In this article, we are going to discuss a few common and simple mistakes to avoid when you are doing a barbell back squat.

What Is a Barbell Back squat?

The barbell back squat is a fundamental weight and strength exercise with an increasing focus on the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings for the lower extremities and entire core muscles. It is achieved by bending your hips back and then lowering your knees to bring down your body as much as you can while maintaining your a somewhat straight spine. The spine and hips should also be aligned, then move the knees out as you move downwards. You have to extend your hips to get back up and keep pushing your knees outwards. If you have not tried it yet, you can check out this comprehensive tutorial for more information on how to do this properly.

Another great advantage of this exercise is that the joints, ligaments, and tendons from around the knee and hips are also strengthened through it.

4 Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Knees being too forward 

To prevent knees coming forward too much and avoid potential knee joint and tendon injuries, the hips must lower straight as you squat. You might endanger yourself when your knees cave inwards when you squat. Ensure that your knees are not heading in the same direction as your feet. When you are dealing with this, the chances are that your lower-body has limited functionality or mobility. Keep in mind to do a complete dynamic warm-up before any workout, to completely loosen up your body. Practicing bodyweight squats with a mini-band around your knees to strengthen your hips and keep your knees in good alignment could be a good idea for you.

2. Rounding the lower back

When you squat, keep a straight back to prevent injury and hurt your spine. It is important never to let your lower back round too much. Always keep a straight, neutral lower back as you move down and rise to keep everything in its right place. Some of the best ways to remedy this are to use a squat move to hold your body straight, and to engage your abs. Maintain a tense in your core muscles during the entire movement to help keep your back in position.

Also, try not to arch your lower back as far as it reaches because it puts a lot of tension on your joints and potentially can hit the wrong muscles. Rather, maintain a neutral straight line on your lower back and hold the position through your squat. 

3. Restricting the range of movement

Several gym-goers do not practice the full range of movement and do not make effective use of the squats. Ensure you squat down to at least where your thighs are approximately parallel to the surface to utilize squats to their complete capability, and if you can go slightly below parallel, try doing that. A very popular method when it comes to squats is the Barbell Back squat, occasionally you should turn to various squats for particular items to focus on.

For several bodybuilders, a mistake is attempting to lift far too much weight. Make sure you use the right weight to enable you to use the perfect position and the full range of movement.

4. Incorrect setup and gear

You will need to use a squat rack if you are doing a Barbell squat. You should also use the safety bars that hold the barbell at the bottom so you can place the barbell on the safety bars if you are unable to lift the weight.

Be sure that the barbell is about chest-height when you place the barbell onto the rack because when it is too high or low, it can be difficult to move due to the weight. Using the proper gear can make a big difference too. Wear thin or sturdy sole footwear so you can shift power from your legs to the surface. Avoid padded shoes that will absorb your force or even make your feet slip around within your shoe.

The squat is one of the most effective exercises you can perform, whatever your goals are for your fitness and body shape. It develops numerous muscles in the body, and burns tons of calories. It increases the power of the lower body, and improvements in fitness go to another level. You don’t only have to be confined to traditional barbell squats, there are many variations such as jump squats, body weight squats, pistol squats to name a few!

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Doing exercise is an integral part of leading a healthy lifestyle. It helps with reducing stress levels, weight loss and general well being.

Exercising incorrectly can, however, often lead to negative results. It is, therefore, of great benefit to you that you learn about some common training mistakes and you can in turn also protect yourself in case of injuries, by taking out an appropriate insurance package.

Some factors to take into account to avoid injury are the following:

1. Overworking yourself

Know your limits. Don’t make use of a machine or exercise form which will badly impact on an injured part of your body. Also make sure not to work out for longer than your body can handle.

When your body is tired and overworked, it is much more likely to receive an injury. Pushing yourself to exercise when you’re in pain won’t make you stronger or more fit; only irritated and in more pain.

This also counts for giving muscle groups a break: +-72 hours is the recommended time span needed to give body areas a rest.

2. Sticking to the same routine

Sticking to one routine for years is not only unhealthy for your body, but also your mind. Your muscle groups get used to this exercise and have no way of excelling. And your mind can get stuck in a boredom rut, when you do the same thing over and over again.

3. Copying others

What works for you might not work for others, and vice versa.

A man who trains regularly and weighs 120kg can do a lot more reps than a beginner who weighs 60kg. Don’t try copying anyone else in any way. If someone tells you to do what they do, rather walk away if you are unsure and have any doubts about it. Copying someone else’s gym regime can lead to an injury and frustration.

4. Not squatting properly

Not maintaining the natural curvature of the spine is one of main reasons why people injure themselves when squatting. A proper squat is about the hamstrings coming into contact with the calves. Keep track of your movements, in order to know when a move is hurtful for you and when it works.

5. Conditioning exercises

If you’re going to weight lift, limit running or doing conditioning exercises at the same time. This can wear your body out, run your energy levels dry and simply make you hate working out. Stick to weight lifting during one session; don’t try pack everything into one workout.

6. Not knowing your body

Certain exercises will have the opposite effect of what you want to achieve. Depending on your body type, condition and shape, you might be damaging your chances of becoming slim, fit or muscular. Know your BMI, body fat percentage and other important factors in order to get on the right exercise path for you.

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