Body weight is determined by basal metabolism and physical activity. When correcting the figure, the energy consumption to maintain physiological needs at rest and activity is taken into account. An adult needs 1 kcal/hour for basal metabolism. An athlete with a high muscle mass index loses 4 times more per hour. When moving in normal mode, energy consumption increases by 40%. When squats, calorie consumption increases several times. The final result depends on the speed and level of complexity of the technique.
What is the essence of squats?
Squats are physical exercises during which a person lowers his body while gently bending his knees. Not a single strength training session is complete without this standard exercise. There are various variations of this exercise, each of which is designed to achieve a particular sports goal. You can squat without equipment, or you can use special weights: dumbbells and a barbell.
This is a basic exercise in any strength sport. In addition, squats are necessary for working the gluteal muscles, quadriceps and hamstrings. But how many calories are burned during squats depends on the amount of exercise, its variant and the intensity of the load.
Squats with weights
Some ladies mistakenly believe that by using weights in squats, they will pump up their leg muscles and look like football players. Unfortunately, everything does not happen so quickly, even though it is in the leg muscles that fat is burned faster and more efficiently than anywhere else.
So, to make your legs and hips look slender and sculpted, and your buttocks toned and firm, you need to get rid of fat deposits in these places. And to do this, you should properly load your muscles and use special equipment in the gym or at home. Ideal equipment such as a barbell, dumbbells, weights and expanders. There are also special simulators.
Variations
There is a high variability in the use of an exercise such as the squat. It can be used simply to gain muscle mass or to increase general or strength endurance, as well as for weight loss. Regular lowering of the body helps strengthen the spine, develop leg muscles, and improve the condition of the tendons and ligaments of the lower extremities.
There are variations of squats such as plie, sumo and standard body lowering. The placement of the feet is also taken into account, which helps to focus attention on working a specific muscle group. You can perform a jumping squat to help increase leg strength and endurance.
Any training process cannot do without squats. Therefore, this exercise is the main secret of training for every athlete.
How to squat correctly?
Like any other exercise, squats have their own technique that must be followed. Otherwise, you can get serious injury from doing squats incorrectly. For safety, the exercise must be performed according to the following algorithm:
- Before starting classes, you need to do a good warm-up, run or swim in the pool.
- Next, you should securely fix your feet on the floor. It is important that neither your toes nor your heels come off the floor. The position of the foot should be motionless throughout the entire exercise.
- To burn more calories, you need to keep your back in the same motionless position.
- You need to monitor your breathing throughout the exercise, which will make it much easier to perform. As you inhale, you need to go down, and as you exhale, you need to go up.
Benefits for the body
Squats are useful for both the female and male half of humanity. In men, the calf muscles, as well as the biceps and quadriceps, are strengthened during the process. The legs become more prominent. With the help of exercise, women can get rid of “lugs” in the hip area, improve the buttock shape, and also tighten the hips and back surface. In addition, lowering the body has a positive effect on a woman’s gait, making it softer and smoother, and how many calories are burned when squatting!
But not everyone is happy with this form of body training. Some athletes and experts claim that squats harm the knee joints, destroy and stretch tendons, weaken the knees and cause leg pain. Several years ago, this exercise was even prohibited for use by US Army soldiers. American doctors were sure that squats had no benefit, but only harmed the health of military personnel. But at the end of the 20th century, this theory was challenged, and the exercise returned to the usual circle of sports training.
Squat Variations
There are several options for squats:
- Classic,
- "Plie"
- Exercises with narrow feet,
- With a jump,
- "Balance",
- "Curtsy",
- "Pistol"
- "Martin".
Classic squats are the exercises described above: the algorithm for performing them is the same.
“Plie” are exercises that help pump up the thighs from their inner surface.
"Plie" is done as follows:
- Feet shoulder-width apart, back straight. The toes of the feet are turned 45 degrees.
- As you exhale, lower your pelvis down.
- You cannot move your pelvis back: mentally imagine how you slide your back and buttocks along a smooth wall.
- When you are in a position where your thighs are parallel to the floor, hold there, exhale and slowly rise up.
Perform the exercise 20 times, taking a break for 1-3 minutes, then start the task again.
Squats with a narrow placement of the feet - the principle of execution is the same as in the classic ones, only the legs are not shoulder-width apart, quite close to each other (distance - 10-15 centimeters).
Jump squats are exercises that help work out the leg muscles well. Execution algorithm:
- Feet shoulder-width apart, arms bent at the elbows and placed behind the head.
- Squat down on your knees and jump up from the position as high as possible.
- Land and take your starting position.
Balance squats, exercises designed to increase the load. Proceed as follows:
- Feet are hip-width apart, the heel of one leg is raised up.
