Come on Over and Pop a Squat

Hey, everybody!

I hope you're enjoying your Labor Day weekend. With all the parties, barbecues, picnics, etc. that accompany this farewell-to-summer, you're liking doing a lot of running around shopping, cooking, baking, traveling, etc. and maybe you're a little stressed. Maybe the holiday stress has gotten you to the point where you've indulged a teensy bit much in all that the Labor Day festivities have to offer in terms of delicious foods and drinks. It's totally fine--not judgment here!--but perhaps you're eager to get back into a routine come Tuesday.

Perhaps that routine involves dialing back the gastronomic indulgences a tad, and maybe it involves re-upping that commitment to daily movement. To help you to achieve the latter, I've decided to write a post devoted entirely to the squat, including cues, how to "hack" your form, and what exercises to do to improve your squatting mechanics. I hope you enjoy it!

This baby gets an A+ in squatting! (Photo courtesy of this site.)

So, the squat: it's a fundamental movement pattern and exercise. We squat (or should) in our daily lives, but if our mechanics and alignment are off, we can be doing more damage to our joints and muscles than good. A good squat will build you a base of strength, and it's a versatile exercise that can be modified for beginners and progressed indefinitely for more advanced lifters.

The overhead squat test is a great biofeedback tool for advanced and beginner exercises alike. It will demonstrate to you in what ways your squat form is strong; in what ways it's weak; and what you can do about the latter. To test yourself, I recommend having someone videotape you from the front, side and back for at least 5 reps for each view. If that's impossible, squatting in front of a full-length mirror is an inferior, but acceptable, second option.

Cues for the squat test:

1) Stand with your feet at least hip-width apart (it may be more comfortable for some people with tightness in the lower body to stand with their feet closer to shoulder-width or wider apart).
2) Look down at your toes; they should be pointing straight ahead, as should your knees and hips (unless you've taken a wider stance, in which case the knees will be tracking at about 45 degrees, in line with the second and third toes of each foot).
3) Untuck your pelvis so that your hips are stacked over your heels.
4) Wiggle your toes; you should be able to lift your toes up as you squat down because the majority of your body weight should be in your heels.
5) Bring your arms overhead in full extension.
6) Slowly squat down so your knees and thighs form a straight line (your thighs are parallel to the ground).

Take time to review the video/your own movements in mirror, and answer the following questions:
1) Did you rock forward, shifting your weight from your heels to your toes?
2) Did either foot turn out/turn in?
3) Did either knee turn out/turn in?
4) Did either foot flatten?
5) Did one hip hike up or down?
6) Did your shoulders elevate?
7) Did your arms fall forward?
8) Did your low back curve excessively?
9) Did you lean forward excessively?

Chances are you answered "yes" to at least one of the above. Each compensation listed above means that you have an overactive muscle that leads lengthening that corresponds to an under active muscles that needs strengthening. Here are some likely causes of the various compensations, including exercises that you can do to address the issue and improve your squatting mechanics.

1) Weight shifted forward: You probably have tight calve muscles (the gastrocnemius and soles muscles) and weak gluteus muscles. Maybe you wear high heels or other heel-positive footwear too often...Foam rolling (self-myofascial release) and trigger point work will help decrease the tightness and lengthen the muscles in your calves.
2) Feet turned outward: You probably have tight calves, and tight/overactive abductor muscles (outer-thigh muscles that pull your leg away from the midline of the body). Foam rolling will loosen the tightness in the calves, and foam rolling, butterfly stretches, lateral clam shells, lateral band walks, lateral lunges, etc. will lengthen the hip abductors.
3) Feet turned inward: Again, tight calves could be the culprit here, as well as tight/overactive adductors muscles (inner thigh muscles). Forward bends, Figure-4 stretch, lunges, foam rolling, and exercises that require conscious hip adduction will lengthen these muscles.
4) Knee turned out: Tight calves, abductors; weakened adductors, glutes. See above, and try incorporating gluteus and hamstring-strengthening exercises like deadlifts, bridges, stability ball leg curls, and inchworms.
5) Knee turned inward: Tight calves, adductors; weakened abductors, glutes. Foam rolling, lateral band walks, lateral lunges, clam shells, etc. will improve this compensation.
6) Flattened feet: This often happens when the knee turns inward, so tight calves, adductors; plus weak flutes and abductors are often the cause.
7) Hip hike up/down: This is a compensation that can most likely be attributed to weak gluteus muscles, particularly the gluteus medius. You can work on stabilizing the pelvis by strengthening the transverses abdominis, too. Single-leg squatting, single-leg deadlifting, and any single leg balancing exercises will help with this. Exercises like the deadbug, various quadruped arm/leg extension exercises, and hip bridges will help strengthen the transverses abdominis.
8) Shoulders elevate: This can often be attributed to under active mid-and-lower trapezius muscles and deep cervical flexors, and over active or tight scapulae muscles. You can work on scapular stabilization exercises like scapular "pushups", super persons, dynamic blackburns, low cobra, and rowing exercises with dumbbells and/or barbells
9) Arms fall forward: This is often caused by overactive or tight pectoral muscles and weak or under active mid-to-lower trapezius muscles and/or rotator cuff. Exercises that will improve the shoulder elevation compensation will also help to keep the arms in place during the squat.
10) Excessive curve in the back: This is often attributed to tight hip flexors (front of the thighs), and under active glutes, pelvic floor musculature, and deep abdominal muscles, like the transversus abdominis. Bridges and stability ball leg curls, plus exercises that isolate the deep abdominal mucles will help the athlete to overcome this compensation. Deadbug and other prone arm/leg extension exercises are good tools.
11) Excessive forward lean: Tight calves; tight hip flexors, and common in people who sit for extended periods of time during the day. The gluteus muscles and calves should be foam rolled and stretched, plus exercises like deadbug and bridges will help the athlete to correct this compensation.

While the athlete is working on developing the under active muscles and lengthening the tight and overactive muscles that result in these various compensations, he or she can continue to squat with modifications. One modification is to practice with the heels elevated, or body contact (skin-to-skin) squats, courtesy of Dan John!