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squat

Did you mean: squat, Rockin' Squat, Squat (Warhammer 40,000), Squat effect, Squat (2007 Album by Squat), Squat! (performed by De La Soul)

 
Dictionary: squat   (skwŏt) pronunciation
 
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v., squat·ted, squat·ting, squats.

v.intr.
  1. To sit in a crouching position with knees bent and the buttocks on or near the heels.
  2. To crouch down, as an animal does.
  3. To settle on unoccupied land without legal claim.
  4. To occupy a given piece of public land in order to acquire title to it.
v.tr.
  1. To put (oneself) into a crouching posture.
  2. To occupy as a squatter.
adj., squat·ter, squat·test.
  1. Short and thick; low and broad.
  2. Crouched in a squatting position.
n.
  1. The act of squatting.
  2. A squatting or crouching posture.
  3. Sports. A lift or a weightlifting exercise in which one squats and stands while holding a weighted barbell supported by the back of the shoulders.
  4. The place occupied by a squatter.
  5. The lair of an animal such as a hare.
  6. Slang. A small or worthless amount; diddlysquat.

[Middle English squatten, from Old French esquatir, to crush : es-, intensive pref. (from Latin ex-; see ex–) + quatir, to press flat (from Vulgar Latin *coāctīre, from Latin coāctus, past participle of cōgere, to compress : co-, co- + agere, to drive).]

squatter squat'ter n.
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Food and Fitness: squat
 
Home > Library > Food & Cooking > Food and Fitness

An exercise for conditioning muscles of the legs and buttocks. It can be performed with or without additional weights.▪ Stand erect with feet about shoulder width apart. Keeping your back straight and head up, slowly bend the knees to squat down, and then return to the standing position.If the knees are bent fully, tremendous mechanical strains are imposed on the joint and can cause irreparable damage. Therefore, the knees are bent only to the half- to two-thirds position. The back is kept straight to reduce the strain on the knees and lower back, and movements should always be slow and controlled.

Squats with additional weights are usually performed with either the barbell resting at the back of the neck (back squat) or across the front of the shoulders and top of the chest (front squat). Both types of squat develop leg, hip, and back strength, but the front squat places more stress on the quadriceps.

There are at least eight other types of squat, each with their own specific advantages and disadvantages. Squats have been called the ‘king of all exercises’ by some body-builders. If performed properly, squats can greatly strengthen the muscles (especially the quadriceps), bones, tendons, and ligaments in the legs. However, if performed excessively or with poor technique, they can cause a host of stress injuries, including arthritis and torn cartilage of the knee.

 
Thesaurus: squat
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verb

  1. To sit on one's heels: hunker (down). See posture.
  2. To stoop low with the limbs pulled in close to the body: crouch, huddle, hunch, hunker (down). See high/low.

adjective

    Short, heavy, and solidly built: blocky, chunky, compact1, dumpy, heavyset, stocky, stodgy, stubby, stumpy, thick, thickset. See fat/thin.

 
Antonyms: squat
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adj

Definition: short and stocky
Antonyms: lanky, skinny, slender, tall, thin

v

Definition: lower body by bending knees
Antonyms: straighten, stretch

 
Sports Science and Medicine: squat
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Weight-training exercise for conditioning muscles in the legs and buttocks. There are many types of squats. Typically, the subject places a barbell on the shoulders either behind or in front of the neck, and grasps the barbell with a palms-upward position of the hands. The subject then squats down to two-thirds of knee bend, keeping the back straight, and then returns to starting position.

 
Wikipedia: Squat (exercise)
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
 This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2008)

In strength training, the squat is an exercise that trains primarily the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks, as well as strengthening the bones, ligaments and insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body. Squats are considered a vital exercise for increasing the strength and size of the legs and buttocks. Despite their popularity, squats have frequently resulted in injuries to the lumbar spine and knees, requiring modification from the standard squat with an olympic bar, with multiple variants now used.[1]

Squats are also a competitive lift in powerlifting.

