Stability Ball Squats

Compound movements involve exercises that require the concerted action of several muscle groups working together to perform it.  In essence, this form of work enabling the body to function as one cohesive unit is the most productive one when it relates to building muscle.

This muscular convention triggers extra releases of testosterone within your body.  This hormone is the main factor in building mass which eventually will lead to less fat and a better physique.  Via the recruitment of several muscle fibers these exercises render most isolation work as unnecessary for many beginners as well as intermediate to advanced lifters.

Examples of such exercises are Squats, Rows, Dead lifts, Military Presses, Bench Presses, Pull ups, Dips, and etc.

On this short post I'd like to focus on one particular exercise, if the Dead lift is the queen of compound movements, then the Squat is certainly the king.

One can clearly see why just by running through the list of muscle groups this simple yet very effective exercise recruits:

Leg Anatomy

Primary Muscles

Erector Spinae, Gluteus Maximus (glutes), (Quads (Quadriceps femoris), Rectus femoris, Vastus intermedius (Cruraeus), Vastus lateralis (Vastus externus), Vastus medialis (vastus internus)), Hamstrings (the three posterior thigh muscles - semitendinosus, semimembranosus and the biceps femoris – also including the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee).

Secondary Muscles(Synergists/Stabilizers)

Transverse Abdominus, Gluteus medius/minimus (Abductors), Adductors, Soleus, Gastrocnemius

Therefore, it is essential that some variety of this exercise is a mainstay or a foundation of your routine.  There are several available forms of squats.

1.  Hack Squats

2.  Front Squats

3.  Barbell Back Squats

4.  Box Squats

5.  Stability Ball Squats (see YouTube video below)

There may be others that right now escape my mind, but one gets the idea of the several choices you can make when it comes to this exercise.  You may try every single one and find out for yourself which form is most comfortable or yields the best results.

However, there are limitations at times that present themselves in the form of injuries.  Sometimes these will only allow you to perform a restricted amount of exercises in order to not aggravate matters or elicit any more pain from the affected area so that it may heal properly.  One of the most common injuries are lower back (lumbar) related ones, myself having been a victim of 'ego lifting' that led to a severe set back (no pun intended) in my lifting career.  This has caused me to sift through the veritable cornucopia of potential ways to perform this crucial exercise without making matters worse.

Enter variety number 5.  Stability Ball Squats have been a great solution for someone like me who has lingering lower back issues.  To perform this exercise, all that needs to be done is to find a mid-to-large sized stability ball, place it between yourself and a flat wall surface and then proceed to squat.  Not only does this exercise help with stabilization, it requires that your abdominal muscles act as a support beam in order to maintain the upper body erect and the ball itself acts as a soft cushion that guides the body up and down in a smooth path.  I would advise to initially perform this exercise with body weight only, finding the tolerable level of depth your body will be comfortable achieving.  You may slowly try to descend further until you reach parallel with the floor or a bit past it.  Once at this stage, you may choose to start holding onto a 25lbs. plate in front of you and eventually increasing the amount as your body becomes better accustomed to the exercise and is able to tolerate the increased resistance.  Below is a video of yours truly doing this exercise at the gym.  You will find here that I utilize two dumbbells for resistance and that I break parallel by a few inches because I am okay reaching this level.

To finalize; 

1.  Compound movements are the best forms of exercise to promote muscle growth due to hormonal release (testosterone).

2.  Squats are crucial in anyone's routine.

3.  There are several varieties available of this exercise, but for those who are limited there is an available option in stability ball squats which assist the lifter with a 'freer' range of natural motion than most machines that are constricted to the angle and motion set forth by its engineers and design, thus limiting the body to that artificial range of motion which overtime may lead to imbalances and long term injuries.

Good luck!