How to Squat and Maximize your Strength

Should Everyone Squat?
This week guest blogger and Fitness Director, Drew Saenz tell us about the benefits of Squats.

Squatting is one of my favorite exercises and one of the most beneficial when it comes to maximizing your relative strength.

Squats are compound exercises that work multiple joints and muscle groups at a time. From your glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves to core muscles and key ligaments in the legs, squats can help strengthen your lower body and improve flexibility. Great benefits for people of all fitness levels and especially important for golfers.

There are a variety of different types of squats that work certain muscle groups or advance specific fitness goals. A certified trainer can help ensure you are using proper form to safely maximize your workout.

But what if it hurts?

A doctor (or an inexperienced coach) might tell you, “If it hurts, don’t do it.”

There’s a lot more to it than that. If something hurts, we need to examine why it hurts.

• Are you performing the movement incorrectly?
• Is your stance too wide (or too narrow) for your anatomy?
• Do you have short quads, inflexible ankles, or tight hips?
• Do you have a strength imbalance, i.e., one leg is stronger than the other, dominating the movement, and causing compensation and pain?

Exercise should never cause acute pain, maybe bring out some current chronic pain, but we never want it to hurt acutely during a movement.

Learning how to safely train proper movement patterns over a 4-8 week period will give your body the muscle memory and routine needed to make it a life habit & skill that sticks. 

To learn more about the comprehensive health and fitness programs at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club, click here.