training advice

5 Reasons to Stay Away From Celebrity Workout Advice

A close up of a woman's hands on the floor as she performs a pushup
By Ayo Ogunseinde on Unsplash

In our search for better fitness results, many of us are tempted to see what workouts and fitness products our favourite celebrities are using in order to achieve their successes. Whether it’s an elite athlete or a celebrity with “perfect” body, it can be appealing to try and follow along with the steps they’ve posted on social media or in a magazine. Unfortunately, this can lead to a lot of disappointment.

When I talk about celebrity workouts, I’m referring to the following:

  • Celebrity workout DVDs (yes, these are still a thing);
  • Superhero movie transformations (any celebrity transformations actually);
  • Elite athlete strength and conditioning sessions;
  • 1-minute snippets of workouts on reality TV shows;
  • Cover model/Influencer workouts;
  • Use of fitness products advertised or endorsed by celebrities.
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Take Your Squat to New Levels – Part 1

Whenever I take someone through a new gym programme for the first time, I find myself wishing there was a resource I could direct them to with all the information they need on each element of their training. This is my attempt at creating such a resource for the squat. If it’s well-received I will make similar guides for other exercises.

This won’t be a step-by-step guide through the act of squatting. This would be much better demonstrated in a video, not to mention the fact that writing 1000+ words about squatting would probably make it easier to overthink the exercise. Instead, I’ll be focussing on those nitty-gritty decisions that will get the most out of your squat workout.

Part 1: Before You Squat

This part will focus on things you should know about squatting before you even set foot in the gym. Part 2 will be focussed on things you need to know to get the most out of your squatting session.

Table of Contents
  1. Part 1: Before You Squat
    1. Why Should I Squat?
    2. What Muscles Are Worked by the Squat?
    3. Am I Ready to Squat?
    4. How Low Should I Squat?
    5. Squatting to Parallel
    6. “But When I Try To Squat Low, I Feel Like I’m Going to Fall Over…”
    7. Do I Need to Be Completely Upright?
    8. Do I Need Weightlifting Shoes?
    9. Should I Squat Barefoot?
    10. What Kind of Squat Should I Do?
    11. But Aren’t Squats Bad for My Knees?

Why Should I Squat?

It’s a fundamental movement pattern, which means it is a blueprint for a number of other key movements such as:

  • Sitting and standing;
  • Jumping and landing;
  • Decelerating suddenly from a forward sprint;

Any task that requires moving up and down using our legs!

Squatting and Jumping
By Fabio Jock on Unsplash
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