18 Benefits of Squats - Big Wheels & Sex Appeal

#1 - Squats Build Legs Like No Other

Squats pound your posterior chain (glutes, hamstring, & back) and along with the rest of your body.

Regardless of variation you perform, this exercise is great to build some strong, athletic wheels.

#2 - Squats Elicit an Anabolic Hormonal Cascade

The amount of stress heavy squats put on your body forces your nervous system to dump anabolic hormones (chemical messengers) into your bloodstream.

Squats boost testosterone and human growth hormone, as well as releasing endorphins. Endorphins improve your mood and are natural painkillers.

Between the boost in hormones and the endorphins, there is no good reason not to squat.

#3 - Squats Build Muscle All Over

Since your hormones are going crazy, your entire body puts slabs of muscles on to accommodate the central nervous system stimulus & hormone overload.

If you have been making decent progress without doing squats, adding them to your workout will give you explosive growth.

#4 - Squats Build a Bulletproof Back

Ever wonder why your upper back slouches when you squat? A weak upper and mid-back compromise your technique and overall posture.

Squat variations force your core and back to maintain tightness. Properly build your squat and your back will grow. 

#5 - Squats Strengthen Your Core

Quit doing the crunches. Try front squats. Your core goes into overdrive to stabilize the weight.

#6 - Squats Strengthen Joints

Progressively overloading your body with heavier squats (with solid technique) builds strength in your connective tissue to bolster joint health.

#7 - Squats Build Stronger Bones

The extra hormonal release from squats builds bigger, stronger bones.

No, it does not mean you are going to turn into some Hulk-like freak with overgrown bones. It does mean you will combat osteoporosis later in life.

#8 - Squats Help You Burn More Fat

It should come as no surprise that squats burn a lot of calories.

The sheer amount of muscles needing to keep you braced and balanced stokes your metabolism. Squats have been shown to be more effective than running because of what happens after you lift through elevated protein synthesis and excessive post-oxygen consumption (EPOC).

#9 - Squats Improve Your Balance

To maintain bar path, you have to coordinate the muscles of your body to keep the weight properly aligned between your center of mass and the weight's line of gravity.

#10 - Squats Improve Heart and Lung Capacity

Squatting respectable weight, relative to your max, for reps pushes your body to max capacity aerobically & anaerobically.

The endurance built to squat heavy for reps forces you to become more efficient with oxygen use. The performance improvements can shown/felt in 2 weeks with consistent and sound training.

#11 - Squats Reduce the Risk of Injury

Squats work literally every muscle in your body. From your posterior chain to your grip strength, squats build it all.

A stronger, more agile and flexible body reduce the risk of injury.

#12 - Squats Improve Mobility

Sedentary lifestyle? You probably know how hard it is to even hit parallel with a squat. Your hips are tight, your quads are overdeveloped, and your glutes are inactive. This makes squatting a nightmare.

Starting with bodyweight squats and working your way up to a barbell back squat will build mobility in your whole body.

This will improve your physical quality of life.

#13 - Squats Build A Huge Vertical Jump

With proper programming and sound technique, you will add inches to your vert in no time with stronger glutes and hamstrings. The more force you can apply into the ground, the higher you will jump.

#14 - Squats Improve Sprinting Speed

The same goes for sprinting. The more force you can apply into the ground, the faster you will run.

#15 - Squats Build Mental Toughness

Nothing is scarier than putting 500 pounds on your back, squatting down and standing back up.

Being able to blind out the fear and develop confidence in your physical abilities improves your life and overall perspective. 

#16 - The Squat Rack is Usually Empty

Let's face it, no one really does squats, do they?

#17 - Squats Give You a Better Posture

You've seen that squats work basically every muscle in the body, right?

Holding a weight and squatting with your core properly braced forces your body to maintain optimal positioning to complete the lift through a full range of motion. 

It should be noted, always look to improve your technique regardless of the variation. NEVER LET EGO get in the way of maintaining proper positioning and moving soundly through a full range of motion.

#18 - Squats Give Improves the Libido For Men

Having issues downstairs? Squats have been compared to a natural Viagra, so why haven't you started yet?

Think about it, increased flexibility, better blood flow, and a better-looking body. This is science, try it and see for yourself.

Conclusion

Look, here's 18 reasons why squats are amazing. 

Do you even lift, bro?