This ONE exercise that every woman should do

Everyone has their own individual reasons for doing weight training and keeping fit. Whatever your motivation, this is one exercise you should definitely have in your program - especially as a woman.

Get some details up front:

• An exercise that is so important for the entire strength apparatus of your body, you should perform to the fullest extent and technically flawless. Only in this way can you benefit from the incredible advantages and versatility of this central workout.
• With this exercise as a central element of your training, you can sustainably push the achievement of all goals. It is equally suitable for fat loss as well as strength and muscle building and can bring you a significantly better sense of self after a certain time. You will feel more confident and stronger in everyday life, while your body will become leaner and firmer.

What exercise can give you all that? It is - how can it be otherwise - the squat.

This article is not about how to properly perform the squat. Rather, it's about learning how to improve it and get the most out of it. How you do it depends on your flexibility, anatomy and the tools you have at your disposal.
Of course, you can perform the "squat" as you are familiar with it. It is basically an excellent exercise. Only here you will learn how to improve just in the difficult phase of the movement sequences.

So what is so special about the squat?

Full-body exercises such as the squat or deadlift are the Ferraris among training options. They rightfully belong to the basic functional exercises. The squat is so important for you because it uses all the important muscle groups in natural interaction. Precisely because so many areas are involved here, you need to know exactly what to do at every stage. Some variations are more dangerous than useful for this reason. For example, you should avoid squats on gym balls or medicine balls because the risk of serious injury - especially to the ankles - is too great.

Why is the squat a "functional exercise"?

One of the most natural and frequently performed movements is getting up from a sitting position. Don't you know it? When you want to get up from the couch, you first have to gain momentum because you lack the strength to get up directly. With the squat you intensively train both the muscles necessary for these daily movements and their cooperation.
Surely you can go about your daily life without ever touching a dumbbell. By squatting with (and without) weight support, you will strengthen your flexor and extensor apparatus in such a way that you will be more confident and efficient in basic movements and beyond. Activities in which the hip muscles play a supporting role will come easily to you.
Training with the squat will also help you in many other everyday movements. Eventually, your muscles will do the work all by themselves. You will take little to no notice of it. An example would be the famous sprint to the bus or running up the stairs to the commuter train. Without the knee flexion training, you will feel every fiber and gasp for air. Thanks to this exercise, you'll be standing on the train and not even breathing faster than usual.

Here's a quick rundown of your potential everyday movements that you can positively impact with the squat:

• Get up from sitting
• Picking up an object from the floor
• Lifting a child
• Carrying and lifting heavy objects

Other reasons for the squat

It is also an ideal exercise for the legs. All muscle groups of the lower extremities are used. This includes the hip flexor, the thighs (front (quadriceps) and back), the buttocks and the calves. The more often you practice this exercise, the stronger the muscles involved will become and the more confidently they will work together.
The squat will make your whole body strong. Building strength is fun. This is an experience every woman (and man) should have. Especially if you start out using little or no weights, it will feel great when you reach a certain level. You will walk differently and discover yourself anew.

Here's how anyone can improve at squats

The squat with the barbell in the neck is not without reason one of the king exercises in weight training. It's great and ideal for building strength. While you can easily correct the weights, the movement is a great challenge for body and mind. You'll know what it's all about once you've done a brutally hard set of 20 reps.
Unfortunately, not everyone can perform a barbell neck squat technically clean, comfortable and "convenient". One or the other will not want to do the exercise because, for example, the person has problems with the shoulders or with the back, hips or knees. Other people have never found the right approach to the squat and have always opted for other work-outs. For these reasons, the many variations are so useful. You can still train the movement properly without worrying about pain or improper equipment. There will hardly be an athlete who can't do at least one of the following variations pain-free and technically correct.

Exercise 1: "Cup" squat with box
This variation can be done by just about anyone. This is also true if you have trouble squatting in parallel. Find a box that you can sit on. Ideally, it should be exactly the height you can just get down. The better you get, the lower the box - or whatever - should be. Eventually, you should get to the point where you won't need a box.
The best thing about this "sitting squat" is its scalability. You can use any object for it. Dumbbells or kettlebells are the easiest. But also jerk and sandbags as well as thick books can be used for this.
Now take this object - let's say a dumbbell - and hold it like a trophy with both hands and bent arms at chest height in front of your body. Now squat as usual until your buttocks touch down on the box. Do not rest. Stay in this position for a maximum of 2 to 3 seconds. Then come back up immediately. Don't even try to "release" your weight. Stay under tension during the entire set.

Is this exercise too easy for you? Don't judge before you've done it. This is true even if you are used to barbell squats. If you take a heavier weight, "sitting" under tension will already be strenuous. Coming up afterwards can then be quite strenuous. Even if you are already an experienced "knee bend", this variation is still an ideal choice as a final exercise. Either way, after 2-4 sets of 15-25 reps each with the heaviest weight possible and a low box, your legs will be on fire.

Double dumbbell or kettlebell squat
This variation is great because it forces you to keep your torso straight in order to keep the kettlebell in the correct position in front of your chest. Plus, it's a fantastic way to increase the weight without having to use a barbell to do it. You won't need that many kilos at all for this exercise to be strenuous. Ultimately, this variation is a great option for women who like to work out at home and don't have heavy dumbbells at hand there.
If you are still a beginner, it is not recommended to start with this variation. Once you have made good progress with the goblet squat described above and gained the necessary strength, you can start the double or kettlebell squat.

Slow eccentric knee bend
This variation is ideal for women who want to do a more difficult exercise without having to constantly adjust the weights. On the other hand, it is also suitable for people who want to build their maximum strength, because the holding phase in the squat ensures that they can get out of the "hole" or up again stronger.
For this exercise, load your barbell with about 50 % of your maximum weight. If you don't know this, use a little less at the beginning and feel your way to your value. Stand with your legs wide apart and hold the barbell at the back of your neck. Now squat down within 3-5 seconds, stay there for 1 to 2 seconds and then come back up.
This slowing down in the eccentric phase of the lowering forces you to focus on correct posture and tightening your core. The pause in the lowest position makes things even more difficult. Be prepared to really finish afterwards.

Do it right
If you're up for it, the barbell neck squat is a great one. Because this exercise is so demanding, you need to be fully focused and technically sound. It's not about making quick progress or looking good. Only by performing the movements correctly can you have success.