Exercise Of The Week - Hungarian Squat

I carry my weight in my lower half, so I do a lot of squats and lunges to tone and shape.  One of my favorites is the hungarian squat. It really gets deep into the muscle.  It targets you glutes and hamstrings.  If you are starting out, please don't use any weights.  Your body weight is already an overload on the muscle.  I would start with 3 sets/10 reps per leg, and work your way up from there.

Stand a fair distance from your bench or chair.  Put one leg on the bench, and your weight in the heel of the front standing leg.  Balance is important here.  If you are unstable at first, have something you can grab onto for support.

 Slowly lower down till your front leg is at a 90 degree angle.  IMPORTANT - Make sure that your knee does not extend past your toes when lowering.  If it does, step further away from your bench. Pause for a second at the bottom of the squat, then return to your starting position.  As you do, consciously squeeze your glutes and hamstrings.

                                       

Do not alternate legs.  Do ten at a time on each leg before moving on.  You really want to fatigue those muscles.  Also, inhale on your way down, and exhale on your way up.  Many trainers don't talk about breathing when it comes to weight training, but it is very important.  Always exhale on the positive motion.  Incorporate these into your leg routine, and I promise you that it will make a difference.  Form is EVERYTHING with weight training.  Always be conscious of it, and check it.  As you get tired, you will lose it, and that is where injuries happen.  This exercise takes some getting used to, it can be a little awkward at first, but give it time.  It will eventually become second nature.

Good Luck this week with your goals.  Make a workout plan, and stick to it.  You got this!!

-XOXO Monique