Let’s say you’re being banished to a deserted island in the Pacific…..(this is just a hypothetical situation. Humor me for a second!) And you’re only allowed to bring one fitness tool with you. What would you bring? If it’s not a squat rack you might be making a poor decision. There are plenty of great total body exercises out there….but EVERYONE needs to experience the 5 reasons why squatting is the ultimate lift.
1 – It’s Totally Practical
One of the biggest reasons people hurt themselves just living life is because they aren’t efficient at using their legs and hips correctly.
For example, when you go to pick something up….instead of bending over and only using your back to lift something, squat down to use your stronger leg muscles.
Practicing the squat on a regular basis will get you used to using your legs to do normal daily activities.
What do you use your legs for on a daily basis? How about carrying a backpack, picking up a child, running across the street, or climbing up a ladder. Basically anything that you can think of.
The functionality of this lift keeps your hips, knees, and ankles nice and limber so you can perform trivial daily tasks a lot easier.
2 – Athletic Performance
Whether you’re an elite athlete or just a weekend warrior, the squat will give you an edge over your opponents.
There’s a reason that the squat is one of the main lifts in almost all college and professional weight lifting routines.
The lift has been proven to give you a stronger base, strengthen stabilizer muscles, and make your legs more powerful and explosive.
3 – Burn Belly Fat
The solution to your belly fat problems isn’t in those hundreds of sit-ups. That is part of it, but to make a bigger impact, you have to do full-body exercises like this.
The squat involves almost every muscle in your body from your chest down. That requires a ton of calories.
Your body will use the fat from those problem areas to fuel your squatting mission.
4 – Prevent Injuries
Squatting strengthens the core and posterior chain of muscles on your body. It also promotes joint flexibility.
Those two factors play a huge role in preventing back injuries and poor posture. Back issues are a common occurance, especially as people age.
Also, when you force your body to hold up weight, it puts pressure on your bones. That pressure forces your bones to get stronger.
Women can really benefit from squatting because the axial loading of the weight will prevent osteoporosis, especially as women age.
5 – Build Major Muscles
The squat is really versatile. Going really heavy will ramp up the intensity to promote strength and hypertrophy.
Working with lighter weight and doing a lot of repetitions will get your heart rate up and work on muscular endurance.
Either way, squatting builds lean muscle tissue in your legs and butt. Just ask any bodybuilder or fitness model. It’s one of their biggest keys to success.
I hope this article convinced you to move the squat into your list of favorite exercises. It’s truly the ultimate lift. If you liked this article, please take second to share it on facebook. You’ll probably also like, How To Stay Lean In The Long Run By Prioritizing Strength Training.
About Adam Pegg
