How to Do Half Squats: Techniques, Benefits, Variations

Squats are a popular addition to many exercise routines, whether they are performed with body weight alone or with extra weight. Expanding on the types of squats you practice will provide more options as well as physical benefits.

One type of squat that you may want to add to your rotation are half squats. This squat requires you to lower your body so that your thighs are parallel to the floor (this move is also known as the “to parallel” squat). While the name may indicate a lesser exercise, half squats have a legitimate place in any strength training program.

Half squats are a great option for everyone, no matter how deep your natural squat. Furthermore, the depth of your squat is largely based on your anatomy, which is beyond your control. Other factors, like mobility and range of motion also come into play, which are areas you can work on to increase the depth of your squat if you want.

Half squats get a bad rap among those who believe that the deeper the squat, the better, but this isn’t feasible for many. Half squats are beneficial if you’re trying to break through your endurance threshold or you’re in the process of increasing your mobility and range of motion.

How to do Half Squats

While ideal width, foot position, and barbell position can vary from person to person, there are general guidelines that most people can start with when performing squats. In particular, if you want to work on your grip, to cross the plane, you can add a pause at the end of the squat before returning to standing.

Follow these instructions to perform the squat. If you need adjustments based on your anatomy or are unsure of your form, seek guidance from a personal trainer or another exercise professional.

1. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, facing forward at a slightly outward angle (about 5 to 7 degrees for most people during body-weight squats, a little more with bodyweight squats). barbell).
2. Shape the arch of the foot, pressing down with the heel, the base of the first toe, and the base of the 5th toe to create a sort of tripod — this will provide stability and distribute your weight evenly .
3. Push hips back into hip hinges, bringing chest forward, focusing on glutes and hamstrings.
4. Squeeze your glutes and point your knees out to create tension and rotate your hips. You should feel your outer hips stick together — this helps you stay in shape safely, protecting your knees and back as you continue to squat deeper. Make sure to keep the arch in your foot with all three points still touching the ground.
5. Keep your neck and torso in a neutral, upright position. Look forward and at a slight angle downward.
6. Lower to desired position, parallel to or just above, balancing with weight evenly distributed in feet. For the half squat, keep your shins as upright as possible.
7. Push your hips up and back, pulling your shin vertically as you return to a standing (upward) position.

Benefits of Half Squats

Learning to squat under parallel has advantages, such as increased active stabilization of the knee and reduced risk of sports injuries to the knee — but only when done correctly; otherwise, may result in injury. It’s wise to do Half squats during a continuous workout to increase your range of motion if you can’t squat below parallel while maintaining proper form.

Doing squats on purpose can also help you push too hard. If you have what’s called a “sticky spot” in your squat technique, where it’s much harder in the early stages of the squat, then doing half squats can help increase your strength in that area, pushing you cross the plains.

Half squats are also an important element of the push press. If you want to improve that particular lift, strength training and your half-squat technique is beneficial. For this purpose, use an explosive motion as you reach the end of the squat to return to the starting position.

Other Variations

Your individual squatting ability is highly dependent on your anatomy. The hip is a ball-bearing joint and the joint can move in all three directions.

People with shallow hip sockets can go much deeper, as there is no bone impeding the ball joint of the hip from rotating to allow that much movement. Luckily, you can do this exercise in a variety of ways to meet your skill level and goals. Here are some options.

Revision

If you have deep hip sockets, you will be limited in your ability to lower yourself. However, you can rely on your mobility to increase the depth of your squat according to your natural ability.

Start with a half-body squat, also known as an air squat. Without weights and arms outstretched for balance, do a half squat.

You can even put a chair or box behind and then just sit down and stand up. This squat variation is the best way to improve your squat. You can gradually lower the box to increase the depth of the squat. As you get more comfortable, you can add weights on your side and finally add dumbbells.

For a challenge

If you find that the half squat isn’t challenging enough for you, you can try a full squat. Full squats are generally considered to be those with the squatter’s bottom as close to the ground as possible. Also known as the “grass-to-ground” squat, some believe this is the only proper squat.

Basically, you start with a half squat but continue to lower down to the desired position, balancing with your weight evenly distributed in your feet. When you have reached the end of the range of motion, the angles of your knee and hip joints should be roughly equal.

You should not drop or return the bottom position. Instead, maintain a slow and controlled stretch. As you return to the starting position, keep your torso and back upright and your hips under the barbell.

Common mistake

When performing half squats, don’t tilt your neck up or lean forward too much. Keep your chest up and forward, don’t let it sag or slouch. Also, looking up or down can put your neck in an unsafe position.

You should also pay special attention to your posture. Keep your back straight and in a neutral spine position, rather than being overly arched or arched. Also, keep your knees in line with your toes instead of too far apart and don’t let your knees reach beyond your toes.

Overall, half squats will work your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, calves, and core muscles, including those in your lower back. However, if you’re not doing the tandem, you’ll be focusing less on your glutes and hamstrings than you would in a deeper squat. Don’t neglect training to get a deeper, fuller squat within your anatomy.

Deeper squats will strengthen more muscles including the glutes, rectus femoris (part of the abdominal muscles), hamstrings, and ligaments, while increasing your mobility. It can also help build muscle support around your knee, preventing injury if you go deeper.

Safety and Precautions

Performing any squat with poor form carries a risk of injury, especially as you add weight. Seek the guidance of a personal trainer or other exercise professionals to correct form if you are nervous or need help getting started. If you’re doing heavy, heavy squats, have a locator ready and use a rack with safety bars in case you need to drop the weights.

You should also talk to your healthcare provider if you’ve had an injury or condition involving your ankle, knee, leg, hip, or back to see if this exercise is right for you. are not. This exercise can put stress on your knees, even if you don’t have a history of the problem. Also, pay attention to your stance. A narrow posture will also put more strain on your knees.

Trial

Incorporate this and similar moves into one of these popular exercises: