Friends who are new to fitness have been asking what is the use of squats, is it just for leg training? It's hard to hold on. Questions like this. Now the editor of MuscleNet has compiled the following content for you, so that you can have a good understanding of the important role of squats.

Early bodybuilding champions, such as Reg Parker, Bill Burr, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, etc., all relied on compound movements to build their majestic physiques. Among all compound movements, the squat is recognized as the ace movement and the focus of completing the training plan.

The same is true for powerlifting training. Athletes all use squats as the main indicator to reflect their strength. Performing a planned and diligent squat training will promote rapid muscle and strength growth.

Sadly, the full squat has become a forgotten exercise in many modern gyms. Many squatters lift a huge amount of weight but stop only a quarter of the way through the movement. Squat racks were considered "old fashioned" and were replaced with leg presses at a 45-degree angle. Why? Because when they lift those 45-pound barbell plates with ease, their vanity can be satisfied like never before. Has the king of training exercises, the squat, really lost its crown?

Obviously not. Top bodybuilders and powerlifters alike recognize that squats are a powerful tool for building massive muscle mass. So, why are squats not popular anymore? I think there are two main reasons: 1. Lazyness, 2. Incorrect technical movements.

Let’s look at the first reason: laziness. Squats are indeed hard work, and they often make trainingIt's uncomfortable for the practitioner, and it requires a lot of concentration.

However, squats can train almost all body parts, including the calves, quadriceps, biceps, lower back, buttocks, abdomen, heart, and lungs. In addition, you must maintain body balance when doing squats, and the muscles that maintain body stability are also forced to train.

In contrast, with the leg press, no stabilizing muscles are forced to participate because you are pushing the barbell in a fixed groove. Your lower back muscles are also not exercised because your back is completely supported by the seat. A person who only practices leg presses but not squats does not have the ability to squat with heavy weights. On the contrary, a person who is well trained in squatting can lift huge amounts of weight on the leg press without any difficulty.

Although we often see bodybuilding stars in magazines using exercises such as leg presses, leg extensions, lunges and squats, don’t forget that they already have huge muscles, and these exercises are usually placed on At the back, the main purpose is to build muscle lines. Bodybuilders at the junior and intermediate levels will achieve greater gains if they can avoid those encouraging movements and focus on deep tons.

By the way, don’t judge whether you are a high-level bodybuilder based solely on your training years. No matter how many years you've been bodybuilding, if you've never squatted 500 pounds, you're still an intermediate. Saying this will piss some people off and bruise their egos, but if it ends up getting them standing next to a squat rack, that's enough for me.

Let’s look at the second reason: incorrect technology.

I’m sure you’ve seen someone in the gym who puts a lot of 45-pound plates on the bar and makes a loud noise to get people’s attention, and then does a four-pointer. One movement of squats, and I feel like I did a great job. This is almost comical because he has not developed the vastness of his lower thighs at all and he still has little to no leg muscle development.

When squatting, you should at least squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground. The whole process of squatting will give you the best results. In addition, I observed carefully that beginner and intermediate level athletes often perform squats three times faster than world-class athletes. World-class athletes learn to control the speed of their movements and therefore use heavier weights. It's easier to make progress if you control your speed properly when squatting.

Much more can be said about this superb move. All in all, if you haven't done squats before, it's time to add them to your training program. It is recommended that you arrange a 4-6 month Squat training plan and set achievable short-term goals. After training hard for 4-6 months, you will be convinced: Yes, squats are well-deserved. Ace training moves.