintaining normal blood flow. So weak legs mean a weak heart!

Squats are one of the main exercises that help the heart, and in case of heart disease (coronary artery disease, arrhythmia) - its medicine. Pills prescribed at the first signs of heart failure, reducing so-called physical activity (I never understood such a recommendation) “corrupt” the body, simultaneously promoting muscle atrophy.

As an example, I usually give two squat techniques: without support (arms up) and with a fixed support (Fig. 7, 8).

Contraindications to squats are coxarthrosis hip joints(dysplastic or deforming) and deforming gonarthrosis of III-IV degree (defeat knee joints).

Weight loss

This is our most painful topic, which we write about constantly: how much you eat is much more important here.

Anything, even the most easy exercise combined with diet will lead to fat loss within a month!

And simply by cutting calories we will gain weight loss and definition. By adding walking or squats, we will, of course, get some acceleration of progress. But this does not mean that the result was achieved through activity. Mostly the diet worked, movement helped the process a little.

However, a person cannot live by losing weight and exercising alone! If your health and good mood, then squatting every day will be a great option for promoting these factors!

More attractive appearance of buttocks, abs and legs

Many people think that squats without weight in any quantity are not able to solve (in their eyes) the most important problem - getting rid of cellulite and pumping up the meter center of the Universe. And this is partly true, but with a few points:

    Not a single exercise will get rid of cellulite.

    It’s really not possible for everyone to pump up their buttocks - it’s all down to banal genetics. But this does not mean that all is lost!

    Yes, if you are a long-time gym goer and are, in principle, actively involved in sports, and even with weights, squats without weight will not have a significant effect on your Madame Siju. But if you are a beginner, then believe me, there will definitely be an effect!

    Firstly, tone will appear in the muscles, and posture, thanks to the squat technique, will improve. By keeping your back straight and your core tight, your belly will look more toned. Will leave excess water from the body, which means cellulite will be less noticeable.

    And in any case, it is better to do at least something, a certain minimum, than nothing at all, and this madam is just sitting.

Indeed, literally 1-2 months after stable daily squats (yes, I'm not lazy), I noticed that my legs began to have beautiful muscles, this was especially noticeable when I strained my leg.

Also, after some time, I noticed how my buttocks tightened up, stopped hanging like “sad buns,” and recently my beloved even said about my butt, “it looks like a heart.” This is great! Thanks squats.


Plus, my tummy used to hang a little, but when I started squatting, my stomach instantly became flat. I didn’t eat less; I allow myself both flour and sweets.

I started, as expected, from the new month, from the first day. On the first day, the number of squats is 25 times, but for an unprepared person this is not so stressful. Then every day I added five to ten squats, looked at my endurance, by the middle of the month I could sit down slowly without rest 50-60 times.

Of course, in the first month, on the thirtieth day, it was a little hard to do 250 reps, but I managed to do it in four sets! Now I’ve gotten used to it, it’s easier to squat, of course, but I still feel tired in my muscles.

Of course, I want the best results, but in 5 months of squats, of course, there were times when I messed up and missed them, I think that’s not bad! I have lost five stable kilograms, and this will happen again without diets or exhausting exercise. My butt has tightened up noticeably, my husband really likes it!

The cellulite did not go away at all, but became less noticeable, the thighs also tightened, and the calves became more expressive. If you are not lazy, then the way to slim body not that far away.

The most important reason

It's all about our psychology. As soon as you start changing one area of ​​your life, others automatically follow. Creating something new and going beyond your comfort zone is already 80 percent of success.

It is very important to make small but necessary changes every day. It’s hard to say how long, because... We found out an important fact:.

Most likely, you will need a few more days to strengthen your new useful ritual, but believe me, it's worth it! It is on this principle, by the way, that all sorts of wish cards, affirmations and other tricks are based. You simply load yourself with the information you need, choose some simple action, and your brain processes it all on its own.

“How can you eat an elephant? A little bit every day.” The same philosophy applies to making changes in your life. When you start small, you don't need any crazy motivation to do it. This is not some kind of “palmistry”, this is ordinary psychology.

Gradual small changes are how nature works. Evolution with incremental improvements. Many people simply cannot immediately start going to the gym three times a week. Problems with motivation invariably begin, there is not enough time for everyday activities and stuff like that.

Thanks to such small, daily efforts, you gently prepare yourself for something bigger - your psyche and your body get used to the very idea that you need to exercise and this does not happen through violence, “you are a weak-willed rag,” but with love and respect for yourself, your personality and essence.

