The Squat aka 'King of All Exercises.'
It's amazing how many people - even the ones who spend hours in the gym - do little if any lower body work. We've all seen them. Those guys with the big upper bodies and skinny, weak-looking little legs. But, if you look at the really big guys, they all have well-developed legs. That's because they know that the leg muscles - especially those in the thighs - are some of the biggest muscles in the body and, therefore, are some of the most important ones to exercise regularly.
The squat in particular works every muscle in the lower body and requires most of the upper body muscles to stabilize the weight. It's truly a 'full body' movement.
Many professional bodybuilders focus on the squat as their main muscle mass-producing exercise. They perform them first in their rotation because, simply put, they add muscle to the entire body...not just the legs. How? Basically, when you perform a few sets of squats, your body releases a ton of natural growth hormone. This 'natural steroid' increases the size and thickness of every muscle in the body!
A common misconception is that squats are bad for the back and knees. But, when performed correctly and with the proper amount of weight, this is not true. In fact, if done with perfect form, they can help to strengthen these parts of the body.
You should always have a professional trainer show you exactly how to squat before you try to do them the first time. If you don't do them right - or if you try to use too much weight - you can definitely hurt yourself!
The bottom line is this: if you want to pack on more muscle mass in less time, start doing squats at least once per week. They are probably the best overall mass-building exercise you can do, with only deadlifts coming anywhere close in terms of effectiveness. They certainly require a lot of effort and 'mental toughness' but the results are well worth it!
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