Squat Challenge: 5 Weeks to Stronger Legs

Squats work the biggest muscle in your body, which results in a killer calorie burn. “Everyone is crazy about squats because this is the best bang for your buck exercise—the move blasts your butt, legs, and core,” says exercise physiologist Tony Maloney, fitness center manager at National Institute for Fitness and Sport, in Indianapolis. “Since it’s a movement pattern we use in so many aspects in our daily lives, its benefit goes beyond a fitness boost—your day will feel easier as you get stronger.”

This makes it a great exercise to focus on when looking to make the lower body stronger. That is why this strength challenge is a great way to get moving.

For this 5-week squat challenge, it doesn’t matter if you’ve never done a squat, or have done them only once or twice. This 35-day plan will ease you in so you’re adding more reps every day and mastering a new variation each week.

All you have to do is dedicate a few minutes to this routine every day, in addition to your usual workout. (If this is the only activity you’re doing, it’s a great start!) By the end of each week, you’ll more than double the amount of reps you started with. If you can’t complete the total number of daily reps all at once, no worries: Your goal is to perform that rep-count throughout the entire day, so split it up into smaller increments.

Killing time while you’re waiting for your pasta to boil? Bust out a couple of reps; or with every commercial break during your favorite TV show, do a few more. No matter what, get in all those reps in that 24-hour period.

Each week, you learn a squat variation that’s a bit more challenging than the one you did the week before, but you’re prepped for it. “Performing a different variation of the squat each week will change the stimulus and allow for more adaption, leading to bigger and better results,” says Maloney. By the end of the month, you’ll be patting yourself on the back for crushing this goal (p.s. You just completed 1,000 squats. Yes,you!), and you’ll be admiring your hard-earned booty back there, too.

Week 1

Squat Challenge:Standard squats
How to do it:

Note: Complete the daily repetitions within a 24-hour period. No need to do them all at once.

Week 2

Squat Challenge:Split squat

How to do it:

Note: Complete the daily repetitions within a 24-hour period. No need to do them all at once.

Week 3

Squat Challenge:Sumo squat

How to do it:

Note: Complete the daily repetitions within a 24-hour period. No need to do them all at once.

Week 4

Squat Challenge:Rear foot elevated split squat

How to do it:

Note: Use the bottom step of a staircase at home, or substitute a stool or a bench to elevate your foot.

Note: Complete the daily repetitions within a 24-hour period. No need to do them all at once.

Week 5

Squat Challenge:Prisoner squats

How to do it:

Note: Complete the daily repetitions within a 24-hour period. No need to do them all at once.

RELATED CHALLENGES:

Before starting any new exercise routine, make sure to check in with your doctor.