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Body-Weight Squat Workouts

Jul 19, 2011 | By Sam Ellyn
Body-Weight Squat Workouts
Photo Credit JTPhoto/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

You can improve your leg size, strength and power in different ways using only your body's weight and variations of squats. In addition to building muscle, you can improve explosive and reactive power as well as muscular endurance. Even without weights, you can still injure yourself if you don't use the correct movements, so take care to perform your repetitions with the proper technique.

Step 1

Warm up your leg muscles using dynamic stretching before you begin your workout. Jog in place, perform jumping jacks, skip across the room raising your knees high and perform quick lunges.

Step 2

Perform traditional squats for muscle building. Place your feet approximately shoulder width and your hands on your hips or your arms straight out, parallel to the floor. Begin to lower yourself, keeping your torso straight and your eyes forward. Move as close to a sitting position as you can without straining your back or knees. Hold for 2 seconds, then raise yourself, using your leg muscles, not by using your lower back muscles. Perform your reps slowly during down and up movements. Perform 10 reps, then take a 2- or 3-minute break. Repeat this set three times.

Step 3

Perform box squats to improve explosive strength. Sit on a box, chair or bench of a height that your knees are even with your hips or slightly lower. Stand up quickly, keeping your torso straight and eyes forward. Perform six reps per set.

Step 4

Perform reactive squats to improve plyometric power. Take the position you use for a traditional squat. Lower yourself half as much as you would for a regular squat, then jump up as high as you can. Perform six reps per set.

Step 5

Perform traditional, box and reactive squats quickly, using approximately 50 percent of your maximum effort, to create muscular-endurance workouts. Perform 10 reps or do reps for one minute, then break for one minute before moving on to the next exercise in the circuit. Vary the order of exercises each set, and repeat sets throughout a 30-minute workout.

Step 6

Cool down after you are finished performing your squats. Walk in place or around the room. Lift your knees up to your chest. Perform lunges and calf raises. Cool down for several minutes to help blood and lactic acid leave your muscles.

Step 7

Stretch using static stretches when you are finished with your cool-down. Stretch your quads, calves and hamstrings, holding stretches for at least 20 seconds.

Tips and Warnings

  • Breathe out during each downward or upward movement to prevent a spike in your blood pressure.

Things You'll Need

  • Sturdy box, chair or bench

References

Article reviewed by Will McCahill Last updated on: Jul 19, 2011

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