Workout: A New Stance On Squats

Take a different stance in your squats. Perform three sets of each exercise by changing the position of your feet: Go wide, medium and a little narrow. Strengthen your legs and squat your way in improving your various ways your body moves functionally.

Warm-Up

Supported Bridge

• Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip-width apart. Place your arms at your sides with your palms on the floor.
• Lengthen your arms and draw your shoulder blades firmly toward the center of your spine. Keep your core engaged, pelvis neutral and knees parallel as you lift your hips up off the floor.
• Bend your elbows and place your hands under your hips to support your bridge. Lift your heart up toward your chin.
• Return your hands to the floor and lower your hips by allowing your spine to return to the floor one vertebra at a time.
• Repeat for 30 seconds. Do one set.

Leg Swing

• Begin standing with your feet under your hips, hands on your hips.
• Shift your weight into your left leg to lift your right leg slightly off the ground.
• Keeping both legs straight and knee soft in the standing leg, swing your right leg out to the side and then across in front of your left leg.
• Repeat this back-and-forth motion for 30 seconds, then switch legs.

Ankle Rotation

• Stand tall and shift your weight to your left leg as you bend your right knee to lift your right foot off the ground.
• Gently rotate your foot for 30 seconds clockwise and 30 seconds counterclockwise.
• Return to your starting position and shift your weight to your right leg and repeat on the other side.

Workout

Prisoner Squat

• Stand with your feet wider than your hips for set one, hip-width apart for set two and a narrower stance for set three. Raise your hands and bend your elbows to place your fingertips behind your ears or your head.
• Keep your spine long and your back flat as you squat as low as you can without releasing your hands.
• Press through your heels to return to the starting position.
• Tip: Imagine you’re tearing a piece of paper apart with your feet as you stand up from your squat.
• Perform 10 reps and rest 30 seconds. Repeat for sets two and three, resting 30 seconds in between sets.

Overhead Split Squat

• For set one, begin standing with your feet wider than your shoulders and your arms by your sides. For set two, place your feet as wide as your shoulders. For set three, set your feet a little narrower than your shoulders.
• Bring both hands up overhead, arms straight. Hold them here as you perform your split squat.
• Step your right leg back and out, maintaining squat width, and bend your knees to sink into a squat. When your knees are at 90 degrees, push back up to return to stand and repeat.
• Perform 10 reps on each leg and rest 30 seconds. Repeat for sets two and three, resting 30 seconds in between sets.
• Switch legs.

Jump Squat

• From a standing position, sink into a squat and swing your arms back.
• Hold for a moment, then press through the balls of your feet and jump straight up as high as you can. Allow your arms to swing up and lift your body.
• As you land, absorb the impact by bending your knees.
• In one smooth motion, sink back into a squat and repeat.
• Perform 10 reps and rest 30 seconds. Repeat for sets two and three, resting 30 seconds in between sets. For the first set, stand in a wide stance. For the second set, stand in a medium-width stance. In the third set, keep your stance narrow.
• Tip: Keep your chest upright throughout the movement.

Loaded (Squat) Burpee

• Begin standing while holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
• Bend from your hips and sit in a squatting position to place the dumbbells on the ground in front of you, then jump both feet back to come into an extended plank, pressing through the dumbbells into the floor.
• Jump your feet back in toward your hands, bending your knees, and bring the dumbbells up to press them straight overhead.
• Repeat for 10 reps and rest 30 seconds. Repeat for sets two and three, resting 30 seconds in between sets. For the first set, stand in a wide stance. For the second set, stand in a medium-width stance. In the third set, keep your stance narrow.

Cool-Down

Seated Glute Stretch

• Begin standing with your feet under your hips, hands on your hips.
• Bring your right leg up and rest your right ankle on top of your left thigh, just above your knee.
• Sit your hips back and down, keeping your chest upright, and get your left knee as close to 90 degrees as you can, or until you feel a stretch in your right hamstrings and glutes.
• Return to stand and switch legs.

Prone Quad Stretch

• Begin in a prone position with your hands next to your face and the tops of your feet facing the floor.
• Bend your right knee to draw your right foot toward your butt, and reach back with your right hand to grab your ankle or the top of your foot.
• Gently pull your foot toward your butt to deepen the stretch.
• Release and repeat on the opposite leg.

Photo credit: filadendron, Getty Images
GIFs: Tom Casey, box24studio.com
Model: Jennifer Nasab, 24 Hour Fitness