Bench squats are leg-strengthening exercises that can be used as an alternative to regular squats for those with knee problems. They involve sitting down on a bench or chair and standing back up with additional weight. It’s important to use slow, controlled movements and to have a spotter to avoid injury. While bench squats can be helpful, they don’t challenge the leg muscles through their full range of motion and some people may prefer other exercises.
Bench squats are strengthening exercises that target the leg muscles. Sometimes favored over regular squats by people with knee problems, bench squats allow the exerciser to build leg strength without worrying about squatting too deep or knees giving out at the bottom of the squat. Although bench squats can help with these issues, it’s still important for anyone who lifts to get the help of a spotter to avoid injury.
A single bench squat is performed by standing in front of a chair or bench, sitting down until your buttocks touch the surface of the bench, and then standing back up. Beginners sometimes start with no additional weight, but most bench squats are performed with additional weight to challenge the leg muscles and promote muscle growth. This additional weight is typically a barbell held on the back, although other positions and weights are also possible. Doing a few squats with little to no weight at the beginning of a workout can help beginners practice good squat form, because benching correctly requires sitting rather than sinking, as some inexperienced lifters do. Also, this light or no weight practice serves as a good warm up before beginning a squat or deep squat exercise with heavier weights.
When doing bench squats, especially under the added stress of a barbell or other form of weight, it’s important to use slow, controlled movements to play smoothly, rather than quickly dropping onto the bench and then standing up again. Sitting down too quickly robs your leg muscles of the exercise of slowly lowering the weight. It can also cause a large enough impact, especially when performed repetitively, to damage the spine.
Some people use bench squats instead of regular squats or leg presses, while others use them as a means of building leg and knee strength before they can move on to these more common exercises. One reason some people ultimately choose to give up the bench squat is that squatting on a bench doesn’t challenge the leg muscles through their full range of motion. Also, some people may use the bench for support, rather than as a guide to gently play before standing up again. Removing the bench and sinking lower into the squat makes the legs much more difficult, and for some fitness enthusiasts, it’s a more worthwhile muscle-building exercise.
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