Squats with a barbell on the shoulders and chest: how to squat correctly

The barbell squat is one of the most important exercises in the arsenal of any powerlifter or CrossFit enthusiast. It connects to work almost all the muscles of the upper and lower girdles, as well as stabilizer muscles. By the level of this exercise, one can judge the complete strength training of the athlete, since it is basic and technically necessary.

Squats with a barbell on the shoulders require the athlete to follow the perfect technique. This point is critical because heavy weights are always at high risk of injury, sprains, or worse. In this article, we will explain in detail the rules for squats with a barbell, give various variations of the exercise, and explain how to perform them correctly.

Benefit and harm

First, let's break down the pros and cons and find out what barbell squats do.

1. This is the best exercise for athletes who are training to increase muscle mass. It allows you to form a beautiful relief, tone the muscles, increase their strength;
2. The athlete becomes more mobile, his coordination and endurance threshold improves;
3. Exercise stimulates an increase in blood circulation in the pelvic area, which has a beneficial effect on the male reproductive system;
4. Squats with heavy weight contribute to increased production of testosterone, on which potency depends;
5. Squats can help you shed fat in your lower body. In return, you get powerful and effective muscles, and a toned body;
6. For women, barbell squats are useful for body shaping - they help to pump up the buttocks, thighs, improve shape, and tighten the skin.
7. Moderate stress (light weight) helps to strengthen joints and ligaments.
8. Exercise helps to increase physical strength, improve mood, raise self-esteem, and improve sleep quality.

If we talk about the shortcomings, we note the following points:

• For most variations, athletes will need equipment, which means they will not be able to practice at home;
• Beginners should exercise with a trainer - we categorically do not recommend setting the technique on their own;
• Barbell squats have a lot of contraindications (high load on the body);
• Exercise is potentially traumatic, so follow the technique carefully.

All harm comes down to the consequences due to improper performance of the latter.

1. Athletes run the risk of injury to the knee ligaments and joints. By the way, we recommend wrapping elastic bandages on your knees;
2. Rip off the spine;
3. Get a spinal hernia or protrusion;
4. Often there are injuries to the upper shoulder girdle - you need to be able to hold the bar correctly;
5. An increase in intra-abdominal pressure can cause an umbilical hernia, and therefore it is worth wearing an athletic tape.

Contraindications

Before we tell you how to squat with a barbell for men and women, we will acquaint you with a list of contraindications. Read it very carefully:

• Any, even minor, back problems;
• Diseases or injuries of the hip, or knee joints, ligaments;
• Dorsal and abdominal hernias;
• Radiculitis and scoliosis;
• Acute diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• Conditions after a heart attack or stroke;
• Varicose veins;
• Glaucoma;
• Pregnancy;
• Recovery period after surgery or injury;
• Any exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• Inflammatory processes, increased body temperature;
• Bad state of health.

Safety engineering

We'll start explaining how to do barbell squats very soon, but we need to talk about safety first. We hope there is no need to explain why this is necessary.

1. Never exercise in poor health, in a state of alcoholic or other intoxication, and also if you feel acute pain in the muscles or ligaments;
2. Always do a warm-up - squats with a shell on cold muscles are suicide for the latter;
3. Work smoothly, without jerking or jerking;
4. While squatting, do not lift your head up, you can lose your balance. Don't look down either. Ideally, observe yourself in the mirror, keeping your head and gaze straight;
5. Exercise with equipment: elastic bandages, an athletic belt, a wrist strap, hard-soled shoes, comfortable clothing.
6. When squatting with super heavy weights, be sure to bring in a partner as a safety net. And preferably 2 or 3. Do not hesitate to ask the people in the gym for help if you came to study alone. Sports etiquette will not allow them to refuse you;
7. Start with small weights, gradually adding pancakes;
8. Do not do many reps (more than 6) as the axial load is too heavy for the back. The number of repetitions in one approach is 6-12.

As you can see, there are not very many rules and they are all adequate.

How to find weight

Let's continue learning how to learn to squat with a barbell and finally get to practice. Let's find out how to find the optimal weight.

There is a rule that allows you to choose the optimal starting weight for a beginner - "body weight - minus 15 kg." That is, if the athlete weighs 85 kg, the initial weight of the projectile should not exceed 70 kg.

However, often people who first visited the hall are so physically unprepared and, corny, fat, that the value obtained using this formula turns out to be too high for them.

Professional trainers recommend starting with a weight of 40-50 kg, after which you need to do 10 repetitions. If the task was easy, put a 5 kg pancake on both sides of the bar. Repeat the test. Keep rolling until you feel muscle failure for 6-8 repetitions. This is your actual working weight.

How to hold the barbell?

When squatting, the bar is allowed to be held on the shoulder blades, shoulders, front delta, but the shoulders are considered the most common and convenient option.

• According to the technique of performing squats with a barbell on the back, the grip should be straight and closed. The width of the arms does not matter, but usually they are placed slightly wider than the shoulders. They should be symmetrical on the neck from the edges. This is important for maintaining balance.
• The squat technique with a barbell on the chest allows you to hold the bar in the classic (hook-shaped) or cross-over method. The first involves placing the brushes symmetrically under the neck away from you so that they look up. The grip is half-closed. In the second, the arms are crossed on the bar, the grip is open.

What muscles work?

To help you better understand the biomechanics of barbell squats, let's find out which muscles work in the process:

1. The main load is received by the quadriceps (four-headed thighs) and the gluteus maximus (the one that is responsible for the round butt);
2. Stabilize the position of the extensors of the back, hamstrings, soleus, calf;
3. The abdominal (straight and oblique abdomen) and deltas receive a secondary load;
4. The knee, hip and calf joints, as well as the back and shoulders, work actively.