Contents

Form

Proper form is necessary to ensure proper results and minimize the chance of injury (even with proper form, conventional squats run the risk of injury[1]). The movement begins from a standing position with the feet roughly shoulder-width apart and toes pointed outward. Weights are often used, either in the hand or as a bar braced across the trapezius muscle in the upper back.[2] The movement involves bending the knees and hips to lower the torso and accompanying weight, then returning to the upright position. The torso leans forward to maintain balance, and the lower back is kept straight. The squat can continue to a number of depths; the deeper the squat, the greater the training effect but also the greater the risk of injury. Quarter squats do not bring the thighs parallel to the ground, while parallel squats do. Most training occurs between a parallel and a quarter squat, but depends on training level, skill, and purpose of the exercise. Squatting below parallel qualifies a squat as deep while squatting above it qualifies as shallow.[2]

As the body descends, the hips and knees undergo flexion, the ankle dorsiflexes and muscles around the joint contract eccentrically, reaching maximal contraction at the bottom of the movement while slowing and reversing descent. The muscles around the ankle work to provide stability. Returning to vertical contracts the muscles concentrically, and the hips and knees undergo extension while the ankle plantarflexes.[2]

Two common errors include descending too rapidly and flexing the torso too far forward. Rapid descent risks being unable to complete the lift or causing injury. Over-flexing the torso greatly increases the forces exerted on the lower back, risking a spinal disc herniation.[2]

Equipment

Various types of equipment can be used to assist with squats. A Smith machine or power cage can be used to reduce risk of injury and eliminate the need for a spotting partner.[3] Other equipment used can include a weight lifting belt to support the torso and boards to wedge beneath the ankles to improve stability and allow a deeper squat (some shoes also have wooden wedges built into the sole to mimic this). Heel wedges and related equipment are discouraged by some as they are thought to worsen form over the long term.[4]

World records

  • The world record for sumo squats performed in one hour is 5,135, held by Thienna Ho.[5]

Variants

The squat has a number of variants, some of which can be combined (e.g. a dumbbell split squat):

  • Back squat - the bar is held on the back of the body at the base of the neck or lower across the upper back. In powerlifting the barbell is often held in a lower position in order to create a lever advantage, while, in weightlifting, the barbell is often held in a higher position in order to keep the torso more upright in a deep squat. These variations are called low bar and high bar, respectively.
  • Front squat - the weight (usually a barbell) is held in front of the body across the clavicles and deltoids in either a clean grip, as is used in weightlifting, or with the arms crossed and hands placed on top of the barbell.
  • Overhead squat - a barbell is held overhead in a wide-arm snatch grip; however, it is also possible to use a closer grip if flexibility allows.
  • Zercher squatt - the bar his held in the crooks of the arms, on the inside of the elbow.
  • Hack squat - a barbell is held in the hands just behind the legs; it was invented by early 1900s professional wrestler Georg Hackenschmidt.
  • Sissy squat - a dumbbell is held behind the legs while the heels are lifted off the ground and the torso remains flat while the lifter leans backwards; sometimes done with a plate held on the chest and one arm holding onto a chair or beam for support.
  • Single leg squat - a freestanding one-legged squat where the non-lifting leg is held in free space.
  • Split squat - an assisted one-legged squat where the non-lifting leg is rested on the ground a few 'steps' behind the lifter, as if it were a static lunge.
  • Bulgarian squat is performed much like a split squat, but the foot of the non-lifting leg is rested on a knee-high platform behind the lifter.
  • Hindu squat - is done without weight where the heels are raised and body weight is placed on the toes; the knees track far past the toes.
  • Jump squat - a plyometrics exercise where the squatter jumps off the floor at the top of the lift.
  • Bodyweight squat - done with no weight or barbell, often at higher repetitions than other variants.

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b Bompa, Di Pasquale & Cornacchia, 2002, p. 120.
  2. ^ a b c d Brown, SP (2000). Introduction to exercise science. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. pp. 280-1. ISBN 0683302809. 
  3. ^ Bompa, Di Pasquale & Cornacchia, 2002, p. 121, 125.
  4. ^ McRobert, S (1999). The Insider's Tell-All Handbook on Weight-Lifting Technique. CS Publishing. ISBN 9963616038. 
  5. ^ "New record for Sumo Squats". Guinness World Records. 2007-12-16. http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/adjudications/071216_most_squats_in_one_hour_post.aspx. Retrieved on 2009-07-02. 

References


v • d • e
Strength training exercises
Quadriceps (front of legs)
Squat (compound) • Leg press (compound) • Lunge (compound) • Leg raise (compound) • Leg extension (isolation)
Hamstrings (back of legs)
Deadlift (compound) • Leg curl (isolation)
Calves
Calf raise (isolation)
Pectorals (chest)
Bench press (compound) • Fly (isolation) • Pec dec (isolation) • Press-up/Push-up (compound) • Pullover (isolation)
Lats and trapezius (upper back)
Bent-over row (compound) • Chin-up (compound) • Pulldown (compound) • Pullup (compound) • Shoulder shrug (isolation)
Deltoids (shoulders)
Front raise (isolation)  • Handstand push-up (compound) • Lateral raise (isolation) • Military press (compound) • Shoulder press (compound) • Upright row (compound) • Rear delt raise (isolation)
Triceps (back of arms)
Dip (compound) • Pushdown (isolation) • Triceps extension (isolation)
Biceps (front of arms)
Biceps curl (isolation)
Abdomen and obliques (belly)
Crunch (isolation) • Sit-up (isolation) • Leg raise (compound) • (any rotational movement will engage the obliques)
Lower back
Back extension (isolation) • Deadlift (compound) • Good-morning (compound)  • Hyperextension
See also: Bodyweight exercise • Weight training • List of weight training exercises • Bodybuilding