Not in the literal sense, of course, although this is not excluded. Our regular readers probably already remember this expression. “Eating a frog” means doing something unpleasant. So, do this at the beginning of the day.

It's one thing whether it's a difficult work task or an unpleasant phone call. Get rid of this matter, and it will not hang over you like a heavy burden for the rest of the day.

So we suggest you move squats to the morning. Get up early, drink a glass of water and do exercises, or better yet... exercise therapy complex Fortunately, there are a huge number of them on the Internet. We like it from this channel, you can choose according to your taste.

After warming up, do your squat quota. We do not recommend starting immediately with 100, 200, etc. Leave beautiful, big numbers for later, when your technique, psyche and body itself are ready for it.


And if you have breakfast with one of these and go to work on foot, then believe me, in a week you will be able to move mountains!

How to do it right

    When performing squats, pay attention to the position of your feet, knees, body and head! But no matter what foot placement you use, your heels should remain pressed to the floor throughout the entire movement, the load being distributed evenly across the entire foot.

    The knees should go in the same direction as the feet. It is a mistake to believe that the knees cannot go beyond the line of the foot; in this case, everything depends on the structure of the person.

    Never allow your back to round.

    If it’s really hard, you can hold on to a chair.

    The chin should be slightly raised, the gaze directed forward and upward. In squats, different squat depths can be used, it all depends on the level of fitness and joint mobility. It’s better to start with a parallel squat.

Not only does it help to fight age-related changes after 50 healthy image life, but also some exercises. 100 squats a day provide a full-fledged cardio load for the normal functioning of blood vessels and the heart, strengthen muscles, and improve coordination of movement.

Exercises stimulate blood circulation and lymph flow in the pelvic organs. The movement of fluids prevents the development of stagnation. The problems of the male body can be resolved without drugs and expensive procedures.

How squats help in prolonging life

Canadian scientists studied people of different age groups. They tested push-ups, squats, flexibility and grip strength. And they came to the conclusion that the greater the endurance, the lower the mortality rate. Moreover, during squats, the most important indicator was not the strength of the legs, but the ability to do as many repetitions as possible.

What do these studies mean? During squats they are involved different groups muscles. They degenerate with age. The more tissue that dies, the sooner death occurs. For example, in men under the age of 50, the number of muscle fibers in lateral muscle hip remains unchanged. But having passed this age limit, the muscles begin to degrade.

The number of fibers decreases by half over a couple of decades. Muscle tone, activity and normal functioning can be maintained through training. Preservation of muscle mass, physical performance- excellent prevention of aging of body tissues.

Benefits of squats

Squats speed up metabolism, train muscles, and help burn fat deposits. When performed regularly, the body looks toned and sculpted, and posture improves. Training the knee, hip and ankle joints reduces the risk of injury in everyday life and simply increases joint mobility. The benefits for the male body are manifested in the following:

  • squats train blood vessels;
  • blood flow in the pelvic area increases;
  • the development of prostatitis and adenoma is prevented;
  • sexual functions improve.

Benefits of squats over other exercises

A fairly simple exercise that can be easily performed at home. There is no need to buy special uniforms or equipment for training. To work out the maximum number of muscles, it is enough to change the execution technique.

How to squat correctly

You can't squat 100 in one set. The total number of squats must be divided into 3-4 approaches. By performing 25-35 squats at a time, you get the optimal load.

Just starting training with squats, you should limit yourself to three sets of 15 squats with an amplitude of 30°. Over time, you should increase the depth of the squat and the number of repetitions. A person who can do 100 deep squats in 3 sets is considered sufficiently resilient.

200 squats is simple program, with which you can squat two hundred times in a row in six weeks.

If you think this is impossible, follow the program exactly and you will see that 200 squats in a row is a reality. You will need a detailed plan, discipline and about thirty minutes a week.

There are several options for proper squats, you can also use or to increase the effectiveness of squats. This program does not include weights; this is a technique based on simple squats.

  1. You need to stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart so that you can keep your back straight while squatting.
  2. When you bend your legs, you need to tense. Your arms can be extended in front of you or spread to the sides. You need to lower yourself into a squat until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Then you need to return to the starting position.

It is very important to follow the correct technique for doing squats, otherwise you may get serious injury. The back should maintain its natural curvature and should not be arched too much.

In addition, to avoid straining the knee joints, the buttocks should not be lowered below the knees.

