The Body Sculpting Bible for Women (28 page)

As you are squatting downward, it is very important that at no time throughout the movement do your knees go beyond your toes. This puts too much pressure on the knees, and can seriously damage them.

Make sure you don’t let your thighs go below horizontal since you could injure your lower back; and this can also push the knees past the toes, once again leading to injury.

As you reach horizontal or just above it, begin to exhale and press off your feet distributing the weight throughout the heel while pressing upward. You must concentrate on keeping and holding proper alignment throughout the movement.

As you reach the top of the movement, make sure you do not lock your knees since it will put too much stress on the knee joint. If at any time during the movement you should feel or notice yourself getting sloppy or not retaining the proper alignment, stop immediately! Never jeopardize your safety with bad form!

When you’ve done the desired amount of reps, simply walk the bar back to the rack. Or, if using dumbbells, squat down once again and place them on the floor or back on the dumbbell rack. Never bend over to pick the dumbbells up or put them down. Doing this can definitely injure your lower back area.

Sissy Squat

This exercise is a great way to squat, using your own bodyweight as resistance. You can perform this practically anywhere, and it’s especially useful when you’re on the road. You shouldn’t try this exercise if you suffer from knee problems, however, as it stresses the knee. Once you’ve got the basics down, target your quads differently by trying a variation. For example, use just one arm for support, and use the opposite arm to hold a plate on top of your chest.

PROPER ALIGNMENT

Make sure that there is nothing behind you so if you lose your balance and fall nothing will hit you.

Stand upright with feel shoulder-width apart and heels raised an inch or two off the floor.

Hold onto a stationary object such as one of the beams of a squat rack.

If you are new to the exercise, it’s a good idea to use two arms for support-so you’ll need two beams of the squat rack in front of you.

TECHNIQUE AND FORM

Using your arms to hold yourself, bend at the knees and slowly lower your torso toward the ground by bringing your pelvis and knees forward.

Inhale as you go down and stop when your buttocks almost touch your heels. Hold the stretch position for a second. Ensure that your hamstrings touch the calves at the bottom of the movement. This emphasizes the stretch!