Squat Exercise Guide
- Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back
- Strength
- Barbell
- Compound
- Push
- Beginner
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Exercise Instructions
- The squat is the king of all exercises, working over 256 muscles in one movement! Set up for the exercise by setting the barbell to just below shoulder height and loading the weight you want to use.
- Stand under the bar with your feet at about shoulder width apart.
- Position the bar so that it is resting on the muscles on the top of your back, not on the back of your neck. The bar should feel comfortable. If it doesn't, try adding some padding to the bar.
- Now take your hands over the back and grip the bar with a wide grip for stability.
- You should now bend at the knees and straighten your back in preparation to take the weight off the rack.
- Keeping your back straight and eyes up, push up through the legs and take the weight off the rack.
- Take a small step back and stabilize yourself.
- Keeping your eyes facing forward slowly lower your body down. Don't lean forward as you come down. Your buttocks should come out and drop straight down.
- Squat down until your thighs are parallel with the floor, and then slowly raise your body back up by pushing through your heels.
- Do not lock the knees out when you stand up, and then repeat the movement.
Squat Tips:
The are many mistakes that can be made when squatting, so it's important that you have your technique down before you attempt squatting heavy weights. If you are squatting correctly, you should not feel pain in your lower back. Lower back pain is usually a sign that you are not using correct form and/or your core is weak.
Common mistakes when squatting:
- Rounding the lower back: It's crucially important that you keep a straight back when you squat! You can ensure your back is straight by keeping your eyes facing forward, chest out, shoulder blades back, and back arched. Keep your core muscles tensed throughout the movement to help hold your back in place.
- Pushing from the balls of your feet: This puts unnecessary strain on joints and tendons. Always push up through your heels. Curling up your toes can help you get the technique right.
- Leaning forward: This happens when your hips move up faster than your shoulders. To prevent this keep the rep timing slow and controlled and stick your buttocks out as you go down.
- Knees come too far forward: When you squat down, your hips should be dropping straight down, not coming forward. Using a light weight, perfect your form standing side on to a mirror. Your knees should never track out and over your toes.
- Not squatting deep enough: Using squats to their full potential requires squatting down at least until your thighs are around parallel to the floor.
- Knees in or out: Don't point your knees in or out when you're lowering or pushing the weight. This puts unnecessary strain on the knee joints.
- Looking down: As soon as you look down your back rounds, simple as that.
Leg Extension Guide
- None
- Strength
- Machine
- Isolation
- Push
- Beginner
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Exercise Instructions
- The leg extension is a great exercise for isolating the quads. Sit on the leg extension machine and adjust it so that the leg pad sits on your ankles.
- Then adjust the back rest so that your knees are just off the end of the seat.
- Select the weight you want to use on the stack.
- Take the weight off the stack by extending your legs slightly. This is the starting position for the exercise.
- Holding onto the handles for stability, and bending at the knees only, extend your legs out as far as possible.
- Hold for a count of 1 while squeezing your quads, and then slowly lower back to the starting position. The weight should not touch the stack.
- Repeat for desired reps.
Exercise Tips:
- Use a slow and controlled movement - do not "kick" the weights up.
- Pause at the top of the movement and squeeze your quads. This adds intensity to the leg extension.
- Leg extensions can be used as a pre-exhaust exercise for squats or other big compound movements. It is also used for the second exercise in compound/isolation supersets.
- Do not drop your toes down and back beyond your knees. At no point should your knees track out over your toes as it causes undue stress on the knee joints.
Leg Curl Guide
- None
- Strength
- Machine
- Isolation
- Pull
- Beginner
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Click to Enlarge
Exercise Instructions
- The lying leg curl is a great exercise to isolate the hamstrings. Set up for the leg curl by selecting the weight you want to use on the stack and adjusting the padding to suit your leg length.
- Lay face down on the machine. The padding should be positioned just above the back of your ankles. If it's higher than that, adjust the length.
- Tense up the hamstrings by taking the weight slightly off the stack. This is the starting position for the exercise.
- Squeeze the hamstrings and curl the weight up as far as possible.
- Squeeze the hamstring hard, and then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.
- Repeat for desired reps.
Exercise Tips:
- Common mistakes with the leg curl are; moving the weight up and down too fast and not using a full range of motion.
- Always control the weight throughout the set. Don't use momentum to move the weight up, and don't allow it to drop back down quickly.
- Always use a full range of motion by curling the weight up as far as possible and lowering it as far as possible without the weight dropping on the stack.
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