Ok, squats are about the qauds, but they are equally about the hamstrings, glutes, and upper back muscles. If your squats feel like they are a quad killer, then you are missing out.
Squats Train The Whole Leg, The Hips, And The Back
When you squat, your knees bend and then straighten, as we are all well aware. However, they aren’t the only joint in question. Your hips also have to flex and then extend. So, while your quads are responsible for the knee action, your glutes and your hamstrings are responsible for the hip action. Furthermore, during squatting your back muscles have to hold your upper body firmly in place. Without good support you might fall forward, round your back, or do some other undesirable thing. The bottom line is squats should not be about burning thighs.
Stronger Quads Are Only A Partial Solution For Achy Knees
We’ve all heard that strengthening the quads can help alleviate knee pain, which is part of the reason we think of squats as a quad exercise. This is only partially true. Imagine a building that has a crack in its walls. Also imagine that the crack is coming from a sinking foundation. Reinforcing the wall will help, but if the foundation continues to sink it will eventually collapse. Such is the case with knees. Stonger quads will help reinforce the knee, which can bring substantial relief to painful conditions, but the quads are not the whole picture. The rest of the leg, including the hamstrings and glutes, are also a factor when it comes to keeping knees healthy. What’s more, overusing the quads is itself a common source of knee pain. Without balancing forces coming from the hamstrings and glutes, stress on the knee joint goes up.
How To Get The Full Benefit From Your Squat
So now that you know it isn’t supposed to be a ‘quad exercise’, how do you get the full and proper benefit? The most important thing is form. To get the whole leg involved you have to be positioning yourself so that the muslces in question can actually do their work effectively.
Related: How To Do Squats
The next most important thing is to do some extra work on the glutes and hamstrings. If your squats have been all about the quads, then chances are your glutes and hamstrings are a bit weak and inactive. You need to bring up their stength a bit and then remind them that they have a job to do. Finally, practice! Squatting is an athletic skill. You will get better at it and understand it more fully the more you do it. Gaining that experience and feel will ultimately lead to getting the maximum benefit.