Barbell squats are the most important exercise for developing overall strength and fitness. There is no other exercise that compares with squats for gaining strength and making you a physically better functioning human being.
As of this July, I’ve now been doing barbell back squats for 1 year. That’s a pretty big deal for me.
First, I never even did a squat until I was 59 years old. Who in their right mind puts a barbell on their back and squats down with it at 59 years old?
From my friends and family members I heard a constant warning, “Are you crazy? Do you want to hurt yourself? You’re not a young kid anymore you know?”
Secondly, bursitis in my shoulders although healed had resulted in a lack of range of motion which prevented me from grabbing the bar while on my back.
It took a month of stretching before I could effectively grab the bar. To see the exercise I did to help my shoulders adapt to back squats click here.
Finally, it was also a big deal for me because my legs have always been skinny and weak.
When I started squatting my bench press numbers were significantly higher than my squat numbers. My chest was stronger than my legs. That’s pretty lame.
But since last year my legs have gotten significantly stronger. This week I hit a 1 rep max of 180#. I know that’s still kind of lame but considering where I came from I’ll take it.
Barbell squats have become part of my life. They also should become part of yours. This is why.
Strengthen It Or Lose It
If you’re are over 30 years old, you will continue to lose muscle mass every year. This is a normal part of aging. It’s called age related sarcopenia.
However, if you’re sedentary you could actually be losing 3% – 5% of muscle mass per decade. Therefore, by the time you’re 70, 
you could lose almost 20% of your muscle.
Some researchers believe this process proceeds even faster after the age of 65.
If you’re in your 40’s you may not realize you’re getting weaker. That’s because you only use about 30% of your maximum strength for day to day activities.
But if you don’t start strengthening your muscles they will grow weaker. And then one day when you’re in your 50’s or 60’s you’ll notice that it’s not so easy getting up a flight of stairs anymore.
Think for a moment what it may be like when you reach 70.
While age related sarcopenia can’t be stopped it can be slowed down and existing muscle can be improved with strength training.
An Epidemic of Falls
Falling has become a major problem for Americans. Consider these statistics from the CDC.
- Each year 25% of people 65 and older suffer a fall.
- Falling once doubles their chances of falling again.
- Each year, 2.8 million older people 65 or older are treated in emergency departments for fall injuries.
- Each year at least 300,000 older people are hospitalized for hip fractures.
- More than 95% of hip fractures are caused by falling, usually by falling sideways.
Falls for the elderly seem to cause a further deterioration in health. CDC data states that 27,000 falls in the U.S. each year have fatal consequences.
Not surprisingly, one of the prescriptions healthcare professionals recommend for the prevention of falls are exercises that make your legs stronger and improve your balance.
Of course, one of the best exercises to do that is squats.
While ideally, you’d like to have strong legs before you become aged people can still build leg muscle at any age. I know because I started doing them at 59 years old. Also, check out this video below.
However, barbell squats do much more than simply make your legs stronger.
The Advantage Of Barbell Back Squats
Squatting is a foundational human movement. Consider how many times a day you sit down and get up or get in and out of a car. In order to accomplish that movement, you have to squat and get out of the squat successfully.
As children, we were experts at squatting. Then we learned to sit in chairs for long periods of time. This caused squatting to become an under appreciated and neglected movement.
It’s not, however, a movement that we can neglect and allow to weaken.
In order to keep this movement functional, you need strong hips and legs. Barbell back squats are the means to do that.
By incrementally loading a barbell with weight and properly squatting, you’ll eventually get better at squatting.
Barbell squats are the only exercise that directly strengthens your posterior chain muscles. These are the hamstrings, the glutes, 
and the adductors (groin muscles).
These muscles are responsible for producing what is called hip drive. To understand hip drive, think of a football lineman who explodes out of his stance when the ball is snapped. This is what’s involved in getting out of a chair or off a toilet.
No, squats probably won’t turn you into an NFL all-pro left tackle. But they will make your body more efficient at performing important tasks.
