Here’s what my squat challenge did to my body.
If you can do a squat and a pushup, you build up to becoming a fitness guru. — John Morrison
The bodyweight squat challenge was a part of my 30-day challenge to build sustainable healthy habits. I have completed nine 30-day challenges, including squats, in the past couple of months.
Squats are part of the Big 3 compound exercises. The Big 3 compound exercises are deadlifts, bench presses, and squats.
Everyone has done at least one squat if they ever hit the gym. Every trainer on the planet suggests this exercise to build strength.
Squats are also known as an all-in-one exercise that targets the thighs and glutes simultaneously.
I did the basic bodyweight squats. You can google thousands of variations in squat exercises.
I highly suggest starting with the simple bodyweight squat to build stamina and practice proper form.
Recommended muscle strengthing activities
According to the Department of Health, just 23% of Americans meet the bare minimum of weekly exercise.
Each week, at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of intense exercise is required.
How to do a bodyweight squat properly
Simply start with one squat at a time. Make sure to do it the right way. The following steps will help you do the squats in the proper way. Let’s start.
- Place your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, with your toes turned outward. Make sure to engage your abdominal core.
- Inhale and begin the exercise by hingeing at the hips, then bending the knees to drop into a squat position until
- Thighs are nearly parallel to the floor,
- Heels begin to rise off the floor
- Torso begins to flex forward.
- The torso and shin bone should be parallel at the lowest in an ideal position.
- Exhale and stand up
- Hips and torso are rising simultaneously.
Caveat: Improper squats can lead to hip and/or lower back pain.
What squats can do to your body?
Why are squats so important, and what do they do to your body? Here are a couple of squats’ benefits.
Squats boost your strength.
Squats help to strengthen your leg muscles and improve your agility level. Any compound exercise (deadlifts, bench presses, squats, pullups, shoulder presses) will develop overall body strength and enhance muscle growth. However, squats are the king, especially for your more muscular back.
Burns Calories
On average, you can burn 8 calories for every minute of doing bodyweight squats. An average person can do 25 bodyweight squats a minute.
On the other side, squats with a barbell can help you burn calories faster; according to Harvard Medical School, 155 pounds a person can burn 233 calories in merely 30 minutes of strength training, such as squats or deadlifts.
Squats are also known as high-intensity exercises, which can burn the maximum number of calories.
Improved posture
Squats will strengthen your muscles to help you stand, sit, and walk taller in the long term. You will become more confident.
Strengthens your core and lower body muscles
Core muscles are paramount for daily movements such as standing, bending, and trucking. Studies show that squats can help improve the back muscles, especially core muscles.
Many movements are controlled by your hamstrings, quadriceps, adductors, calves, hip flexors, and glutes, from sitting on a stool to getting out of bed.
Squats will help to strengthen all these major muscles found in your lower body. Squats can also help to improve your quadriceps and glutes.
Did I see squats results after 35 days?
If you want more power and speed in your legs and increased resistance to injury, you should be squatting regularly. — Joel Snape
I would say doing a 35-day challenge is way better than doing nothing. But for more visible results, you need to squat for a longer time or maybe add some weight.
- I felt a bit of difference in my glutes by doing this simple home workout without any variations.
- I also felt my back is getting in shape, especially the lower back.
- I was doing squats exercise between 2–3 PM, which helped boost my alert level.
- I also felt more toned thighs, but not a massive difference.
- By doing these 30-day challenges, I am more active than ever and love to do the exercise within 20–30 minutes.
- Sometimes, I was literally looking at the wall to do the exercise.
- I took, on average, 40 seconds to do 20 squats.
- However, some days, I did four sets of 25 squats to hit 100 squats a day within 5–10 minutes.
What is an excellent squat strength?
Most fitness experts agree that performing at least 20–50 consecutive bodyweight squats with proper form is an excellent standard.
The bottom line
When you’re having one of those days when you feel like there’s a weight on your shoulder — DO SQUATS.
Squats are a compound physical exercise that can be performed anywhere; you don’t need to go to the gym.
You probably won’t see a physical difference in merely 30 days, but you will see a mental shift, and your confidence level will boost. You will feel that your posture is improved.
I can guarantee that if you perform the squats challenge consistently, you will see a difference regardless of your fitness level. You will do one of the Big Three exercises that ever existed to improve your health.
Keep moving your body!
[…] had already done 35 days of squats and push-up challenges separately. I must say that as soon as you see the results, it will become a […]