What’s all the fuss with Squats?

Do you think running will build you a bum that Nikki Minaj would be jealous of?

Not even close. SQUAT and see the results of hard work! The benefits of squatting could not be covered in one simple blog but I will do my best to give my opinion on why everyone should have some type of squatting movement in their weekly training program.

1. Squat and build lean muscle: Squats (obviously) target your legs. Building the muscle groups including your quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus and to an extent, your calves. Besides this, squatting is such a powerful exercise that it promotes body wide muscle building by creating an anabolic environment. Simply, squats triggers the release of hormones that helps build lean muscle in the entire body! Killing MORE than two birds with one stone.
2. Functional Exercise: We squat on a daily basis, whether it be to pick something up off the floor or simply to get up and down off the couch. Functional exercises are those that help your body to perform better in real-life activities. So do your body a favour and help improve mobility and balance to improve your everyday life.
3. Burn Fat at REST: One of the most effective ways to burn more fat when you’re not at the gym is to build more lean muscle.

** For every pound of additional muscle you gain, your body will burn an additional 50-70 calories per day **

One of the best muscle building exercises is the squat. Your lower body contains up to 35-50% of your total body mass and to neglect this group is to dig yourself a hole (especially if your goal is weight loss/lean muscle gain).

4. Prevent Injury & increase performance: Most athletic injuries involve weak stabilizer muscles, ligaments and connective tissues, which squats help strengthen. Doing this exercise also helps prevent injury by improving your flexibility by improving the range of motion in your ankles and hips and balance (as noted above). Any top athlete has at least one squat variation in their program. Now I am not saying everyone is an aspiring professional athlete, but there is no harm in taking a leaf out of their book. If you want your body to perform to a specific standard, then you need to spend some of that time at the gym in the squat rack.
5. Strong core: Who doesn’t want a strong core? Squats are excellent for building a strong well defined core. Your core muscles have to work extremely hard during squats to keep your torso upright and your back straight. So, next time you think squats are just working your legs, think again!

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