It is important to remember that the main goal of this program is to strengthen your body and promote overall health. You can achieve real success if you set ever-increasing goals for yourself.

It is very important to follow the correct technique for doing squats, otherwise you can get seriously injured. While squatting, keep your head and chest straight and your knees turned outward.

Squats as a form of exercise are quite common. The main focus of these exercises is strengthening the gluteal muscles and quadriceps, but the lower muscles also take part in the work. calf muscles, biceps femoris.

It is enough to devote thirty minutes a week to these exercises and strictly follow the recommendations of this program as much as possible. You will actually feel much more confident after just a few workouts.

Before starting this program, you need to consult with your doctor and take an initial test, which will show your actual level of fitness, and you will be able to determine exactly where to start training and how to plan your program.

You need to do as many squats as you can handle. There is no need to embellish your results; if you start from the wrong level, you can significantly reduce the effectiveness of your training. Even if your initial results turn out to be more than modest, do not be discouraged, you can achieve maximum success if you are honest with yourself, from the beginning to the end of your training.

Before you begin the exercises of the first week, you need to wait a couple of days so that your muscles can rest after the test and you can carefully study the program. Classes should be held three times a week, with a rest day between workouts.

Rest between sets should be 60 seconds.

You don't have time to go to the gym, but at the same time you want to have slender legs, firm buttocks And thin waist? Set aside 20 minutes a day for 100 squats, and within a month you will see the results! Which?

What happens to your body if you do 100 squats every day?

Squats for weight loss

Squats for work ability

During squats, blood circulation increases, which has a beneficial effect on blood vessels and brain cells, which are enriched with oxygen.

By squatting 100 times every day, you will become:

  • more energetic
  • more concentrated
  • more carefully,
  • more stress-resistant.

Squats for the Heart

By squatting 100 times a day, you will increase venous circulation in the legs and blood flow directly to the heart, thereby facilitating its work, since any cardio load (and squats without weights are specifically cardio load) trains the heart muscle.

Squats are also useful for normalizing the functioning of the nervous and respiratory systems, as well as the vestibular apparatus.

Squats for injury prevention

Intense physical activity can negatively affect the condition of ligaments and joints. If you want to avoid these problems, you need to train the muscles of your lower body. And regular squats will help you with this.

By performing 100 or more shallow squats daily, you will improve the condition of your joints, which will stop “crunching”, strengthen your knees, ankles, as well as the muscles of your legs and back, which is an excellent prevention of sports injuries.

But keep in mind that deep squats put stress on your knees. intense load, so if you have problems with your knees, then practice static exercises deep squats.

How to squat correctly?

Here are a number of rules, adhering to which, squats will bring exceptional benefits to the body:

1. Before doing squats do a warm-up, including flexion and extension of the knees, stretching, rotation of the feet. This will not only reduce the risk of joint damage and make the muscles more flexible, but will also generally increase the effectiveness of the workout.

2. Choose the most optimal squat mode for yourself: Beginners are advised to break 100 squats into 5 sets of 20 reps. When your body gets used to this load, you can move on to 2 sets of 50 squats. But your goal is 100 squats in 5 minutes.

3. Accept correct position body:

  • Place your feet parallel, shoulder-width apart.
  • Keep your hands on your belt or in front of you.
  • Straighten your back: incorrect posture during squats can cause spinal injury.
  • Fix your feet on the floor (during squats, do not lift your heels off the floor).
  • Squat so that your thighs are parallel to the floor.
  • Watch your breathing: lower your body as you inhale, and lift it as you exhale.
  • Tighten your abdominal muscles to increase the effectiveness of squats.
  • Squat so that your knees are not turned inward and do not go beyond the line of your toes.
  • While doing squats, look straight ahead (it is better to do the exercise in front of a mirror to control your body position).

4. To avoid damaging your knees do not do it sudden movements during squats (especially for deep squats to the floor). Squat smoothly and carefully: when correct technique You will feel a stretch in the back of your shin.

5. If you want to increase the effectiveness of your workout and add weights, do this after 2 - 3 weeks. Remember that any weights increase their own weight, and, consequently, stress on the muscles, which is not always useful.

9. Remember that squats, like any other form physical activity, have a number of contraindications.

Contraindications to squats

Absolute contraindications for squats include:

  • Recent injuries.
  • Muscle inflammation.
  • Diseases of the knee and hip joints.
  • Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region.

Relative contraindications for squats include:

  • Menstruation period.
  • Exacerbation of any existing diseases.
  • Increased body temperature.

