“I don’t squat because it makes my legs and butt too big.” “I don’t squat because squatting is bad for your knees.” “I’ve got a bad back so I can’t squat.” If you think that these statements are true, then you don’t know squat about the squat. We could write a book with all of the excuses we’ve heard on why women don’t squat. Instead though, we are going to give you plenty of information on why you should squat and why squatting may be one of the most important exercises you can do.

Why Squat?
In the royal family of leg exercises, squats are the king. They are also the most functional exercise for daily life. Just think about how many times a day you squat: when you sit down in a chair, when you bend down to pick something up off the floor like a bag of groceries or your child, or when you get the file out of the bottom file drawer. Squatting works the largest muscles in your body: the quadriceps (front of the thigh), adductors (inside thigh), gluteals (buttock), hamstrings (back of thigh), the gastrocnemius/soleus complex (calf), and the erector spinae (back). Squats can also help you develop flexibility around your hips and calves when you follow proper form and gradually increase your range of motion.
If you are an athlete involved in a sport, or want to be more athletic, squats offer exceptional preparation. The muscles used during squatting are the same muscles used for jumping, sprinting, and running. Squats provide the perfect transfer to the biomechanically similar motions of most ground-based sports [1]. So if you are interested in running faster, lunging for that out-of-reach tennis ball, or jumping up for the perfect volleyball spike, squats should be an essential component of your training program.
Many women rate exercises or exercise programs not on how much they like it, or how good it is for them, but on how many calories it burns. “I need to do ten more minutes on the Stairmaster to burn off that mocha latte with chocolate sprinkles,” some think. Well, here’s the good news for squatters: squats burn calories and stimulate the cardiovascular system. With the additional muscle you’ll pack on your legs, your resting metabolic rate will increase even more and allow you to burn calories like guys do – by just sitting on the coach loafing around! You’ll not only burn calories during the squat, but you will also likely burn calories in the 24-hours following your squats because of the intensity and heavy nature of the exercise [2]. Sounds like you can have your latte and drink it, too!
Squatting has an extra bonus especially for women. It has the potential to increase the bone density of the spine, hips, and legs that may help prevent osteoporosis. Numerous studies have shown that weight-bearing physical activity like resistance training has a positive effect on bone mineral density by mechanically loading the skeleton [3]. With osteoporosis as a serious health threat to women, it makes sense to attempt to prevent it by making your bones as strong and as healthy as possible. Bones that are strong can handle more stress and are less likely to fracture. The National Osteoporosis Foundation’s Physician’s Guide to Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis recommends regular weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercise both for osteoporosis prevention and overall health [4]. The guide states that not only can this type of exercise improve agility, strength, and balance, thus reducing the risk of falls, but it may also yield a modest increase in bone density. With the barbell loading weight on your shoulders and spine, and your leg muscles working like they never have before, squatting just may be the answer to osteoporosis prevention.

Aren’t Squats Dangerous?
It is a popular belief that squatting hurts your knees and puts too much pressure on your back. Actually, these are ironic statements because it is more dangerous not to squat, than it is to squat - provided that you know the proper mechanics and follow our instructions. Weak quads and hams can contribute to injury because of their inability to stabilize and decelerate joints during activities. Squats are the best choice for a leg exercise that minimizes joint compression force. Compared to the leg extension machine, squatting allows the patellofemoral (kneecap and thigh bone) forces to be more evenly distributed and dissipated [5]. There is no evidence that squats can cause injuries in women because of their different bone structure. Of course, you can hurt yourself if you aren’t careful. If you drop down into your squat too quickly and bounce out of the bottom position, the knee cartilage (menisci) can be squeezed and twisted, resulting in wear and tear and eventual breakdown. Any exercise has the potential to hurt you if done improperly. With good form and a gradual increase in intensity, squats could be one of the safest exercises you’ll ever perform.

