Bodyweight Squats (Patreon)

• LMA Curriculum 

The bodyweight squat is a simple way to strengthen your legs. Doing a little bit of strengthening will improve technique and prevent injury.

Get your feet somewhere from hip-width to shoulder-width apart. You can keep your feet straight or slightly turned out, but what's important is to try to keep your knees lined up with your feet.

I like to keep my hands in prayer, so they're out of the way. When I squat down, I try to keep my spine aligned from the top of my head to my tailbone. So if my chest bends forward, my head maintains that angle. If I look straight ahead the whole time, it puts a lot of strain on my neck.

As for depth, I pretend I'm sitting down on a bench. I keep my abs clenched and inhale when I go down. When I come up, I exhale. I drive primarily off my heels and engage my glutes and hamstrings on the way up.

Instead of doing multiple sets, I do one long set. Normally for me, that's 40 reps. This saves time because my legs will get a workout from all the other drills. This is just to get my leg muscles activated, balanced, and warmed up.

– Sam