Types of squats

Squats to parallel

Performed in such a way that the thighs are parallel to the floor during the squat.

To learn how to properly perform squats to parallel, you can use a chair as a handy tool.

Squat technique:

  • Sit on the edge of the chair.
  • Place your feet hip-width apart.
  • Place your heels below the level of your knees.
  • Push yourself up using the force of your gluteal muscles (you can help yourself by swinging your arms).
  • Do a squat until your buttocks touch the chair.
  • Make sure your knees do not go further forward than your toes.

It is important to choose the right chair for squats, the height of which should be such that when sitting on it, the thighs are strictly parallel to the floor, while the entire surface of the foot is on the floor.

This type of squat effectively targets the buttocks, calves and thighs (especially inner part).

Plie technique:

  • Spread your legs wide, with your knee pointing toward your big toe.
  • Bend your knees slightly.
  • Place your hands on your hips or cross them in front of you.
  • Pull your stomach in.
  • Squat on a deep breath with a perfectly straight back, looking ahead.
  • IN lowest point When squatting, the thighs are parallel to the floor, while the projection of the knee should not extend beyond the foot.
  • Hold the position for 2 - 3 seconds, then exhale and return to the starting position without straightening your legs completely.

By performing plie squats every day, you:

  • Round your buttocks.
  • Unload your spine.
  • Strengthen bottom part bodies.

This type of squats is similar in technique to plie. But there are still differences.

Sumo squat technique:

  • Spread your legs as wide as possible.
  • Turn your knees in different directions.
  • Bend your back forward and move your pelvis back (imagine that there is a chair behind you that you need to sit on).
  • Do a squat and hold the position for a few seconds.
  • Take the starting position without fully extending your knees.

Sumo squats are a great option for girls who want to make their buttocks more elastic and sculpted.

Pistol squats allow you to actively work out your quadriceps and build muscle mass, improve flexibility and coordination.

Supported squat technique:

  • We stand in front of the support.
  • We stretch our arms forward or spread them to the sides (this will help maintain balance).
  • We raise one leg in front of us and straighten it.
  • While inhaling smoothly, bend the other leg at the knee and sit down on the support.
  • As you exhale, push the body to the starting position.

At first, you will not sit down, but literally fall onto the chair, but over time you will be able to perform the exercise smoothly and without support.

Technique for performing pistol squats without support:

  • We place our feet shoulder-width apart.
  • We transfer the body weight to one (supporting) leg.
  • Slowly squat on the supporting leg, while simultaneously raising the second leg, which should be straight, in front of you.
  • During a squat, we move the pelvis back.
  • We linger at the bottom point for 2 seconds, and then push the body to the starting position.
  • We change the leg.

From the first days you should not do deep squats, in which the pelvis drops below the level of the knees during the squat.

Start mastering the exercise with a shallow squat and gradually increase the amplitude.

The main difference between this type of squats is the presence of support, namely the wall, against which we will press our backs during the exercise.

Wall squat technique:

  • Stand against a wall so that your back is pressed against its surface and your legs are located some distance away.
  • Feet shoulder width apart.
  • The toes are slightly turned outward.
  • Hands on your hips or extended in front of you.
  • The back is straight.
  • Slowly squat down, bending your knees and pressing your back firmly against the wall.
  • The lowest point of a squat is considered to be the one at which the knees are bent at a right angle of 90°, while the thighs are parallel to the floor (again, imagine that we are sitting on an imaginary chair).
  • Stay at the bottom point for as long as possible.
  • Smoothly, but with effort, rise up, taking the starting position. The legs should not be completely straightened.

Wall squats help correct posture, strengthen the heart muscle and normalize blood circulation.

Static squats

Mortar

This is a type of shallow squat that strengthens the sacrum.

Initial position:

  • Feet shoulder-width apart or wider.
  • The hips are moved to the sides.
  • The feet are positioned in the plane of the hips so that thumb the legs were aligned with the hip.
  • The lower back is straight. We tighten the abdominal muscles, without using the buttocks.
  • Rib cage open, as when inhaling through the chest.
  • Arms crossed over chest or extended forward.
  • The head is slightly tilted forward.

Technique:

  • In the starting position, we push our hips to the sides and back, creating only a moment, without movement (as if we are pushing apart the walls of a corridor with our knees). The lower back should not bend.
  • The sensations should be localized in the sacral area, while there should be no tension in the hips.

