Meet The Squats: 7 Squat Variations You Should Be Doing

1
Meet The Squats Squat Variations You Should Be
Doing
2
(No Transcript)
3

• Want to know how to pick an experienced lifter
  out of a sea of newbies? Take a look at their
  squat. Do they move any weight? Are they doing
  full squats? Do they squat at all? All three
  questions can usually be answered with a single
  glance.
• But notice what question I didn't ask Are they
  holding a barbell across their traps?

4

• Make no mistake The classic barbell squat is one
  of the cornerstones of countless great lifting
  programs. Done correctly, it will add size. It
  trains everything from your quads, glutes, and
  hamstrings to your intestinal fortitude. However,
  it's by no means the only squat variation, and
  it's not the only one that deserves consideration
  in your program.

5
Reigning Champ Back Squat

• Advantages Posterior chain power, hypertrophy
• This is what you think of when you hear the word
  "squat." In my opinion, the back squat is the
  king of the strength-training world, and we're
  all just lucky to bask in its glory. Not only is
  it the most commonly utilized form of
  squattingexcept for the half-squat, maybethe
  full barbell back squat is one of the most
  effective exercises in the history of
  civilization for strengthening the lower body.

6

• While it trains the entire lower body
  musculature, the back squat places greater
  emphasis on the muscles of the posterior chain,
  such as the glutes, hamstrings and spinal
  erectors, than other squat variations. It's also
  an unparalleled lower-body mass-builder, so if
  size is what you're after, you need to give it a
  serious look.

7

• Cues Grab the barbell with a grip slightly wider
  than shoulder width, step under the bar, and
  place it across your upper back just below the
  top of your trapezius. Be sure to keep your
  shoulder blades pulled tightly together and
  maintain a tight upper back throughout the lift.
• After stepping out of the rack, initiate the
  movement by pushing your hips behind you. Keep
  your chest up and maintain an arched back while
  lowering yourself until the crease of your hip is
  lower than the top of your knee. Allow me to
  repeat that lower than the top of your knee.
  Strongly reverse the movement until back to the
  starting position. That's one rep

8

• Challenger 1. Front Squat
• Advantages Balanced leg strength, core and upper
  back strength, harder to cheat
• The front squat is quickly gaining popularity
  among a wide variety of athletes, partially
  because of its prominence in CrossFit protocols.
  It's also a crucial component of Olympic lifts.
  Whatever the reason you do it, it's an
  outstanding movement, not least of all because
  it's harder to do really badly than a back squat.

9

• By locating the barbell across your shoulders in
  front of the body, the front squat puts much more
  emphasis on the quadriceps and upper back than
  the traditional back squat, but still trains the
  glutes and hamstrings well.

10

• Cues I prefer a clean grip for the front squat.
  To perform it this way, grab a barbell with a
  grip slightly wider than shoulder-width. Swing
  your elbows under the bar until they are pointing
  forward and the barbell rests across your
  shoulders in front of you.
• Keep your elbows pointed forward throughout the
  movement. Squat while keeping your weight on your
  heels. Keep your chest and elbows up.

11

• Challenger 2. Overhead Squat
• Advantages Balance, muscular control, increased
  mobility
• Like front squats, overhead squats have their
  roots in Olympic weightlifting. The overhead
  squat strengthens the midpoint of the barbell
  snatch and is essential to mastering that
  particular lift. For non-competitive
  weightlifters, it can be an effective way to
  train the lower body while developing balance and
  mobility.

12

• Cues Snatch or press the barbell overhead and,
  while keeping it over your center of gravity,
  perform a squat. Overhead squats demand a certain
  degree of shoulder mobility to be executed
  correctly, but taking wide grip on the barbell
  makes this much easier.
• You may find it difficult to use a heavy enough
  weight on the overhead squat to truly challenge
  your legs, but that's not the point here. The hip
  mobility demands it places on you carry over to
  all other squatting variations.

13

• Challenger 3. Zercher Squats
• Advantages Torso and core strength, less spinal
  compression, carryover to deadlift
• A fairly uncommon exercise in most gyms, the
  Zercher squat is one of the best movements out
  there for developing a strong upper back and
  torso. Despite being a squat, however, most
  lifters find that it has a strong carryover to
  the deadlift and embrace it for that reason.

14

• Cues Real masochists, er, minimalists, start off
  by deadlifting a barbell off the floor, setting
  it on their thighs, hooking their elbows under
  the bar, and pressing it up. For the rest of us,
  place the barbell in the rack just lower than
  your sternum.
• With your elbows bent at your side, place the
  barbell in the crook of your bent elbows. Squat
  until your elbows go between your knees or the
  bar touches your thighs. That's one advantage of
  the Zercher It tells you when you reach depth.