A comment on one of my previous blogs requested a more in depth look at the squat. As someone who has spent the bulk of his life as a student of squatting this request was somewhat similar to asking Tiger Woods about his thoughts on swinging a golf club.. Needless to say I was excited. After reading a quote this morning by Mark Rippetoe (famed strength coach) in which he stated "if you squat wrong it messes things up, if you squat correctly those same messed up things will un-mess themselves" I once again got a powerful reminder at how absolutely crucial this movement is to success in ANY fitness program. So without further adieu here are what I feel to be the best squatting exercises for building an impeccable squat.
1. The Goblet Squat (pic 1 & 2)
The Squat consists of some primary actions that every fitness trainer and strength coach will look for. These actions include keeping the heels firmly planted on the floor, keeping the knees aligned WIDE over the last 3 toes of the feet, keeping a nice flat back position with the chest tall and pried open, and finally reaching a bottom position that puts the thighs at least parallel to the floor. For whatever reason the Goblet Squat makes all of these positions almost unconsciously easy to achieve. Here is how to do it.
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Grab a kettlebell or a dumbell and hold it in front of your chest with your elbows tight to your body and feet just outside shoulder width apart. Next, with your chest up slowly lower yourself down into a full deep squat. Finally, purposefully pause for a second in the bottom position and really FEEL that position before bracing your abs, driving from your heels, and standing back up.
2. The Rear Foot Elevated Split SQ or RFESS (pic 3 & 4)
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Made popular by Strength Coach Mike Boyle this variation of the squat will help build maximum efficiency in each leg respectively and can serve as an excellent alternative for those who are looking to continue to challenge lower body strength without compromising the integrity and health of the lower back. Here is how to do it.
Find 2 dumbells or kettlebells and hold them at your sides in a suitcase position (if you are a more advanced athlete you can also try this variation with a bar on your back) and find a stable object about 12-16in in height. Rest the non-working leg on the stable object with the working leg pitched about 16-18in in front of the object. Once you have a stable set up, lower yourself straight down keeping as much of your weight on the front leg as possible. As with the goblet squat get a brief pause at the bottom of the movement then drive forcefully from the heel of the grounded foot to propel yourself back up to your starting position. Be sure to keep your heel down, knee aligned over the last 3 toes of the foot, and chest tall.
3. The Band Resisted Squat (Pic 5 & 6)
In order to squat properly one must have the available neuromuscular coordination. This means that the brain needs to communicate the movement to the working joints and muscles and guide them through the range of motion with the correct form. Although this movement is a fundamental pattern in strength training most people compensate in some fashion while executing a squat. The band resisted squat helps to correct the squat and "clean it up" so to speak. Here is how to do it.
Find a mini band, resistance band, or thera-band and tie it around your legs just below the knees. Tie it tight enough so that it becomes challenging to space your feet to a shoulder width position. Once the band is secure space your feet shoulder width and build massive tension in the band. As you squat keep your heels down and push your knees OUT against the resistance of the band all while keeping your chest tall and your back flat. This external feedback from the band can help you feel the proper squat position which will allow you to keep safer positions once under load.
In Closing:
When looking to build a bulletproof squat these three exercises can be a big help. Lay the foundation of proper movement and spend the time to properly progress into more weight and difficulty. This is truly how you stay safe as you get stronger. Good Luck!
