So…you’ve probably noticed that we like to do things “in-house” around here. (And by “we,” I mean “I”).

I don’t use a lot of stock photos or outside videos—not because I object to using them but mostly because it usually never occurs to me to go looking for them.

Well, last week, I promised you guys that I would introduce a new move each week to help you along with any fitness goals you might have set for 2012.

So, I picked my move (body-weight squats), and I even made you guys a vlog (my first EVER, unless you count this one) yesterday to introduce a) myself and b) the basics behind executing a safe and effective body-weight squat.

I felt like a complete doofus (and, after watching it, I realize that I look and sound like one too! Can we say, “twitchy motormouth?”). 

Unfortunately, the process was not as smooth as I would have liked, and after my initial take (which ended abruptly when my camera decided to stop recording for unkown reasons), none of the videos that I attempted afterwards turned out okay…which, of course, I didn’t realize until I attempted to edit them last night/.

Blogger fail.

After much debate (with myself), I decided to show you the one “good” take I did get (even though my skin feels a little crawly every time I watch it) as an introduction.

A couple of editorial notes:

1) As an amateur vlogger, v-logger, or (just in case there really is a silent “l”) vogger, I wasn’t super-familiar with how loud to talk. You might want to turn the volume on your computer all the way up for the mumbly parts and then down again as needed.

2) Yes, it’s January 16th, and I’m wearing a sleeveless top and shorts, which is made possible by a) the fact that it wasn’t very cold—maybe 60-65 degrees and b) adrenaline (such as the kind that warms the blood when one is attempting one’s first vlog).

3) I was reacting to the slight chill in the air by some mild congestion (which turned into full-fledged nose-wiping later on…be very glad that part didn’t record right). Hence, the nasally quality of my voice (or maybe that’s just how I sound on video).

4) Yes, I realize I’m like 4 miles away from the camera (and I’m too much of an amateur to figure how to crop the video…I tried…it didn’t go well). I was trying to make sure that you could see all the cool moves I was going to show you. 

Did I already say “blogger fail?”

Hope you were at least mildly entertained by my first attempt at vloggitude.

Here’s a “real” video that I snagged from Youtube to help you understand the basics of a bodyweight squat (or, if you choose the more advanced options they show you toward the end, a weighted squat).

A couple of editorial notes on this video:

1. If you have any knee issues, squats may not be for you. However, you can always test the move by doing “baby squats” first. The chick in the video gets loooow, but you don’t have to.

Instead, you could do a top-half squat and not even drop your tushy as low as the bend-line of your knees. If you do them more quickly, then you will get a cardio workout in addition to the toning aspect of the move. 

Because I teach a weight-training class in which we emphasize reps (we do squats for 5-6 straight minutes) over BIG movements, I tell my participants to avoid letting their bums drop below their knee-line.

2. They touched on this, but I wanted to emphasize that the most important things about squats are: a) POSTURE (feet under shoulders, chest up without arching your back, shoulders down away from the ears, abs braced), and b) KNEE alignment, your knees should stay above your shoelaces, never forward over your toes, and the middle of your knee should aim for your middle toes (not out like a frog or in like they’re knocking together).

3. You really do have to get your bottom pretty far back there. I always tell my BODYPUMP participants that they’re reaching with their rear-ends for a stool they can’t quite reach or—even better—they have to get a shot in the rump, and they need to give the nurse the best possible target.  The more you tip from the hips (what he calls “breaking from the hips” in the video) and push your hindquarters behind you, the less likely you are to end up with any knee issues.

(I think I just won the award for most euphemistic references to the “gluteus maximus” in one post).

4. I didn’t just choose squats randomly. They really are one of the most effective shaping, toning, and even heart-rate boosting exercises that practically ever’body (see my video) can do!

And now for the challenge I said I would be issuing (and participating in) each week:

BEGINNER:

3 sets of 20 “halfway squats” (the tush doesn’t go lower than the bend in your knees) 4 days this week.  (Try to do them together with as little rest as possible in between, but if you need to spread them out throughout the day, that’s okay).

