Squat Your Way to Fitness with Squat Exercises

Written By admin • 2 min read

Every day when we sit down and stand up we are performing one of the most essential movements in exercise, squats.  The squat is the gateway movement to the majority of functional training.  Whether you are swinging a kettle bell or dead lifting, knowing how to execute the squat will help you perform these movements and avoid any injury.

As a personal trainer, safety is the number one concern when it comes to training.  Learning to squat properly will help you maximize your training and prevent injury.  Three main issues that prevent people from executing the squat correctly are flexibility, balance, and leg strength.  Before we do weighted squats trainers will use alternate exercises and techniques to help build a foundation on how to squat:  box or bench squats, ball squats, leg presses, partial squats, smith machine squats etc.

Follow these steps to execute a squat without using any weights.

1. Start with the feet about shoulder width apart.

2. Keep your head up looking slightly above parallel.

3. Keep your back flat and maintain the natural curve in your lumbar spine.

4. Push your butt towards the wall allowing the knees to follow the line of your toes.

5. Push your knees out to avoid knee knocking.

6. Keep your weight on your heels.

7. As you continue to descend keep your chest up and butt out.

8. If you are in front of a mirror, you should be able to see your chest during the descent.

9. To maintain balance you may extend your arms as you lower your body.

10. Stop when the top of your thigh is parallel with the ground or for more advanced stop when fold of the hip is below the knee.

11. Pause at the bottom.  If you can wiggle your toes without falling over you are in good position.

12. Return on the exact same path as you descended.

13. Drive your chest up and knees out as you make your ascent.

14. At the top push your hips to the wall in front of you so you are now standing straight up.

Some cues to remember are avoid knocking your knees together, keep your chest up, maintain a flat back, and look straight ahead.  If there is any rounding of the back you are at risk of injury and the movement should be stopped and reassessed.

If you continue to work on technique you will eventually master the squat.  Safety is always first when exercising.  Listen to your body.  If you are unsure of your technique or something does not feel right reevaluate the movement or ask for help from a trainer. We not only work out your body and re-shape it while you are here at Premier Fitness Camp, a weight loss boot camp in Utah, we teach you the proper positioning and techniques to perform all these exercises.

Fitness has always been Josh’s passion. He earned his Bachelors degree in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of Utah. He holds a personal trainers certificate from the International Sport Science Association and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA. He has worked in every facet of fitness training. Over the years he has worked with individuals from all walks of life including top athletes, children and the elderly.

Josh believes in realistic results through hard work and constant progression. He enjoys the opportunity he has to help people change their life. Every guest is uniquely different, and Josh has the ability to adapt to the needs of each Premier Fitness guest.