Chair (utkatasana)

During this type of squats, the muscles of the legs and back are involved, so utkatasana helps straighten the spine.

Technique:

  • We bring our legs together so that thumbs legs touching and heels slightly apart, with the outer ribs of the feet parallel to each other.
  • We squat, bending our knees so that the heels do not come off the floor (it is important that there are right angles in the knees, as well as between the body and hips).
  • The back is straight, the lower back is straight.
  • The chest is open, breathing is through the stomach.
  • The arms are raised up, and the palms are connected and clenched with noticeable force (the elbows can be bent, but it is important that they are directed forward).
  • We don't tense our shoulders.
  • We push our knees slightly to the sides, clinging to the floor with our feet (to understand this movement, you can tie your legs with a belt above the knees and try to break it).

And remember that gradually increasing the load is one of the most important principles effective training. And squats in this regard are no exception! Therefore, do not stop there and set new goals for yourself! How about two hundred squats a day?

There are many reasons to hate squats. For example, it is very difficult to do them correctly. The muscles ache for the next few days. So the thought of doing 100 squats every day is a terrible torture for most reasonable people. However, going through the pain guarantees huge potential results in other various exercises.

Of course, along with the bench press and deadlift, it is one of the "big three" difficult exercises in training and doing it correctly is far from easy. Like the other two, the squat will require you to join together muscle groups throughout the body, a combination of balance, strength and power, for correct execution. It all depends on good form. To squat without injury, good physical fitness is necessary.

We're not talking about barbell squats, or practicing with the relatively safe Smith hack machine. At its core, squatting with own weight body is a difficult exercise to perform. That's why, to acquire a good physical fitness, great success and minimal injury, we have gathered the best sports experts to tell you how to master the squat on your own.




Experts

  • James Castle-Mason is an all-round fitness guru, master trainer and exercise specialist.
  • Luke Worthington is not only a fantastic person, but also an expert in biomechanics and personal coach, working with MMA fighters, as well as Commonwealth and Olympic level athletes in Russia, UK, USA and Europe.
  • David Arnot - Issues Specialist physical development working with innovators healthy eating Nutrifix and part of the elite Evolve 353 training equipment. Arno knows all the ins and outs of creating a powerful body.

Why are squats important?

Let's start from the beginning. Very few men squat for fun. In the Rocky movie, you won't see a single squat, so what's the point? It turns out that squats have just as many benefits as Stallone's wiry muscles.

Worthington takes a practical approach, emphasizing that, logistically, mastering squats at home means purchasing a good home workout and you will no longer need to travel to the gym constantly, and you will not be limited by travel time. Castle-Mason explains in a little more detail: “Squatting is a completely natural human movement that children can do easily, but most adults no longer manage.”





So why do children have an advantage? What have we lost that they still have? Castle-Mason - and many other experts - believe that the fact that most of us often spend time in forced body positions means that our bodies become less mobile and we end up involuntarily limiting our range of movement. If you don't use the movement, you gradually lose the ability to squat.

Squats are beneficial because they force us to move in ways that are no longer natural in the new world of 21st century offices. To cope with squatting and various office-related problems such as back pain will be helpful: “Squats with own weight and learning how to squat can greatly improve your body’s ability to relearn lost movements and stabilize in a lower position,” says Castle-Mason.

So, the more you squat, the more benefits it will have for your posture.

Mastering squats won't just benefit you today. As Arnot points out, the older we get, the less we tend to move. As we reach middle age and older age, squats will help maintain hip mobility and also strengthen the muscles around the hips and upper legs.

In addition to biomechanics, gluteal muscles and the hamstrings are the most big muscles in the body, which means they burn more calories when stimulated. So squatting is the best fat burner you can do without wearing running shoes.

Moreover, strong legs create a strong foundation for other sports. Whether it's rugby, rock climbing, snowboarding or fencing, almost everything an athlete does requires strong, durable legs with a full range of motion. Your legs truly are the foundation of your fitness.

Bodyweight and weighted squats

As Worthington said, a good argument for focusing on bodyweight squats at home is that you can work around your schedule and don't have to stand in line for a bunch of plates for a free barbell at the gym. Plus, you can always buy a pair of dumbbells and keep them at home for more than just bodyweight squats. If you are just starting to train, then master the basics at home before you decide to apply them in gym.

"Whether you're squatting with your body weight or holding dumbbells to make yourself heavier, the biomechanics are very similar in the two cases," says Arnaud. So, whether at home or in the gym, you will work with the same movements. The main difference is that you'll likely have access to more weight in the gym, which means you'll be able to build more muscle once you improve your fitness.

