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http://www.fitstep.com/ unless otherwise credited.

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Secret Training Tip #551 - 10 Unique and Powerful Tips For Taking Your Barbell Squats To The Next Level and Beyond! The barbell squat is one of most common exercises found in the gym. Learn some useful tips and techniques that can help you maximize your form and strength!

Known as the "King of Exercises," the barbell squat truly lives up to its name. The squat is one of the single most powerful muscle and strength building exercises a person can do.

Right now, you're going to learn 20 of the most immediately useful techniques that I know for rapidly improving your squat!

1. Try wearing solid-heeled work boots when squatting. They give a natural heel elevation and allow the power from your legs to be transferred better than when wearing soft-heeled running shoes. You can lose power at the bottom when wearing soft shoes because the sole will squish in when you push. If you don't have work boots, try squatting barefoot. You will not lose any power at the bottom through soft shoes that way. When you squat barefoot, set the racking collars a little lower to make up for the lack of soles. If neither work boots nor going barefoot is an option, use court shoes. They have the most solid sole of any type of shoe.

2. If you find yourself leaning over too far as you come down to the bottom of the squat, lack of calf flexibility may be your problem. Work on that before each squat session by stretching the calves for 5 minutes.

3. Hold your hands on the bar fairly close in to your shoulders (similar to your bench press grip width) and keep your elbows pointed DOWN through the entire squat. If you hold the bar too wide, this will force your shoulders to rotate internally (forward). Your elbows will start to point backwards, which will cause the bar to rotate forward as you come down. As the bar rotates forward, this will cause you to lean over excessively, increasing the pressure on L4 and L5 of the lumbar area of your lower back. Keeping your elbows pointed down activates your external rotator muscles (the muscles in the shoulder area that pull backwards) which will keep the bar from rolling forward.

4. If you feel yourself leaning over and pushing from the forefoot area too much, use pressure from your hands to rotate the bar backwards. This will force the weight back over your heels, improving your balance and posture while working the quads better and preventing injury.

5. If you feel you are about to get stuck at the bottom, try this trick: yank down hard on the bar as though trying to snap it in half over your back. It may sound counterproductive but if you do this while you are straining against the bar, it will cause an emergency stretch reflex in your quads and give you an extra little kick out of the bottom of the movement.

6. As you start down into the squat, your knees should bend first, followed closely by the trunk. Most people descend with the glutes leading, followed by the knees. This emphasizes the back and glutes rather than the thighs.

7. Look slightly up and forward. If you look down, your head will go forward. Here's the problem: your lumbar (lower back) area mimics your cervical (neck) area with positioning. If your neck is flexed forward (as when looking down), your lumbar area will try to flex to match it (when it should be extended and held tightly in an arched position).

8. To help get the proper position at the bottom of the squat, try to squeeze your elbows together behind your back, arch your lower back and look up slightly. This will force your back into the proper position as well as giving your rear delts and back a good workout.

9. Some people squat with their heels raised. Try the opposite, squatting with your toes raised. You will need to thoroughly stretch your calves out to do this one but it will force you to push only with your heels, maximizing hamstring and glute involvement as well as focusing on the lower quads. Perform this technique with high rep and using a full range of motion to increase blood flow to the lower quads. Be sure not to raise the toes up excessively (a thin plate such as 5 or 10 will do it).

10. To increase quad involvement, pull your toes up to touch the top of the insides of your shoes. This will tend to throw the point of push back to the heels.

11. Do not use a belt when squatting. At the start, suck in your gut and hold it tight, activating the transverse abdominus muscle (the internal supporting muscles of the core), giving you a natural weight belt. Tightening the muscles like this will increase intra-abdominal pressure, just like a weight belt does. A weight belt causes dysfunction and weakness of the transverse abdominus and can lead to injury. The belt inhibits the body's ability to fire the muscle when needed and can predispose the back to injury by creating a weakness in those important supporting muscles.

An important point to note here is that if you've always used a belt for squatting, work back up to heavier weights slowly. Start with lighter weight and higher reps to give your supporting muscles a chance to work and strengthen. If you jump right into heavy weights without re-training your core muscles, you could injure yourself. Focus on sucking in tightening the abs and feeling them contract and hold during the squat.

12. To fire the lower quads during squats, as you descend, come up on your toes in a calf raise. Stay upright and sit back. Only go to parallel on this trick. Do not lose tension in the quads and only do this with a very light weight. It can be tricky to balance with this one so take it easy when first trying it. Don't let your knees drift forward too much and don't lean over. This will also give a great contraction in your calves.

