Benefits and Disadvantages of Squats Without Weight for Men and Women
Benefits of air squats:
- Prepares muscles for deep squats with weights.
- Strengthens stabilizer muscles, which are responsible for maintaining the correct position of the joints.
- Give an understanding of the technique of performing squats with weights.
- The exercise can be included in all kinds of circuit training and CrossFit complexes aimed at increasing endurance and losing weight.
- Accelerates metabolism due to the speed of execution and the involvement of most muscles of the body.
- Does not injure joints and does not put pressure on intervertebral discs.
Disadvantages of the exercise:
- It does not allow you to increase muscle volume, since it does not involve working with weights necessary for these purposes.
- Jerking and not following safety precautions can injure joints and ligaments.
- Does not improve strength.
How to pump up your legs without squats
We use alternative exercises.
It is common to think that squats with a barbell are the basis for beautiful and pumped up legs. However, it is not always possible to fulfill them, and there are many reasons for this. Firstly, many of us work in sedentary jobs, spending 5-6 hours in a chair, which negatively affects the lower back.
Secondly, they usually go to the gym after work, when they are already pretty exhausted, mental effort and attitude are simply not enough to “beat off” all the planned sets and repetitions, and even with a good working weight.
As a result, many amateurs have the same problem - small and weak legs. But how can you build up your legs without squats? In fact, this is quite possible. We will perform other exercises similar to squats, which put less strain on the lower back and pump up the leg muscles no worse than basic exercises. In just a couple of months, your legs will gain 5-6 cm in volume! Guaranteed!
(1) Leg press
Our target: quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes.
How much to do? 4 sets of 8, 4, 10, 10 reps.
Method: after a short warm-up, perform 1 set of 8 repetitions. Then hang a 25 kg pancake on each side and perform the next approach, but for 4 repetitions. Next, remove these pancakes and do the last 2 sets 10 times. If you're working out with a partner, do a couple of forced reps on your last set.
Starting position: Lie down on the machine bench. Press your lower back completely into the seat. Grasp the supports with your hands, fix the position of your feet shoulder-width apart and exactly in the middle of the platform.
Execution: Slowly bend your knees at a right angle. Without pausing, powerfully press the platform up with your feet. At the highest point, do not straighten your legs completely. The press is carried out exclusively with the heels, and not with the toes.
Notes:
If you place your legs wide and high, then most of the load will be on the hamstrings and buttocks. To get proper pumping of the quadriceps, place your legs in the classic position, in which your feet are exactly in the middle of the support. Achieve maximum amplitude of the exercise, but lifting your lower back off the bench is not allowed.
(2) Smith Front Squats
Our target: quads, hamstrings and glutes.
How much to do? 3 sets of 10, 10, 12 reps.
Methodology: front squats load the quadriceps very well, and performing the exercise in a machine will allow you under no circumstances to lose your balance and fully work out the target muscle group.
Starting position: Secure the barbell at mid-chest level. Sit under her and place her top of her chest, close to her collarbone and deltoids. Cross your arms. Ask your partner to remove the bar supports and stand up straight with the barbell.
It is important!
Execution: Slowly begin the squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Eliminate any jerking from the movements; at the highest point of the exercise, do not straighten your knees completely; in all phases, your legs should be slightly bent.
Notes:
Keep your back straight, especially at the lowest point of the exercise. Direct your gaze forward. Don't lift your head up or down. Violation of this rule will lead to overstrain of the cervical spine.
(3) Leg extensions
Our goal: quadriceps.
How much to do? 3-4 sets of 12 times.
Method: After completing the main set, reduce the working weight by 25% and do more repetitions until failure. In the last set, reduce the load 3 times in a row.
Starting position: sit on the seat and grab the supports with your hands. Secure your legs to the support rollers, the bend angle of your knees should be 90 degrees.
Execution: Straighten your legs with a powerful, concentrated effort, at the top point make a distinct pause for 1-2 seconds. After this, slowly lower yourself to the starting position. Do not allow the weight to touch the support of the blocks; keep the weight suspended during all phases of the exercise.
Notes:
At the highest point, be sure to hold for a couple of seconds. The weight is lowered as slowly as possible. When lifting weights, do not lift your lower back from the back of the seat or tilt your head.
(4) Lunges in Smith
Our target: quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes.
How much to do? 3-4 sets of 12 repetitions.