Free Weights or Machines?
Training with free weights has several advantages over working out on machines. First, when utilizing free weights, there is more transfer to functional daily activities and to sports performance. We don’t live our lives sitting in leg presses or leg extensions, and we certainly don’t play sports inside guided racks. Second, many accessory muscles are called into play for balance and control when using free weights. Also, there is a wide range of movement variation that is possible when using free weights and movement variation produces greater muscle balance development, reduces injury potential, and prevents overtraining [1].
However, machine training does have its advantages. Juan Carlos Santana, MEd, CSCS, Director of Optimum Performance Systems, Inc., of Boca Raton, Florida says that many women like using machines because they are not as energy intensive and use less muscle mass when compared to free weight training. “Machines will help isolate muscle and provide some easy volume without zapping your dreams of a life after training,” he says.

Still Afraid of the Bertha Butt Syndrome?
If you are still skeptical of the squat, follow this line of logic from Juan Carlos Santana. “Women should be more afraid of their diets, not squats. Bigger butts and hips result from too much food, not too much exercise. Ballet dancers get their nice butts from squatting explosively many times, which is the equivalent to doing weighted squats for less volume. The reason they don't have huge butts is due to their strict diets and enormous activity level. So, go ahead and squat - your butt will love you for it!”

Sidebar - Of Depths, Widths, and Rotations
How low should you go? Is wider better? Do twists and turns of the foot relate to different muscle activation? There sure are a lot of controversial topics when it comes to squatting! When determining how deep to squat, you should know that research has shown that quadriceps muscle activity is the greatest when the knee is near full flexion – that means squatting as low as possible [6]. Deep squats are not harmful to the knee because as the knee flexes, although joint compression force increases, the load is more evenly distributed [5]. From a neuromuscular standpoint, full range of motion exercises are always the most beneficial because they recruit the largest amount of muscle and nerves. The real danger with going low is not practicing depth with lighter loads. However, if you already have “knee problems” or knee pain, research suggests squatting only to a 500 angle (above parallel) [5, 7, 8].
It is a popular belief that altering foot position will affect different muscles. A recent study showed that a foot position wider than shoulder-width might make the buttocks and adductors work a little more, but changes in stance width do not isolate different quadriceps muscles [9]. Another study showed that there is no difference in electrical activity for any quadriceps muscle when the feet are turned toes out, toes forward, or toes inward [10]. But if you are interested in lifting more weight, a wider stance is better. The wider stance increases your base of support and balance. Ultimately though, you should position your feet where you are comfortable, stable, and can most easily squat.

Sidebar - How To Squat
If you’ve never squatted before, start with just your bodyweight and a stick for the bar and practice diligently on proper form. Work on keeping your whole foot firmly on the ground while sinking your hips low and in between your heels. Go as low as you can while you maintain an arch in your lower back and your upper back remains as upright as possible. Make sure your ascent is straight up and devoid of the twists and turns that can place additional stress on the body. You can progress to holding dumbbells or to a variable-weight arm curl bar, before you hit the big Olympic barbell that weighs 45 pounds.
Technique:
1. Stand with feet approximately shoulder-width apart and toes pointed slightly outward.
2. Hold a barbell behind your neck across your shoulders with a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width.
3. Inhale and bend your knees and hips to lower your body under control into a squat position. Keep your head up, heels on the ground, and back arched.
4. After squatting below parallel, quickly reverse direction and exhale through the “sticking point” (the most difficult part of the movement). Do not bounce out of the bottom position.

