Squats: A Love/Hate Relationship

Yesterday was my first day in the gym in a long time. The program I’m doing calls for squats every day. I love squats. I also hate squats. 

I love squats because they work the full body, including all the little stabilizer muscles that nobody ever thinks about. I do ass-to-grass squats to make sure I’m developing not just my quadriceps, but my hamstrings, glutes, and hips as well. I also feel like a real badass when I get down with all that weight and bring it right back up. 

I hate squats because I definitely feel that I’ve done them the next day, and even the day after. When I take an extended break from working out, squats remind me how bad an idea that was by making my body feel like Jell-O. Additionally, the only two times I’ve ever been hurt in the gym were while I was squatting. Those injuries were related to poor form, but it’s something I remember each time I get under the bar. The only thing worse than getting sidelined by laziness is getting sidelined by preventable injury.

Hopefully, my love of the squat will eclipse my hate of the pain and weariness that comes with it. Restarting this journey hasn’t been the easiest decision, physically or mentally, but it has to get done. In addition to completing a Tough Mudder, I have a new target in my crosshairs–one I’ll talk more about on Friday.