did you know that there are six simple squat variations that can transform your entire lower body each one of these targets your body in a different way that will give you unique benefits let's start off with the easiest variation and work our way up to the hardest the traditional squat is as basic as it gets although it's simple it lays the groundwork for every other squat that you'll be doing if the body weight version is too easy for you then you can always add a barbell on your back and that's the beauty of almost all
of these exercises you can do them with or without any weights form will be your key driver of result here so let me show you how to correctly do it when doing the exercise stand with your feet shoulder width apart toes slightly turned out push your hips back like you're sitting into a chair keeping your chest lifted and core engaged a lot of people forget to focus on flexing their core and you don't want to do that especially when you have weight on your back lower until your thighs are parallel to the ground knees tracking
over your toes drive through your heels to stand back up the body weight squat is great because I mean it doesn't just Target your leg muscles it improves muscle endurance strengthens your lower body and promotes better Mobility it's not a bad idea to do a couple sets of body weight squats to warm up for the ones that I'm about to show you also you'll want to stick around until the end because I'm going to show you a bonus exercise that you can quickly do at home whenever you have free time now we're on to the
goblet squat which takes the basics of the body weight Squat and levels It Up by holding a weight out in front of your body this engages your core and lower back while still hitting your legs super hard here's how you do it hold a dumbbell or Kettle Bell close to your chest keeping your elbows tucked in with your feet shoulder width apart lower into a squat by pushing your hips back and bending your knees keep your chest upright as you go down making sure the weight stays close to your body once your thighs are parallel
to the floor push through your heels to rise back up this squat mimics real life movements like lifting heavy objects with good form your legs and core will definitely be feeling the burn but trust me you're just getting warmed up now these next two variations are a little bit different of a stance so let's see if you can do them we're going to get you on one leg to challenge your balance and at the same time build up your lower body the Bulgarian split squat does a great job at working out your legs individually something
that a lot of people don't do stand a couple of feet in front of a bench step or even a couch and rest the top of one foot on it behind you hop your standing leg forward to find a stable position lower your body by bending your front knee letting your back knee drop toward the ground keep your chest lifted core tight and front knee tracking over your toes push through your front heel to return to standing this move right here is excellent for targeting the quads hamstrings and glutes but it also works those stabilizer
muscles around your hips and knees honestly it's a must for injury prevention and improving functional mobility if it feels tough don't sweat it start without weights until you get the hang of it you can even hold on to something if you're having trouble balancing now let's move on to the next squat that gets your body moving side to side which is crucial especially since as we age we tend to engage in less and less activities that have our bodies moving that way the coac squat not only strengthens your legs but also increases your flexibility and
Mobility you should start this one off by using only your body weight and leave the weights to the side for now because well it can get pretty challenging especially if you're not used to moving in this plane to do it you're going to start with a wide stance much wider than shoulder width apart and Toes pointing slightly outward shift your weight to one leg lowering your hips into a deep side lunge while keeping the other leg straight keep your chest up and core engaged as you sink as low as you can into the squat push
through your bent leg to return to the starting position and then repeat on the other side this squat variation is perfect for improving hip mobility and stretching those inner thighs it's a great functional move that helps with side to side movement such as playing pickle ball or even just reaching down to pick something up from a low awkward angle if you're wondering how you're going to put all these exercises into a workout routine don't even worry I've already put together a little workout plan that I'll be showing you very soon now let's combine all of
these benefits that you've got so far of balance flexibility and strength and put it into one exercise the pistol squat I started implementing this one into my leg workouts recently and honestly I plan on keeping it in the routine for a little while follow closely how to do it because it's a little bit of a tricky stance start with Standing Tall on one leg with your other leg extended straight in front of you engage your core and begin lowering your body by bending your standing knee while keeping your extended leg off the floor lower down
until you get to like a 90° angle keeping your chest lifted and arms out in front for balance now some people will go all the way down but I recommend stopping at a 90° angle if you're beginning now press through your heel and drive back up to standing if you're able to do the pistol squat that means that you've got some serious lower body strength and core stability this move will make everything feel easier whether it's jumping running or just getting up from a low chair without using your hands now if this feels too advanced
well don't worry you can modify it by using a bench to sit back on or even hold on to a stable surface for support while you build up the strength and balance now it's a very common misconception that it's bad for your knees if your knees go over your toes on a squat but to put it simply this is just not true as long as you've mastered all the exercises that we've just covered you are ready for the squat now I'm sure you've probably never heard of this exercise before but it's a fantastic allaround lower
body exercise you'll be isolating your quads and leaning back to a comfortable distance all while keeping your body under control stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold onto a stable surface for balance if needed rise up onto the balls of your feet and start to lean your body back bending your knees as you go keep your hips and shoulders aligned in a straight line and lower yourself as far as you can without losing control once you've reached your max depth press through the balls of your feet and squeeze your quads to return to
standing for starters I suggest only going halfway down until you get the hang of the exercise and your knees get more comfortable being in this position all right let's go over the bonus exercise which isn't really a bonus because you should be incorporating this exercise into your workouts already find a wall slide down into a seated position like you're sitting on an invisible chair and then hold it as long as you can the wall sit hold sounds simple but your leg will be burning in no time this move is all about muscle endurance giving your
quads and glutes The Perfect final challenge as the seconds tick by you'll really feel those muscles fire up not only does it build strength but it helps your muscles resist fatigue making you stronger for long runs hikes or even just standing on your feet all day it's also great for improving mental toughness pushing through the burn and holding on for those extra few seconds can make all the difference in your overall endurance and stamina remember hold it as long as you can and then challenge yourself to beat that the next time around your legs might
be shaking but trust me they're going to thank you later now let's put these exercises together into a complete leg workout you're going to perform two different leg workouts throughout the week one on Monday and one on Thursday on Monday you'll start off with three sets of 10 body weight squats just to warm up then you'll do three sets of five to six reps on each leg of the pistol squat then three sets of 10 reps on the goblet squat and then you'll do three sets of eight coac squats to finish off the workout you'll
do two rounds of walls sit holds for as long as you can for each set now on the second leg workout on Thursday you'll be warming up with three sets of 10 body weight squats again then three sets of 10 Bulgarian split squats on each leg after those you'll do three sets of eight squats and then finish off the workout with three rounds of walls sit holds till burnout all right guys if you found this video to be helpful be sure to share it with a friend
