You dont know squat…yet!

08 May You dont know squat…yet!

You don’t know squat… Yet!

Enjoy! Coach Derrick

The squat is a great way to improve athletic performance and total-body strength. Because of its ability to incorporate the body’s largest muscle groups it can also be as good for fat burning as it is for muscle building. Here are two ways to improve your squat performance.

• Drop it like it’s hot: Recent studies have shown that a full range of motion (ROM) squat can increase strength by 25.7% over a 12 week period compared to only 16% for those using partial squats over the same 12 week time period. A full ROM squat is defined as a squat in which your thighs go just beyond parallel. The key take away here is to never sacrifice depth for weight. You are much better off doing 12 full reps with 10lbs less than using that heavier weight and only performing half reps. An added benefit is your back will thank you as your glutes get stronger and take pressure off the lower back.

• Train one leg at a time: Every BODY is created differently and we all have imbalances. I’m sure many of you can relate to being stronger in an exercise on one side of your body than the other. Step-ups, Lunges, and pistol squats are a great way to correct any imbalances in the posterior chain. Be sure to not over compensate on one side however any asymmetrical exercise performed should be performed with the same weight for the same number of reps on each side. Never train one side heavier or with more reps then the other.