Do squats work?

Yes.

Nothing more effective IMHO. IF YOU DO THEM CORRECTLY.

My experience is that a squat only works as well as you peform them. ie... going to parallel or past. On the way up, you will engage your glutes, hamstrings and quads. If you only go down 1/2 way or less (I've seen this all too many times), you aren't engaging the glutes and hamstrings.

Do I need to hold weights while doing them, or is body weight enough? Are sumo squats okay? I find them way easier on my knees.

Katie

Wide leg squats will tend to work your inner thighs more.

I'd be weary of sumos. The reason your knees are probably hurting from squats is because you're doing partials instead of squatting deep. I ended up pulling a groin muscle from sqautting with too wide of a stance. No me gusta.

YES! in fact I am sore from doing squats from JM Ripped in 30

I absolutely LOVE squats!



Squat = nice butt

Nothing more effective IMHO. IF YOU DO THEM CORRECTLY.

My experience is that a squat only works as well as you peform them. ie... going to parallel or past. On the way up, you will engage your glutes, hamstrings and quads. If you only go down 1/2 way or less (I've seen this all too many times), you aren't engaging the glutes and hamstrings.

Totally! Put the weight in your heels (you should be able to wiggle your toes) for an effective squat to engage the muscles. I love squats and do them with a barbell, but you can use your own weight or light weight. Once you build up your lower body strength you might find your knees will hurt less. I had some major knee issues and it was because i had low muscle tone in my legs since i was only doing running and it screwed everything up. Lunges are great too. I hate them, but they're so effective.

Careful! After doing squats (Jillian Michael's 30 DS) with weights, the next day I absolutely needed to use the handicapped bathroom at work so I could grab onto the bars on the walls or else I'd never be able to sit (or stand back up) on my own! PAIN!

Haha, I did squats for the first time at my personal training at the gym, and he had me do so many I had this exact problem for the next three days. Sitting down at my desk was just as bad, I was using my arms to lower myself down, but of course they were sore too. Aaah! I started back doing some non-weighted squats (the ones at the gym were with free weights) and I can still feel that workout from a week ago. I have so far to go!

Try to focus on putting the weight on the heel of your foot rather than on the ball of your foot. This keeps my knees from hurting.

Are they an efficient way to tone thighs/butt if done along with sufficient cardio?

Katie

Absolutely!!! As stated before, they really need to be done correctly to get the maximum benefit and not to injure yourself. I do them all! Squats, lunges, with weights, without weights, single leg, both legs, you name it, I do it, lol!! At 37, having had 2 kids and lost 30 lbs, my booty is the highest, tightest and roundest it's ever been :bigsmile: I love me some squats!!

Good luck!

"There is simply no other exercise, and certainly no machine, that produces the level of central nervous system activity, improved balance and coordination, skeletal loading and bone density enhancement, muscular stimulation and growth, connective tissue stress and strength, psychological demand and toughness, and overall systemic conditioning than the correctly performed full squat."

-Mark Rippetoe

I do them every time I go to the weight room, I'll admit isn't as often as it should be. But, I don't ever see anyone else do them. Which is nice, if you can keep iso curl guy out of the squat rack.

double

I have a love/hate relationship with squats and lunges. They work. And I feel like they've helped me be a better runner.