Within fitness we find squats, a very suitable exercise for strengthen legs and glutes. However, there is a great variety of possibilities and the weighted squats They are ideal for gradually enhancing the development of the lower and upper muscles.
It is a technique used by Olympic athletes, increasing in endurance, strength and body conditioning. They are usually done with a bar, thus developing the lower body while strengthening legs, burning fat and losing weight. However, How to do well squats with weight?
Ways to squat with weight
• In the initial position, the feet should be in concordance with the shoulders spread, the toes should be directed to the front and the knees should be at the level of the toes, slightly outwards (never forward).
• A slight hip movement. This moves back and down, while the chest remains up and the weight of the body falls on the heels. The knees should not be bent too much to avoid ending up on the toes.
• At the time of going down, make your body stay firm and lower something more than parallel level to activate the leg muscles.
• The core must remain strong and solid. Before squatting, take a deep breath as you contract your abdomen, lean your hips back, and slightly bring your shoulders and chest forward. The back will be protected as long as the head is back and the abdomen and upper part are tight.
• At all times, front view so that your head remains in a neutral position and that the chest does not collapse.
Benefits of weighted squats
It is essential to know how to do weight squats right to avoid problems and injuries as we will see in the next section. Once you learn and incorporate them into your daily routine, you will obtain multiple benefits that we will try to summarize below.
In the area of the hips you will get greater flexibility. By doing them correctly, over time we increase movement and develop endurance. In fact, the muscles used to do them are the same as when we run.
With squats you can burn calories quickly by stimulating the cardiovascular system. In addition, given the intensity of this exercise, you will continue to burn fat during the 24 hours following its practice.
The bone density increases by working the large muscles of the body located in the legs, hips and spine. That way, you can prevent osteoporosis. Now, not only will you strengthen your muscles and bones, but you will be able to correct posture. And it is that this exercise helps the body to be firm at the same time that we tone buttocks. Of course, keep in mind that you must prepare with a preheating to avoid injury.
Risks and how to avoid injuries
How to do weighted squats right It is something that you should learn before getting down to work to avoid unnecessary risks. In any case, beginners usually make certain mistakes and it is logical that they are corrected little by little.
Roughly be careful with the posture, it should not be too wide or too narrow. Also, do not carry the weight forward because you could cause a knee injury.
The back injuries they are another troubling issue to consider. An arch in the back can be deviated by misplacing the bars, leaving the neck also affected. Also, if we overdo the number of squats, we can cause the tendons to wear out and cause sprains.
Try to keep your knee flexions no more than 90º, as the ligaments could be stressed more than necessary. On the other hand, the back must always be straight so as not to load that area too much and avoid herniated discs.