Squats may seem easy-peasy at first glance, but anyone who's ever done more than 20 at once knows they're a pain in the derrière. Literally.
But on the path to getting that much-coveted Beyoncé booty, we're afraid the 'no pain no gain' policy applies.
Try the 30 day squat challenge for yourself, starting with 50 reps on day one and ending with 250 squats on the final day (ouch)... thankfully the challenge includes seven rest days.
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Not familiar with squats? Greatist teamed up with HuffPost Healthy Living to show readers how to do the perfect squat.
Enjoy.
The Bodyweight Basics
- Place feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart, hips stacked over knees, knees over ankles.
- Roll the shoulders back and down away from the ears. Note: Allowing the back to round (like a turtle’s shell) will cause unnecessary stress on the lower back.
- Extend the arms out straight so they are parallel with the ground, palms facing down (like your hands are on someone’s shoulders at a 7th grade dance). Or, if it’s more comfortable, pull the elbows close to the body, palms facing each other and thumbs pointing up.
- Initiate movement by inhaling into the belly, and unlocking the hips, slightly bringing them back. Keep sending hips backward as the knees begin to bend.
- While the butt starts to stick out, make sure the chest and shoulders stay upright, and the back stays straight.
- Keep the head facing forward with eyes straight ahead for a neutral spine.
- Let the hip joint squat lower to the ground than the knees, if comfortable. Pro tip: Try squatting onto a box. Gentle tapping it with the butt will be a reminder to squat low.
- Engage the core, and exhale while driving through the heels to return to standing. Imagine the feet are spreading the floor (the left foot to the left, right foot to the right) without actually moving the feet.
Squats are an effective home exercise for your bum and thighs so by all means, get started! Let us know how you get on in the comments below.