A barbell squat targets your legs but overall balances your whole body. Adding this exercise to your workout can take you to take it to a whole new level. This exercise is a weight training exercise that is meant to target your lower body area and is done while using weights. This exercise targets your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, core, and lower back while helping you build some muscle mass.
This article explores more Into this exercise and helps you get the answers to certain questions, such as how to do squats with weights, how to do it as a beginner, and the proper form to do a barbell squat.
How to Do Barbell Squat
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Set up your exercise station:
First, you need to understand that your endurance and the way your body is structured play a major role in how you do this, as well as any other existing exercise. This means setting up your exercise station, aka finding your form and finding what you are comfortable with, it’s completely up to you. First, you need to see what foot stance works for you. You need to take a lightweight to your chest, set apart your feet on a hip-width length, and do a basic squat. Move your feet wider apart and test what position you are comfortable with. This is the key to performing a barbell squat.
- Set up your rack:
You need to set your barbell at the perfect chest length on your squat rack and make sure that the barbell aligns with your upper traps.
- Lift the bar:
Once you’re sure that the bar is at the perfect height, you can lift it right off the rack and take two to three steps back to maintain a healthy distance. Ensure that your feet are slightly pointed outwards and are more than shoulder-width apart.
- The descent into a squat:
You have to push your hips back bend your knees properly while maintaining this position, and go down to a squat. Ensure that you maintain a straight neutral back and keep your chest up.
- Go back up:
Now you can slowly move back into a standing position and extend out your hips and knees together at the same time.
How to Do Squats for Beginners: Tips For The Perfect Form
Listed below you’ll find a step-by-step answer to the burning question of how to do squats for beginners:
- Hand placement: Ensure that when you place the bar on your shoulders and grip it your hand placement should be only a little wider than your shoulder width but should still be narrow enough to provide extra stability during the barbell squat.
- Feet position: Ensure that, your toe, your pinky toe, and your heel are all positioned properly on the ground. This helps in maintaining posture as well as provides you with the extra support you may need while performing the barbell squat.
- Prepare for the squat first: On how to do squats with weights properly, you can first prepare yourself by squeezing your inner thighs, glutes, and quads.
- Elbow position: To avoid pain and injury, instead of pointing your elbows backward, ensure that they are positioned right under the bar during your barbell squat.
- Keep checking the mirror: To maintain your position, keep checking yourself in the mirror and ensure that your back is straight throughout your descent and ascent.
- Keep knees over toes: Level your knees to your toes. This helps in maintaining the position without causing much strain or pain.
- Breathing exercise: As you go down for a squat, ensure that you take a deep breath first, which you let out once you move back to a standing position. This assists in a way that provides you with more control during the barbell squat.
If you keep all this in mind while attempting this exercise, you have officially found your answer on how to do squats with weights easily.
Conclusion
A barbell squat can be a great way to add strength training to your workout regimen while targeting your lower body the most. The only thing that you should be careful about while doing this exercise is that your overall positioning matters and you need to understand how much weight you can endure. If you do not follow the correct positioning instead of helping you this exercise may end up causing long-term damage.
