8 Tips for the perfect squat

Trifocus Fitness Academy - squat
Personal/Fitness Training Blog

Squats can be one of the best exercises to improve your strength and to tone as it is a functional exercise. However, with that said you, will need to do the squat correctly in order to achieve the maximum benefit. What most people do not realize is that they are already squatting every day; when you use the bathroom, picking something off the floor or just even getting up and down from your office chair.

Let’s have a look at the some tips to get you down into that perfect squat

1. Have a proper stance

Make sure you have a proper stance. This means feet should be hip-width – or slightly more than hip-width – apart with your toes turned slightly outwards.

2. How to grip the bar

The closer you will grip the bar, the more you will be activating those upper back muscles. Make sure that you grip the bar evenly when unracking it because trying to move a bar around while it is loaded on your back can cause injuries.

3. How to prepare… take a deep breath in

When unracking the bar and going down into your squat, take a deep breath in and when you return to the starting position breathe out. This will help you exert force for for the difficult part of a squat.

4. Sit back in your squat

When going down into the squat position, sit back as if you were going to sit down into a chair. Thit means that you need to let your hips lead the way and not bending your knees first. This will ensure that your knees do not go over the toes. Keep your weight on your heels,

5. Keep your back straight

Activate your core to keep your back nice and flat, without having to worry about itbeing arched during the movement. When you are down in the squat, your back should be parallel to your shins.

6. Keep your head up and never look down

By looking up, you will keep your head up which will assist in keeping your back straight and help you have that perfect technique.

7. Bar position on your back

Make sure you do not place the bar to high up on your neck as this can injure the neck vertebrae. When you go down into the squat, there could be a chance the bar will roll down onto your neck so rather keep it lower down on your shoulders where there is more muscle, for comfort.

8. When you are down in your squat position…

When going down make sure that your thighs are parallel to the floor, or go down as far down as you are able to. Try to keep your knees externally rotated (don’t let them fall inward).

If you loved learning how to perfect the squat, you’ll LOVE learning about how to perfect other exercises! On Trifocus Fitness Academy’s Personal Training Certification, you’ll learn this and so much more! Follow this link for more information.