How to perform the perfect squat?

The first thing to remember is to position yourself properly before you start squatting. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and distribute your weight evenly between them.

“Imagine your big toe is glued to the floor,” Arnot says. “Try turning your knees outward; this will create an arch in your legs and add tension to the muscles in your upper legs. As you lower, focus on your hip joints and then your knees. Don’t be afraid to lean forward, this will allow you to push your hips back into a squatting position.”

When it comes to your feet, it's important to remember that most of your weight should be in your heels. You should be squatting, not leaning forward, so most of the weight should be on your feet. As with the deadlift, poor weight distribution at this stage can mean your back is arched, which can be very dangerous and lead to long-term pain.



“As you lower, keep your knees facing outward so you have room to squat deeper without bending your lower back,” Arnot continues. “Keep your muscles tense. To get up, you need to tighten your calf and gluteal muscles and straighten up straight.”

"At correct squat shin (tibia) and torso ( top part backs) should remain parallel when moving up and down,” adds Worthington. "This fixation provides correct movement at the ankle, knee and hip joints.”

If there is a lack of movement in one or more of these joints, then the others will require additional stress - essentially, you will lose your balance and the squat will become unbalanced.

How deep you should squat is up to you. And while the goal is to be comfortable in the squat, think of it as something to strive for rather than a gold standard that you have to nail the first time.

Worthington, for his part, is not a fan of the floor squat approach. “Pelvic anatomy is a separate thing, a person’s range is determined by their body, the extensibility of the tissues, their strength and motor control,” he says. “There is no one standard that will fit everyone.” He says the focus should be on moving your body through the maximum range of motion possible while maintaining good alignment and avoiding pain.

Once again, just in case you need it, handy checklist from the three points below:

  1. First step: lift your eyes. Whether you use a barbell or your own bodyweight, looking down takes away the stability of your upper body, which is critical to effective movement.
  2. Second step: inhale. Inhaling air from the stomach and turning on abdominals before the body moves downwards is prerequisite for efficient and safe movement.
  3. Step three: keep your legs still. This is a necessary stable leg position to engage the thigh muscles.

How to do 100 squats a day

Slow down, you may have just done a squat you were happy with. Achieving 5 squats with good posture should be your first goal. Once you have that, you can move up to 10 and then start planning on doing 10 sets of 10 times throughout the day.

Once you really, truly perform the squat correctly, you the best way To make progress, aim for 10 squats a day for one week. Then aim for 20 a day the next week and so on. This way you won't overload your muscles by doing 100 reps in one day and then none in a week. Work it out every day and your legs will get used to the set amount of reps for the day, rather than shocking them by doing 100 reps at a time.

Still having problems? Arnaud has a few exercises to help you develop the basics: Sit in a chair and stand up. Got it? Okay, thanks for reading, and Have a good day. Oh wait, there's more: “Try it on chairs first, then try working on a low chair for 10 seconds. Once you get the hang of it, you can try bodyweight squats,” he says.

Not only will this completely burn out your hamstrings (in a good way), but it will also help you gain the stability you need to do a lot of squats. And after you do that, you can work on your hundred. See how many squats you can do in 30 seconds, then 60. Continue in this manner until you can do 50 squats. When it becomes easy, shorten the rest period. For example, you can do 10 squats in 30 seconds while resting for 15, meaning you'll get 50 squats in 3.5 minutes. Then you can increase your squats to 75 and so on.

The Arnaud method is obviously different from the Castle-Mason method, but both will be correct. This is an easy option to find out what works best for you.

Anything else I need to know?

Funny if you didn't ask. Yes. Reducing injury should be the most important aspect of your squat technique. It doesn't matter if you do 100 squats one day but then can't walk for the next week. Worthington suggests doing vigorous leg, hip, and upper back stretches before performing heavy exercise.

Taking a break is equally important, especially if you feel a pang in your spine during exercise. Arnot recommends a light walk or jog to get the blood moving, clear any toxins from damaged tissue, and provide oxygen and antioxidants to any damaged areas. A good sports massage or salt bath will also help your muscles relax.

Finally, Castle-Mason cautions against overtraining. If you feel that your muscles are excessively compressed and stiff, limit your movements.

Additionally, continue to focus on your posture and weight distribution and you will reach your goal of 100 squats per day. as soon as possible. It's just footwork.