Squats

sarahg148

So how long did it take for you to notice a difference in the "thass" area when you started doing squats? I don't really do them but I am seeing that I NEED to be doing them. I do plenty of cardio with tennis and do the weights circuit and treadmill on a pretty good incline. I cannot really do the ellip or bike anymore due to a knee issue. Squats don't seem to bother me. So how many do you do, how often and when did you start seeing results? Just curious to see how much I'd have to do to make a difference. Do you squat until totally fatigued or just say for 2-3 minutes straight? Thanks for your responses!

chantels1

I just have a pair of 5lb dumbells so my results are not as fast are noticeable, but I noticed after about 6 weeks. Looking for larger weights to squat with!

ktaylormusic

This an old challenge on MFP - I don't know if there's a current one, but here's the routine:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/918243-30-day-squat-challenge

dumparump

I started with no weight to work on my form. 30-50 squats.
Then I added as much weight as I felt challanged. Two 15lb dumb bells. 10 narrow squats. 10 regular squats. 10 wide squats.
Right now I am bumped up to two 20lb weights and also incorporating lunges, and calf raises with my squat sets. The results came after a matter of weeks--give it a month at least, the results are impossible to overlook. Best of luck to you.

SoDamnHungry

I actually saw a massive, sudden improvement within a couple weeks of doing 30 day shred. That includes squats and lunges. A great reduction in the appearance of cellulite.

sarahg148

WOW! Thanks for the fast responses! I've heard of the 30 day shred. I may need to try that. Can't really do lunges with the one knee but I'll definitely incorporate more squats. I do have 12 or 15 lbs weights at home, so I'll use those, too. I guess just getting into the routine of doing them is the difficult part. Looking forward to having a better shaped caboose! :bigsmile: (and less cellulite which will reduce when I lose more lbs)

sarahg148

I'll def do that 30 day challenge from the link. I'll double up on the first few days I missed for the month and do it through October. Hoping to lose 4-5 lbs for Oct 1st and have a higher booty!

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Body weight squats or weighted squats?

I do 3 sets barbell of 5-8 with 95lbs to 135lbs. When I can't make it to the gym I do goblet squats with 50lbs on a dumbbell, usually 3 sets of 10-12. I took about 4 months to see a big difference.

randomtai

I do barbell squats and I am up to 120 lbs.. I do 5 sets of 5 reps Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I noticed a change within a month.

gailmelanie

Most strenght training will give you rapid results if you challenge yourself. Start with 10lbs in each hand or a 20lb barbell and work up. You should be able to increase by several at least 5 lbs per week. You'll end up with rock hard legs and buns if you keep at it.

3foldchord

I never noticed anything from my squats (except soreness) until I added weights and got up to 50-60 pound barbell. I am actually only at a max of 70-75# right now.
When I started squats with the barbell(started at 35#) it took about two months (because i am taking the super slow weight increase route)

I do StrongLifts 5x5 method

3 sets of 5 reps at warm up wights (50,55,60) then 5 sets of 5 reps at my max (65-75 depending)

I try ito increase 2-5 pounds a week, but I get sick easily/often and keep goiing back down a don working my way back up.

FrnkLft

If you approach weight lifting and exercise this way, you're probably going to be disappointed. How any part of your body looks has to do with your bodyfat % and whether or not you are building muscle in the area (not toning, toning is a fitness myth).

Will you be eating a surplus while squating? Is your bodyweight enough to sufficiently stimulate growth in your glutes? Is your caloric intake enough to grow the muscle? Or maybe you're eating a deficit, not growing muscle, but loosing fat in the area...

If you're going to start exercising, you need to pickup a book like New Rules of Lifting for Women (great book) or do some real research on the web, and learn about how these things work. So you don't end up like 90% of people who waste time in the gym and end up attributing any success they have to how they only eat dinner between 5:15 and 5:16pm while standing on their head and doing pushups...

Quick notes:

Diet = Weight Loss, Weight Gain, Weight Maintenance
Regular Cardio = Efficient way to burn calories, Good for conditioning & health (deteriorates muscle over time if you don't weight train sufficiently)
Heavy Weight Lifting = Also good at burning calories, Builds Strength & Builds Muscle (your "butt lift"; to build you need a caloric surplus)

ANYTHING else is a variation on these principles, and if it counters them, it is bunk.

emAZn

This coming from a girl who HATES and I mean HATES squats... do them... they have so many benefits, one of them being a shapely bootay...

If you haven't done them before or they aren't a part of your regular routine I would start with air squats, then move to goblet squats and when you feel comfortable with your form try barbell squats. You can also change up your reps/sets/time counted up/down/maybe pulse a couple times when you are in your squat, etc.

Proper form consists of going parallel with your thighs (this is SUPER important if you are looking to shape that hiney!), a neutral spine, and a solid leg (i.e. knees not buckling in, not rolling forward or backward on the balls of your feet or your heels. You can feel proper form because you feel strong when doing them and improper form always makes me feel weak, awkward, and if I'm lifting heavier weights even a little anxious.

Good Luck!

MelStren

I'll def do that 30 day challenge from the link. I'll double up on the first few days I missed for the month and do it through October. Hoping to lose 4-5 lbs for Oct 1st and have a higher booty!

Don't do the 30day squat challenge and for the love your hip flexors, don't "double up" on a few days.

Doing tons of squats several days in a row will stress your hip joints and muscles and your knees and the muscles around them. You need to at least 24 hrs after squats to rest up and heal. You run the risk of injury if you don't rest.