Methodology: this exercise is very effective for the legs precisely because of the simulator, since there is no unnecessary waste of energy to keep the body in balance.
Starting position: Take a position in which the barbell is on your shoulders, as if doing squats. Take a small step forward with one foot and place both feet together. The gaze is directed ahead.
Helpful advice!
Execution: Take a step back and slowly lower yourself into a squat until the knee of your working leg is bent at a right angle. Next, transfer your weight to your working leg and slowly begin to rise from a squat position. Do the same action with the other leg.
Notes:
In the lower phase of the exercise, do not let your knee touch the floor. Before performing the exercise, your feet should be placed slightly forward. If you place them exactly under the bar, then when performing the exercise you will have to tilt your body forward, which can lead to injury.
(5) Smith Deadlift
Our goal: hamstrings, buttocks.
How much to do? 4 sets of 6, 8, 8, 12 times.
Methodology: This exercise is much easier than the traditional deadlift because it does not require additional effort to maintain balance. Therefore, the working weight here will be noticeably greater.
Starting position: If the fixed rod is too high, use additional support. Grab the bar at shoulder level with your hands and lift the barbell off the supports. Bend your knees slightly, place your feet shoulder-width apart. Direct your gaze straight ahead. Keep your back straight.
Execution: Slowly bend down until your body is parallel to the floor. Try to keep the barbell as close to your feet as possible. The pelvis is pushed back. As soon as the barbell is level with the middle of your shins, stop for a second and return your body to the starting position.
Notes:
Before starting the movement, try to powerfully contract your buttocks and hamstrings. If the lower supports of the machine are too high and do not allow you to lower the barbell to the middle of your shins, use additional support in the form of a pedestal.
(6) Lying leg curls
Our goal: hamstrings.
How much to do? 3 sets of 10 times.
Methodology: This exercise pumps up the hamstrings. To enhance this effect, practice partial repetitions at the end of each set.
Starting position: take a lying position on a bench, place your legs on special support rollers. With your hands, firmly grasp the stops that are located on the sides of the machine. Keep your head straight.
Execution: with concentrated effort, slowly lift the rollers to their maximum height, as close to the buttocks as possible. At the top point, be sure to pause for 1-2 seconds and only after that slowly lower the weight. After failure reps, try doing as many partial reps as you can.
Notes:
When performing the exercise, completely exclude the pelvis from the work. Try not to tear him away from the bench. Keep your feet exclusively in a flat position. Do not bring your socks together and do not allow them to “slide” to the sides. Now let's combine these six exercises into a sample training program aimed at pumping up the leg muscles.
PROGRAMS:
Leg press - 4 x 8, 4, 10, 10 reps
Smith front squats - 3 x 10, 10, 12 reps
Leg extensions - 3 x 12, 12, 12 repetitions
Smith lunges - 3 x 12, 12, 12 reps
Deadlift in Smith - 4 x 6, 8, 8, 12 reps
Leg curls - 4 x 8, 4, 10, 10 reps
Interesting: Pump up your butt at home training program
Source: https://wheelsus.com/post-1518375835
What muscles work when squats without weight?
Basic:
- Quadriceps femoris muscles.
- Large gluteal muscles.
- Adductor muscles of the thigh.
- Soleus muscles.
Additional:
- Biceps femoris muscles.
- Calf muscles.
- Back extensors.
- Rectus abdominis muscle.
Air squat technique
- Place your heels hip-width apart, with your toes slightly pointed apart.
- In the starting position, all joints should be straightened and in the same plane.
- As you inhale, move your pelvis back, transferring your body weight to your heels, and perform a deep squat, in which the pelvis drops below knee level. At the same time, stabilize the spine with the muscles of the back and abdomen.
- When performing a squat, the arms rise from the bottom up, forming a continuation of the spine at the top point. This is necessary to further stabilize the back in a straight position. The hands are turned towards each other at the top, the arms are slightly bent at the elbows.
- As you exhale, push through your heels and straighten your torso while lowering your arms down.
- Repeat the movement.
There are options
If you move away from training the lifter squat, and stop at the “healthy” fitness option, I would recommend tilting your torso lower towards your knees (the floor) and raising your butt a little higher, or rather, not lowering it below this point. As in the picture number (II).
If you squat with a straight vertical back, then your knees “go” forward and your butt down. Therefore, at some point, it seems to you that the muscles are not working and you are trying to sit even lower. By the way, this squatting technique also exists. This is a pylometric squat.