INTERMEDIATE:

Same as above + a 4th set of 10 “full-range” (all the way down and up like she does in the video) squats each day.

ADVANCED

Add a dumbbell for the “goblet squat” and do 3 sets of 15 full-range squats 4 days this week.

**For an even more advanced option, hold at the bottom of each squat for 3 seconds, then explode to the top (make sure to keep the knees from locking out once your return to a standing position.

Happy squatting!

P.S. Heiny, tushkis, watermelon, derriere, ham, fanny, seat, booty, bohonkis…(just making sure I’m a shoe-in for that award I mentioned earlier).

 

Monday ~ The DIY Showoff Project Parade ~ Made by You Mondays ~ Embellishing Life Everyday ~ Just Something I whipped up Monday  ~ The CSI project ~ Menu Plan Monday ~ C.R.A.F.T.  ~ The Southern Institute ~ Making the World Cuter ~ Thrify Décor Chick ~ Metamorphosis Monday ~ Sumo Sweet Stuff ~ Gunny Sack ~ Singing Three Little Birds ~DIY Homes Sweet Home ~ Dittle Dattle ~ 1929 Charmer ~ Everything Under the Moon  ~ ModMix Monday ~ Sew Stylish ~ Coastal Charm ~ Under the Table and Dreaming

Tuesday ~ Get Your Craft ~ Tip Junkie ~ Blackberry Vine ~ Crafty Confessions ~ Me & my Boys ~ A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ Home Stories A-Z ~ My Uncommon Slice of Suberbia  ~ Carolyn’s Homework ~ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ House of Grace ~ Passionately Artisitc ~ My World Made by Hand ~ Uncommon Designs ~ Trendy Treehouse

Wednesday ~ Blue Cricket Design ~ Somedays Crafts ~ Sew Much Ado ~ Sew Woodsy ~ Handy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Savvy Southern Style ~ {Primp} ~ Midweek Fiesta ~ Rae Gun Ramblings ~ Polkadots On Parade ~ Lollipop Cards ~ JAQS Studio ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ My Girlish Whims

Thursday ~ Transformation Thursdays ~ Somewhat simple ~ Show off your stuff ~ House of Hepworths ~ Delightful Order ~ My Simple Home Life ~ The Frugal Girls ~ Thrifty Thursday ~ DIY Diva Thursday ~ Tablescape Thursday ~ No Minimalists Here ~ Crafty, Scrappy, Happy ~ Thrifty Decorating ~ Between U and Me ~ 36th Avenue

Friday ~ The Shabby nest  ~ Show and Tell Friday ~ Finding Fabulous ~ I’m Loving it ~ Simply Sweet Home ~ Whipper Berry ~ Chic on a Shoestring decorating ~ Spunky Junky ~ Delicate Construction ~ Homemaker in Heels ~ Family Ever After~ French Country Cottage ~ Common Ground ~ Young And Crafty ~ At the Picket Fence ~ Fingerprints on the Fridge ~ Miss Mustard Seed ~ Addicted to Decorating ~Bacon Time with The Hungry Hypo ~ Making Lemonade ~ I Can’t Stop Crafting ~ Over the Big Moon ~ Shabby Art ~ Answer is Chocolate

Saturday ~ I heart nap time- Sundae Scoop ~ Tatertots and Jello ~ Be different Act Normal ~ Funky Junk ~ 2805 ~ Making Lemonade Blog ~I am Along for the Ride  ~ Lolly Jane

Sundays ~ Homemaker on a Dime ~ Sunday’s Best

27 Comments

  1. okay, that was such a funny “vlog.” I was laughing out loud, the best part were your written comments that popped up as you spoke. Now I need to know how to do the proper squat! Thanks for having such a great blog. I visit regularly!

