Building a bigger squat does require performing squats as a part of your workout routine, however, squats alone may be limiting your strength. Accessory exercises are an integral part of building strength and putting up bigger squat numbers. These accessory exercises will help build strength in areas of the lower body that may not be getting the attention that they need. Here are 4 exercises that will help you build further strength and put up heavier squat numbers.
Step-ups/Lunges
Anyone that can put up big numbers on their squat have incredibly strong quadriceps. Step-ups and lunges are great accessory exercises that will target and build your quadriceps while building stabling in the hips and ankles. When performing these exercises, choose a weight that will help build muscle. This can be a weight that is about 60-70% of your max to be performed for 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions.
Box Jumps
Believe it or not box jumps aren’t just for athletes. We’ve all seen athletes putting up ridiculous squat numbers and they incorporate box jumps in their workouts all of the time. There is a reason for this. Box jumps resemble squats to a T and teach the body to recruit muscle fibers quickly and produce force. For even further muscle building, grab a weighted vest and try box jumps.
Supermans
When talking about squats we can’t forget about the low back. A weak low back is going to lead to lower squat numbers. During your next leg or ab routine try adding some supermans. Supermans are a great way to build lower back strength and help put up higher squat numbers. As a bonus, supermans are a fantastic exercise to alleviate any low back pain.
Written by GUADS staff member Patrick with contributions from www.jtsstrength.com
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