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
Translations: Squat
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Dansk (Danish)
v. intr. - sidde på hug, tage jord uden hjemmel
v. tr. - sidde på hug, tage jord uden hjemmel, besætte
adj. - siddende på hug, undersætsig, kort og tyk
n. - sammenkrøbet stilling, besat hus

Nederlands (Dutch)
hurken, kraken, gedrongen, gehurkt

Français (French)
v. intr. - s'accroupir, s'asseoir sur ses talons, se tapir, se ramasser
v. tr. - squattériser (fam), squatter (une maison)
adj. - trapu, écrasé (un objet), surbaissé (un arc)
n. - accroupissement, position accroupie, appartement occupé par un squatter

Deutsch (German)
n. - Hocke, besetztes Haus od. Land
v. - (sich) hocken, (ugs.) sich setzen, Haus od. Land besetzen
adj. - untersetzt

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - κάθισμα οκλαδόν, αυθαίρετη κατάληψη (ακατοίκητου χώρου κ.λπ.), αυθαίρετα κατειλημμένος χώρος (για κατοίκηση κ.λπ.)
v. - κάθομαι οκλαδόν, πραγματοποιώ κατάληψη (χώρου)
adj. - κοντόχοντρος, κουκουβιστός, ανακούρκουδος

Italiano (Italian)
accovacciarsi, occupare abusivamente, tarchiato

Português (Portuguese)
n. - agachamento (m)
v. - agachar-se
adj. - atarracado

Русский (Russian)
приземистый, сидящий на корточках, прижавшийся к земле (о животном), сидеть на корточках, садиться на корточки, припадать к земле (о животных), самовольно селиться на чужой или государственной земле, вселяться в пустующий дом без разрешения, сидение на корточках, упор присев

Español (Spanish)
v. intr. - ponerse en cuclillas, agacharse
v. tr. - ocupar ilegalmente
adj. - achaparrado, rechoncho, en cuclillas
n. - acción de ponerse en cuclillas, posición o postura de cuclillas

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - hukande ställning
v. - sitta på huk, huka sig, ockupera tomt hus, bosätta sig på allmän mark utan tillstånd
adj. - nedhukad, på huk, kort och tjock, satt, låg och bred

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
蹲下, 蹲伏, 坐, 使蹲下, 霸占, 蹲着的, 矮胖胖的, 蹲, 矮胖子

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. intr. - 蹲下, 蹲伏, 坐
v. tr. - 使蹲下, 霸佔
adj. - 蹲著的, 矮胖胖的
n. - 蹲, 矮胖子

한국어 (Korean)
v. intr. - 웅크리다, 공유지에 무단 거주하다, (동물이) 땅에 엎드리다
v. tr. - 웅크려 앉히다, ~에 무단으로 정주하다
adj. - 웅크리고 앉은, 쭈그린, 땅딸막한
n. - 웅크리기, (항해 중) 뒷부분이 가라앉는 경향, (동물의) 집

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - しゃがむ, うずくまる, 地に伏す, 座る, 無断で居座る
adj. - ずんぐりした, しゃがんだ
n. - しゃがむこと, しゃがんだ姿勢

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) احتل أرض أو مبنى غيره بدون حق, قرفصاء (فعل) جلس القرفصاء (صفه) مربوع, قصير القامه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. intr. - ‮ישב ישיבה שפופה, הושיב על העקבים, גחן‬
v. tr. - ‮פלש, תפס קרקע, גחן, רבץ, ישב‬
adj. - ‮נמוך, שפוף‬
n. - ‮ישיבה שפופה, בית לפולשים, גוץ‬

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Did you mean: squat, Rockin' Squat, Squat (Warhammer 40,000), Squat effect, Squat (2007 Album by Squat), Squat! (performed by De La Soul)


 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Food and Fitness. Food and Fitness: A Dictionary of Diet and Exercise. Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Answers Corporation Antonyms. © 1999-2009 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved.  Read more
Sports Science and Medicine. The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine. Copyright © Michael Kent 1998, 2006, 2007. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Squat (exercise)".  Read more
Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved.  Read more

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