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"You're probably one of those people \u2014 like many of us \u2014 who believes the more often you work out and the harder you push yourself, the more in shape you will be. Of course, that is the case to a certain extent, but if you're squatting every single day to get your desired J.Lo booty, you could actually be hindering muscle growth in the end. Instagram fitness queen and celebrity trainer Massy \"Mankofit\" explains the most common mistakes women make when squatting to get a bigger butt.1. You squat every single day. You know those 30-day squat challenges you see posted all over Instagram that require you to squat almost every single day? They're not helping, and they can even be damaging. You need to rest in between squatting days because your muscles need time to repair. \"That's why you experience soreness, because you're literally breaking apart muscle fibers,\" she says. \"These need to repair fully so that you're able to go again and repeat the process, and if you're not fully recovered that means you're never going to see muscle growth.\"\n\tAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below\n\t\n\n2. You don't add resistance or weight. Air squats are great for beginners and to tone, but if you've been squatting for more than six months and haven't noticed your butt getting bigger, it's because you need to add weight. Your glutes are just muscles, and you have to add resistance in order for them to grow, the same way you would with any other muscle. Warm up using a free weight bar with equal weight on each side. Start off at a weight that's a challenge for you, but not too difficult, and continue using that for a couple of weeks. Stick to 12 reps. Whenever you feel like you need more of a challenge, increase the weight gradually, but you should never feel like you're straining. \"Your last two reps should feel like they are very hard to complete but not impossible,\" Massy says.\n\n3. You don't add more protein to your diet. Nearly 80 percent of weight loss and healthy muscle growth is based on what you eat, Massy says. She suggests eating six times a day about three hours apart, and adding proteins like fish and eggs into your diet. 4. You're doing them incorrectly. Even if you've done 100 squats, if you're not doing them properly, you won't get results. Your feet should be shoulder width apart, your spine as straight and neutral as possible, and your knees should never pass your toes. Squatting should feel as natural as sitting in a chair. Here is the incorrect way: Notice that she is lifting her heels, arching her back, and her knees are going way past her toes.   Here is the correct way to do a basic squat: Massy's spine is neutral, her knees don't go past her toes, and her feet stay flat on the ground.RELATED: 3 Moves for Getting the Sexiest Abs EverFollow Ariel on Twitter.Photo credit: Getty Images"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/how-to/a6370/squat-mistakes/>