Squat For Success
- February 21, 2017
- 1 comments
- Posted in Fitness
The squat should be a staple in any fitness regime. Whether you perform at an elite level or at amateur. The benefits of squatting are vast and can make serious impacts towards your performance.
Even if you don’t compete at a sport or compete at events, squatting have lots of benefits for an everyday fitness routine. Basically it’s one of the smartest moves you can make!
But remember form is always the most important part, performed incorrectly and you can do more harm than good.
Why is the squat a success building exercise?
Squatting is a functional exercise, we do it everyday! From taking a seat to getting up again. The squat is a functional exercise that mimics real life. Squatting is one of the best exercises out there to help you build muscle and help your muscles work more efficiently, as well as promote mobility and balance. All of these benefits translate into your body moving more efficiently in the real world too.
We have been squatting since the dawn of time and for a perfect squat technic watch a toddler pick something up! You will be able to burn more fat – a simple fact is that the more muscle you have the more fat you will burn. As muscle is more functional and works to achieve movement and it burns more calories and therefore fat. So by adding more lean muscle mass you will aid fat burning.
Squatting also helps maintainability and improves balance. It helps to workout your core, which will help you to maintain your balance. It also fires up the old grey matter, improving the electronic signals between your brain and all of the muscle’s in us. This helps us react quicker and improves co-ordination and balance – thus preventing falls. So squatting keeps you well balanced and mobile which is essential as we get older!
The squat aids injury rehab, especially the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) – As cited by Escamilla, his study demonstrated results showing the benefits of squats in rehab work. As stated “The squat was shown to be an effective exercise to employ during cruciate ligament or patellofemoral rehabilitation.” Many athletes struggle with bad knee’s, mostly ligament injuries. However, the muscles acting over the joint such as the quads, hamstring groups and calves do provide secondary stability. Meaning building up the muscles around your knees by squatting directly contributes to the prevention of knee damage basically cupping the joint and holding it steady, helping to limit any ligament injury
Squatting also helps to improve your overall sporting performance – It is widely published and accepted by many studies that squats will boost sporting performance, from elite to amateur. It makes sense if you are better functionally at carrying out everyday activities like squatting you will be stronger, fitter and therefore more able to carry out the demands of your sport or event. Squats build muscle all over, not just legs! It’s clear that squats will hit the obvious muscle groups such as upper, lower leg as well as the glutes and core. The truth be told, when squats are performed properly, they trigger the release of testosterone & HGO – which will enable you to promote muscle growth, giving you benefits throughout your whole body and not just your legs. It makes sense that a stronger base will improve strength in not just your lower body but also upper body. Giving you the string foundations to build upon so to speak.
Looking at functional exercises and training regimes is part of the personal trainer qualification at Body Aid Solutions. If you are interested in a career within the fitness industry, why not give them a visit today.
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We're a Health and Fitness blog created by fitness lovers. We write about Health, Fitness, Nutrition, Muscle and Weight Loss. Stay on target with Loxley Sports!
Great post guys! Any workout plan should include squats. I’m not a huge fan of performing personally but I always include them as the benefits are huge.