Squat

The Squat is the first exercise I would like to offer because it is arguably the most important lift as it is believed to be able to produce quicker or greater muscle growth than any other exercise used by athletes. Also, the main muscles it works (the quads and the glutes) are some of the most important for generating power (thus, producing greater performance) in almost any sport you can play.

Most people dread squatting, some even write off this exercise from their weightlifting programs, but it is truly a wonderful exercise to perform (although it does suck) as it offers the greatest benefits to your overall strength both immediately and long term. It is actually my signature exercise (as I can squat around 550 lbs.) and the one that gained me notice, even as a freshman, by my high school football coaches, and was probably the biggest factor that played a part in making me a very successful high school player.

The muscles it works: The main muscles worked-out by the squat are the quads and the glutes. It also trains the calves, hamstrings, and lower back to a lesser degree.

How to perform: Use a squat rack for safety if at all available. Begin by placing the bar behind your neck with the bar resting on your shoulder blades. Your hands should be a little wider than they are while bench pressing, but any comfortable hand position should work. Stand with your feet a little farther apart than shoulder-width (again, just make sure you use a comfortable stance).

To actually begin the exercise, keep your torso as straight and still as possible while lowering your body between to legs. To do this, you will bend your legs at the knees and the hips until your quads are parallel to the ground. Now, push your torso back up to the starting position by reversing to downward motion (to do this, you will push your feet against the floor so that you can stand back up)

And easy way to visualize this motion (and even practice it) would be to site down in a chair while keeping your torso straight and still. Then, stand back up into the starting position (again, without bending your torso). Many coaches even like to teach squat by starting with a chair this way, and I recommend that you should try this too while just using the bar (without weight) if you have never squatted before in order to practice the correct motion of squatting.

Conclusion: You should probably begin squatting with just the bar (and using a chair if possible), but once the motion is part of your muscle-memory, you should quickly be able to build up to a good amount of weight in a very short time as this exercise is one of the quickest and easiest to build up your strength in (ie: while in seventh and eight grade, I managed to work up to 200 lbs. in this exercise in my first year of squatting). Minor back pain and neck pain is expected as you are getting used to squatting (which can be alleviated by wrapping a towel around the neck area of the bar to cushion your neck), but if severe pain is felt during (and especially after the exercise), you are probably performing this exercise with bad motion and should have an experienced friend watch your motion to help you improve.

Tips: Using a lifting belt will help prevent back injuries while performing the squat, but recent research indicates that this will cheat you out of building up your core muscles (back and ab muscles that support your body) so the call on whether or not to use one is yours. I used to use one, but stopped 2 years ago to build up my core muscles. Also, wrapping a towel around the neck portion of the bar with cushion your neck and alleviate pressure, but many lifters frown upon this as it is unmanly (and a common name for this is using a tampon on the bar).