If you want to get your lower body in shape, there’s no better workout than squats. Squats are an important part of most workout routines, especially if the focus is on strength training and developing balance. The proper position can be difficult to sustain initially but with time, squats are going to be your favorite workout for their immense benefits. However, you have to ensure that you’re following the proper techniques while doing a squat. We’re here with this article to help improve your squat.
- Correct Technique
Paying attention to the technique is an important part of improving your squat strength. Whichever type of squats you attempt, you’ve got to maintain the basic posture that includes keeping the hips back, chests forward, and knees pushed outwards. If you follow these three steps appropriately, there are chances that you’re doing your squat workouts correctly. Ideally, you should be positioning your knees diagonally, instead of keeping them parallel to each other. This doesn’t restrict movement and you get more comfort while performing the squat. Try to go down as much as is possible, to make the most out of the workout and help your lower body become stronger.
- Hip Strength
The more we talk about how you can improve your squat workout, the more you’ll notice how important it is to pay equal attention to every part of your body that’s going to be involved while you’re performing a squat. If you don’t have strong hip muscles, also known as glutes, spinal erectors, and hamstrings, your squat wouldn’t be satisfactory. Your hip muscles should have good coordination with your torso if you want to attain the ideal squat position. Hip strength is important for most strength-based exercises because of the vitality of hip extension for firmness. The exercises that can help you develop your hip muscles effectively are rack pulls, dumbbell swings, or kettlebell swings, Romanian deadlifts, etc.
- Core Strength
If you want to improve your squat workout, you have to focus more on quality than on quantity. Even if you do 5 to 10 squats every day, the position should be proper and your core muscles should be firm and upright. The best way to get your posture correct is to take a deep breath before you start the squat and hold it while you’re sustaining the squatting position. When you get back up, release the breath. Then when you attempt the next one, take a deep breath again. In this way, the pressure points of your torso would be uniform and you’d be able to develop a firmer core. Avoid doing the squats too quickly in the initial days to avoid injuries and excessive muscle cramps. The key is to start slow and steady.
- Shifting Pressure Point
One of the most important tips to follow while you’re holding the squatting position is to apply pressure on the floor, instead of your knees. In this way, you’ll shift the pressure point and the posture would be more accurate and way easier to do as well. You should always use all the force you can downwards, to keep your upper body straight and steady. This reduces the chances of injuries as well.