- Bend your knees as you inhale at a right angle. You need to support your body weight on the leg that stands firmly on the floor. As you exhale, return to the starting position.
- Repeat the exercise, but now the other leg should be elevated.
“Pistol”, these are tasks designed for even more significant work. A chair will be required as a prop.
- Stand on one leg. Lift the second one up and bend it at the knee. Hold the back of the chair with your hand.
- Inhale – stretch the leg bent at the knee in a horizontal position, bend the other leg at a right angle.
- As you exhale, take the starting position and start doing the exercise again.
Swallow squat, an exercise that works well on the buttocks and back of the thigh. Need to:
- Stand on one leg. Lift the second one up and bend it at the knee.
- Bend your stable leg at the knee as you inhale, and straighten the other and move it back.
- As you exhale, take your starting position and get ready to do the exercise again.
In curtsy squats, the main emphasis is on the buttocks. The exercise is easy to do:
- Get into the starting position: cross your legs, hip-width apart.
- Inhale – move your pelvis back, bend your knees at a right angle. Make sure that your heel does not touch the floor surface.
- Exhale - return to the starting position and repeat the exercise again.
There are also squats with dumbbells and other sports equipment.
The downside is harm
It is worth noting that, despite their simplicity and effectiveness, squats can play a bad joke on the body. The knee joints cope with heavy loads even during normal walking, and all because people relatively recently became upright. In past times, the load was distributed on all 4 limbs, and not on 2, so joint problems could not exist.
It is enough to delve into the world of modern sports, and it becomes obvious that many athletes suffer from problems with knee joints. This applies to skiers, football players and marathon runners, that is, all those who run fast and a lot.
Bodybuilders face similar problems. Due to the heavy loads resulting from the use of heavy barbells, the knee tendons are overstretched when squatting, and the joints are weakened. And that's not very good. In this case, professionals are forced to resort to special medications called chondroprotectors, which help reduce the risk of complications after squats.
Correct squat
Of course, it is difficult to immediately answer the question of how many calories are burned with 100 squats or 150. Any exercise requires adherence to a special technique. You should not neglect it, because incorrect position of the legs and body can cause injury.
So, squats will be effective and useful if you follow the following rules:
- warming up should become a habit: this means straightening and bending the knees, stretching, and rotating the feet;
- fixing the foot on the floor: eliminating heel separation;
- a straight back without the slightest deflection is a factor that influences how many calories are burned when squatting;
- parallel between the hips and the floor, you cannot fall below this level;
- it is important to monitor your breathing: inhale - lower the body, exhale - raise it;
- muscle tension, which helps increase the effectiveness of even 20 squats (how many calories are burned at this time is difficult to answer unambiguously).
The essence of squats
Squats are exercises that are aimed at increasing muscle mass and strength. Due to the fatigue that occurs after properly performed squats, a large number of calories are burned.
Squats work the muscles of the buttocks, legs and back. With these exercises you can not only pump up these muscles, but also get a beautiful relief.
If you want to lose weight and get luxurious shape, these exercises are irreplaceable.
But the effect of squats will be noticeable only if they are performed correctly. Many people make mistakes in exercise technique and later wonder why they don't work.
The algorithm for their implementation is as follows:
- Stand straight, place your feet slightly wider than your shoulders.
- Your back should be perfectly straight: to do this, lower your shoulders down and move them back. Try to maintain a straight posture throughout the entire exercise.
- You can stretch your arms forward with your palms pointing down, you can bend your elbows and press them to your body, you can put them behind your head or press them to your waist, or you can clasp them together and stretch them out in front of you - whatever is more convenient for you.
- We begin to perform a squat: move your hips back while bending your knees. Don't raise your shoulders and watch your posture!
- Also make sure that your legs are perfectly straight and motionless.
- Move your pelvis back (imagine that there is an invisible chair behind you that you want to sit on).
- You should lower your pelvis as low as possible - this way the effect of the exercise will be more noticeable.
- Return to the starting position and repeat everything again.
Calorie consumption
It is worth noting that the number or number of calories depends on the individual characteristics of the body. More weight requires more energy. Naturally, for every person losing weight, it is important to know how many calories are burned when squatting.
It is much more effective not to do regular squats, but to do them with weights. Dumbbells, barbells and other objects are used for this. As the load increases, the amount of energy expended will also increase. Therefore, no one can say exactly how many calories you burn when doing squats (100 times). They are considered a high-intensity exercise that helps you burn 200 to 400 calories in a certain amount of time, specifically 30 to 40 minutes.
How many calories does squatting burn?
The calories expended can be calculated using the following formula: you need to multiply your body weight by 0.1 - this figure will be the calories you expended in one minute of squats at a fast pace. The greater your body weight and the pace of your workout, the greater your calorie consumption.
