June 11 Weekly Challenge: Lots of Squats
themedalist
Posts: 3,218 Member
Our exercise challenge this week is squats. Bluntly, I know very little about squats, but I do know they’re an important tool in our exercise toolbox. Fortunately, my good friend Jen is a certified personal trainer and health coach and Jen has agreed to help craft our squats challenge. I greatly appreciate Jen’s willingness to share her expertise with us.
Jen has created this week’s challenge specifically for us. Whether you are a new to squats or have been doing them for quite some time, the exercises below are geared to each proficiency level and will help you maintain the muscle strength needed to do the essential tasks you do every day.
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Jen’s Bio:
JENNIFER STURM is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach; a certified Life, Health & Fitness Coach; a certified Ageless Grace® Educator and an NASM Certified Personal Trainer with specialties in Orthopedic Exercise, Women’s & Senior Fitness. You can find her at her website: GetWithItForLife.com
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Theme: Exercise and Movement
Challenge: Lots of Squats!
Squats are not just an exercise; the Squat is a basic body movement. Squats work the two biggest muscle groups in your body: the glutes and the quads. Squats also help build lower back strength and develop core strength and stabilization. Squats are a functional exercise in that they aid your ability to live a full, healthy life. Anything from getting out of a chair, to squatting down to pick something off the floor requires squat strength. Especially as we get older, proper squat technique is critical to maintain health and longevity. As a compound movement, Squats build lean muscle mass, increase metabolism and bone density and boost your overall health and fitness.
This Week’s Challenge:
1. Please read Jen’s blog post:
https://getwithitforlife.com/2017/06/19/why-squats-should-be-in-your-life/
(I highly recommend subscribing to Jen’s blog. It’s informative, well-researched, and fun to read! You can subscribe to her “Coffee With Jen” blog series here: https://getwithitforlife.com/ )
2. Then select the squat exercises most appropriate for you:
Beginner Level: Box Squat (See demo video below)
Intermediate Level: Bodyweight Squat (See demo video below)
Advanced Level: Goblet Squat (See demo video below)
Number of Squats:
Aim to do 10 squats three times a day OR 15 squats twice a day. Look for opportunities where squats can fit into your daily routine. Such as:
• Brushing your teeth
• Washing dishes
• Getting a drink of water
• Restroom breaks
• Standing in line
• Before getting into bed
• Right after you get up
Squats can work into anyone’s schedule. Let’s make squats a daily habit!
Please let us know how it goes for you this week. I'm looking forward to hearing about your progress and I know others are too. We can all learn from each other.
Programming Note: Summer of Sleep: Our sleep challenge last week had quite a lot of participants and since good sleep is such an important healthy habit, we are going to continue this challenge all summer long! If you’d like to participate, here’s the link:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10671769/summer-of-sleep
Make it a great week!
Jen has created this week’s challenge specifically for us. Whether you are a new to squats or have been doing them for quite some time, the exercises below are geared to each proficiency level and will help you maintain the muscle strength needed to do the essential tasks you do every day.
________________________________________________________________________________
Jen’s Bio:
JENNIFER STURM is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach; a certified Life, Health & Fitness Coach; a certified Ageless Grace® Educator and an NASM Certified Personal Trainer with specialties in Orthopedic Exercise, Women’s & Senior Fitness. You can find her at her website: GetWithItForLife.com
_________________________________________________________________________________
Theme: Exercise and Movement
Challenge: Lots of Squats!
Squats are not just an exercise; the Squat is a basic body movement. Squats work the two biggest muscle groups in your body: the glutes and the quads. Squats also help build lower back strength and develop core strength and stabilization. Squats are a functional exercise in that they aid your ability to live a full, healthy life. Anything from getting out of a chair, to squatting down to pick something off the floor requires squat strength. Especially as we get older, proper squat technique is critical to maintain health and longevity. As a compound movement, Squats build lean muscle mass, increase metabolism and bone density and boost your overall health and fitness.
This Week’s Challenge:
1. Please read Jen’s blog post:
https://getwithitforlife.com/2017/06/19/why-squats-should-be-in-your-life/
(I highly recommend subscribing to Jen’s blog. It’s informative, well-researched, and fun to read! You can subscribe to her “Coffee With Jen” blog series here: https://getwithitforlife.com/ )
2. Then select the squat exercises most appropriate for you:
Beginner Level: Box Squat (See demo video below)
Intermediate Level: Bodyweight Squat (See demo video below)
Advanced Level: Goblet Squat (See demo video below)
Number of Squats:
Aim to do 10 squats three times a day OR 15 squats twice a day. Look for opportunities where squats can fit into your daily routine. Such as:
• Brushing your teeth
• Washing dishes
• Getting a drink of water
• Restroom breaks
• Standing in line
• Before getting into bed
• Right after you get up
Squats can work into anyone’s schedule. Let’s make squats a daily habit!
