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Slide show
Slide show: Weight training exercises
By Mayo Clinic staff
Squat
The squat is a body resistance exercise that strengthens the quadriceps muscles in the front of your thighs and the hamstring muscles in the back of your thighs.
Stand with your feet slightly greater than shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing ahead. Slowly descend, bending through the hips, knees and ankles. Keep your back in a neutral position, and don't let your knees roll inward or outward. Stop when your knees reach a 90-degree angle. You'll feel tension in your legs and buttocks. Then return to the starting position. Repeat. If you can't bend your knees to a 90-degree angle, simply go as low as you can.
For greater challenge, hold dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing your body while you squat.
Previous slide- Jeffreys I. Warm-up and stretching. In: Baechle TR, et al. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. 3rd ed. Champaign, Ill.: Human Kinetics; 2008:295.
- Pollock ML, et al. Resistance training for health. The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. http://www.fitness.gov/resistance.pdf. Accessed March 1, 2010.
- Peterson DM. Overview of the benefits and risks of exercise. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 1, 2010.
- Wilmore JH, et al. Principles of exercise training. In: Wilmore JH, et al. Physiology of Sport and Exercise. 4th ed. Champaign, Ill.: Human Kinetics; 2008:186.
- Earle RW, et al. Resistance training and spotting techniques. In: Baechle TR, et al. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. 3rd ed. Champaign, Ill.: Human Kinetics; 2008:325.
- Harman E, et al. Administration, scoring, and interpretation of selected tests. In: Baechle TR, et al. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. 3rd ed. Champaign, Ill.: Human Kinetics; 2008:249.

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