Super Booty!

During a squat, the primary muscles engaged are your gluteus maximus, your quadriceps, and hamstrings. 

Your secondary muscles (stabilizers) engaged are your erector spinae (back), transverse abdominus (abs), gluteus medius/minimus (butt abductors), adductors (thigh muscles), soleus (calf), and gastrocnemius (calf/back of leg). 

Squats will lift and round your booty, visually creating what I refer to as a  Super Booty!

Do you need more reasons to perform squats?  8 Reasons to do Squats. 

Here are directions on how to perform a proper squat. 

1. 1. Warm up
   2. Stand with your feet just over shoulder width apart. 
   3. Posture- shoulders back, chest out abs in, head up! Keep your back in a neutral position, and keep your knees centered over your feet. 
   4. You can bring your arms directly infront, or hands behind your head. 
      
   5. Slowly bend your knees, hips and ankles, lowering until you reach a 90-degree angle.  (You can use a chair behind you, if need be. Pretend like you are going to sit down, but right before your butt hits, lift back up to stand).
   6. Don't go below parallel. As you squat down, drop slowly and do not let your knees go beyond the toes. Keep your posture in line!
   7. Inhale through the nose on the way down, and exhale through the mouth on your way up.
      
   8. Return to starting position. Perform 2-3 sets of either 10, 15, or 20 reps (depending on your fitness level).  Perform 3-5 times a week at least. 
   9. Breathe in as you lower, breathe out as you return to starting position. 
   10. Smile

You will notice that your heart rate will go up as your reps increase.
Play with it.
You can squat and hold at the bottom for a few seconds (this is called an isometric hold) before sitting up again.
Tighten those abs! As you lift back to stand, squeeze your glutes!
If you want to advance, you can grab hold to weights.

I typically do 3 sets of 15 squats, and 3 sets of 15 random squat variations, to conclude to a total of 135 squats daily. 
Some days I do more. Sometimes I include weights (8lbs or 10 lbs).

I don't do them all at once though. I sprinkle in squats throughout my day!

Try it! Whip out a set of squats randomly throughout your day- when you wake up, before breakfast, before you get in the shower, after you get of of the shower, as your blow drying your hair, before you get dressed, before lunch, during your workout, as your microwaving your lunch, as your cooking dinner, after dinner, before you jump into bed! 

Before you know it , you will have racked up 100 squats.
Keep a journal with your goal for the day, or mark down every set! Turn this into a daily habit, and your jeans will thank you!

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