How to Squat with Good Form on Free Weights

The squat rack is essential equipment for power lifts and strength training your legs. However, that set-up is often intimidating to beginning athletes that are unfamiliar with how to properly use the equipment. All exercise regimens demand the proper safety guidelines, form and technique to build muscle, while minimizing the risks of injury.

Warm Up to Squat with Free Weights

Warm-up and stretch your muscles for ten to fifteen minutes prior to approaching the squat platform. Remember to actually take a brisk walk or light jog beforehand, because stretching cold muscles could cause tears and pulls. Tailor your stretching routine in accordance with today's leg work. Butterfly, pike, hamstring and calve muscle stretches are ideal for squats.

Use Weightlifting Belt and Spotter for Safety

Use a weight-lifting belt and experienced spotter to ensure proper form, balance and safety. The belt is designed to keep your back straight and alleviate spinal cord compression while executing squats or power lifting. Loosen the belt in between sets for comfort and minimize the risks from high blood pressure that are associated with weight lifting belts.

Squat with Good Form

Approach and add weights to the platform to squat with good form. Rest the bar on your shoulder blades, with your arms spread. Standard bars do feature grooves that serve as guides for hand placement. Keep your head up and feet shoulder width apart as you lift the squat bar. Squat racks require you to step back for space, but Smith Machines allows athletes to lift and rotate the bar away from interlocking teeth.

Arch your back slightly, while keeping your upper body firmly in place. Inhale and lower your body towards the floor as if sitting down upon a chair-with hips parallel to the ground. Exhale and explode back upwards to a standing start that is slightly flexed at the knees. Perform repetitions according to your health goals. Heavier weight with less reps build size; and athletes should add weight to the bar for each set.

More Leg Work at Squat Rack

Perform additional exercises at the squat platform for a total body workout. Further legwork can be done at the station with calve raises and lunges. Athletes may also perform plyometric squats to work the fast-twitch muscles for additional explosiveness. Use relatively light weight to maintain good balance, prior to lowering your rear end towards the floor and actually elevating off the ground while exploding upwards into the plyometric squat.

Squat Rack Cool Down

Complete your workout with a cool down and stretch routine. Muscles become tight with exercise and stretching minimizes the risks of cramps and general soreness. Walk and stretch your leg muscles for ten to fifteen minutes after using the squat rack.

Squats: Additional Considerations

Use a notebook to record and monitor squat rack progress. Group workout data according to muscle group exercises and list the number of sets and repetitions performed. Review this information regularly to establish goals and make gains.

Do not risk accidents by overloading the bar with unmanageable weight or lifting to failure when doing squats. Spotters can only guide weight during squats; and will be of little help if you lose balance completely, or are completely unable to rise up from the squat position by harnessing your own power.

How to Squat with Free Weights and Good Form, Sources:

Kofi Bofah, The Importance of a Weightlifting Belt, http://www.ehow.com/about_5480036_importance-belt-weight-lifting.html

How to Squat with the Proper Technique, http://stronglifts.com/how-to-squat-with-proper-technique-fix-common-problems/

Leg Press and Squats, http://www.muscleandfitness.com/training/12