Hands down one of the most productive mass building exercises you can do is the squat. They are arguably the most physically demanding exercise because performing an all out set of squats will hit every major muscle from your traps, back, hips, glutes, quads and hams. Not only that but doing big power moves, like the squat, will stimulate the central nervous system to release a flood of natural anabolic hormones like testosterone and growth hormone.
Now despite all the muscle building benefits of squatting, most people simply don’t do them because they are brutally hard to do. And if they do include squats in their workouts, they very often perform them WRONG.
A lot of folks will do some weird little knee bend and call that a squat. But a proper full squat is sinking your butt down until your hips are lower then your knees. This will fully activate all the muscles to a greater degree and it’s actually safer to perform.
Despite what you may think, full squats are actually easier on the knees than stopping half way down and doing partial squats. The deeper you squat, the more you transfer of stress from the small knee joints, to the larger joints of the hips. And when you work through a full range of motion you don’t jar the joints, but rather you stretch out the muscles.
To help demonstrate the differences between proper squatting form (and improper squatting form), I’ve enlisted the help of one of the world’s “Top Dogs” in squatting.
In the video below you are going to see proper full range of motion squatting from the trainer on the left. And you’ll see an example of poor squatting technique (only doing short partial range of motion squats) from the trainer on the right.
Watch and learn my friend… 😉
You’ll notice how the dog has perfect squatting form, going all the way down for full deep squat, (aka: ass to the floor squats). Whereas the owner is only doing wimpy little partial squats…
Learn from this video and follow the dog LOL
Now in all seriousness…
If you would like a complete Hardcore Mass Building Training System that will help you improve your full squat and all your other major lifts and muscle groups as well. Than I highly recommend you give the “Blast Your Bench” program a try.Even though this program does focus on The Bench Press, it covers MUCH MORE…
After going through the entire program many folks have reported gains of 30-50 pounds in their max bench, squat, and deadlift as well as getting bigger and stronger all over!The program consists of:
– Phase 1 – 2 week prep phase (to prepare your body for the training to follow)
– Phase 2 – 3 week Blast Your Bench Press specialization phase
– Phase 3 – 3 week Blast Your Squat specialization phase
– Phase 3 – 12 week total body mass and power building phase (to help solidify the gains you make during the specialization phases)If gaining brute power and rock solid muscular mass is on your training agenda, then click on the link below to get more information and to download your body of “Blast Your Bench”!
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9 Comments
Rick
Hi Lee, funny video. I’ve ben doing your heavy duty every other day squat, Bench Press & Deads for the past 2 weeks and have been doing very well. I put on 10 lbs body weight but more importantly. I’ve gained 50 lbs on my full squats, (365 lbs) (not half squats), 20 lbs on my DB presses, (105 lbs), and a gain of 25 lbs on my dead lifts. Overhead presses I’ve only gained 15 lbs. All this within 7 workouts every days and I’m not a slacker at 59 years old, 209 lbs. Thanks
Shaneh
LOL, funny stuff man. Let us know when you find a dog doing barbell squats! 😛
leehayward
That’s awesome progress Rick, good for you.
It’s nice to see guys in their 50’s pushing big weights, keep it up!
leehayward
This was just his warm up set… I’m sure he could rep out with at least 135 lbs. LOL 😉
dave
I have knee problems so it hurts going down fully, wat should I do?
dave
oops never mind lol
Mark
I’ve been doing Blast your Biceps for the last few weeks and one of the things that starting with the lighter weight afforded me was the ability to go all the way down on my squats (I followed your squat video for that one for execution). Anyway, I just wanted to say that yesterday while doing squats I completely ripped my shorts in two 🙂 I must be doing something right!
leehayward
LOL I’ve done that before. You need to make sure to wear a good pair of stretchy pants when squatting or else you’ll rip the arse out of your pants… 😉
Brian
Hi Lee, I’ve been doing the blast your bench program, it’s my second time doing it. I have definitely increased my squat from the program but I have a question about my squatting. I am 6′ 6″, 215 lbs. and I find it very hard to go down below parallel when squatting. I feel that since my thighs and calfs are longer than most people I am more unbalanced in squatting than others. Am I wrong? I normally go down to just a little bit above parallel, when I go lower I feel very unbalanced and when I try to push back up I will often bend my back forward in order to compensate. Thanks for the program and your continued help.