Barbell Squats

Squatting with Weight

     I said it once, I'll say it again. When your in the gym training, don't be afraid of the weight section. With correct form it can only benefit your training. Before you begin any free weight exercise, you have to be sure everything is set right for safety and best benefits. Lou Schuler gives step by step prompts in his book Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess for many training exercises to use free weights, step boxes and fitness balls.
    If you so choose to use a rack then listen up. "Set the barbel in the rack just below the level of your shoulders" (Schuler 158). Your hand positioning is also important. hold the bar right outside shoulder width apart. Here you should feel your shoulder blades come together. Some other helpful tips I know as well as Schuler mentions are centering your feet facing forward under the bar, when lowering push your hips back (like sitting in a chair), lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor, and when rising push through the middle of your feet (Schuler 158).

This is the starting position. Not able to get to the gym, I am demonstrating technique and form.

Then squat down till your quads are parallel to the floor, finish by standing back up.

     Without the rack you may chose to use dumbbells and hold then at your waists following the other steps above. If you feel strong enough to use a barbell and lift it over your head you can do the exercise the exact same, only don't wear yourself out to not lift it back over your head at the end.

     How do you squat?

Schuler, Lou, and Cassandra E. Forsythe. The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift like a Man, Look like a Goddess. New York: Avery, 2007. Print.