Squats

Sorry for not posting for a while, but I have been focusing more on practice than writing recently, and due to some work issues I haven't been in the mood to post. However there were a few interesting things that I came across recently in the news which are related to internal martial arts. One of which is the importance of squats. For those of you who train Yiquan, there are a number of shi li movements that mimic the effect of squats and if you look at the really good taiji grandmasters of the Chen school, you will see that their lower body is much more developed than their upper body as much of the power for their punches and fajin come from the lower body.

Researching the information on the internet I extracted the following information (unfortunately I lost the link): 

Reason #1: Squats are a full-body exercise.

Many guys skip out on squats because they mistakenly believe that squats are just an exercise for your legs. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Your body uses over 200 different muscles when performing squats. And getting stronger on squats often has the somewhat “magical” effect of making you stronger on other exercises.

For example, it’s not uncommon for guys to add 50lbs to their best squat and suddenly discover that their bench press went up 15lbs as well.

Reason #2: Squats boost favorable hormones

Squats are the one of the best exercises (deadlifts being another good choice) for stimulating a favorable hormonal response. Meaning that heavy squats trigger the body to release testosterone and growth hormone, two crucial chemicals for building muscle.

And although I can’t track down the exact source, I’m told there are university studies that show an increase in UPPER body mass gains when squats are included in a training program. This is most likely because squats boost muscle-building hormones which help to build your entire body.

Reason #3: Squats built strength in your hips and core.

When you think about building muscle and strength, you probably think about biceps and pecs. And developing those muscles are great for looking good on the beach.

But strength and power originates in the hips and core. So if you want to increase your overall strength and power, work hard on an exercise that strengthens your hips and core. By this point, I’m sure you can guess the best exercise for developing strength and power in the hips and core. You guessed it: The squat.

To put it another way, the guy who can squat 405 pounds for reps has a huge advantage on the football field, in the octogon/wrestling mat or even in a common street fight.

If you’re looking for some anecdotal evidence, consider Adrian Peterson — star running back of the Minnesota Vikings. Why is he so good? Well, part of it’s his speed, part of it’s genetics and instincts.

But he squats over 530lbs at a bodyweight of 215. You might never run like Adrian Peterson but I guarantee that once you can squat 2.5 times your bodyweight like Adrian can, you’ll be a formidable force in any sport.

Reason #4: Squats build overall muscle mass.

If you want to gain MASS, then you’ve got to squat. As we discussed already, squats trigger the results of favorable growth hormones which contribute to gains in muscle size.

 
But squats are also great for stimulating the appetite. 

Many guys who can’t gain weight complain that they’re just never hungry. But heavy squatting sessions will fix that in a heartbeat. Eight hours after a brutal squatting session I sometimes find myself unable to get full no matter how much I eat. 

It’s like my body is sending a never-ending signal to shovel down the food and provide the energy to repair the damage from the heavy squats.

Reason #5: Squats build mental toughness.

This part might get a little weird, but I firmly believe that America (or any country for that matter) would be a better place if every male could squat at LEAST 225lbs. 315lbs would be better. 

Because squatting builds mental toughness. Ask anyone who’s ever done a true session of the infamous 20-rep breathing squats. That’s when you take your 10 rep squat max and grind out 20 reps by taking as many breathes as you need between reps.