Well, we made it clear that the barbell squat is rocking, as you can see - this is the perfect exercise for building spectacular legs and round buttocks. Finally, let's move on to the technique!

Classic Barbell Squat Technique

Let's start by looking at basic squatting techniques for men and women, and then add separate recommendations for each exercise variation.

Be sure to warm up your entire body well with a set of cardio exercises. Do several sets of empty bar squats.

Basic technique

The optimal height of the bar is the level of the athlete's collarbone.

• Stand under the bar, squat down slightly, bending at the lower back (without rounding the back), place the barbell on the trapezes, and remove it from the racks. Take a couple of steps back so as not to hit the frame during squats;
• The starting position for most types of barbell squats for men and women is the same: feet shoulder-width apart, hands on the bar, elbows laid back, back straight, shoulder blades flattened, abs tense, looking forward.
• Don't forget about proper breathing while squatting. As you inhale, begin to slowly descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor. The pelvis is pulled back and the knees are pulled apart. At the same time, the back bends, due to which the body bends slightly forward. It is important to distinguish between natural inclination and excessive heaving.
• As you exhale, gently rise, returning to the starting position.

Please note that the depth of the squat affects the difficulty of the exercise. If you squat below parallel, the buttocks and back will be more loaded. However, for beginners, we recommend starting the practice with the golden mean, which is the lowest point at which the lower leg and thigh form a right angle.

Variations

So, we have sorted out how to do classic barbell squats, now let's move on to other variations. By the way, the basic provisions of the technique remain the same, but there are nuances.

• Barbell Squat with a narrow stance. Due to it, the quadriceps are more actively involved, as well as the outer surface of the thigh. This variation will not allow you to work at full amplitude, so the maximum depth of the squat will be parallel. There are no differences in technique.
• Wide stance barbell squats. The most common practice in this category is sumo squats. The direction of the load on specific muscles depends on the correct positioning of the legs when squatting with a barbell. In this case, the muscles of the inner thigh, as well as the gluteal muscles, work harder. The main nuance of the technique is that the socks must be turned as wide as the stretch allows. They should look strictly in one direction with the knees.
• Front squats. It is impossible to work with super heavy weights with them, therefore this subspecies is not intended for records. The technique of performing squats with a barbell on the sternum only at first glance seems to be different from the algorithm in the classical version. This is because the bar is in front. However, in fact, this is the only difference. Oh, yes - the tilt of the body is less deep here, otherwise the athlete will simply collapse forward. If you are wondering which muscles are involved in the front squat with a barbell, we emphasize that the muscles of the front of the thigh receive the greatest load.
• Smith Machine Barbell Squat. This is a special frame in which the bar is fixed and can only move up and down. The main advantage of this simulator is that the athlete does not need to control balance, monitor the amplitude of the incline. Therefore, it feels safer and more comfortable. We recommend for beginners to squat in Smith. Technique, by the way, here remains similar to the algorithm of work in a conventional frame. Unless you take out the neck with a rotational motion. In the Smith machine, you can do any kind of squat with a bar: frontal, classic, with a wide or narrow stance.

Frequent mistakes

The correct squat technique for men and women will not tolerate the following mistakes:

1. Rounding the back;
2. Separation of the heels from the floor, and, thereby, the transfer of weight to the toes;
3. Knees extend beyond the toe line;
4. Knees are brought together;
5. Toes and knees point outward (not parallel);
6. Lifting by pushing the coccyx upwards, and not with the help of just the strength of the muscles of the legs;
7. Breathing out of order, holding your breath, lifting while inhaling;
8. Working on cold muscles or feeling unwell;
9. Extreme weight or work without an insurer.

99% of all the errors listed lead to injury!

So, we have analyzed the basic squatting technique with a barbell on the shoulders or chest for men and women. Now it's time to move from theory to practice. Below is a sample training scheme for beginners.

Training program

Many people believe that it is enough to take a ready-made squat pattern without a barbell and follow it, but with a projectile. This opinion is critically erroneous, since in such programs, as a rule, a large number of repetitions are indicated in each approach. In working with weight, the main thing is not quantity, but quality. Therefore, there are fewer squats, but the efficiency is many times greater. Here's a good diagram that works for both men and women:

• Day 1. 2 sets of 5 barbell squats;
• Day 2. Rest.
• Day 3. 2 sets of 5 squats with a barbell on the shoulders, 1 set - front squats;
• Day 4. Rest.
• Day 5. 2 sets of 7 squats, barbell on shoulders; 2 sets of 7 times, barbell on the sternum;
• Day 6-7. Recreation.

In the second week, we listen to our feelings. If it's hard, repeat the previous scheme. If everything is OK, add 3-5 reps for each set.

In the third week, you can connect several approaches in other variations of the squat (narrow stance, wide, lunges, etc.), depending on the goal pursued.

In the fourth and further weeks, when the number of repetitions grows to 10-12, and approaches to 4-6, you can begin to increase the weight.

Now let's talk about how to replace the barbell squat.

Alternative

If, for health reasons, you cannot do squats with a barbell in a regular frame, exercise in the Smith machine. As we wrote above, it solves problems with coordination and balance. Another cool car is the Gackenschmidt simulator. Hack squats minimize stress on your back and knees while still allowing you to pull substantial weights. There is another exercise similar in mechanics to squats - leg press. In this case, there is also no work of the spine - only the legs. Another alternative would be lunges with a barbell - with them axial load is present, but the working weight is much lower than in the classics.

We consider the analysis of the exercise to squat with a barbell in front of you or on your shoulders. We tried to cover all possible aspects of the topic, made recommendations, introduced you to the nuances. We recommend that you reread the safety precautions and contraindications. Successful training!

Watch the video: How to Use Gym Equipment. Beginners Guide (November 2024).