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4 Squat Variations for Strength

in the category: Fitness

JeeForce provides four excellent squat movements to strengthen your quads, back and shoulders.

This post has been provided by Jeraldine “JeeForce” Luque, personal trainer at Sky Sport Spa—the gym made famous by Bravo TV’s show WORKOUT. Check out our interview with JeeForce for background and contact information.

Distance runners of all levels can benefit from resistance-training; it helps prevent injuries, improves your running economy and thus race performance, and can offset the loss of muscle that occurs as you age. It strengthens the tendons, ligaments, and bones that enable you to run smoothly and effectively.
—Amby Burfoot, Runner’s World Complete Book of Beginning Running

Squats are a great way to strengthen your leg muscles and protect yourself from the wear of running. Here’s four of my favorite squat movements using body weight and the medicine ball for resistance.

Choose one exercise and perform 3 sets. Depending on the weight of the medicine ball, repetitions can vary from 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, 25. For example: if you have a 1, 2, 3kg medicine ball, 3 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions is good; the higher the weight, the lower the number of repetitions.

#1: Medicine Ball Squat

Target Area: glutes! glutes! glutes! as well as shoulders

Place feet wider than hip width apart, holding the medicine ball slightly in front of your chest area.

Begin to squat down by shifting your hips back, squatting down into a 90 degree angle. Hold position for a 1 and 2 count. Start to push off and up through your heels until you are fully upright.

#2: Medicine Ball Squat and Shoulder Press

Target Areas: glutes, core and shoulders

Place feet slightly wider than hip width apart, holding the medicine ball by the sides palms open, in front of your chest.

Begin to Squat down by shifting your hips back, squatting down into a 90 degree angle. Start to push off and up through your heels and then shoulder press up like you’re reaching towards the sky.

#3: Medicine Ball Squat with Rotation

Target Areas: glutes, obliques and posterior shoulders

Place feet slightly wider than hip width apart, holding the medicine ball by the sides palms open, slightly in front of your chest.

Begin to squat down by shifting your hips back, squatting down into a 90 degree angle. Start to push off and up through your heels. Once you are almost complete with the squat, extend your arms towards your left ear; this will allow your body to go through a rotational transition. Repeat again and reach towards your right ear.

#4: Medicine Ball Squat and Push

Target Areas: glutes, mid-back musculature and anterior shoulder

This one is my favorite out of all…

Place feet wider than hip width apart, holding the medicine ball by the sides palms open, slightly in front of your chest area.

Begin to squat down by shifting your hips back, squatting down into a 90 degree angle. Before your squat is complete push the ball away from your body, trying to make your arms as long as possible. This will also give you a nice stretch/strength reflex. Bring arms and body back to start position.

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