Master Your Compound Exercises.

The Squat

The squat is often touted as the best glute-building exercise there is and while this may be true, there is so much more to this amazing movement. A properly performed squat activates a huge amount of muscle. The legs are obviously involved but the core muscles (internal abdominals, lower back etc) are a huge part of the lift. One big benefit of the squat is that the strength you build from doing it crosses over to real life, you'll begin to notice how much easier menial tasks are to do when you have strong legs and a solid core.

Form is key with the squat as there are numerous ways you can get it wrong. For any squat you should aim to tick off the following list: feet slightly wider than hip width apart, toes slightly pointing outward, back straight, butt back, squat down slowly, drop so the tops of your legs are parallel or lower, and stand back up.

(Instructional form video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy28eq2PjcM)

The Deadlift

The deadlift is often called the king of all lifts, and for good reason. The deadlift activates more muscles than any other lift and should be a staple for anyone from an athlete to a stay at home mum. The main muscles used in the deadlift are in the posterior chain (back of your body) such as the glutes, hamstrings and back. Ask anyone how to build a bigger butt and they will more than likely say you have to squaut but it is of my opinion that deadlifts do an even better job of it. Like the squat, the deadlift has huge crossover to everyday life.

With the deadlift, form is also key. The biggest thing you can do wrong is allow your spine to become rounded witch opens the door to injury. If you make sure your back is straight then usually everything else will fall into place.

(Instructional form video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4qRntuXBSc)

The Bench Press

Ah, the bench press. It's every gym bro's staple lift but it should also be yours! Getting the bench press right can take a while especially if you're a beginner as it can feel awkward in your hands and hard to stabilize. Often i see people trying to go to heavy on this lift but less is definitely more. You dont need huge weights to get the most out of the bench press, working on your form is vital at the early stages of implementing it. The bench press is great for building strong shoulders, triceps and chest muscles and will help you fill out shirts (which is why everyone lifts anyway, right?)

The biggest tip for getting the bench press right is having a solid base. This means having your eet planted firmly on the ground allowing you to have good hip drive and having your upper back dug firmly into the bench giving you a solid base to press off of.

(Instructional form video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRVjAtPip0Y)

Buff Cat Tax!

Thanks for reading!

As always, if you need any help or want to ask more about my posts then feel free to shoot me a message!

(PS - let me know what other subject matters you'd like to see me address in the future)