Don’t Know Squat?

“If you can sit, you can squat,” says Jerry Bradley, a trainer at the Richardson Super Sport 24 Hour Fitness in Dallas. Here’s what to do.

THE BASICS

Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, and slowly lower your body as though you’re sitting down. “Focus on driving your hips and butt backward and keeping your knees aligned with your ankles,” says Bradley. Letting your knees pass your toes places stress on the knees and the lower back, so descend only as far as you can to keep that from happening. The depth you’re able to go depends on the flexibility of your quadriceps (the muscles at the front of your thighs), inner thighs, and calves. “If you can only go down 8 degrees comfortably, then that’s your range of motion, and you can improve from there,” says Bradley. To lift out of the squat, contract your butt and hamstrings (the muscles at the backs of your thighs). Repeat 15 to 20 times.

SQUAT 201

Once you can squat repeatedly with proper form, you can add weight with either dumbbells or a bar. Hold light dumbbells at your sides as you squat, keeping your arms straight and relaxed. Or rest a bar across your back and shoulders. Repeat 15 to 20 times.