Building my legs…Squats

Ask any woman over the age of 35 what body part she wants to improve most, and most likely it will be her derriere and thighs. It was my slowly softening behind that actually sparked my interest in Physique Competition. For this target area, most trainers will recommend the classic exercises: squats, dead-lifts, lunges, hip thrusters, and step-ups. Variations like split squats, sumo dead-lifts, etc., may also be used, to bring in variation, but that will depend on how your body is responding, and the technical repertoire of your trainer. I don’t often do squats as I tend to recruit my adductors quite a bit, making my thighs rub together, not a look a Fitness Model is really going for. We want toned, muscular legs, but shape and definition is much more important than size. I did “box” squats this month, at 5 sets of 5, to build up strength in my hips so that I could nail my legs next month with some high volume work. I have another important photoshoot coming up in January and I want my legs to stand out, so everything is geared towards that end product. Just today I noticed my thighs starting to touch again, so today I switched to a deep “box” squat with a sumo stance, and a lighter weight. All the strength work I did these last 4 weeks put me in a solid position to keep good form and really hit my glutes and quads in these fantastic squat variations.
Remember, form is much more important that poundage. Make sure you feet are glued in one line, and the weight should be even, (i.e. don’t roll in or out at the ankle), and keep the knees tracking straight as well. There is often a tendency for a slight weakness in one knee and hip, and you will notice that knee folds in as you push up through the squat. Backload the weight, keep your chest up and your head straight, suck your stomach in, maintain a slight lordosis to your spine, and sit down lightly on the bench on an inhale, then push up on an exhale. I do a 2:1:1 count. 2 counts to sitting, 1 count sitting, 1 count push up.
I’ll post my current variation later this week when I get some more footage.
xoxo
Michelle