13. A plastic molded device called the Manta Ray is an excellent tool for squatting. There is no pain from the bar as the weight on the bar is more evenly distrubuted across the entire shoulder girdle instead of having the bar digging into the shoulder blades. It is also much safer than a rolled up towel or pad as the bar cannot roll.

http://www.fitstep.com/training-equipment-reviews/reviews/manta-ray.htm

14. Build power in the bottom of the squat by performing the Wall Sit exercise after every leg workout. This is a good way to strengthen your thighs isometrically (without moving). Go into a sitting position with your back against a wall, lower back arched, knees bent at 90 degrees, and just hold it there for as long as you can, pushing yourself backwards into the wall to keep yourself up in position. This helps you build power in the bottom of the squat. You can increase the resistance by holding a dumbell or weight plates on your lap (you can even have a spotter progressively pull plates off your lap as you get tired!).

15. Try Bottom Start Partial Squats - this variation is done in a power rack. Set the pins just above where the bar would be at the low point of your regular squat. This is where you will be starting the movement from. This will build tremendous power out of the bottom of the squat. Do not bounce in this position! Set yourself up under the bar in the bottom of the squat position then gradually build up tension in your legs and body. When you're ready, explode the weight up a few inches. Lower yourself back down under control. You will need to experiment with the amount of weight you use to get an idea of where to start.

16. Typical Squat Problems and Solutions

17. Don't use the Smith Machine to squat. The Smith Machine, while making the squat easier to balance, is not better for squatting. It is hard on the patellar tendons of the knees due to the shearing forces involved. It is bad for the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and it also takes the hamstrings and stabilizing muscles out of the movement. The Smith Machine squat is especially bad when you set your feet a little forward of the bar and push backwards against it as you come up. Every rep will grind on your knees.

Conclusion:

Take these squatting tips to the gym with you and put them to work. You'll notice a big difference in how you squat and how much weight you can use!

For more information on squatting and squat technique, read the following articles:

You Don't Know Squat About Squats

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue17.htm

Secret Training Tip #321 - Squatting With Your Core - This Never-Before-Seen Technique Can Make You Stronger in the Squat Instantly!

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue30.htm

Manta Ray Review

http://www.fitstep.com/fitness-equipment-reviews/equipment-reviews/manta-ray-review.htm

Sting Ray Review

http://www.fitstep.com/fitness-equipment-reviews/equipment-reviews/sting-ray-review.htm

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Excellent New Martial Arts Site! Martial Edge is focused on three core principles: Traditions, Training and Technique. Our contributors are experienced, qualified professionals from around the world working as one online community for martial artists. Each month you will have access to new articles and interviews from experienced Martial Artists and fitness professionals answering the questions you want answers to. Other features include our physio corner that will give you access to interviews and articles by fully qualified experienced sports physiotherapists. Month by month we will examine the common injuries that you, as the martial artist, suffer from such as knee injuries, hamstring problems, shin splints, etc. and how you can not only recover from these injuries but how you can heal stronger. Become part of the fastest growing online community for martial artists on the net! http://www.martialedge.co.uk

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My Father, Alex Nilsson, at 70 Years Old, Roller Skiing Across Canada - Mission Accomplished! Three months and 6000 km/3750 miles later, the journey across Canada is complete! Get the details here!

They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step... Amateurs!! On June 25th of this year, my father Alex Nilsson, at the age of 70, began a journey that would take him almost FOUR THOUSAND miles across mountain passes, sun-baked prairies, lush forest and rain-soaked coastal regions!

With nothing but roller skis, an iron will (or is it Swedish stubbornness?), and a wife with the patience of a saint, he began the trek across the entire country of Canada, west coast to east coast.

Would his body and his will hold strong? The answer is very clearly YES! On October 3rd, Alex arrived in St. John's, Newfoundland to dip his wheels into the Atlantic Ocean, pouring a bottle of Pacific Ocean water in to complete the circle.

Roller skis, for those not familiar with them, are basically skis with wheels. The action is exactly like regular cross-country skiing only you don't need snow - just a reasonably smooth surface!

In St. John's, met by television, press and representatives of the Canadian Diabetes Association (he was roller skiing to raise awareness for Type 2 Diabetes prevention), Alex spoke about his journey to "The Telegram" reporter Tara Bradbury Mullowney. Here is an excerpt from the article about the cross-country journey:

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"I feel better now than when I started," Nilsson said.

Nilsson is no stranger to physical feats. In addition to fitness training three or four hours each day, he has run marathons, cycles, plays tennis and golf and goes downhill skiing when the weather permits.

