98 MUSCLE & FITNESS JUNE 2016
Because it’s designed to let you lift heavy, it encourages
bone growth and the release of muscle-building
hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone.
But we’ll argue that it’s the act of squatting itself
that’s “king”, not the specific type of squat you choose.
Squats where the weight is held in front of your body,
such as goblet squats, front squats and Zercher squats,
can all build big, strong legs and offer unique advantages
that back squats don’t.
A goblet squat, for instance, has you hold a dumbbell
with both hands under your chin. When you squat, the
weight will help to counterbalance your hips and torso,
so you can lower down deeply without bending too far
forward. It encourages you to push your knees apart to
make room for your elbows, better activating your glutes.
The result is near-perfect form on every rep, regardless
of muscle imbalances or lack of mobility. For these
reasons, the goblet is an ideal exercise for beginners
to learn the squatting movement.
A front squat is a good lift to graduate to next. The bar
is held in a similar position to the goblet squat but allowed
to rest on the front of the shoulders. If you have back or
knee pain, you’ll probably find that front squats allow you
to squat deeper and with more safety than back squats
do. They also hit your quads more directly, making them a
favourite for bodybuilders who aim to train the “teardrop”portion of their quads – the point at which the vastus
medialis oblique inserts into the kneecap.
The Zercher squat is another option that offers similar
benefits to the front squat but does more for the core and
upper back. In a Zercher, you cradle the bar in the bend
of your elbows as you squat. It can be uncomfortable until
you get used to it, but it builds brute strength throughout
the body. After all, it was invented by an old-time
weightlifter Ed Zercher, who used to begin the lift by
bending down and loading the bar on to his arms from
the floor (which we don’t recommend for safety’s sake;
but it sure is cool). See full directions on how to perform
these lifts in “The Three Kings” on the facing page.
If you’re thinking that the downside to all these squats
is that you can’t lift as heavy on them as you could withGlute-ham Raise
Adjust the foot plate so your knees are behind
the pad when you get on the bench. Set the back
of your calves under the upper-ankle hook and
place your feet on the platform. Begin with your
knees bent and torso perpendicular to the floor.
Lower your body until it’s parallel to the floor,
then raise your body back up using your hams.IAN SPANIERLEG TRAINING