- squat with jump. It is understood that his goal is to jump out and throw his body as high as possible. It is impossible to squat with any large weights with this technique. That is, this is a completely different squat.
There are also front squats
. We can say that in the first 1/3 of the movement from top to bottom, you do exactly that, although the bar is behind you. But due to the fact that it is in the wrong place (too high) on the neck, that is, the center of gravity is greatly shifted forward “almost a frontal squat”. I would not recommend that anyone do front squats until you can do classic, safe fitness squats with confidence and proper form. So, this is a pure knee-dominant exercise. And such an exercise is always critical for the knees (not for advertising, but for the benefit - listen to the podcast about knees, I’m talking there about how to make training safe for the knees). And our knees are “critical” in 80% of all students.
This is not a random repetition of the picture. This was intended so that we could return to this body position and discuss the main mistake. Let's look at this position, here the body position is very close to a correct deep squat, when the main weight of the body shifts back and the torso leans forward. If they are close to correct, then what spoils the whole picture and the entire biomechanics of movement and this particular position?
Right! Stopping! (1) – The red line schematically shows the placement of the “far” leg – foot, lower leg and thigh.
Here in this photo, incorrect placement of the feet clearly shows how this creates a completely incorrect posture and a traumatic bend angle of the knees and feet (1):
The green strokes (2) clearly show the diagram of the location and bend of the person’s knees in the photograph (1). And the blue strokes (3) are how it should be.
The width of the feet is always individual. It depends on the individual’s physique and height
.
We can give very conditional advice - the taller you are, the wider your heels should be.
.
The toes should be slightly, very slightly turned outward. A stronger turn of the toes is allowed in certain exercises (completely different from this), for example, in a sumo squat, where the legs stand very wide, much wider than in a regular squat, but the toes are also spread 45 degrees outward.
Here is an ideal example of foot placement and knee position at the bottom of a squat:
The feet are turned outward almost imperceptibly (1). The knees, at the bottom of the squat, are exactly above the middle of the foot (closer to the heel). Simply put, the correct placement of the legs can be determined at the bottom of the squat as follows: the closer your shin (shin bone) is to a position perpendicular to the floor in all planes, the more correct the placement of the feet in the squat. The body weight should be on the heels and on the outer edge of the foot. The blue lines depict a kind of “power frame” formed by the outer side of the foot and legs up to the hip, which keeps your movement stable.
Conclusion or “what to do?”
1. Determine for yourself the correct placement of your feet. Look at the position of the shin at the bottom of the squat. It should be close to “almost vertical”.
2. Practice squatting without weight on a bench far behind you. It should be mid-calf height or lower. Step platform, for example. Pull your butt towards her, as if you want to sit on her, stretching your arms forward. This is the correct squat. If you don't lean your body forward enough, you'll simply fall backward.
3. When points 1-2 are clear and performed confidently, take the barbell and try to squat with it on a low bench from behind. First, completely, then hovering over it for a couple of seconds and, without sitting down completely, stand up. Here it is clear what I mean.
4. Find the right squat weight for you. This is the weight with which you can do 4-8 repetitions in 4 sets. I think it’s definitely no less than 36 kg. The barbell weighs 20 kg, plus 16 (8 kg on each side). Warm-up weight – bar without weight. Your Elena,
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Tuesday, 12/17/2013
Common mistakes in squats without weights
- The body weight is transferred to the socks. Despite the fact that the spine is not pressed down by additional weights, a shift in the center of gravity increases the load on the knee joints. In this case, the heels may come off the floor, which also creates additional stress on the ankle joints.
- Rounding the back. The apparent safety of squats without a load does not allow performing the exercise with an incorrect back position. Rounding the spine relaxes the stabilizer muscles, which should receive additional load and protect the vertebrae.
- Bringing the knees together. Shifting your knees to the center not only increases the risk of injury and exposes the knee joints to additional stress, but also reduces the effect of the exercise on the gluteal and adductor muscles. If you control the position of your knees, which should be turned towards your toes, your hips and buttocks will develop correctly without the risk of injury.
Types of squats
Admin
1.Standard barbell squat
Starting position, feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned away from you by 25-30 degrees, the muscles of the legs and back are tense, take the bar with a closed grip, place the barbell on the rear deltoid, remove it from the racks and take a step back. Then, keeping your back straight, tilt it forward a little to reduce the load on the spine and lower back, and fix your gaze in front of you.
