Sweat & Tone with Air Squats
Air Squats can ramp up any workout. In this workout, you can see we alternated air squats with standard body sculpting movements. The result: One tough fat-melting, calorie-burning, muscle-toning workout! Check it out…
Air Squat Workout
Here is the written workout below, with links to video instruction for each workout. Below are tips on how to do a proper air squat. KILL IT!
- Air Squats
- Barbell Biceps Curl
- Air Squats
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press
or Push-press (if weight is heavy) - Air Squats
- Weighted Plate Crunch
4 Rounds for Time
(timing the exercise ads intensity)
10 Common Mistakes For Air Squats:
1. Knees go over toes
2. Butt is tucked under – dropping down, not sitting back
3. Shoulders are rounded
4. Back is rounded
5. Body leans forward, bending at the hips
6. Head is down, instead of looking straight ahead
7. Weight is on the balls of the feet
8. Heels lift up as the body lowers into the deepest position
9. Squat is too shallow
10. Exercise is done too slow
7 tips to doing a great air squat:
Each squat is nice and deep, with your butt dropping below the knees- Hips stay open, body stays vertical (not bending at the hips)
- Butt sits backward, back is straight, shoulders are rolled back (not rounded forward)
- If you lean forward, or posture struggles, raise hands overhead to improve form
- Knees are not over the toes. If they are, use a chair to reference where your bottom “sits”. Your bottom should not sit down, but sit back as you lower, as if sitting or touching a chair. Stretch arms forward to help balance issues.
- Weight remains on the heels and not on the toes (Test: can you tap your toes while in the down position?) If you struggle with this. Squat down all the way down, like a baby on the beach playing in the sand). Settle in and stay there until you can shift your weight on your heels, open your hips, spread your knees out and get the feeling of where you need to be in that downward position. Once you feel this, and understand how to balance your weight in that position, you should be able to repeat it as you do the air squat.
- Pace is FAST and FLUID
Here is a fun video that shows the intensity, pace and form of an air squat.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IewlDXTfbjU]
FitFluential LLC compensated me for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Inspire Someone:
Bonnie Pfiester
Owner of Lift Vero and motivational "pfitness, pfood and pfaith" blogger in Vero Beach, Florida.
6 Comments
Patty
Great workout Bonnie! Going to do this during my lunch break 😉
Sean J
The woman in the first part of the video seems to really be speeding through her squats. That looks like it would be really painful on the knees! I’ve avoided squat exercises in the past because I have bad knees. I know they’re great for you in general, but can they still be effective if you’re not going crazy with them like she was?
Bonnie Pfiester
Of course people who have knee issues need to be careful, but deep squats are perfectly fine (especially when they are not weighted) for most people. Most people are just not as strong at the bottom of a squat so they quit short because of weakness, not knee issues. Totally modify for what your body needs. 🙂
As for motion – that’s one of the differences between the air squat and regular body weight squat in my opinion. Air squats are fast – and almost plyometric. They are more explosive and powerful, which makes the air squat more intense than a controlled body weight squat. Sometimes I even do a plyo with it. If you look at the video closely, their feet are almost coming off the ground too. To me, as long as they go all the way down, and they are coming all the way up (and they have good form) I personally like them to be explosive and fast like that. Of course that’s just my opinion. There’s no right or wrong as long as the form is good and body is not compromised.
THANKS FOR COMMENTING!!
Sean J
Thanks for the great explanation of the air squat and thanks for sharing your tips & videos 🙂
KP
Great workout and thanks for the squat tips. For as long as I’ve been doing them I always need proper form instruction! 35-45lbs for women’s shoulder press??
Bonnie Pfiester
Yes, It should be heavy. I do 55-65lb if I do push presses and just the 45lb bar if I’m doing presses (without the hip movement/squat) 🙂