Gabs squat blog

Squat On Earth Is He Talking About?

Over the course of history, modern humans have always suffered with the same typical injuries and movement related issues (back pain, knee pain etc.). This all stems from the fact we all tend to go through the same physical processes as we develop in life. We start off being young and capable of pushing our bodies to do incredible things. Jump, sprint, crawl, hang, climb, roly poly, you name it! However from this beautifully active stage in our lives, things spiral downhill at a scarily rapid rate. You go from sitting cross-legged on the floor in nursery, to sitting at a desk all day in primary school, then continuing to sit at a desk all day in secondary school, then continuing to sit at a desk all day at university, then off you go into the big wide world to… sit at a desk all day!

So what does sitting at a desk all day do to us?

● Causes our hip flexors to shorten and tighten
● Causes our hamstrings to lengthen and weaken
● Causes our lumbar (lower) spine to round*
● Causes our thoracic (upper) spine to round*

*If we don’t sit correctly!

These things happen not just from being at the desk, we also cycle, drive, relax and carry out many more daily activities in this same position. Therefore in order to retain and improve our functionality, we have to restrict our time spent in flexion, and increase our time spent at The Hogarth gym, mobilising, learning new tricks from the trainers and getting stuck into the squat rack!

Spending too long in hip and shoulder flexion causes us to lose functional mobility - attack the back!

Think of the posterior/back muscles as the ‘pillar’ of our bodies, they hold us tall and make us strong and are key to improving our squat...

So what does a ‘perfect’ squat look like?

perfect squatThis is quite difficult to answer, firstly because we are all anatomically different (height, hip width, leg length etc.), and we each have an optimal stance which determines how we might look when we squat. For example, a short person might be able to squat with a narrow stance, a taller person may need a wider stance, also some squatters have their toes slightly more pointed outward than others.

But in general, you want your squat to be deep, with as much flexion as possible at the knee and hip. Stable, with the knees driven out and lots of space created between the hips, and powerful as we explode up with our leg strength, keeping the spine braced, neutral and secure as we do so.

My favourite place for learning more about squatting is Squat University (YouTube channel) www.squatuniversity.com

So how can I get better at squatting?

First of all, we need to understand the current barriers and stigma around squatting. On the gym floor we help many clients with initial fears and doubts to make small changes to the way they move, and overcome this challenge. It is hard to develop a good squat unless you do it regularly, so being a bit stiff and out of practice can be a very big first hurdle to overcome.

Our job as trainers at The Hogarth is to help guide you through these physical minefields, and after a quick chat with one of the team, we will hopefully be able to help you establish underlying issues which may be affecting your ability to squat. For example, we frequently help members regain mobility and improve their functional strength after identifying issues such as inactive glutes, lack of stability, ankle mobility or core control - hugely important factors.

As with anything, injuries can occur when squatting (usually when unsupervised, so be sure to book in with us when you set out on your squatventure!). However this is usually down to bad form or too much load, which can give squats a bad rep when the real issue is often technique. Once you know that injury with good form is rare, and your focus is always on good technique and never on load, you can proceed to practice squatting with confidence and focus on getting stronger and more mobile than ever!

So here are some do’s and don’ts to help you practice better squatting, better functional movement, and better physical health!

DO: Deep squat daily!

one arm squatSitting in this position and just forcing your body to adjust to being in full knee flexion and full hip flexion for a few minutes at a time, will take your muscles through their full range of motion and help your nervous system engage and recruit your muscle fibres in this position. After all, if you never take yourself into this position, how do you expect your muscles to have an understanding of how to lift you out of it? Go from using support (as pictured) until you can deep squat unassisted. Only add load that allows you to continue to squat with perfect form!

Once in deep squat, have a play! Take one arm away! This will improve your balance!

Do: Practice holding tension!

Bracing the core and the rest of your body is incredibly important when you squat. In your stance position (before your descent), take a deep breath in - like you are squeezing into a tight pair of jeans - and brace your abdomen and your spine. Then imagine you are about to sink underwater, store that energy and hold your breath (don’t exhale until you come back up and break the water surface!).

You are trying to create tremendous tension throughout your body, especially through your feet. Imagine screwing your feet into the floor, spreading them across the ground, pushing hard through your big toe, little toe and heel, so that they are rooted. Finally driving the knees outwardly is one of the most important things on your checklist, creating the tension and activation required in your glute medius, and building stability in the knees, preventing them from bowing inwards during the squat - this is called ‘valgus’.

correct form squat

The Valgus Police: Book with me if you want to hear ‘drive those knees out’ 1000 times!

squat feet donts

The key is in the feet.

Do: Mobilise every day!

Foam rolling, stretching, mobility drills - these are your keys to achieving a strong squat. This kind of TLC needs to be regular and wholesome - pay attention to all of your muscle groups (upper and lower), and work on hitting quality positions and improving your range of motion all the time. Foam rolling can be done every day if you like, and a few minutes before a session may get your range of motion to its peak before you squat.

Mobility drills include spidermans, inchworms, glute bridges, wall slides, ankle mobilisation etc.

Don’t: Only squat!

In addition to adding squats to your workout (eg. 4 sets of 6-12 reps, 60 secs rest between sets). You should also be adding what we call ‘derivative’ exercises - these are the foundational movements the squat is built upon. For example, a stiff leg deadlift teaches us how to hinge at the hips during the squat, a single leg squat teaches the body about balance, equal strength and weight distribution, a high step up forces us to go from deep hip flexion to an explosive extension of the hips, calf raises improve our ankle mobility and strength, etc. Speak to the gym team about including these in your workout programme to speed up your progress!

Don’t: Neglect the upper body!

bad squat form upper bodyYour upper body activation, mobility and strength to hold you in the correct position during your squat is critical. When we take up our stance position, we are pulling the bar down on our trapezius muscle like we are trying to bend the bar in half, driving the elbows downward towards the ribcage to engage our latissimus dorsi (lats). We are proud in the chest, with the chin held neutral, and we hold this position in order to create stability during the movement. It is vital as you descend into your squat you maintain this activation and don’t allow yourself to ‘collapse’ at the neck, upper back or lower back.

Don’t: Lift weight that compromises form!

My favourite saying goes ‘if you can’t lift it with correct form - you can’t lift it!’. If you genuinely want to rid yourself of injuries, protect your body, and feel fitter and stronger, strength training is for you! Remember it is so important to leave the ego at the door when it comes to lifting weight. It is not important how much weight anyone else uses when they squat - you are not them! Your journey is unique and your body is unique. There is no expectation on what you ‘should’ be able to squat, other than the load which allows you to maintain optimal form.

Final Thought

I believe the healthiest approach when learning to squat, is to look at some videos of professionals with good credentials, describing and demonstrating squat technique and ideal form, then strive towards replicating this. Pride yourself not by the weight you squat with, but your ability to get as close to the technical model as possible, and in doing so you will subconsciously reduce your injury susceptibility, and more importantly, achieve improved flexibility, mobility, functional strength!

 

Book in your free monthly Personal Training with Reception 020 8995 4600.

Book in your Octagon Health and/or Fitness test with Vojin at vojin@thehogarth.co.uk


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