Squats are a key exercise for developing the front of the thighs. The main effect of its implementation is to increase the volume of the legs. Moreover, for targeted pumping of the buttocks, it is recommended to combine squats with deadlifts.
Without squats, it is impossible to create a powerful athletic physique – while the regular performance of this exercise helps to gain muscle mass faster. Why are barbell squats so important and how do they affect the figure?
Which muscles work the most when doing squats?
Squats are one of the basic functional exercises (that is, exercises that repeat the mechanics of movement in everyday life). It is used both in powerlifting and strength training and in CrossFit, aerobics, and many other areas of fitness.
In turn, barbell squats (performed with heavy working weights and low reps) have a positive effect on hormonal levels – including growth hormone and testosterone levels in men. This helps to build overall muscle mass faster and increases libido.
In addition, since the correct squatting technique involves a powerful exhalation when lifting up, it trains the respiratory system – including the muscles of the diaphragm and abdomen. Regular squats not only allow you to swing your legs but also create powerful abs.
Which muscles get the most load?
The main load when doing squats falls on the muscles of the front surface of the thigh (quadriceps) and, when pushing the weight up, on the buttocks. The secondary load goes to the muscles of the back of the thighs and to the calves. Plus, the abdominal muscles and extensors of the back are involved in the work.
Among other things, squats strengthen not only the muscles but also the knee tendons – and also improve the neuromuscular connection with the brain due to the need to synchronize the movement of the hip, knee, and ankle joints.
How to squat properly?
There are many variations of squats – both with body weight (the arms are usually extended forward), and with a barbell, dumbbell, kettlebell, or rubber bands. The classic option is squats with a barbell located on the shoulders, supported by the hands.
Feet should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, toes turned to the sides by about 30 degrees. To avoid excessive stress on the knee joints, you need to squat back, as if sitting on a chair – while your knees do not go to the line of socks.
How to improve efficiency?
To increase the effect of squats, at the top point of the movement, it is necessary to strain the muscles of the buttocks as much as possible – in order to feel their involvement in the work when lowering down. It is also important to watch the depth of the squat, not sitting too high or too low.
In turn, the upward movement should not begin with straightening the back, but with pushing the weight due to the muscles of the back of the thigh. In order to avoid back pain, it is necessary to ensure that when squatting, the spine retains its natural shape and does not bend.
Squats or deadlifts?
If during squats the bar rests on the shoulders, then during the deadlift it is located on the floor. Although in both cases the leg muscles are involved in the work, the distribution of the load is fundamentally different. In squats, the front surface of the legs is trained, in the deadlifts – the buttocks and the back of the thigh.
In other words, these exercises are designed to complement each other, not replace. Increasing your strength in the squat helps you lift more weight in the deadlift, while the deadlift engages your spinal extensors more effectively – which creates an athletic physique.
In addition, barbell squats increase the volume of the hips and the width of the waist – in case this is not desirable, the exercise should be replaced with a bench press in the simulator. The deadlift (especially on straight legs), in turn, actively pumps the buttocks – much better than lunges.