3foldchord

I'll def do that 30 day challenge from the link. I'll double up on the first few days I missed for the month and do it through October. Hoping to lose 4-5 lbs for Oct 1st and have a higher booty!

Don't do the 30day squat challenge and for the love your hip flexors, don't "double up" on a few days.

Doing tons of squats several days in a row will stress your hip joints and muscles and your knees and the muscles around them. You need to at least 24 hrs after squats to rest up and heal. You run the risk of injury if you don't rest.

Ditto! You will see good results from 3-4 days a week. [ I only do them 2-3 days a week and am pleased with my results)
Your body NEEDS enough time to rest and repair so it can 'build and sculpt" without injury.

FrnkLft

Once again, take the time to learn about how these things actually work, then set your goals.

You need rest periods for any of the work you are doing to reap any benefits. You can't just squat yourself into the ground everyday if you want your body to respond with more muscle. You might loose the fat and end up happy with how the muscle you already have looks without it though.

*cough* New Rules of Lifting for Women *cough*

chenrytc2

The most important part of your question doesn't even have to do with exercise and that is having a "knee issue". I don't know what the "issue" is however the proverbial flags went up.

If you can walk on an inclined treadmill, play tennis, perform circuit training, and squats but CAN'T use the elliptical or perform lunges, that sounds odd. The elliptical is a smoother rounded motion so that you don't have the pounding on the joint similar to both jogging and walking. Tennis also stresses the legs and knees by the short bursts of speed (maximum effort) and quick change of direction needed to get to the ball. So it seems odd that the elliptical aggravates the knee. I would have it examined to find out what is going on. You may end up with a more significant injury such as partial/full tearing of muscle, cartilage, ligament, tendons, or even broken bones!

Squats done correctly will use almost every muscle in your body. If your knee is injured and can't support the weight, you may cause injury to your lower back which is significantly stressed at the bottom of the movement. This can happen performing squats with or without weights.

If you just can't wait, for safety reasons, I recommend isolation exercises that place little to no stress on the knee(s). If you are happy with your current hip/waist girdle and thighs (quadripceps and hamstrings) and only want to work on the glutes there are plenty of exercises that will give you the results you are looking for.

Also, as mentioned in other posts, avoid "bro science". Bro Science is information that sounds legitimate/logical however the information is so general it is really not valid. For example, it would be like saying to lose weight all you have to do is eat. Pretty general huh? Makes sense, obviously you have to eat. So, if I eat fast-food for every meal I'm good right? That is what Bro Science is. Avoid it at all cost.

The other great advice previously mentioned is your food intake. You must take in the correct amount of calories for YOU. You can start with approximated caloric intake numbers but pay attention to how you feel throughout the day. That would include how you feel before/after physical activity, energy levels in the morning, afternoon, and night, mood, feeling hungry or full, skin health, etc. All of these and more may indicate healthy/unhealthy diet. Start, modify, do something you have never done/tried before with your diet.

Lastly, second to health, you should have FUN! The "getting there" is always the best part. In hindsight of course!

fit_grrrl

I only noticed a difference when I started lifting heavy on my squats and with high volume

So 1 day I will pyramid up to my heavier weights in 5 sets and then do 5x5

1 x 25kg x 12
2 x 30kg x 10
2 x 35kg x 8

5x5 @ 45kg

The second leg day I will do 8x8 with 30 seconds rest.

That coupled with DL and Lunges as given me a good bum but it's still a work n progress.

Lupercalia

ALL of what FrkLft said, seriously.


I do weighted squats with a barbell and kettlebells. I probably end up doing a bit of squatting most days, but I don't do it in the manner you're asking about, and I don't do a lot of volume/weight (for me). I follow a training schedule, so it's not like "squat until you're fatigued" or "squat for x minutes". Today I did 3 sets of 10 reps with the barbell--40, 50, and 60 kgs (back squat) I also did 2 sets of 5 front squats with 2 x 16kg kettlebells. I back squat with the barbell once weekly, and today was that day.

I think the 30 day squat challenge is a really bad idea. Quick ticket to overuse injuries, and if you've got any sort of poor movement patterns, squatting that much, even with just your bodyweight, is going to stir up all sorts of issues. It sounds like you've already got something weird going on in terms of the knee stuff you've described.

kajunkutey

Once again, take the time to learn about how these things actually work, then set your goals.

You need rest periods for any of the work you are doing to reap any benefits. You can't just squat yourself into the ground everyday if you want your body to respond with more muscle. You might loose the fat and end up happy with how the muscle you already have looks without it though.

*cough* New Rules of Lifting for Women *cough*

THANKS FOR THE INFO ON THE BOOK! IM GETTING THAT ON MY TABLET NOW.

sarahg148

Thanks, everybody! I haven't had my knee evaluated at the moment because I'm waiting for insurance. The elliptical does aggravate my knee and so does the bike. It could be some sort of tendinitis...so not pushing it...even during tennis I'm aware of it so I don't push it too much. I do isolated machines at the gym, but was just hearing SO much about squats that I thought I'd incorporate them. I've done the weighted squats, kettlebells, etc etc. during training and such, so I know what to do...was just curious as to what others may do to get similar results to lift that butt! My diet for the most part it pretty average...I eat everything in moderation and of course once I lose fat, the muscles underneath will show through a bit more. I lift heavy as to where I can only do 8-10 reps and only one set because it is a circuit. I'm not looking to have 18% body fat...just firm up and build up a bit more muscle.