AIR SQUATS
Air Squats, otherwise known as bodyweight squats, are a staple exercise for beginners learning how to squat properly. They are also the one exercise that virtually every single person in lockdown is probably doing in one form or another.
For some people the air squat can prove a little too basic, but that doesn’t mean they should become redundant in your workouts. Far from it.
How do up the intensity of air squats once you’ve mastered the technique?
If you have access to weights i.e. dumbells, barbells, or kettlebells, it’s relatively straight forward, you just perform the exercise weighted. You can even use resistance bands to increase the intensity. However, if you don’t have access to any equipment the only way you can really increase the intensity is to perform them slowly, add pauses in, work to a tempo, turn them into plyometrics, or even increase the amount of reps you’re doing to make them more challenging. There really is nothing like the burn of high rep air squats!
Here’s some tips and pointers for you.
Position your feet shoulder-width apart. There are nuances to this but this is a good start point.
Slightly turn your feet out.
Think about screwing your feet into the floor. This will externally rotate the legs slightly.
As you lower down think about pushing your hips back and allow the knees to come over your toes.
Sit back, keep your chest up and feel your weight over the whole foot.
Don’t round the lower or upper back. Keep your shoulders back and down.
Go as low as possible without your heels coming up.
When you stand make sure you complete full hip and knee extension.
Being able to execute a squat well will help you run faster, jump higher, increase and maintain your mobility, decrease joint pain, build strength and of course help to improve your all round athletic performance.
Your best place to start is with perfecting your air squat.