When squatting, move your buttocks back a little, perform the squat until it is parallel to the floor, while the toes of the feet should not go beyond the knee joints, and they, in turn, at the lowest point should be turned towards the toes. Using a powerful but smooth movement without jerking, press the weight with the strength of your leg muscles, lifting it up to the starting position.
This type of squat proportionally distributes the load on the quadriceps (front of the thigh), hamstrings (back of the leg), buttocks and lumbar extensor muscles. It is possible to squat with dumbbells, holding them along the body.
Narrow barbell squats
The starting position and technique are described in a standard barbell squat, the difference being that the main load is on the quadriceps (front of the thigh), and the secondary load is on the biceps femoris (back of the thigh). It is possible to squat with dumbbells, holding them along the body.
Front Squats
The starting position and technique are described in the standard barbell squat, the difference being that the bar is not on the back deltoid, but on the upper chest and front deltoid.
This is a difficult exercise for experienced athletes; it is recommended to perform it after mastering the basic recommendations that reduce the risk of injury when performing squats.
The squat places 80% of the load on the quadriceps (the front of the thigh), and the stabilizer muscles are actively involved in the work, preventing the torso from falling forward onto the floor. The exercise is not intended for record weights, it is isolating (specific “pumping” of a certain muscle group), with ideal execution of the technique.
Smith machine squats
A variation of the standard barbell squat, only the barbell is fixed in the frame, ensuring its strictly vertical movement, which removes the load on stabilizing the barbell.
You can perform the exercise in a regular squat, so the load is proportionally distributed between the quadriceps (front of the thigh), hamstrings (back of the thigh), gluteal and lumbar muscles.
A squat is allowed when the feet move forward, to the extent that at the bottom of the squat the buttocks are in line with the heels, then the load on the lumbar region becomes less, and the quadriceps works more. Great exercise for girls.
Sumo squats
This type of squat allows you to lift heavy weights by reducing the amplitude (distance from the floor to the groin) of the movement.
Hack squats
Depending on the position of the legs, different muscles are “loaded”: above the foot - the rear biceps of the thighs, wider than the foot - the internal biceps of the thighs, narrower than the feet - the quadriceps.
When performing squats, make sure that your knees do not go beyond your toes, otherwise the risk of injury from the exercise increases!
Plie squats with dumbbells
The exercise is the twin brother of sumo squats, the starting position, technique and muscles being loaded are the same, only instead of a barbell, dumbbells or a kettlebell are used, and the torso does not lean forward, but is held straight. Mainly used by girls.
Sissy squats (Sisyphean)
Starting position - legs are already shoulder-width apart, straighten your back, move your shoulders back, grab a support with one hand to maintain balance, rise on your toes, throw your head back and begin to bend your body down backwards until your buttocks almost touch your heels and your knees will reach 10-15 cm to the floor surface, we rise to the starting position on our toes. The quadriceps, and especially its lower part, are pumped.
Squats on a chair
The starting position and technique are described in a standard squat with a barbell; only when the bottom of the squat reaches parallel with the floor, the torso is lowered onto the chair. A great exercise for teaching beginners the basics of squats.
FAQ
How many calories do squats burn without weight?
In five minutes of continuous squats without weights, you can burn about 43-50 kcal. This is an individual indicator that depends on the person’s initial data - weight, physical fitness, metabolic rate, as well as speed of execution, and the like.
About an hour of doing squats will burn between 200 and 400 kcal. Of course, you shouldn't limit yourself to just one exercise. To increase its effectiveness and the number of calories lost, it is necessary to combine squats with other cardio and strength exercises.
Do Air Squats Grow Muscles?
The inability to increase muscle size is one of the disadvantages of this exercise, since growth requires large working weights, which cause microdamage to muscle fibers, which subsequently recover and grow. The lack of weight explains the impossibility of this process.
Is it possible to tighten your butt with squats without weights?
As explained in the previous paragraph about the impossibility of muscle hypertrophy without weight, the growth of any muscle, be it gluteal or quadriceps, is impossible without the presence of a certain load, which is performed with heavy weight for a maximum of 10-12 repetitions.
Do squats without weight make your legs swing?
The leg muscles still receive a load, but this is still not enough for muscle growth, but quite enough for strengthening and increasing tone, especially in the initial stages of training. Therefore, if by this question you mean obtaining relief and increasing muscle density, then squats without load are a suitable option for this.
Classic barbell squats
Hello friends! This time we will look at one of the best basic exercises - squats. It is done by beginners and professionals, men and women, and is even used for rehabilitation purposes. What’s so good about it and how to make it, we’ll figure it out.
Squats can be done with a barbell (this is a classic and this is the option I will use), with dumbbells, on a machine, without weights at all. This exercise is rightfully considered one of the main exercises in bodybuilding and powerlifting, along with exercises such as the deadlift and bench press.
Why are squats so good? It's simple - this exercise involves many muscle groups . Yes, the main load goes to the thigh muscles, but the gluteal muscles, all the muscles of the lower back and even the abs take part in it. You need to control your entire body when doing squats.
It is important!
Squats cannot be completely replaced by any one exercise, and if you replace them with several, the effect will still not be the same. The fact is that the more muscle groups involved in performing an exercise, the more stress the body experiences. And, as a result, the more growth hormone it releases.
That's why you've often heard phrases about base, squat and mass in the same sentence.
Squats ideally develop the quadriceps and all 4 muscles are included in the work. Squats also train the gluteal muscles and are considered the best exercise for getting a round, toned butt.
CLASSIC OPTION
This can be done using either a power rack or a Smith machine. In the first option, it is advisable to have a person nearby who can provide backup. At first, it’s still better to do squats without a machine. This is explained by the fact that, without having fixed axes (as in a simulator), a person works with free weight .
Free weights are the best option for performing exercises, because in this option, stabilizer muscles are included in the work, and the overall load on the body is greater . More intense load = faster results.
The Smith machine can be used in cases where you are using really heavy weights and do not have two people for backup.
We approach the power rack and place the barbell on our shoulders so that it rests on the trapezius and deltoids. The grip width should not be wide, but sufficient to comfortably hold the weight. Moreover, when you have bulky arms, it is physically impossible to hold the barbell with a narrow grip.
The width of your feet is at their most stable position, slightly wider than your shoulders. The most stable position is easy to rehearse. To do this, you need to imagine that you want to jump forward from a standing position. Get ready to jump (no need to jump) and your legs will choose the most reliable stance.
The back is arched , it is impossible to round under any circumstances. If you round your back, you will get a spinal injury.
The head is in a position where your direct gaze is directed forward and slightly upward. This position of the neck allows you to control the correct arch of the back.
Helpful advice!
When performing the exercise, the knees should not go forward beyond the level of the toes, otherwise traumatic stress . In order to complete this task, move your pelvis back, as if there is a chair behind you that you are about to sit on.
Interesting: How many times a day should you pump your abs?
When lowering, in order not to lose balance, the upper body (chest and shoulders) automatically lean forward. Someone tries to perform it as straight as possible, but I am sure there is nothing wrong with such a tilt, since the movement is natural for our body.
The toes of our feet should be directed identically to the knee joints.
We work within the amplitude - at the top point of the movement we do not fully straighten our legs at the knees and do not straighten our lower back. This guarantees constant tension in the quadriceps and, as a result, improved control of movements.
We do it smoothly, up – exhale, down – inhale.
We push the body with our heels , not with our toes! You should feel all the weight on your heels, and your toes should be in a position where you can pass a piece of paper under them. That is, practically without touching the floor (if the weight is on the heels, this will be the natural position of the socks, do not be surprised).
How deep to go? There is an opinion that if, when performing squats, the bend angle in the knees is less than 90 degrees , then this will greatly load the knee joints.
But squats are a natural movement for our legs, so don’t be shy about squatting below a right angle - nothing bad will happen, everyone squats like that.
A smaller angle means a larger amplitude, which results in a greater load on the quadriceps.
* The narrower the legs are, the more load the outer thigh receives; the wider are, the greater the load on the inner thigh and gluteal muscles.
* If you have poor stretching and want to raise your heels when doing squats, place something under them, such as pancakes or a board.
ERRORS
The most common mistakes when squatting, which should not be made, because it will all end in failure, you will get serious injuries to your knees and back.
1. Round back
2. Head looks down
3. Weight on toes
4. Knees extend beyond your toes.
Control these moments and everything will be fine.
Pay attention!
On this wonderful note, regarding the standard version of squats, which is suitable for everyone and is mandatory in any program, I propose to end this discussion. Let's look further at the different variations of this exercise.
Phil
Source: https://feel1force.ru/yprajneniya/klassicheskie-prisedaniya-so-shtangoy/
