Squats are the best exercise for a perfectly toned butt and upper thighs according to me. Not only me, but hundreds of fitness experts consider it to be the best exercise for lower back fitness. Regular squats might look hardcore and fit in your gym shorts or yoga pants for women but there is more to squat than you guys know.
Different improvisations of squats have been developed in the past years making them way more effective than they used to be. In this article I’ll be enlightening you about 6 of the latest squats that you should be doing in your workout:
1. Adductor squats
These squats are more effective than regular ones because of the wider feet stance and use of a dumbbell. Feet stance is wider than hip width; keep your back straight and arms locked with the dumbbell in the middle. Lower your body weight into a squat then hold before your rise back to the start position. Aim for 10 to 12 reps.
2. Heel-lifted sumo Squat
Begin with your feet slightly wider than shoulders-width apart, toes pointed outward. Lift your left heel. With control, sit your hips back as you lower your butt toward the floor, keeping your knees behind your toes and bracing your core to help you balance. Pause, and then press into your right heel to stand up into the starting position to complete one rep.
3. Squat to sumo
Begin with your feet wider than shoulders-width apart, toes pointing forward. Keeping your knees behind your toes, sit your hips back into a squat. Pulse up a few inches as your turn your toes 45-degrees outward, and sink your hips back into your low squat. Pulse up to bring your toes forward and continue to alternate foot positioning as you pulse.
4. Pistol squat
Stand holding your arms straight out in front of your body at shoulder level, parallel to the floor. Raise your right leg off the floor, and hold it there. Push your hips back and lower your body as far as you can. Pause, then push your body back to the starting position.
5. Barbell siff squat
Hold the bar across your upper back with an overhand grip. Before you squat, raise your heels as high as you can and then hold them that way for the entire lift.
6. Dumbbell split squat
Hold a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length next to your sides, your palms facing each other. Stand in a staggered stance, your left foot in front of your right. Slowly lower your body as far as you can. Pause, and then push yourself back up to the starting position as quickly as you can. Switch legs and repeat the move.
image couresy: beautyboxmagazine.com, pinterest.com, shakinamcneal.com, wodcrusher.com, topinspired.com, nordenergi.org.