One day you’ll be thankful for that.
A stronger posterior chain muscle group will also increase your ability to jump, pull, push, and will improve any movement involving your lower body. When you correctly perform a barbell squat, the muscles you strengthen will also improve your mobility and balance.
Remember, having stronger and more efficient muscles translates into a stronger and more efficient you. And the converse is also true. Weaker and less efficient muscles mean a weaker and less efficient you.
Five More Benefits of Barbell Squats
The Benefits of barbell squats are not limited to what they can do for your lower body. They also do the following:
1. Build Muscle In Other Parts Of Your Body
Research has shown that resistance training, especially barbell squats, can trigger the release of testosterone and human growth hormone in your body. These hormones promote muscle growth in all areas of your body. See here and here.
2. Squats Build Your Core
Your core muscles are the obliques, rectus abdominis, and latissimus. When you squat properly, these muscles are also being worked.
Which person do you think has the stronger core? One who can squat 50 pounds or the person who can squat 200 pounds?
3. Squats Strengthen Bones
It’s no secret that strength training can produce stronger bones. This study showed that squats specifically can increase bone density in postmenopausal women.
4. Squats Burn Fat
After strenuous activity, the body experiences what is called “excess post-exercise oxygen consumption” or EPOC.
During this “afterburn” state, the body burns calories in the form of fat. Studies have shown that heavy resistance training which includes squats can burn fat for up to 16 – 24 hours after a lifting session.
This is considerably longer than for aerobic activities like cycling or running. See here.
Since squats work more muscles and with heavier weights, they will produce a greater EPOC effect than all other lifts. That means squats will help you burn fat long after you end your workout.
5. Squats May Keep Your Brain From Aging
There is evidence that strong legs correlate to a reduced risk of dementia.
There you have it. The best exercise for overall fitness is the barbell squat. To see how to perform a barbell squat, click here. If you don’t have the ability to do barbell squats, you can still squat. See here.
Do you do squats? Share your experiences with us in the comments.
Week of 7/17/2017
Body Weight: 171.0
Monday
Barbell Bench Press
45.0# 1 x 5 (warm-up)
80.0# 1 x 5 (warm-up)
100.0# 1 x 5 (warm-up)
120.0# 1 x 2 (warm-up)
142.5# 1 x 3 (70%)
152.5# 1 x 3 (80%)
172.5# 1 x 4 (90%) (I was supposed to do 182.5#. There was no way I was doing that. So I retried 172.5# from last week and got another rep.)
Cardio: 30 min outdoors walk
Dumbbell Rows
37.5# 1 x 10 x 3
Cardio: 30 min outdoors walk
Tuesday
Barbell Back Squats (Base weight 189#)
75.0# 1 x 5 (warm-up)
95.0# 1 x 5 (warm-up)
112.5# 1 x 2 (warm-up)
140.0# 1 x 5 (75%)
160.0# 1 x 3 (85%)
180.0# 1 x 1 (95%) (It was heavy but I maintained form)
Cardio: 30 min outdoors walk
Wednesday
A.M – Stretching (back and neck)
Rest
Thursday
A.M – Stretching (back and neck)
Overhead Press Dumbbell
20.0# 1 x 8 (warm-up)
35.0# 1 x 8 x 3
Narrow Grip Bench Press
75.0# 1 x 5 (warm-up)
115.0 1 x 5 x 3
Cardio: 30 min outdoors walk
Friday
A.M – Stretching (back and neck)
Cardio: 30 min outdoors walk
Saturday
A.M – Stretching (back and neck)
Barbell Deadlift (Base weight 305#)
120.0# 1 x 5 (warm-up)
150.0# 1 x 5 (warm-up)
180.0# 1 x 2 (warm-up)
227.5# 1 x 5 (75%)
260.0# 1 x 3 (85%)
290.0# 1 X 1 (95%)
Cardio: 30 min outdoors walk
Sunday
Cardio: 30 min outdoors walk
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