On average, when doing squats for five minutes, we spend about 50 kcal. This means that by exercising in the morning and evening for five minutes, we will burn about 100 kcal. And, as you understand, these workouts do not require additional financial costs for equipment and do not require a lot of space. This exercise can be safely done even during the working day.
In 8 hours of sleep, we burn 360 kcal. You can sing in the shower, you can spend from 10 to 20 kcal, laughing for 10 minutes will burn from 20 to 40 kcal. During sex for half an hour, the costs will be approximately 200 kcal. Even if you hit your head against a wall (we do not recommend this practice!), you can burn 150 kcal in an hour. When we eat celery, we burn more calories than we consume.
Beginning Squats and Calories
In the absence of any physical training, it is advisable to use squats three times a week. It is necessary to perform from 2 to 4 approaches of 15-20 times. After the body adapts to the stress, you can gradually increase the amount.
To effectively burn calories, you can gradually speed up the pace of the exercise and use special weights.
Now there are various methods of squats, the use of which does not require a lot of time and large-scale area. For example, a half squat can be performed at any time of the year and anywhere. The number of squats should not be less than 140-150.
How to improve efficiency?
You understand how many calories one, ten or one hundred squats burn, but now we’ll tell you a few tricks that will help raise efficiency to a new level:
- Physical activity should be cyclical. This means that you strain yourself by squatting for 5-7 minutes, and then you rest for a minute and go to the next circle.
- Squats without a barbell should be quite intense. A high pace will help keep your heart rate in the desired range - this is important when burning fat.
- Try to exercise for at least 30 minutes (this includes 10 minutes of warm-up and stretching).
- Do not exceed the load on the heart and try to work in the pulse zone of 120-160 beats per minute.
- If you're doing barbell or dumbbell squats, choose a weight that allows you to do more than 15 reps.
- Train at least 3-4 times a week.
Losing weight with squats
It is undeniable that how many calories are burned when squatting depends on the technique of application. You can distinguish squats from each other by focusing on a specific muscle group. But in this case, we must not forget about the following rules of implementation:
- The legs should be parallel to the floor, that is, when the leg is bent at the knee, a right angle is obtained.
- The back should be straight without bending or deviation, the heels should be “glued” to the floor.
How many calories are burned by squatting 50 times can be compared with a 7-minute run, with only one distinctive condition - you can perform the exercise without leaving your home, without fear of wind, rain, thunderstorms and snow.
Types of squats
Squats can be performed both in the gym and at home. It is not necessary to use additional equipment, since your own weight can be enough to lose weight.
The most popular type of this exercise is classic squats, which do not require special skills. The distribution of the load is determined by the depth of the squat. The positioning of the legs is also important, according to which the exercises are divided into several types. For example, plie and sumo squats are considered extremely effective for pumping up the gluteal muscles.
Many people are also interested in how many calories are burned during squats, known as partials. It is believed that the amount is greater than with deep squats. This type of exercise can be classified as cardio-strength, since it involves an active pace and makes it possible to work muscles that are not involved in a deep squat. Therefore, experts often advise performing partial and frequently repeated squats to increase calorie consumption.
The averages refer to how many calories squats without weights burn. As for weighted squats, it is believed that they burn 1.5-2 times more calories depending on their weight, body mass and again tempo.
Many ladies are afraid to squat with weights, believing that this will make their legs too pumped up, like a man’s. In fact, it is generally difficult for women to gain a lot of weight due to their natural characteristics, and small weights will not make you masculine. They will help you burn excess fat more effectively, make your legs sculpted and slender, and your buttocks toned and attractive. Therefore, you can safely use dumbbells, weights, expanders, barbells, as well as special exercise equipment in fitness clubs.
Some tips
Fitness trainers, as well as sports industry specialists and supporters of a healthy lifestyle, confidently say that daily squats help activate the body's metabolism. They also help burn excess weight not only during workouts, but also after them. And all thanks to the fact that the muscles require a long time to recover, and the body, as it were, is still in working condition.
To maintain an attractive figure, as well as to get rid of subcutaneous fat, it is enough to include regular squats in your training complex. Thanks to this exercise, the skin tightens, the legs become slender, the buttocks are elastic, and, most importantly, weight decreases. Fitness professionals are repeatedly convinced of the effectiveness of squats for weight loss and weight correction.
It is important to consider that it is not the quantity of squats that is important, but their quality; for example, 50 squats may not have any effect on the body. It’s hard to say how many calories are burned from this, but the body will tighten up if you add weights. There is no need to hope for instant results, because it is useless to perform the exercise a few days before vacation. Here, first of all, systematicity and regularity are important.
After all, you need to take care of the beauty and health of your own body all your life. Only daily physical activity will help women and men always remain attractive. As they say, a healthy mind in a healthy body. And it’s hard to argue with this statement.