Squats – The Overall Developer
The squat is a lower body exercise used in weight training which is beneficial to building a great butt. However the exercise’s main emphasis is on the quadriceps and the glutes, but it also involves the hamstrings, the calves, and the lower back. Generally in the gym circles, the squat is often called the king of exercises because it bring into use a lot of muscle groups and thus is very good in the overall development of muscle mass.
The squat should be considered to be the overall butt development exercise because this exercise does not target any specific muscle group, rather is gives a very good overall lower body workout which is essential for a great butt.
An important point to make here is that squats are good at muscle development but aren’t particularly good at muscle lengthening even if you decide to do a full “deep squat”. This exercise should be considered by those who need to build muscle mass at their butt while those looking to sculpt their butts should consider other exercises such as Rock Climbing, Yoga or Pilates.
For squats you can either concentrate on doing high reps/light weights or low reps/heavy weights. High reps/light weights should be considered if you already have sufficient muscles and you would like to tone and define the muscles while low reps/heavy weights is purely for muscle development.
The squat is performed by bending the legs at the knees and hips, lowering the torso between the legs, and then reversing direction to stand up straight again. The torso remains relatively upright and straight throughout the movement and acts as a supporting structure; this is unlike the deadlift. Proper technique is critical, otherwise serious injuries or weaker abdominals over a period of time can occur. The back must be kept straight at all times and never rounded, otherwise excess strain can be placed on the spine and cause serious injury. If lifting heavier loads, lifting belts should be used to maintain the proper posture.
Experts are divided on how squats can be done safely. Some believe the squat must not go too deep — beyond the point where the thighs are parallel to the floor — otherwise excess and unnecessary strain will be placed on the knees while others believe that thighs actually touching calves is acceptable provided the knees do not travel farther forward than the toes, its really a controversial. Still others believe that the knees may travel slightly past the toes. It does seem well agreed upon that the knees should not travel more than a few inches beyond the toes, and that they should stay in line with the toes, not buckling inwards or outwards.
For me, I believe that squats can be done safely even if the squats are deep. The important thing to realize is that the deeper you go the greater the strain on the knees and thus the greater the importance of stance and posture. I also would recommend that you do deeper squats as you would want to develop more muscles evenly too. “Tight parallel” squats aren’t particularly great for the butt there isn’t enough extension to develop the glute muscles evenly, you’ll get a bubble butt in the process!
The feet should be flat on the floor, with even distribution of weight between the heel and the ball of the foot during eccentric (downward) muscle action. In order to reach a range of motion beyond parallel, individuals without sufficient ankle flexibility may try putting a flat board beneath the heels to artificially improve their flexibility always making sure that stability is maintained.
Similarly, a wedge shaped board may be used, allowing the entire foot to remain in contact with a single surface, improving stability over the first technique. Both methods are short-term fixes and require that regular stretching and a full range of motion be employed to maintain and increase flexibility to the desired levels with the ultimate aim that the board’s use be eliminated.
More articles from the Butt Exercise Series:
Butt Exercise Mini Series – Pascalite Clay
Butt Exercise Mini Series – Yoga and Pilates
Butt Exercise Mini Series – Outer Thigh Leg Lifts
Butt Exercise Mini Series – Hip Extensions
Butt Exercise Mini Series – Squats
Butt Exercise Mini Series – Butt Skin
Butt Exercise Mini Series – Butt Muscles
Butt Exercise Mini Series – Butt Assessment
Butt Exercise Mini Series – Butt Fat & Cellulite
Butt Exercise Mini Series – Saddle Bags and Upper/Lower Butt Section
Can A Workout Guide Help Guide You In The Right Direction?
You’ve decided to start working out. However, when you look into the best types of exercise to suit your purpose, you’re faced with an overwhelming plethora of choices! Do you join a gym, do aerobics or just start jogging around the block every day?
Different types of exercises suit different people and different weight loss / fitness goals. You also need to factor in things like – what type of exercise do you most enjoy doing. Or to put it another way – what type of exercise is going to be sustainable for you in the long term. There is no point deciding to take up running if you hate running or have health issues that would make running unfeasible. Likewise, joining a gym is out if you can’t afford the membership fees or there isn’t one convenient for you.
The Walking Workout – Walking Your Way To Better Fitness
One of the most convenient, easiest and popular ways to exercise is walking. Walking is an excellent form of exercise and suits pretty much every level of fitness. Additionally, nearly everyone can fit some walk time into their daily routine, even if it’s just walking the dog on a daily basis. It’s relatively easy to find an exercise partner to go walking with you, which provides added incentive to keep doing it. As you get fitter, you can increase the distance and intensity at which you walk too.
Aerobics – A Great Fitness Workout Option
Another very popular type of exercise, especially for women, is aerobics. In some countries, free or cheap council-run aerobics classes are a popular alternative to joining an aerobics club. If you think aerobics might be something you’d like to try, be sure to get hold of an aerobics for fitness guide. This will show you how the various types of exercises will benefit you and importantly, how to do them correctly.
Joining A Gym To Work Out
Yet another option is joining a fitness center or a gym. This gives you the option of having a variety of workout programs and equipment available to suit. Most also have trainers who can help you plan an appropriate workout and answer any questions. When choosing a fitness center, there are a couple of things to bear in mind. Good service is essential and well-maintained equipment of paramount importance. Exercise equipment in good condition and maintained correctly doesn’t generally squeak, rattle or make a lot of noise when used!
The Ultimate Convenience – Working Out At Home
You may even decide to purchase your own exercise equipment to set up at home. That’s the ultimate in convenience! However, it is an expensive outlay so be sure to select the best equipment for losing weight the way you want to lose it. If you don’t plan to do much strength training, don’t go overboard buying a ton of strength building equipment.
Choose The Right Exercises With A Workout Guide
Regardless of the type of exercise you choose, most workout guides advise you to start out the same way. Begin with a low level of intensity then build up to higher levels of intensity as your strength and fitness improves. If you start out by doing too much too soon you’ll run the risk of injuring yourself, possibly seriously. Also, bear in mind that depending on the type of exercise being done, workout guides written for women may differ from those for men simply because of differences in muscle bulk and strength.