If you have been following our blog, you know how we feel about squats and lunges. They are important to your workout to build strong core muscles and tone your lower half. However, many people make a lot of mistakes when first trying out squats.
These mistakes can make your WOD inefficient and you could also get seriously injured. We’ve put together a list of the most common mistakes we see people making when trying to do squats along with the fix for each one. If you’re searching for the best fitness training in Raleigh NC, please call CrossFit Invoke to sign up for a free class!
Common Squat Mistakes
Not Dropping Down Far Enough – When most start trying squats, the biggest mistake they make is not going down far enough. The fix is simple. Start by making your stance wider. This will allow your body to remain steady as you squat lower to the floor. A winder stance will also engage more muscle groups. The ideal depth of your squat should place your hip joints at a lower point than your knee joints.
When you’re first starting out, it can be easy to just want to squat low enough so that the thighs are parallel with the ground. However, your exercises will be much more effective when you drop as low as you possibly can while maintaining proper form.
Knees Drifting Inward – Pointing your knees inward might feel more comfortable but it will hurt your gains. You should turn your toes out to prevent your knees from pointing in. To get a little more technical, your knees should stay in line with your ankles and hips. This will help you to avoid injuries and get that deep positioning.
Leaning Too Far Forward – Squat newbies like to lean forward. Stop it now as this is highly inefficient. You should be putting most of your weight on your heels when dropping into the squat. This will distribute your body weight better and help you keep your torso straight throughout the entire movement instead of leaning forward.
Dropping Down Too Fast – Dropping down too fast will not help you improve your gains. If you add weights, this can actually increase your chances of getting injured. However, when returning to the standing position it is recommended that you explode with power as long as you maintain proper form.
Just be sure to go slow as you’re moving into the sitting position.
Skipping Your Warm Up – Want to get hurt and pull something? Then skip your warm ups. Warming up is important for every single physical activity that you engage in. This greatly helps to prepare your body’s joints and muscles for the exercise that is about to take place.
Some good ways to warm up are doing body-weight only squats, rowing, or jumping rope. All of these will help get the hips ready to work.
Searching for Fitness Training in Raleigh NC? Call Invoke Today!
Are you looking for a great facility and coaches to help you with your health goals? Call CrossFit Invoke. We offer personalized fitness training in Raleigh NC for people of all ages. If you’re serious about getting healthy, we can help you. We even offer free fitness classes so you can try us out before you make a commitment. At Invoke, you can even sign up for group sessions with your friends. This way you can all hold each other accountable.
Please call our gym in Raleigh with any questions, or just drop by the box. We’re located right outside of downtown.
