Using your squat rack properly is important to prevent injuries. There is no doubt that this wonderful piece of equipment can change your life. But if you don’t follow the safety standards, then you may get heavily injured. So by knowing how to use a squat rack correctly, you can perform your workouts safely and get benefited.
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How to Use a Squat Rack
This article is going to guide you on how to use a squat rack safely for your workouts. If you are using a squat rack in your home without a trainer or using it for the first time, then this article is for you. So, keep reading and always follow these tips to prevent accidents during your workouts.
Position The Rack To The Correct Height:
The first and most important thing to do before starting your workouts is positioning the rack to the safe height. If you perform your workouts with a squat rack that is very high or low, then your chances of getting injured are high. Therefore, you can position the rack to a height where the bars will be at your chest height. Moreover, it is the safe height to perform exercises with a good squat rack. Also, you can adjust the height further according to your preferences.
While placing the empty bar, you should check that you are going to be in the center position of the bar to balance it perfectly. It is very important to make sure that you are in the middle position because you can’t balance the bar properly and get injured otherwise. Also, you need to ensure that the bar is not placed on your neck. You can place the bar on your upper back and shoulders for added convenience and safety.
Add Weights To The Bar:
Once you placed the bar at the correct height, you need to add the right amount of weight plates to it for your workouts. You can calculate the weight and make sure to add the same amount of weight to both sides of the bar for proper balance. While adding the weight plates, you should ensure not to overweight the bar, which may cause you injuries. After adding the weight plates, you need to lock the plates using clips to make sure they don’t move during your workouts.
Positioning Under the Bar:
Now, your bar is ready on the rack to get lifted. Before lifting the bar, you need to make proper balance under the bar. For all types of weight lifting exercises, stability is important before lifting the weight. Now, take a deep breath and make yourself ready to lift the weight. Then you need to make sure that the weight is properly distributed between your shoulders. Now, you are ready to lift the weight off the rack.
Lift The Barbell:
When you are ready, you can lift the weight off the rack and then step back to prevent knocking of the barbell to the rack. Once you are at a safe distance from the rack, you can adjust your feet to a comfortable position and maintain your weight on your feet. Also, you need to ensure to keep your back straight during this process.
Start to Squat:
Now, you can squat by maintaining a proper balance between your shoulders. You need to ensure your knee movement is accurate and keep them out. For proper benefits of squatting, you can squat until your hips are lower than your knees. Also, you need to ensure that your knees are out, and the chest is up so that you can stand up again to your previous position.
Position The Barbell On The Rack:
After completing the desired number of squats, you can place the barbell back on the rack accurately. In this step, you need to maintain proper balance and place the barbell on the rack. Also, you need to make sure that you have placed both sides on the rack before leaving it to prevent injuries.
Conclusion:
While using a squat rack, one needs to ensure proper precautions for better results without any injuries. So, we have included some safety tips to help you do squatting safely. If you want to do squatting appropriately, then the above tips can help you.
