Olympic squats: why are they so popular and how to perform them correctly?

Many people confuse Olympic squats with powerlifting squats. The main difference is that the former are more common, while the latter are specifically designed to lift as much weight as possible. This is the whole point of powerlifting competitions. Olympic squats, on the other hand, are a more complicated variation of regular squats. And today, together with a fitness trainer, we analyzed who and what benefits this exercise can bring.

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This is one of the most popular and effective exercises in the gym. Olympic squats allow you to develop strength and endurance of legs and buttocks, as well as improve coordination and balance.

What are Olympic squats?

Olympic squats are deep squats used by weightlifters more for joint mobility and mobility than for breaking new records. The main difference from the classic version is that they are performed with a barbell, which makes the exercise much more difficult, but also more effective.

If you are doing the exercise for the first time, use the golden rule: do not hang pancakes at once. First try squats with an empty bar and gradually increase the load to find the right weight for you.

What muscles do Olympic squats work?

It’s simple, because Olympic squats don’t change the classic squats much, they just make them more difficult to perform. So the muscles working here are the same as in regular squats – the quadriceps, the adductor muscles of the thigh, the gluteus maximus, as well as the muscles of the lower leg and the back of the thigh.

Technique of performing Olympic squats

Grasping all the exercises in a row without understanding them is a bad idea. Even taking into account the fact that these are the same familiar squats, only with a barbell, the prerequisite is to study the technique of execution. You will spend very little time on this, but this part of the preparation can save you from injury or simply make the exercise more effective.

How to perform?

• Starting position is standing with the barbell on your shoulders, feet slightly wider than the pelvis, shoulder blades brought and lowered.
• As you inhale, perform a squat, pointing your knees toward your toes while maintaining the correct curves of your spine.
• Lower yourself as low as possible, the lower the better.
• Let your shins be the reference point. They should touch your buttocks and the back of your thighs. If this is the case, then you are doing everything correctly.
• Izelpojot atgriezieties sākuma pozīcijā.

Who is suitable for Olympic squats?

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Olympic squats can be adapted to any sport, because they are extremely useful for the elasticity of leg muscle ligaments. Good stretching and excellent mobility of joints – this is a consequence of a large amplitude of movement.

But, of course, to perform Olympic squats can not all. First of all, you need to have a good experience of training, so that, as already mentioned, do not harm yourself. Therefore, it is better to start this exercise if you have already worked out the technique of classical squats, and also well developed target muscles of the legs that will be involved. Without this, there is nowhere to go. If you have problems with the knees, you experience pain, then you need to know the technique of execution perfectly, otherwise you greatly risk aggravating the situation.

Benefits and harms of Olympic squats

Olympic squats have a large range of motion, an even load on the knee and hip joints. But there is no good without good, and vice versa, so there are still minuses, although they are few. Olympic squats put a lot of strain on the knee joint. At the same time, they load less the posterior surface of the thigh and more the quadriceps. This is the specificity of the technique, if you want to evenly work all leg muscles, combine different variations of squats.

What to replace Olympic squats with?

Olympic squats, as has already been said more than once, are not suitable for everyone, so we offer an alternative for those who want to, but can not try. Replace the exercise are able to squat on one leg, in the common people – pistol. Start with a rubber band tied at the top or in TRX loops. Then make it harder and do them against a wall, sliding your hand along it. When you realize you’re ready, try using your own muscles to push yourself up.