How To Build Muscle With The Squat

Weight room veterans who know how to build muscle often refer to the squat as the "king" of all exercises

. There are no secrets to how to build muscle, but the basic barbell squat is as close to magic as any exercise can get. It doesn't just build your legs it stimulates muscle growth all over your body! If you're trying to pack on strength and size, then follow these steps for how to build muscle with the squat.

Setting Up Right

Unfortunately, most people give little thought to how they set up before beginning the squat. Getting into the proper position will make you as strong and safe as possible, but failure to do so can easily lead to injury. Plus, a bad setup will leave your body in a position that's horrible for lifting heavy weights the very key to muscle growth!

To set up for the squat, begin by planting your heels directly under the bar, about shoulder-width apart. Duck under the bar, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and set the bar onto the backs of your shoulders. Holding the bar higher on your traps can cause you to pitch forward, but keeping it further back will give you a lower, more stable center of gravity.

Once the bar's in place, take a deep breath into your stomach not your chest and stand up with the weight. Walk it back with two confident steps, and you're ready to begin. Oh, and remember that air you got into your stomach? That's what keeps your core stable! Make sure that you hold that air in during the movement, and replenish it before every rep if need be.

The Right Kind of Movement

The biggest mistake most people make when squatting is sitting "down" instead of "back." If this sounds confusing, just think about initiating the movement with your hips. Instead of breaking at the knees and squatting straight down, start by pushing your hips back. Your knees will obviously still bend as you descend, but beginning the movement with your hips allows you to engage your glutes and hamstrings powerful muscles that most people ignore.

How Low can You Go?

Heavy squatting is unfortunately rare in most gyms. Even when you do see someone piling on the weight, they're typically only squatting about half of the way down! Still, people who know how to build muscle will always tell you that a full range of motion is crucial. If you're cutting your squats short, then you're robbing yourself of the full benefits of the exercise.

So how low should you go? If you're like most people, you should descend until the crease of your hips is below the top of your knee. This might seem pretty low if you're not used to doing proper squats! Don't worry if you have to spend some time getting used to this movement with light weights. Your long-term strength and muscle development will bear the results of your hard work.

by: bryyd8rqto

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