The squat is one of the fundamental exercises in athletic strength and conditioning. It strengthens the trunk and lower body. It is done standing up. It involves exerting force against the ground. It requires a coordination that is similar to how we move. It even strengthens the skeleton and soft tissues.
Having sung its praises, there are things that we have to be careful with when it comes to the squat. This blog is going to cover some common mistakes to avoid when performing the squat.
Rounding the shoulders
This is a problem because it can increase the stress on the lower back. The cue for this is “Chest out, shoulders back.” Done right it will tense up the muscles along the spine. Many athletes can do this at the start of the exercise but allow their shoulders to round as they descend in the squat. The photo below shows the shoulders rounded at the start of the exercise.
Pushing the knees forward
Often athletes that are less skilled on the squat will try to begin the exercise by pushing the knees forward (see the photo below). This is a mistake for several reasons. First, it moves the weight to the front of the athletes feet so that they are off balance. Second, it limits depth. Third, it places more stress on the knees.
There are a number of cues to address this. These include, “hips first,’
“push your hips back,” and “put your stomach between your legs.” When this is a problem remedial exercises are appropriate (squat to a box/bench/chair or bodyweight squats).
Knees Valgus/Varus
Sometimes when an athlete rises from the bottom of the squat their knees may move in towards each other (valgus) our move out away from each other (varus). Both are mistakes. Sometimes this can be addressed by bringing the athlete’s attention to it, sometimes remedial work (e.g. squat with a ball between the knees, squat with a band around the knees, etc.) is needed to address this problem.
In the images is a CAP 45 pound barbell. This plus the weight plates that came with it have held up really well to several years’ worth of use.
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