Fitness Friday - Squats vs. Lunges

Lunges were our topic of choice for last Fitness Friday, I started thinking more about this subject after writing that post up and it lead me to wondering if lunges are better than squats or vice versa.  They both work similar muscle areas and I have found that lunges are much harder for me to do.  Is it a better use of my time to work to better my lunges or is it more useful for me to continue my squat routine?  I set out to find the answer to my question and decide how to best use my time during leg day, I have limited time until the end of finals and need to maximize every moment that I have at the gym.

I found a great article from Pop Sugar Fitness that addressed this topic and gave me a much better idea of how I should be using my time at the gym.  The article agrees with me that squats seem to be much easier for beginners and lunges are a more advanced exercise.

We will start with Pop Sugar Fitness' thoughts on squats.  "If you're just starting to get your backside into shape, then consider squats your go-to exercise. Because they are a functional movement, squats are a good introduction to the weight room; it's easy to add weight or resistance to the exercise, which quickly helps to increase strength. Since the weight is distributed onto your heels when doing squats, the exercise requires less balance than lunges. Instead, doing a squat is much like sitting down in a chair, making them a great exercise for working the glutes and hamstrings. Turn squats into a quick cardio workout by adding jumps, or challenge your core with the addition of a BOSU ball. Whatever you decide, expect to build a firm backside in no time!"

I do add weights to my squats but I have never tried adding jumps or any type of BOSU ball.  I have squats pretty well mastered but I was excited to see ways to make them harder and to burn more calories working through them

Lunges work many of the same muscles but in a very different way.  "Rather than the up and down motion of a squat, lunges require a step forward or backward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Because lunges involve the transfer of weight to one leg, they are a test of balance, especially when using weights, meaning your core gets a workout too! And depending on the variation, lunges can also allow for an increased focus on the glutes or inner thighs; do side lunges to work your hips or reverse lunges to counter the forward movements of everyday life. Bonus: lunges offer something that most exercises don't — a good stretch! Depending on your depth and range of motion, lunges help to increase flexibility in your hips"

Pop Sugar is very correct when they state that lunges require much more balance than squats do, I tend to lose my balance at least once or twice during a set of lunges.  I also can feel the core work that this exercise does and I love that they work two muscle groups at once, I can get double the bang for my buck once I get better at these exercises.

Reading over this article, I feel that my best bet for gym will be to spend some time working more cardio into my squats and then deciding how it balances out with reducing my time spent on the treadmill.  I need to continue to improve on my lunges and keeping my balance while doing them so that I can do a bit of extra core work on leg day.  I'm not surprised that this article didn't give a clear answer as to which exercise is better and I agree that doing both of them will be more beneficial than trying to only do one.  It will be easier for me to work the cardio into my squat routine now and then I will need to take more time at the gym after finals in order to put the time into perfecting my lunge formation.

photo courtesy of fitwirr.com

Fitness Friday - Squats

Squats are a core part of every male and female's fitness routine, these were once considered an exercise that everyone suffered through twice a week but have come to be one of the hottest exercises for females.  With the changing trends in female body shape, Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian are the now the ideal body types and many females are adding/increasing the amount of squats they perform on a weekly basis.  There are very few exercises that are both as simple and effective at working the major butt and leg muscles as squats and they are the topic of today's Fitness Friday. 

I decided to look up how to best do squats as ladies, we hold weight in different places then men do and shouldn't be trying to do these exercises in the exact same fashion as they do.  I pulled my information from Pop Sugar Fitness as this is one of the best websites for women's fitness and health.

- Stand with your head held facing forward and your chest up and out.
- Place your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider.  Extend your hands straight out in front of you to help you keep your balance.  You can also bend the elbows or clasp the fingers.
- Sit back and down like you're sitting in an imaginary chair.  Keep your head facing forward as your upper body bends forward a bit.  Rather then allowing your back to round, let your lower back arch slightly as your descend.
- Lower down so your thighs are as parallel to the floor as possible, with your knees over your ankles.  Press your weight back into your heels.
- Keep your body tight, and push through your heels to bring yourself back to the starting position.

The website recommends starting with three sets of ten squats each then working up to twelve or fifteen as needed.  They stress that form is more important then amount and I can agree.  I still am doing the three sets of ten and making sure that I have my form correct through the whole process.  By the last set, I need to really concentrate on my form so I know that I am not ready to start adding more reps yet.

Why should women do squats?  This is a common question that many women ask.  This is not about building up huge butt and leg muscles but rather keeping them tight and toned.  When searching for a picture for this post, I found a lot of VERY NSFW pictures about women that do squats but the major point in doing this exercise is to keep those huge muscles in shape and looking tight.  This will improve your appearance in everything from skirts to skinny jeans. 

I have read that squats can be done at anytime as they only require your body weight to be done correctly.  That being said, I only do mine at the gym as of right now.  I don't yet have the form and the endurance to do them while brushing my teeth or cooking but I would like to work up this one day.

photo courtesy of Pop Sugar Fitness