Squats are regarded as one of, if not the most important and beneficial exercises we can do. They are a part of our everyday life and some would go as far as to say that squats should be included in every training program. Squats are a compound movement that recruit up to 80% of the muscles in our bodies. This includes the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, shoulders, back and core making squats quite a powerhouse of an exercise. If done correctly squats help to build muscle, increase full body strength, increase mobility and functionality, improve posture and aid in circulation and digestion. Unfortunately when performed with incorrect technique squats can become catastrophically dangerous. This is why technique and safety should always remain paramount when it comes to squatting. The following tips will help to improve your squat safety and allow you to take your squats to the next level.
Make Technique Your Number One Priority
Not only does poor squat technique put you at risk of injury but it will also impact on your ability to add load. Buildings don’t stay standing without good foundations, technique is your foundation and the rest is just building blocks. When performing a squat, keep your chest up and push your hips back. This helps you maintain a neutral alignment for your spine. Dip the knees forward and lower your hips all the way down ensuring you push your knees out enabling them to track with the toes. Once you reach the bottom drive through the balls of your feet and return to the top. Making sure your torso, knees and hips remain in the appropriate position throughout the entire movement.
Improve Core Strength
When squatting it is important to keep more of a vertical angle with your torso. The muscles that make up your core give you the ability to do this. Without good core strength you are more likely to fall forward and will be incapable of maintaining a neutral spine. A strong core will support your back and spine helping to minimise injury risk and increase strength. Squats on their own enhance the strength of your core but if you’re looking to increase load it is ideal to add some extra core specific training to your program. You can create tension within your torso by taking a big breath in before beginning your squat. Hold it as you move towards the bottom of your rep. This expands your chest and abdomen creating intra-abdominal pressure. As you come up from the bottom breath out, continue this process throughout the set. This will further stabilise your torso and better your range of motion.
Work on Your Flexibility
If you have limited flexibility and mobility in your joints; specifically ankles, knees and hips then this is going to hold you back from moving through a full range of movement. Tight muscles not only make it hard to maintain good technique but it also increases the chance of incurring an injury. Stretching should be included as part of every training session and the use of foam rollers and other mobility tools should be included on a regular basis. It may be necessary for you to recruit the help of a physiotherapist or massage therapist to relieve any knots or tight muscles you may already be suffering from.
Incorporate Variety into Your Program
Including other exercises that strengthen those muscle which are used during squats though different movement patterns will compliment your squats and boost strength and power. Exercises such as leg press, lunges, Romanian deadlifts or even different variations of the traditional squat ie. sumo or front squats would all be fitting and very complimentary. Making sure your training program is balanced and inclusive of exercises that train all muscle groups will limit muscle imbalances helping to maintain sound squat technique.
Warm Up Properly
Lastly but by no means least. Please, please, please make sure you complete a thorough warm up before starting your squats. This is even more important if you’re planning on squatting heavy. Start with a full body aerobic exercise that increases heart rate and boosts circulation. From this move to dynamic stretches and light foam rolling. Finish your warm up with some body weight squats, lunges and glute bridges to help prime your body for squats. If the plan is to set some new PB’s I would recommend starting with a sub-max weight before increasing gradually.
As we’ve discussed earlier the benefits of doing squats are plentiful. Combining these five components will allow you to reap these rewards and have you squatting safer and more efficiently. This will set you up to hit new PB’s in no time.
xx Tara
How often do you incorporate squats into your workouts? Let me know in the comment section below. Join our PAC and book in a time to see the gym and chat about your health and fitness goals.
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