YOU DON'T KNOW SQUAT ABOUT SQUATS
By Nick Nilsson
The squat is one of the most productive exercises you can do, period. Learn more about proper form and how to analyze your own squatting technique for maximum results..
If I could pick the single most productive exercise in existence, it would be the squat.
Squatting is the cornerstone of leg training and should be included in most weightlifting and bodybuilding routines.
But many people simply don't do squats.
Why? There are a number of reasons, but it seems the major one is they simply don't know squat and about squats! Naturally, if you don't know how to do an exercise properly, you're probably not going to want to do it.
Proper form is important for getting the best results from the squat, not to mention avoiding injury. Once you know proper form, you'll feel much more confident about doing the exercise and you'll be able to harness its power.
How To Do It:
In this section, you will learn how to properly set up a squat inside a
squat rack, where to place your feet, where to set the bar, and how to
do the movement itself. At the end of this section will be a link to a
page that includes pictures for the exercise.
1. Setting up the squat rack
- Set up the racking pins in a squat rack at a position a few inches
below shoulder level. This allows you to get the bar on and off without
catching it on the racks.
- Set the safety rails at the bottom just slightly lower than the lowest point you go down in case you fail in the movement. Set this
level conservatively at first. As you get more confident with the movement, you can lower yourself down further.
2. Getting the bar on
your back
- Rest the bar across the back of your shoulders like a yoke so it is
supported across the trapezius muscles. It should be across the ridges
of your scapulae (shoulder blades), resting just below your seventh
cervical vertebra. Basically, the bar shouldn't be up on your neck but
also shouldn't be too far down your back.
- Find your own groove for bar placement. Everybody is different when
it comes to where they are comfortable with the bar.
- Hold the bar with a medium grip, similar distance to your bench press
grip (not too close in but not so far apart that you compromise control
of the bar).
3. Foot
placement
- Placing your feet approximately shoulder-width apart with your toes
pointed either straight ahead or out an angle (no more than 30 degrees)
is thought to be better for overall thigh development and is the squat
style employed by most bodybuilders.
- The wide stance (feet about two or more feet apart), toes pointed out
allows you to maintain a more vertical upper body, reducing the torque
on your lower back.
- Trainers usually find they can use more weight with the wide stance.
Be very careful that your knees do not bow in if you do this version,
however, as this stance can increase the likelihood of it happening.
- Try both stances to see which you prefer or simply do both, varying
your foot position on different sets or different training days.
4. Doing
the movement
- Your feet are placed and you're ready to squat. With the bar
comfortably on your back, lift the weight up from the racks and step
back a few steps.
- Bend your knees and squat down slowly and under complete control,
with a slight arch in your lower back.
- Look straight forward or a little up in order to keep your upper body
more vertically oriented. If you start to look down, your back will
automatically start to round over, placing extreme and possibly
damaging stress on the lower back.
- Some trainers recommend you go down only to the point where the tops
of your thighs are parallel to the ground. There is some controversy as
to whether or not it is safe or desirable to go further down than this.
Personally, I prefer to squat down as far as I can (which is several
inches below parallel) and have never had a problem. It is up to you
how far you wish to go.
- Now come back up. Push up from your heels until you are standing
straight then go down for another rep. If you find yourself pushing
primarily from the front of your feet, you are probably leaning foward
too much. Try to focus on sitting back as you do the squat.
- As you squat, be sure your knees are tracking straight up and down
and that they are not bowing in or splaying out.
Common Squatting
Errors:
Even though squatting is a very natural movement, it is also very easy
to do it incorrectly. Here are some of the more common errors you will
come across when squatting and what you can do to fix them.
Error #1 -
Your heels rise up off the floor as you squat down.
Keep your eyes up, chest up, and sit back slightly. You most likely
also need to work on calf flexibility by stretching regularly. Be sure
to stretch out your calves thoroughly before each squatting session.
Error #2 -
Rounded back
This can occur if your lower back is the weak link in your squat. You
must strengthen your lower back and strive to keep the arch in your
lower back during the movement. Other tips you can try include lifting
your toes up in your shoes as you squat down and gripping the bar
closer in to your shoulders.
Error #3 -
Excessive leaning over
If you find you lean forward excessively when you are squatting, you
may have a problem with calf flexibility. To remedy this stretch your
calves thoroughly.
Some trainers squat with their heels propped up on plates to help with
this problem, however, that doesn't address the root of the problem,
which is generally calf tightness.
Error #4 -
Using too much weight or not enough weight
Using too much weight will limit your range of motion and force you to
concentrate on not getting crushed rather than doing the exercise
properly. Stay within your limits.
Not using enough weight can also be a problem. If you don't have enough
weight on your back, your heels may have a tendency to come up as there
is not enough resistance to force them down. You should still stay
within your limits, but don't be afraid to push yourself a little.
