Every athlete should know which muscles work when squatting, this will help to better understand the biomechanics of the exercise. The squat itself is the lowering and raising of the whole body by bending / extending the legs at the knee joints. Can be performed with additional weights. This is a basic bench press exercise in any general physical training.
The two most common goals people start squatting for are weight loss and muscle gain. In the first case, a large number of approaches and repetitions, as well as a high tempo, play a role, and in the second, additional weight, for which you should work with a barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell.
It so happened that women, in the overwhelming majority, are interested in burning fat, and men are interested in increasing body relief. The target area in both cases is the lower body.
So let's find out which muscles swing when squatting in men and women, and how to be able to use specific muscles.
What muscles work?
Let's try to figure out what the squats are pumping, which muscles work:
- Target Group - Quadriceps (Quadriceps)
It is located entirely on the front and partially on the lateral surface of the thigh, consists of 4 bundles. Responsible for extending the knee.
- In this exercise, the gluteus maximus, adductors and soleus work together with the quadriceps.
The gluteus maximus - the largest of the 3 glutes, is located closest to the surface of the priests. It is she who is responsible for the shape and appearance of your fifth point. The adductor thighs are tense to stabilize the pelvis and work to bring the leg to the midline of the body. Thanks to the soleus muscles, flexion / extension of the foot to the sole occurs.
We will continue to study the muscles that work when squatting, and move from the main group to the secondary group.
- The next group is the stabilizer muscles, among which the extensors of the back, as well as the straight and oblique abdomen are involved when squatting.
The extensors are two thick flaps that run on either side of the spine from the neck to the pelvis. It is thanks to them that a person can bend over, rotate the trunk, etc. The straight and oblique abdomen are found in the abdominal region. These places are pumped and trained in order to achieve beautiful abs cubes.
- Dynamic stabilizers - work to maintain the balance of different parts of the body during exercise. In squats, this function is performed by the hamstrings and calves.
The hamstring (biceps) is located in the back of the thigh, an antagonist of the quadriceps. Thanks to him, we can bend the leg at the knee, rotate the lower leg. Calf muscle - located on the back of the lower leg, extending from the femur to the Achilles tendon. Works so that a person can move the foot, as well as maintain balance while walking, running, etc.
So, now you know what sways when squatting in women and men, now let's figure out how to get certain muscles to plow more.
Major misconceptions
As you can imagine, depending on the squat technique, the athlete develops different types of muscles. At the same time, it makes no sense to look for which muscles work when squatting in women, or in men, because the structure of the muscles in both sexes is the same.
If your goal is a specific muscle (for example, the biceps are not voluminous enough or you want to remove the breeches from the lateral surface of the thigh), choose the appropriate type of squat and focus on it in training.
Also, let's look at another misconception. Some beginners try to find out which muscle groups work when squatting without weights, and conversely, with weights. Remember, during this exercise, the same muscles function, but with different results. If you squat with your own weight, do a lot of repetitions at high speed, you will get rid of those extra pounds. If you start squatting with weights, build up the relief.
Well, what muscle groups are affected by squats, we have found out, now let's move on to the muscles that receive the greatest load in different types of squats.
How to make specific muscles work?
Please note that the main rule applies here, on which not only the effectiveness of training depends, but also the health of the trainee. Study the squat technique carefully, and follow it strictly. Especially if you are going to work with heavy weights.
Let's take a look at the types of squats and which muscle groups work in each case:
- The quadriceps work almost constantly, while the ideal exercise for his one hundred percent load is the classic squat with a barbell on the shoulders. Front squats (barbell on the chest) give the same effect, but they injure the knees less;
- When squats, where the legs are together, the musculature of the lateral and outer thighs works;
- Conversely, in squats with a wide stance, for example, plie or sumo, the inner surface of the thigh muscles works to a greater extent;
- If the athlete works with dumbbells, which are located in the lowered hands on the sides of the body, the back works harder than usual;
- Squats in the hack machine allow you to redirect the load to the outer thigh, you just need to put your legs a little wider than usual;
- To engage the upper quadriceps, lay the bar straight in front of you on bent elbows and squat like this;
- What muscles do you think don't work when squatting in a Smith machine? That's right, due to the absence of the need to control balance, you will practically not use stabilizers. But complicate the task for the quadriceps.
Now you know what muscles swing when squatting in girls and guys. In conclusion, we will touch upon one more topic.
Muscle pain after exercise
We've figured out which muscles squats are good for, but don't rush to start exercising. First, let's talk about whether it is normal to feel pain after each workout.
It is believed that soreness is the main indicator that you have forced your muscles to work on a solid five. Every jock in the gym has heard this phrase: "it hurts - it means it grows." How true is this statement?
There is some truth in it, but also, there is exactly the same amount of delusion. There are actually 2 types of pain - anabolic and physiological. The first is tested by athletes who exercise correctly, following the technique, program, and give the muscles an adequate load. But they also do not allow the latter to relax. As a result, after training, they experience painful sensations, which indicate that the muscles are working, and not cooling down. As a result, the volume is really growing.
And the second type of pain is the result of working with excessive weight, neglect of technique, non-observance of rules, schemes and other important details of correct strength training. As you can imagine, the result in this case is likely to result in injury.
Remember, muscle pain of a physiological nature (bad) is aching, constricting, not allowing full movement. Often accompanied by general malaise. Anabolic pain (correct) - it is moderate, sometimes with a slight tingling or burning sensation, does not interfere with the work of the muscles. It lasts no more than two days, after which it leaves without a trace.
Remember, it is not necessary to bring yourself to pain. If you work with a normal weight, the muscles will still grow, this is their physiology. It would be much more correct to focus on technique and mode.
So, to summarize all of the above. When squatting in men and women, the muscles of the quadriceps, gluteus maximus, adductor thighs and soleus work. The extensors of the back and abdominal (rectus and oblique) muscles act as stabilizers. Additionally, the biceps of the legs and calves are involved. As you can see, the entire lower body is working. This is why squats are so great for building your legs and butts. Successful and not painful training!
