Squats for better Abs!

Hopefully you have a training routine right now - if not start, commit to something do-able and build yourself a positive habit that will pay off for the rest of your life!

If you're training, hopefully you are including some kind or several kinds of squatting movements.

Squats are a great fundamental movement pattern that can go a long way to enhancing the function and composition of your body.

This is not meant to be an instructional post - you should be able to find some great technique articles and video's online.

Yes there are some basics that apply to pretty much all squats - feet a comfortable distance apart (around shoulder width), heels down, knees inline with your toes, bracing your mid section to maintain a natural curve in your back, keeping your upper body reasonably tall.

The great thing about squats is, however you do them they involve a great amount of your body. Even though i know this, it's nice to be taken by surprise pretty much every time i do a type of squat i haven't done for a while, do more reps or use more load than i've been used to.

It's often a tightness in my abs, sometimes glutes, quads or hamstrings - or some slightly evil combination of the above!

For weighted squats i always do front squats (with a barbell across the front of the shoulders). There are a few reasons for this; i often train at home with no rack or partners so a back squat is not such a practical or safe option, front squats are very useful for getting better at the explosive olympic lifts where the bar is caught in the same position as a front squat when performing a clean, and i've always liked the strong amount of core work i feel from doing them.

1 leg squats are also an interesting and challenging version that require no equipment.

Enjoy your squats, make sure you are doing them correctly and make them a core part of your training.

Steve
www.sussexbootcamps.co.uk

Training Session That Leaves Me Wiped Out!

I mentioned the other day that the dreaded leg focused training day was next up.

It hasn't been quite as long as it has taken me to post this - actually did this on Thursday

Yet again the number of sets of significant leg work (for me!) took its toll!

It went something like this;

4 Sets of front squats, each one mixed with a set of pressing and pulling.

3 sets of overhead squats, mixed with different pressing and pulling moves.

2 sets of 1 leg squats, again mixed with more versions of the above.

2 sets of a sandbag bearhug squat, yet more pressing and pulling.

Finally 2 sets of swiss ball hamstring curls, with explosive press ups (no not at the same time!)

I should have gone out for Halloween dressed up as something that has to walk a bit funny as no acting would have been needed!

Be an Everyday Athlete!

Steve Cork
http://www.sussexbootcamps.co.uk/
http://www.everydayathletes.co.uk/