Perfect Your Squat

Basic lower body movements stem from the mechanics of the squat and it alignment. Most need squatting modifications even though they think their squat is fine. Sore knees, stiff backs, and weak ankles all improve with proper squatting technique. Even in upper body drills, the lower body should be positioned correctly to prevent injury. Begin with the squat for the aforementioned reasons, but also because the squat is “functional” and applicable to “real world” scenarios. Squatting properly will avoid most, to all injuries. Staying healthy and continuing to make gains in training is the number one priority. Begin a lifting program by assessing and perfecting your squat technique.

Assessing the Body Weight Squat
Step 1: Postural Evaluation and Starting Position
Biomechanical maladies typically stem from poor posture. Deconditioning causes muscular imbalances, resulting in shoulders slumping, lax mid-sections, tight backs, weak joints, weak glutes, tight hamstrings, and tight hip flexors. When proper postural alignment is disrupted or altered it soon becomes natural feeling, although it is not. Correcting posture may initially feel unnatural, but with time it will become innate and therefore create less stress on the body. Less undo stress on the body ultimately results in less injury, greater gains, and uninterrupted training.

Imbalance causes excessive tension in some muscles and excess slack in others, which destroys the integrity of body motion and impedes physical performance. Another point worthy of attention is that exercise done in improper postural alignment can be and often is actually harmful because it can magnify the existing stress of misalignment rather than being beneficial. But on the positive side, even very simple exercises done in true postural balance can be very beneficial, which amounts to large gains for little effort (Shen Wu 2006).

The American Physical Therapy Association explains “good posture…as an imaginary vertical line through the ear, shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle. In addition, the three natural curves in your back can be seen” (2006). Stand with the feet shoulder width apart, stack the ears over the shoulders, the shoulders over the hips, the hips over the knees, and the knees over the ankles. The lower back, upper back, and neck should have a natural neutral curve. The chin should be parallel to the ground. The chest should be open to allow for optimal breathing and positioning of the lungs and internal organs.

Step 2: The Descent and Bottom Position
From the proper starting position, begin the squat by initiating hip movement first. Real power and athletic movement comes from the hips. This is especially true for squatting and getting the most out of your squat session. Place your hands palms up in the crease where the hips and legs meet, then push the hips backward. As you initiate hip movement the knees will naturally follow suit and start bending as well. During the descent, pay particular attention to keeping the weight over the heels as opposed to allowing the weight to shift forward over the toes. Keeping the weight over the heels will allow the knee to properly track.

Many allow their knees to bow inward as they descend as well. Do not fall victim to this occurrence. Allowing the knees to bow in will cause serious knee damage and may result in you ending up in a heap on the floor because you put yourself at a structural disadvantage. Keep your weight over your heels and keep the knees open.

Sit back, and not down, (as many do when squatting). This forces you to keep the shins vertical and the weight over the heels. Have a partner place their forearm across the front of your shins as you descend into your squat. If your knees are not tracking properly you will lose balance and fall backward. You must actively push the hips backward and keep the weight over the heels in order to keep your balance and to keep the shins vertical. Descend only as far as you can with maintaining proper form and balance. (With my reccomendation being: somewhere other than parallel, because at parallel there is maximal force placed on the knee joint.) Combine the restrained box squat with the hands in the crease of your hips, and keep the knees open, to perfect your squat descent. Also, keep the head and neck in line with the upper back and the chest open when descending into the squat. Your upper body positioning should remain unchanged from the standing position throughout the squat and return phase.

Step 3: The Return Phase and Starting Position
To initiate the return, aggressively push through the heels. Done correctly you will feel the glutes and quads fire. Continue to be mindful of the knee positioning as you stand. The knees should track on the return phase, just as they did in the descent phase: keep the knees open, the shins vertical, and the weight over the heels. Do not let the knees bow inward on the ascent; be particularly mindful of this as you change direction from descending to ascending.

Complete the phase by aggressively squeezing the glutes and forcefully contracting the quads. This will set you up to begin another perfect squat.

Conclusion
Although squatting is a natural movement it is too often done improperly. Improper squatting is a learned technique. Watch a young child squat. They haven’t learned how to squat incorrectly. So re-wiring the neuromuscular connection, or “mind-muscle connection,” is necessary for squatting without injury. Focusing on proper squat form with every squat will keep you training long after the muscle head in the next squat rack has blown a knee or injured his back. Re-learning to squat correctly will also keep you healthy in your daily life when you bend over to pick up your child or pick something from the ground. Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes permanent. Practicing perfection will make for a perfect squat every time and prevent injury.