Sidebar - All of the Squats That You Can Handle
Basic High Bar Squat/Back Squat
This is the Big Momma of the squat, the one that all of the variations are based upon. High-bar squats are performed where both the barbell and the trunk center of gravity is centered between the hip and knee.
Technique:
1. Place a barbell on the squat rack to it is somewhat even with your collarbone.
2. Grip the bar with a wider than shoulder-width grip and pull your body under the bar so the bar rests on your upper back.
3. Follow the “How to Squat Instructions.”
Front Squat
As the name implies, the barbell rests in front of the body during the front squat. Front squats are performed more upright than back squats and the joint force is more equally distributed between the hip and knee joints.
Technique:
1. From a squat rack, grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width and stand with feet approximately shoulder-width apart and toes pointed slightly outward.
2. With the wrists extended backward, the elbows pointing up and the arms parallel to the floor, position the bar across the collarbone and anterior deltoids.
3. Inhale and bend your knees and hips to lower your body under control into a squat position. Keep your head up, heels on the ground, and back arched.
4. After squatting parallel or below, quickly reverse direction and exhale through the “sticking point” (the most difficult part of the movement). Do not bounce out of the bottom position.
Smith-Machine Squat
Many women prefer using the Smith-Machine over free-weights because of the safety factor built into the design of the machine. With the bar on a sliding on upright shafts, it allows you to experiment with different foot and leg positions and still be stable. Follow the rules for front and back squats and be sure not to position your feet so far in front of you that your back rounds and you lose your arch.
One-legged Squat
Challenge your strength and balance with this squat variation. You should have a good base of strength and experience doing double leg squats before you try this killer version. If you are the adventurous-type, hold a dumbbell in one hand while the other hand grasps a supportive tall object, like the uprights of a nailed-down Smith-Machine.
Technique:
1. Stand next to an upright and grasp it with one hand.
2. Your outside leg can be extended in front of your body or bent behind you.
3. Inhale. Slowly bend the inside knee and hip to lower yourself into a squat position, keeping your upper body straight, head up, and back arched. Your balance should be over the middle of the foot.
4. After squatting to parallel or below, quickly reverse direction and exhale through the “sticking point” (the most difficult part of the movement). Do not bounce out of the bottom position.

Cool Squat Routines
Juan Carlos Santana suggests combining squats with speed work like sprints for fantastic legs and a super butt. Who has a more attractive lower body than sprinters? How about doing 15 reps of bodyweight squats and 15 reps of 10-second sprints for 4-5 sets? Or try performing 15 reps of barbell squats and then 15 jump squats for 4-5 sets. Start with a 3 minute rest between sets and gradually reduce it to 1 minute over a period of 3-6 weeks. This routine can be done every 4-7 days, depending on training base of the individual. In addition to putting on some leg muscle mass, this program is very metabolic and will help you lose fat with the proper diet.
Fitness competitor and personal trainer Timea Majorova likes a superset of squatting with different feet width progressions. She and her clients perform 15 reps of feet together squats, 15 reps of feet wide squats, and 15 reps of feet shoulder width squats without a rest in between. This superset is done 3 times, with a 2-minute rest between each superset. She recommends squatting at the beginning of a workout when you have the most energy, and for her routine, you’ll need it!

References
1. Coaches' Roundtable. The squat and its application to athletic performance. National Strength and Conditioning Journal. 1984. p. 10-22.
2. Byrd, R., et al., Predicting the caloric cost of the parallel back squat in women. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 1996. 10(3): p. 184-185.
3. Layne, J.E. and M.E. Nelson, The effects of progressive resistance training on bone density: a review. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 1999. 31(1): p. 25-30.
4. National Osteoporosis Foundation Physician's Guide To Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis. http://www.nof.org., 1998.
5. Hungerford, D.S. and M. Barry, Biomechanics of the patellofemoral joint. Clin Orthop, 1979. 144: p. 9-15.
6. Escamilla, R.F., et al., Biomechanics of the knee during closed kinetic chain and open kinetic chain exercises. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 1998. 30(4): p. 556-569.
7. Reilly, D.T. and M. Martens, Experimental analysis of the quadriceps muscle force and patello- femoral joint reaction force for various activities. Acta Orthop Scand, 1972. 43(2): p. 126-137.
8. Steinkamp, L.A., et al., Biomechanical considerations in patellofemoral joint rehabilitation. Am J Sports Med, 1993. 21(3): p. 438-44.
9. McCaw, S.T. and D.R. Melrose, Stance width and bar load effects on leg muscle activity during the parallel squat. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 1999. 31(3): p. 428-436.
10. Signorile, J.F., et al., Effect of foot position on the electromyographical activity of the superficial quadriceps muscles during the parallel squat and knee extension. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 1995. 9(3): p. 182-187.