The goblet squat is a great move for beginners that are just learning how to squat. It can also be done with kettle bells and dumbbells just the same, so it is a very versatile exercise.
Main Muscles: Hamstrings, Gluteus Maximus, Quadriceps
Key Points:
Keep your back straight, chest high & core tight
Stand over the cable
Hold the close grip attachment on the heels of your palms in front of your chest
Over time, the box squat will help improve the position of the pelvis and lumbar (lower) spine while squatting. Doing so will ensure that the correct muscles are being worked and prevent injury.
Main Muscles: Gluteus Maximus, Hamstrings, Quadriceps
Key Points:
– Keep your chest up, ass out and core tight
– Make sure the bar is resting on your traps rather than your neck
– Push your ass towards the box and rest 20% of your body weight on it before driving yourself back upwards
The overhead squat is probably the most difficult two-legged squat to master, as it is an advanced move that requires strict form and a lot of core strength.
Main Muscles: Gluteus Maximus, Hamstrings, Inner Core, Quadriceps
Key Points:
– Take a wide grip outside of shoulders width
– Lock your elbows
– Keep your core tight, ass out, chest high and back straight
– Squeeze your shoulder blades together throughout the movement while balancing the bar overhead
If you are unable to keep your back arched and chest up when bending over you should not reach for the floor. For some people (especially beginners) getting the leg bent into a 90 degree angle is enough.
Main Muscles: gluteus maximus, hamstrings, quadriceps
Key Points:
– Keep your chest high, back straight & core tight
– Give yourself plenty of space between the bench and your lead leg
– Keep your foot flat and push through the heel of the lead leg
– Squat until the knee on your lead leg is less than 90°
There are quite a few biomechanical issues that could prevent a person from squatting ass-to-the-grass. In some cases, the anatomy of the bones in a person’s legs (femur and tibia) can play a major role, but even those people should be able to squat low enough to get their legs just below a 90° angle, at least. If you are not getting lower than 90° while squatting you will not be using your glutes at all. In other words, you’re cheating yourself!
Assuming that you are among the most common groups of gym goers, and that your femur and tibia bones are around about the same length, you will have to use some crafty techniques in order to bring your posterior muscles back out of their slumber if they have been hibernating. Dominant quadriceps can stop you from targeting and accessing these muscle fibres.
Decline hip thrusters are great for glute activation. As explained in the vid, this exercise is a straight forward way to hit glutes while excluding quads. This move also works for people who have to overextend their lower backs in order to get all the way down, or fall victim to a combination of both.
Recent Comments