How to Perform the Barbell Squat The “Right” Way
No other exercise takes advantage of the “growth effect” better than the barbell squat. Not the deadlift, the bench press, the barbell curl, or any other exercise for that matter. It’s simply the best exercise you can do to build muscle fast.
You might find this hard to believe, but the squat is ninety-nine percent of any training program. It’s just that important. If you don’t believe us, try them for just four weeks the way your suppose to, and we guarantee you’ll be shocked by the results.
Here’s how we want you to do them: We want you to do just one set. Load the bar with a weight that will allow you to perform between fifteen and twenty repetitions. You can use a Smith machine or squat rack, but make sure that you use some form of safety equipment so that you can get out from underneath the bar when you fail on your last repetition.
Now duck under the bar and rest it across the back of your shoulders. You can pad the bar with a towel or piece of cut foam if you want. Lift the bar from the rack and take a step back. Lower the weight in a controlled manner until the back of your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your head up and your back flat at all times during the movement.
Once you reach the bottom, push up until you come to the top exhaling as you do so. Continue performing slow controlled repetitions until you simply can’t perform another no matter how hard you try. Safely return the bar back to the rack and collapse on the floor if you need to until you catch your breath.
Keep adding weight to the bar each workout – five to ten pounds should do it – and make the full fifteen to twenty repetitions like your life depended on it. The rate of your muscle gains will depend almost entirely on how hard you work on that single set of squats.