Error #5 -
Bouncing out of the bottom
Don't do it! The change of direction should be deliberate, not bouncy.
You can seriously injure your back and/or knees by bouncing.
Error #6 -
Knees buckle in or splay out
Wrap a weight belt loosely around your thighs and press out against the
belt as you come up. If your knees buckle in then the belt will drop to
the floor. If your legs tend to splay out, hold something, e.g. a
volleyball, between your legs and keep it pinched there during the set.
Error #7 - Using the Smith Machine for squats
With the Smith Machine version you can
place your feet farther forward and squat with your upper body
vertical. While this may seem like a good thing (and it does make the
exercise easier on your lower back), this version places a great deal
of stress on your knees and is not recommended.
Pushing against the bar at an angle is not a natural movement for your
knees and results in a great deal of shearing force and torque in the
cartilage of the knees. For the health of your knees, stick with the
free weight version.
Squat Tricks and Techniques:
Every exercise has tricks that will help you to perform the exercise
better and get more out of it. The squat is no exception. Here are a
few tricks you can use:
1. Wear boots or solid-soled shoes
Try wearing solid-heeled work boots when squatting. They allow the
power from your legs to be transferred better than when wearing
soft-heeled running shoes.
The reason is simple: you can lose power at the bottom when wearing
shoes with thick, soft soles (such as running shoes) because the soles
will squish in when you push yourself up.
If you don't have work boots, try squatting barefoot. You will not lose
any power at the bottom that way. Going barefoot will also eliminate
any heel elevation you may get from footwear. It will also force you to
push with your heels. When you squat barefoot, set the racking collars
a little lower to make up for the lack of soles. If neither is an
option, use flat or thin-soled shoes. Basically, the less padding
between your feet and the ground, the better.
2. Use a
Manta Ray
A plastic molded device called the Manta
Ray is an excellent tool for squatting. I use
one regularly and highly recommend it. There is no pain from the bar
when you use this device. A towel wrapped around the bar or a foam pad
can also help ease the pain of the bar but be aware that these things
can slip or roll. You can get more information on the Manta Ray here.
3. Keep
your elbows pointed down
Hold your hands on the bar fairly close in to your shoulders and keep
your elbows pointed down the entire time.
If you hold the bar too wide, this will force your shoulders to rotate
internally. Your elbows will start to point towards the back which will
then cause the bar to rotate forward as you come down. This, in turn,
will cause you to lean over excessively, increasing the pressure on the
lower back.
Keeping your elbows pointed down activates your external rotator
muscles, which will keep the bar from rolling forward.
4. Bend
the knees first
Hold a tight lordotic
(lower back) arch on descent. When you start the movement, the knees
should bend first, followed closely by the trunk. Most people descend
with glutes leading, followed by the knees. This emphasizes the back
and glutes rather than the thighs. This is characterized by excessive
leaning over.
5. Yanking
the bar
If you feel you are about to get stuck at the bottom of a squat, try
this trick:
- Yank down hard on the bar as though trying to snap it in half over
your back.
- It may sound counterproductive but if you do this while you are
straining against the bar, it will cause an emergency stretch reflex in
your quads and give you an extra little kick out of the bottom.
- It is important to note that you must be moving upwards for this
technique to work. The stretch reflex will not be activated if you are
sinking down to the ground. Pulling down on the bar at this point will
only make you drop faster.
6. Hold
your breath at the bottom
Normally, it is taught that you should never hold your breath during an
exercise. However, there is a very good reason for doing so in the
squat (be aware that I'm not advocating that you hold your breath
through the entire exercise, just briefly at a certain point in the
exercise).
Here's why: your abdominal core is much more stable when you hold your
breath. You need as much stability as you can get at the bottom of a
heavy squat. If you are inhaling or exhaling at this point, you
compromise your core stability. Much of the stress that was being
supported by the intra-abdominal pressure of your contracted core
muscles is then transferred to the lower back.
By holding your breath just before you get to the bottom, during the
direction change and as you start to come back up, you will have far
greater core stability than if you breathe during that phase. This will
result in greater power out of the bottom, allowing you to use more
weight safely.
Be sure that you do not hold your breath too long!! This period of
breath-holding shouldn't last more than a few seconds.
So next time you're going to do a leg workout, give squats
a try. They really are one of the most productive exercises in
existence and should be a part of most routines.
The squat rack isn't just for barbell curls anymore!
For pictures demonstrating the barbell squat, please go here:
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Nick Nilsson has a
degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been innovating new
training techniques for more than 18 years. Nick is the author of a
number of bodybuilding books including "Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To
Maximum Mass", "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises
You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt
NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of", all
designed to maximize the results you get for the hard work you put into
your training.
Be sure to grab your FREE copy of Nick's 30-day "Dirty Little Secret Program for Building Muscle and Burning Fat FAST," available at Fitness-eBooks.com!
