Can I do squats every day?

The squat is a very popular exercise in the training of lower limbs, being able to provide several benefits for the whole body, but there is always the doubt if performing it every day can intensify the results. is it ok to do squats every day?

It works the lower muscles like the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, adductors (in the groin), hip flexors and calf muscles, also requiring the use of the core muscles , located around the entire trunk region, in the height of the line of the lumbar spine, which includes the abs, the lumbars, the glutes and the obliques.

This movement also helps promote caloric burn and lower the risk of injury.

There are several varieties of the exercise, such as the Bulgarian squat , the Smith Machine squat, and the hack squat .

Despite all the benefits, is it possible to do squats every day without causing any health problems? Take the opportunity to learn how to improve your technique in performing the squat .

So, can I do squats every day?

Coach Adrianne Oyewole, who has a degree in kinesiology (motion science), is against the idea of ​​doing squats daily.

The coach’s justification is that the body only achieves results when it finds time to rest. According to Oyewole, never allowing time for recovery when doing squats can damage ligaments and joints, in addition to decreasing flexibility.

The coach also pointed out that exercising too much (overtraining) can reverse the benefits in terms of physical preparation or muscle gain. That’s because if the degradation of proteins is greater than their synthesis, the muscles will be smaller and weaker. This is called catabolism .

Every time we train we are causing damage to our muscles. Therefore, in order to achieve an improvement in our performance and/or in the size of our muscles, we must provide our body with adequate rest.

Each case is different
When the question arises whether it is possible to do squats every day, it is necessary to keep in mind that people have different levels of physical fitness, in addition to having different bodies, which may require more or less time for recovery after a training session. physicists.

An article published by personal trainer Nora Tobin advocated doing squat exercises every day.

The trainer described the following benefits of doing squats daily.

The personal trainer argued that doing squats daily increases the strength and power of the glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps, providing greater definition for the legs and buttocks, thus improving the mobility of the hips and ankles, in addition to strengthening and tone the core .

But is it really necessary to do squats every day to obtain these benefits, since our body needs time to recover? Wouldn’t it be possible to practice it on alternate days and alternate this movement with other exercises that can promote a result similar to our body?

That’s why before you make the decision to do squats every day, you really should consult a fitness professional so they can educate you about your training sessions, and check whether or not you should do squats daily.

Lack of variation can be another problem

According to personal trainer and fitness nutrition expert Malia Frey, it’s not bad to train every day, but repeating the same training method, intensity or duration day after day won’t work, as your body adapts to the routine, and there comes a time. moment when the results stop coming, and you can no longer lose weight or gain muscle mass. It’s the much-feared plateau effect .

Once you’ve decided to follow a daily training program, you should set up a schedule with different exercises and intensity levels.

The downside of exhaustion
In her published article, Malia Frey also highlighted that it’s not worth training hard every day at the gym and when you get home, spend the whole day in bed or on the couch watching TV.

Frey explained that there is a normal caloric expenditure in everyday activities, and that when these activities are interrupted, the metabolism slows down and the person ends up not expending as many calories as they would spend maintaining a normal daily routine.

Also, if your workouts cause you to burn out, it’s time to reevaluate your program. High-intensity workouts should be relatively short so you can include some rest period during the week and give your body a chance to recover and form new muscle fibers.