A retired public health employee, Nilsson is one of a few seniors around with washboard abs.

Nilsson skied all the way from B.C., followed by his wife, Nicole, in a
motorhome, and averaged about 80 kilometres per day. He admits the going wasn't always easy due to poor road conditions.

"It was different in different areas of the country. In some places there was a lot of traffic and really narrow roads. I struggled a lot in places where the shoulder of the road was only a narrow strip, and I think I used up all my guardian angels," Nilsson said with a laugh.

"Sometimes I would look down a stretch of road and think, 'do I really have the gumption to do this?'"

Nilsson, who says he figures he lost about five pounds of "baby fat" over the course of his trip, said he never thought about giving up the trek, even though his toes often became so sore that Nicole, a nurse, had to bandage them.

Nilsson is pleased with the attention he was able to raise for his cause through his cross-Canada voyage.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas either can't produce insulin or is unable to use it properly. With the increased consumption of sugary foods and inactivity in North America, this form of diabetes is on the rise.

Nilsson says, "I haven't ever changed my activity level - I do the same amount of activity now at 70 that I did at 20," he said. "I never think, 'I'm too old, I can't do that.' I've never given a second thought to my age. It's no big deal."

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When people ask me what I think of my father's journey, I tell them this:

Every time, in the past 3 months, when I thought about putting off or skipping a workout because I felt too tired or was just feeling lazy, all I had to do was think about my father roller skiing 80 km (about 50 miles) EVERY SINGLE DAY, rain or shine. The workout would ALWAYS get done.

Let me put it this way... there aren't many people I know who can even say that their father DROVE across Canada, much less crossed it under their own power!

To learn more about the trip, including day-by-day diaries as told by my mother Nicole, and to learn more about Type 2 Diabetes and how it can be prevented, please visit his site at:

http://www.skiacrosscanada.com

Please forward this article to anybody you feel would benefit from an inspirational story like this! Age IS just a number - you're never too old to get yourself in the best shape of your life!

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Common Sense Protein FAQ - Get Answers To Your Most Frequently-Asked Questions About Protein How much protein do you need? How much protein can your body absorb at once? Will excess protein make you fat? Learn these answers and more!

Protein: it's the nutrient that is most commonly associated with weight training, yet it's also one of the most misunderstood! When it comes right down to it, when you train with weights, your body NEEDS protein.

But when it comes to using protein (both in supplement form and in food), there is a lot of confusion. In this FAQ, you're going to get common sense answers to some of the most controversial questions that people have about protein.

QUESTION #1:

How Much Protein Does Your Body Really Need?

ANSWER:

At its simplest, your body has a baseline protein requirement that depends on a two main factors: lean body mass (muscle) and activity (type and amount).

The more muscle your body carries, the higher your protein requirement. Also, the more intense, the more frequent and the longer the activity you perform, the more protein you need.

Studies on protein requirements that demostrate a greater need for protein often meet with much controversy in scientific literature. It seems sometimes, for some reason, that many in the scientific and nutritional community are actually anti-protein! In fact, you may have even witnessed a similar prejudice when it comes to supplements as simple as vitamins as well!

Bottom line: if you train with weights, your body is breaking down protein and you need to provide it with extra protein to help rebuild. Though the exact amounts that different sources recommend varies widely between 0.7 grams per pound of bodyweight (140 grams for a 200 lb person) to levels as high as 2 grams per pound of bodyweight (400 grams for a 200 lb person), there is a solution...

Experiment for yourself! Start with a moderate protein intake of 0.7 grams per pound of bodyweight and see how you feel and how your results are. The next week, increase your protein intake a little, adding about 20 to 30 grams to your daily total. See if that makes a difference. The following week, add a little more protein.

You may find that you need more protein than you've been taking or you may find that you don't need as much protein as you think!

QUESTION #2:

How Much Protein Can The Body Digest At One Time?

ANSWER:

There are many who suggest your body can't digest and use more than 30 to 40 grams of protein at a time. I've not seen convincing research on it to say if that's true or not.

Personally, using a common sense approach, I think we need to consider a few things.

1. Think about what state your body is in. If your body needs the protein (like after workout), I think it will use and digest more of it if it's available. Your entire metabolism is accelerated after a workout and protein use in the body shoots up. If protein is just eaten during the day, smaller servings of around 40 grams may well be better.

2. It's better to have more than you need than not enough when you need it. After a workout, I take in about 60 grams of whey protein, simply because, even if my body can't use it all, I'd prefer to have a little bit more than not have enough, which would slow down recovery.

