So it begins, and how to squat correctly.

Another week is upon us, and if yours is lookin' anything like mine, it promises to be a doosie. I can't help but think—well, aren't they all? Indeed, they can be. And to that I say the following loud and clear: FRIDAY IS ONLY FIVE DAYS AWAY! Hooray! [Enter laughter here.] On one hand, I am super thrilled to be so busy doing something I love so much. But on the other hand, oh MAN am I gonna be tired come Friday! What, you ask, makes this week much crazier than others? Well, my usual schedule has me teaching five classes a week. Add in sessions with a handful of different clients, some floor hours...it's busy stuff. And this week, not only am I looking forward to working with a new client, we have one instructor on vaca and another down for the count with a minor foot injury so that means I'll be covering three classes as well. Two more 6:00 AM Circuit Sculpts and a Tuesday afternoon Cardio Box (thankfully not on the same day as Circuit Sculpt).

And I will also be attending <--THIS in Chicago on Thursday. It's a fitness trade show, and I'm looking forward to seeing some new and exciting things. (And maybe gettin' some freebies, too!)

But more on that later, obvi. As I sat down this afternoon to plan out my classes, I realized one thing (aside from the fact that things are gonna be busy)—I will be doing a lot of squats this week! Squats go with everything and are really a staple in my Circuit Sculpt classes. I modify, modify and modify them in every which way possible to keep things interesting. Squats with triceps presses, squats with concentration curls, squats on a BOSU...so on and so forth. As the instructor in said class, not only do I have to demonstrate correct form, I have to be able to correct my students' form whenever possible to make sure they don't hurt themselves. And so I thought, why not make sure all of my readers know the proper way to squat? So I give you this. A list of DOs and DON'Ts to keep in mind as you work the squat, and you should be working the squat. It's good for you.

DO
...stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips.
...let your toes point out naturally.
...lift your toes a bit to make sure your weight is in your heels.
...keep your shins perpendicular to the floor.
...stick your butt out.
...keep your chest up, but hinged forward slightly.
...avoid eye contact with the floor.

DON'T
...stand with your feet too close.
...point your toes straight ahead, or out to the side like a ballerina.
...let your toes touch the floor.
...let your knees move past your toes.
...keep your chest completely upright.
...look at the floor.
...let your body relax.

Make sense? Good. And speaking of good, I brewed a delightful batch of black bean soup last night. Think low in sodium, high in protein and superduper easy to make. Expect a recipe tomorrow.

Question: Do you anticipate a crazy week? Anything abnormal on your schedule? And finally, how do you modify your squats?