The body squat is a great exercise that can be included in any workout, no matter your skill or fitness level. If you are trying this exercise out for the first time, you may want to consider having a friend or fellow gym member spot you in order to ensure that proper form and technique is achieved.
About the Body Squat
The body squat is one of the best exercises you can do to strengthen and tone almost all of the muscles of the lower body. Strengthening these muscles is very important because in order to walk and be mobile, you must have a moderate amount of strength in your legs. In addition, increasing muscle mass results in a direct increase to your body's metabolism, thereby increasing your daily calorie burn. This therefore makes the exercise a great choice if you're interested in losing weight.
Positioning for the Body Squat
As with any new exercise, it is important to understand how to position your body properly before actually performing the exercise. Start by leaning your upper body firmly against a wall. Step your feet out slightly in front of your body, approximately two to three feet in front of the wall. Make sure that your toes are pointing forward. Allow your arms to hang loosely down at your sides. You can look either straight ahead of you, or slightly down at the ground, whichever feels more comfortable for you.
Performing the Body Squat
Now that you're positioned properly, you can begin to perform the actual exercise. Start by taking a few deep breaths. As you exhale, bend your knees, and allow your body to sink towards the ground as if you were sitting in a chair. Once your thighs become parallel to the floor, use the muscles of your lower body to push yourself back up to the starting position. Be sure to do at least 10 repetitions of the body squats. Perform another 2 sets of 10 repetitions of the body squats.
Increasing the Intensity of the Body Squat
As stated above, this is a great basic exercise that almost anyone can benefit from. Once body squat starts to become too easy, however, it is important to increase the intensity in order to keep making gains in your current fitness level. One easy way to make the body squat harder is by holding a dumbbell in each hand. This increases the weight that your body must work against, thereby greatly increasing the intensity. Another great way to make this exercise more challenging is by holding the squat at the bottom of the pose for a count of three on each repetition. This forces your muscles to work harder for a longer period of time, giving you a harder workout.