The same can certainly apply during the day. A little extra protein that your body burns up or excretes is not going to have any appreciable negative effects. But, not having protein available when your body needs it can slow and stop muscle growth.

3. Protein doesn't digest all at once, especially with meals. Think about it this way, your stomach doesn't process and send out everything it digests all at once. It works on some, then sends some on its way. This applies more to meals than protein drinks but the fact remains, your body doesn't digest a whole meal all at once. It digest a little at a time. Think of it like time-release vitamin - your body doesn't use the whole all at once but uses it over the course of the entire digestion process.

4. Different people can handle different doses of nutrients other than protein. Does it makes sense that a 250 lb bodybuilder can only digest the same amount of protein as a 110 lb woman at one time? Different metabolic systems require and can handle different dosages.

Bottom line: The limit of 30 to 40 grams of protein at once? It could be right, it could be wrong. Just make sure you're getting plenty if and when your body needs it.

QUESTION #3:

Will Eating Too Much Protein Make You Fat?

ANSWER:

The quick answer to that question is yes. However, an excess of ANY nutrient (protein, carbs or fat) has the potential to make you fat. Of the three major nutrients, protein is the LEAST likely to do so as it's primarily a structural nutrient rather than an energy nutrient.

A common sense approach to answering this question would be to break it all down by numbers.

Consider this:

1 gram of protein contains 4 calories. Your body uses approximately 40% of the calories stored in protein to break it down and digest it.

Say you eat 300 grams of protein per day and your body only needs 150 grams. That's 150 extra grams of protein per day. Of those 150 grams (which yields 600 calories), the equivalent of 60 of those grams (240 calories) will be burned digesting the extra protein.

This leaves you with 360 extra calories. A pound of fat contains 3500 calories. It's going to take a LOT of excess protein to fill up a pound of fat. Even then, if you're training hard, excess calories are burned to fuel activity (not necessarily from the protein itself but also from carbs and fat).

Bottom line: the fat-gaining effects of eating extra protein are negligible. You're better off making sure your body is getting enough protein when you're training hard.

QUESTION #4:

Do I Need To Take Protein Supplements?

ANSWER:

The answer to this question is both yes and no.

You DON'T need to supplement with protein if you're getting enough quality protein in your food in your regular diet. You also don't need to supplement if you are able to get your protein conveniently and when your body needs it (especially after a workout).

If you can get enough protein and get it when your body needs it, there's no need to supplement with it! Food sources of protein are absolutely fine and you can build and support muscle with them.

But here's the big "BUT!"

Food sources are good for daily protein requirements BUT you SHOULD supplement with protein if you're not able to get enough quality protein in your diet WHEN your body needs it.

The very best example of this is after a hard workout. Protein supplements are easily digested by your body and very convenient to simply drink after a workout. This is the time when your body needs protein the most and getting it to your muscles quickly is a top priority. Food sources of protein are just not digested as quickly as supplements for post-workout use. Supplements are an easy way to make sure your body has the protein it needs after a workout.

Also, if you have trouble getting enough protein on a regular basis throughout the day, a protein supplement is ideal for keeping your muscles supplied consistently. It's much easier to drink a protein shake than cook and eat a chicken breast!

Bottom line: while you don't always HAVE to take a protein supplement, sometimes it's a very good idea to. If nothing else, take a protein supplement IMMEDIATELY after a workout to maximize recovery and results.

QUESTION #5:

Will Eating Too Much Protein Harm My Kidneys?

ANSWER:

Only if you already have trouble with your kidneys. No studies have demonstrated damage to the kidneys with increased protein intake unless the kidneys are already damaged.

Drinking plenty of water can help the kidneys do their job of processing waste products, though! Keep in mind that there are many other variables at work in the body as well, including other bodily processes that could affect protein metabolism and excretion. If you have any concerns about protein and how your body uses it, I would definitely recommend you consult with your physician.

CONCLUSION:

These common-sense answers to frequently-asked protein questions should help you get a better idea of how you should look at and structure your protein consumption.

If you have any questions about protein intake or supplementation, including which supplements are recommended, please don't hesitate to contact me at betteru@fitstep.com.

P.S. My favorite protein supplements?

1. Syntrax Matrix 5.0 (protein blend - tastes great, too)
http://www.fitstep.com/goto/syntrax-protein.htm

2. 100% Pure Liquid Egg Whites
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/eggwhites-ideas.htm

3. Protein Finder for Other Protein Supplements
http://www.fitstep.com/goto/protein-finder.htm

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