  2. Hey just found your blog through Transformation Thursday. I watched your vlog, you seriously cracked me up. I think you may have a mix of me and my sisters humor. . . I loved it. I am following you now, come check me out backporchroots.blogspot.com
    Thanks
    Gina

  3. work the Vlog, girl! you got it!

    PS fitness opinion needed: Is a plank supposed to be more difficult on the elbows or on the hands (with straights arms)?

  4. Haha, I LOVE the video! Your running commentary underneath was excellent. Squats are, truly, a life skill. Looking forward to the next installment (although my legs are still burning from this one…)!

  5. Oh my GOSH- Move It Monday is AWESOME! I was totally wanting to do something with exercise on my blog like this, but you’re already doing it! This is great!

    Thanks for visiting and commenting on my blog the other day. I’m really impressed with your blog and will be subscribing! 🙂

  6. That was hilarious….esp the text you added. I was cracking up! It was a great first vlog….keep ’em coming! I’m with ya on the fitness challenge. Im going for intermediate! Will let you know how it goes. Thanks for the challenge! It really helps keep me motivated 🙂

  7. Wonderful first vlog!! You’re better than me – the only one I’ve ever done I kept the camera on my kid the whole time – I was too afraid to put my awkward face in front of it!!

  8. Thanks for making Monday instructional and fun. You did a great job, and we can’t wait for more! (It’s also nice to know that I’m not the only one who suffers from “expressive hands” and “shrill to mumbles.”) I’ll be squatting my gluteus maximus along with you … thanks for the tips!

  9. awesome job, girl!
    you don’t give yourself enough credit.
    smart, funny, beautiful, inspiring…PRO-VVVVVLLLLLOOOGGGGGEEERRRRRRR!
    love it!
    🙂
    happy monday!

  10. Hi Abbie:

    I want to kindly remind you of a few things this Monday, from someone who reads your blog every weekday (and the other blog too!) :

    1) You are gorgeous and a fitness inspiration!
    2) I agree with Alina, it’s fun to watch your video since i had no idea what to expect and you are just cooler and funnier even than I thought from your blog alone.
    3) You are brave to do this and not making a fool of yourself at all.
    4) Please don’t be so hard on yourself!

    That is all. Carry on.
    Peace,
    Edie

  11. Yes, the “chair” position IS killer!

    I actually showed how to do a one-legged squat in the extended tute, but that didn’t make it on there. Maybe best for everybody.

    Oh, and I have to know what “wrong” means. Wrong good? Wrong bad? Wrong different?

    What were expecting, pray tell?

  12. Hahaha!!! Thank you for making my Monday.

    Also…side note: you know how you have these ideas about what people’s voices and mannerisms are like after only seeing pictures of them and then you meet them in person (or see a video of them, in this case) and you realize how wrong you were?! That just happened to me.

    Also…this reminds me of how much I hate doing the “chair” yoga position. Just stop mid-squat and hold it…your glutes and thighs will love and hate you all at the same time!

  13. Hahaha, love “vogging.” When you said that on the video, I just busted up laughing.
    And I have Chondromalacia, and one of the things the doctor suggested to sort of remedy that was actually squats because the condition can cause a loss of muscle strength in the quads. Yeah, probably didn’t need to know that, but just a fun fact for the day. Moral of the story – squats are great, and everyone should do them.
    Good story. I think that I would be an awkward vlogger or vogger or v-logger too.

  14. I loved it! Very entertaining lol:) So glad to see more people being health conscious this year and this video is definitely helpful on my quest to living healthier this year. I am hosting a 12 month Healthier Crib and Family Challenge over at my blog if you are interested in link parties. Each link up participant will be entered into a giveaway at the end of the challenge month to win a health related prize and you can link up as much as you post about your health:) Keep those squats a go-ing and I will definitely be following your Move It Monday progress:)

    https://www.thescottscrib.com/2012/01/healthier-crib-and-family-challenge.html

  15. You forgot patootie!

    (On a side note, a useful Gaelic phrase you may wish to store for later reference: “pogue mahone” translates to “kiss my…patootie”)

I love hearing from you guys!