Get Low: Squat Variations

Elite Admin
Thu, 01 Oct 2015 23:21:54 +0000
Fitness, Personal Training, Uncategorized, fitness, personal training vancouver, squat, squats, strength, workout vancouver

We’re not the only ones all about getting’ low. With over 5,000,000 #squat hashtags on Instagram, it’s clear that people care about their derriere. Sculpting the backside is important for everyone, no matter what age, gender, or profession. While athletes need to squat to build strength and power, others are strictly in it for aesthetics.

Whether it’s for performance or twerking, regular squats will help you achieve both. However, how low you can go depends on a variety of factors, from genetics to your work environment. It’s important to remember that when performed improperly, squats can lead to injury. To counteract weakness in the area or inadequate mobility, it can be beneficial to have an experienced personal trainer show you the exercise first and monitor your reps before you take this workout on your own.

When done right, the benefits for athletic performance and ‘booty gains’ can be immense. So which is right for you? The Elite Performance personal trainers have provided a few guidelines on different variations to help you find your #bootygains.

Goblet Squat. A goblet squat can be used as a daily warm-up, a teaching aid for proper squatting, or as a working exercise as part of a mobility, strength or endurance program. The goblet squat allows individuals to work on squat fundamentals in a position that allows for ease of learning. While doing goblet squats, you can also work on stance, torso position, knee tracking, and depth position.

Safety Squat. The safety squat bar allows for the load to be distributed into the shoulders as opposed to an axial load of the spine. This also shifts the load slightly forward usually allowing individuals more mobility.

Bulgarian Squat (unilateral/single leg squat version). The Bulgarian squat allows the individual to work on single leg muscle imbalances that may occur from too much bilateral squatting. This is a progression on the traditional split squat.

Back Squat. The mother of all squats. While there are even variations of the back squat (high or low bar), the back squat is the preferred position for building squat strength and power. Adequate mobility is still required for the back squat to be executed correctly.

Front Squat. Here the bar is loaded on to the front of the body. The load is shifted slightly forward, which changes the biomechanics so the load shifts more to the quadriceps. The front squat load should be about 85% of your back squat if the two lifts are in relative balance to one another. Since mobility can be a limiting factor in the front squat, there are several variations on the grip position so the lift can be executed properly.

Overhead Squat BB. This is one of the most complex squat patterns and is often used as an evaluation tool for assessing individuals and athletes for movement deficiencies. The overhead squat simulates the catch position of the snatch exercise. The individual’s mobility/flexibility required to execute this exercise properly must be exceptional. Any limitations on either individual muscles, joints, or fascia will show up as improper form in this version of the squat.

Overhead DB Squat. Very similar to the previous overhead squat, this variation will challenge the individual’s mobility even further. It loads the posterior and anterior oblique slings because the load is only on one side of the body.

Now that you have a little more information on choosing the correct squat variation for you, get to the gym and get your squat on!