Please let us know how it goes for you this week. I'm looking forward to hearing about your progress and I know others are too. We can all learn from each other.
Programming Note: Summer of Sleep: Our sleep challenge last week had quite a lot of participants and since good sleep is such an important healthy habit, we are going to continue this challenge all summer long! If you’d like to participate, here’s the link:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10671769/summer-of-sleep
Make it a great week!
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Replies
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Beginner Level: Box Squat
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YRmghGLu2ZQ
Intermediate Level: Bodyweight Squat
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k3joOwL4cvg
Advanced Level: Goblet Squat
https://youtu.be/C3b0lvMH0gk 1 -
And even our Move It Monday promo is liking our squats theme!
Please post your Monday workout to our special Move It Monday thread:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10637806/move-it-monday-weekly-challenge/3 -
Great challenge. Thanks for the info and videos. Will do the beginner squats this week and will add up weights as weeks progress.2
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I will be doing the beginner because I recently had a sprained knee. I may not go all the way down but I will do what I can
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I will be doing the beginner because I recently had a sprained knee. I may not go all the way down but I will do what I can
As always, we should each modify as needed for our health and body issues and per the recommendations of our health care professionals. “Lots of squats“ is a relative term. Lots could be just a couple.
I’m going to do the beginner squats as well and modify as I need to.1 -
definitely need to add these back into my day was doing them for a while and as they say I fell off the wagon2
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I'll be doing intermediate. I have been forgetting to do my squats and I think I only remember a few times last week, but each time I do between 50 and 100. I'm going to keep up with at least 100 M, T, Th, and F, but on the days in between I'll do at least 30. Yesterday I did 25. I forgot it was supposed to be a rest day
and I hadn't read this post yet, otherwise, I'd have done 5 more. So far today I have 30 done, but I want to get the other 70, too. 3 -
I am going to do the intermediate bodyweight squats.
I gave you 50 squats! Feel the burn! LOL2 -
I also have to modify, but I'll add more reps. So my goal is 20 squats 3 times, but hoping to do it 4 times.2
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Completed 5 beginner ones2
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Beginners done!! 30 squats2
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OMG! My THIGHS are sore. I did another 50 this morning.2
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going to start with beginner ones tonight!2
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100 squats today. But I got some sad news - my Curves is closing July 31. Meeting at Curves to work out with my sister 3 times a week has been the backbone of my fitness plan.
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7 completed today3
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Done 30 today. Ouch1
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My silly Jonny. I just finished my morning workout when he arrived. I told him I was going to jump in the shower and get ready for the day when he says to me "did you remember to do your 50 squats?" LOL Nope I had not. He counted them off for me as I did my 50. My thighs are not as sore as yesterday thank goodness.3
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I've done my 100 M and T and 30 today!3
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My silly Jonny. I just finished my morning workout when he arrived. I told him I was going to jump in the shower and get ready for the day when he says to me "did you remember to do your 50 squats?" LOL Nope I had not. He counted them off for me as I did my 50. My thighs are not as sore as yesterday thank goodness.
Such a cutie pie!!
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I might have to sit this challenge out. I'm currently going to Physical therapy for a "stuck" SI joint, a couple twisted lumbar disks and tilted pelvis. I'm finally not in a ton of pain but I'm not supposed to push it and have exercises I'm doing for this right now. I'll ask at my next appointment about doing the beginner squats and maybe will tackle it next week. 3
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@PackerFanInGB take it easy and get well soon.1
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30 squats done June 13
My legs are getting so slim between bike rides, elliptical and now adding the squats. I love it.4 -
prgirl39mfp wrote: »30 squats done June 13
My legs are getting so slim between bike rides, elliptical and now adding the squats. I love it.
I am so happy for you! BRAVO!3 -
50 squats done. My thighs feel stronger already.3
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prgirl39mfp wrote: »30 squats done June 13
My legs are getting so slim between bike rides, elliptical and now adding the squats. I love it.
That's awesome! Inspires me to want to do more!1 -
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Oops! I forgot about the squats on Wednesday, but I got 100 done today.3
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50 more. They are getting easier to do.2
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PackerFanInGB wrote: »I might have to sit this challenge out. I'm currently going to Physical therapy for a "stuck" SI joint, a couple twisted lumbar disks and tilted pelvis. I'm finally not in a ton of pain but I'm not supposed to push it and have exercises I'm doing for this right now. I'll ask at my next appointment about doing the beginner squats and maybe will tackle it next week.
Sitting it out makes a lot of sense, @PackerFanInGB. Each of us have health issues that need to be prioritized. There are many exercises that I can’t do simply because I don’t have the balance required to do them safely. But I can do modified squats.1
This discussion has been closed.