Squatober Leg Day Exercise Tutorials

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Back Squat - Front Squat - Hack Squat - Side Squat - Sumo Squat - Romanian Deadlift - Bulgarian Split Squat - Hip Thrusts - KAS Hip Thrust - Walking Lunge - Step Ups - Glute Hyper Extension - Cable Glute Kickback - Suitcase Carries 

Back Squat

1. Place the bar on your shoulders, slightly lower than your neck, while standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Find a comfortable hand position, and grip the bar tightly by wrapping your thumb around it.
2. Point your elbows down and back, so they are close to your lats, brace your core, and begin lowering down by hinging at the hips and bending your knees.
3. Find the bottom of the movement while keeping your core engaged, spine neutral, and chest upright.
4. Focus on pressing your whole foot into the floor and drive upwards to return to standing.

Front Squat

1. Load a barbell onto your front side. Keep the bar level and place it so that it touches the top of your chest and the front of your shoulders.
2. Reach your elbows as far forward as you can and adjust your grip to lock the weight into place. (Option: Cross your arms to keep your elbows level and get a more comfortable grip on the bar.)
3. Let the hips release first and lower down into a basic squat. Avoid hunching or leaning forward by keeping your back engaged and holding your elbows as high as possible.
4. Once you hit the bottom of the motion, press through your heels and return to standing.

Hack Squat

On a Hack Squat Machine...

1. Add your desired weight and position your back and shoulders against the pads. Extend your legs with a slight bend at the knee and release the safety handles.
2. Bend your knees, stopping when your thighs are parallel to the ground, and push back up through your heels to return to the starting position.

To perform a Hack Squat on the Smith Machine...

1. Step forward in front of the smith machine and lean back onto the bar so the bar is sitting on your upper traps.
2. With your feet shoulder-width apart, sit down into a squat. Keep your spine neutral throughout the entire movement and focus on keeping tension in your quads and glutes.
3. Once you hit the bottom of the movement, push up through your heels to return to the starting position.

Side Squat

1. Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes facing forward.
2. Step your right foot out to the side. Shift your weight into your right heel and hinge at the hips to squat down on the right leg while leaving the left leg straight and out to the side.
3. When you hit the bottom of the movement, press through the right foot to return to standing.
4. Repeat on the other side.

Sumo Squat

1. Start by standing with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Turn your feet, so your toes point out, externally rotating your hips.
2. Hold both dumbbells up by your chest, or hold a single dumbbell at the base with both hands.
3. Keeping weight in your back heels, inhale and start to lower your hips and bend your knees into a wide squat. Go down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
4. Stand back up by pressing down through your heels and exhale to return to the starting position.

Romanian Deadlift

1. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, with a slight bend in your knees and a barbell on the ground in front of you.
2. Hinge forward from your hips, keeping your spine neutral as your torso reaches towards the floor to pick up the weight.
3. Grip the barbell with your hands shoulder-width apart, pull your shoulders back and down to engage your back muscles, and brace your core. Look down and slightly forward to keep your neck in line with your back and avoid hyper-extending.
4. Squeeze your glutes, hamstrings, and core as you drive your feet into the ground to stand up. Lift the weight to your mid or upper thighs to find your starting position.
5. Hinge forward from the hips, keeping the bar close to your body as you lower down. Keep hinging forward until you feel a stretch in the glutes and hamstrings, and then drive through your feet to return to standing.
   
   

Bulgarian Split Squat

1. Stand 2 to 3 feet in front of a bench, box, or knee-high platform. Extend one leg back behind you and rest the top of your foot on the bench. (Toes can be flat or tucked.)
2. Square your hips and shoulders forward, brace your core, and begin to slowly lower your lifted knee toward the floor. Lower down until your front knee is bent at a 90-degree angle and your thigh is parallel to the floor. (Avoid letting your front knee cave inward.)
3. Reverse the movement and return back to the starting position.

Hip Thrust

1. Line up the bench with the bottom of your shoulder blades, sit with your feet hip-width (or slightly wider) apart, and place the barbell over the crease of your hips.
2. Drive your hips upward, lifting the bar until your knees are at a 90° angle and your shoulders are near the top of the bench.
3. Pause at the top of the lift, squeeze your glutes, then lower your hips down slowly while maintaining tension in the glutes.

KAS Hip Thrust

Follow the same setup as you did for your standard hip thrusts. For a KAS Hip Thrust, stay focused on maintaining tension in your glutes in the top position.

So instead of lowering down like you would in a standard hip thrust, only lower 1/2 of the way down or until your shins are no longer vertical before rising back to the top of the hip thrust.

Walking Lunge

1. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your hands can stay by the side of your body if you're holding dumbbells or on your hips to practice stability.
2. Step forward with your right leg, putting the weight into your heel.
3. Bend the right knee, lowering down so that your thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause for a second at the bottom and stabilize yourself.
4. Without moving the right leg, move your left foot forward, repeating the same movement on the left leg. Pause as your left leg is parallel to the floor in a lunge position.
5. Repeat this walking movement forward as you alternate your legs.

Step-Up

1. Position yourself with one foot placed firmly on the center of a bench, box, or riser.
2. Keep your shoulders back and down away from your ears, brace your core, and have your torso leaning slightly forward to maintain balance.
3. Push up through your heel on the bench, bringing your back foot up to the top of the bench to meet your other foot.
4. Maintaining a neutral spine, slowly sit back into your glute to lower down back into the starting position.

Glute Hyperextension

1. Position yourself on the machine and adjust the thigh pads so that they are placed slightly below the pelvis, and stand with your feet slightly pointed outward on the platform,
2. Grab a weight and hold it close to your chest (or cross your arms at your chest for bodyweight.)
3. Keep your chin tucked and your shoulders rotated inwards to create a slight round in your upper back.
4. Hinge from the hips, keeping your pelvis tucked and pressing into the pad to lower down while keeping tension in the glutes.
5. Once you reach the bottom of your range of motion, focus on squeezing your glutes as you start to lift.
6. Pull your body upwards until your shoulders reach your hips before starting the next rep.

Cable Glute Kickback

With the ankle strap on and facing the pully, the clip should attach at the front of your ankle and then:

1. Step back until you feel some resistance on the cable. Shift your weight into your other leg to act as your main support (use the tower or pole for additional support.)
2. Bend your knees slightly and keep your abs tight,
3. Slowly kick your leg back until your hip is extended and your glute is contracted, finally,
4. Focus on squeezing the glute, holding it for 1-2 seconds, then return to the starting position.

Suitcase Carry

1. Grab a kettlebell or dumbbell with your non-dominant hand. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with your arms by your side.
2. Engage your core and pull your shoulders back and down, ensuring an upright posture.
3. Begin walking forward, carrying the kettlebell in one hand. Take slow, small steps as you focus on keeping your core tight and posture upright (not relying on the forward momentum to move through the exercise.)
4. Continue for a specific number of steps, switch the weight to your other hand, and repeat.