6 Ways You May Be Squatting Wrong
Recently a client asked me this: ‘How do I get a booty like J-Lo and legs like Carrie Underwood?!”
Well first off, J-Lo did not get that toned tush overnight, she worked for it and same for Miss Underwood!
We all want a toned booty and legs and the best way to achieve those results are by completing some of the best toners around…squats!
But, if you’re not doing squats correctly, you aren’t making the most of this muscle-building move.
Here are 6 common squatting mistakes, and fixes:
Problem - Your shoulders and back are relaxed.
Without proper tension in your shoulders and back, your entire squat breaks down. If you round your back, you lose control and up your risk of injury.
The Fix - Pull your shoulder blades down and together. This simple switch will engage your core and keep your body from being loosey-goosey. Be mindful of your posture at all times.
Problem - Your knees fall toward each other.
Caved-in knees are a telltale sign that your outer thighs are lacking in strength. Allowing your knees to cave in will increase muscular imbalances.
The Fix - Anchor your feet to the floor, this will help keep your knees where they need to be. Take a “tripod” stance ensuring your weight is evenly distributed under your big toe, little toe and heel. Push your feet into the ground and out to the sides as you perform your squat. Try adding a circle resistance band - aka booty band - just above your knees. Focus on pushing outward slightly to create mild tension on your outer thighs.
Problem - You never squat below parallel.
There’s a big misconception that squatting below parallel is bad for your knees. That’s just not true. If you have no knee issues, squatting deeper is perfectly healthy and can actually make your knees stronger. An added bonus, deep squats actually work parts of your glutes that shallow squats don’t.
The Fix - Squat as low as you can comfortably. A good rule of thumb, squat until the top surface of your thigh is parallel with the floor. If you feel pain, you’ve pushed too low. Squats should never hurt.
Problem - You’ve only tried one type of squat.
You keep completing the same squat and are not seeing the results you were hoping for.
The Fix - Mix it up, after all, variety is the spice of life! Try adding back squats, front squats, goblet squats and plyometric squats into your weekly routine. Each squat targets a different muscle area - glutes, hamstrings and glute medius… aka that stubborn side booty.
Problem - You only squat once a week.
The less often you squat, the longer it will take for you to achieve results. Squats are incredibly efficient and work more muscles and burn more calories than any other movement.
The Fix - Set a goal to complete squats two to three times a week and change up your routine. One day lift heavier weights for a handful of reps. Another day lift lighter weights and increase the number of reps.
Problem - Your knees extend past your toes.
The farther your knees jut out past your toes, the more stress you place on your knee joints, which can lead to injury.
The Fix - Keep your knees in line with your toes by moving your hips back just as much as your knees move forward. Think like you’re trying to sit in an imaginary chair.
In our community we have leg day on Saturdays as well as back and booty day on Thursday where we focus more on the glutes than any other day of the week.
Here’s a quick, effective workout you can add to your weekly routine.
5 burpees
10 lunges - alternating forward, 10 per side
15 squats
Repeat 5 times
Happy squatting my friends!
Xo
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