Dispatches from the past pt 14: The Squat

A portrait of the artist as a young know-it-all

As you may (or may not) know, I’ve been a trainer/strength coach/movement helper-type since 2005. I’ve written many articles, blog posts, and other semi-pointless ramblings about fitness/wellness/exercise over that time. Some hold up. Others don’t.

While updating my website (www.themightyodd.com - updating still in progress), I felt nostalgic and opened up an old website I have under the same account. It was called The Iron Covenant - a site I used to promote coaching, workshops, and a zine I wrote in the early/mid 2010s with the same name.

I came across a series of blogs I did from that time, and some struck me as pretty insightful. A few were pretty cringey. Either way, it felt like a fun way to reflect on where my training and life philosophies have gone over the years. And since this is a free newsletter that asks nothing of you as a reader (other than your attention and consideration, which I appreciate), I’m going to occasionally share some of these posts with you, and including some insights from Contemporary Tyler.

I really thought I had it figured out in this one: an expert on biomechanics, strength sports, and everything fitness related in between. All I know now is that there is a lot more to know, very little of the stuff I mentioned in here matters, and bodies are weird. There’s lots of talk about “correct” form and “recruiting” muscles—a long list of things for people to think about that makes the exercise more complicated than it needs to be. This was originally split into two separate posts, but I’ve combined it here for ease of reading. The part that still stands up the most, in my opinion, is the last paragraph of the first part about how every squat is a little different.

The Squat Pt. 1

If you've ever read anything I've written, chances are you've heard me mention the squat. It is one of the basic foundational movements that I teach every person who comes through the door (barring extreme injury/condition). As I've mentioned before, though, the squat gets a bad rap, which doesn't exactly add up in my mind, as people have been bending and squatting for the whole of human history, and still continue to do so to this day. Why in the last 30-40 years has the squat all-of-the-sudden become dangerous?

 Part of this misconception could be attributed to the fact that strength athletes have begun to move extremely heavy weights in the past several decades - a practice which has trickled down to younger athletes, amateurs and "average" gym-goers, thus increasing injuries not only on the elite level (extreme stress on the body/joints due to extraordinary numbers), but also injuries based on un-preparedness to move heavy weights in the general population. It is not the weights themselves that are to blame, but the impatience of the amateur lifter: high-level athletes spend years training and preparing the joints and ligaments, which take longer to strengthen than muscles. The untrained amateur may rush to lift heavier weights before his body has fully adapted, assuming since his muscles are getting stronger his joints/ligaments are similarly prepared.

 Injuries like this become anecdotal evidence of a movement's (in this case the squat) "danger" and perpetuate myths that villainize movements outright, with no attention paid to particulars that can transform a movement from potentially damaging to beneficial. The root of this "squat fear" (amongst other movement phobias) can be traced to lack of education. It is common practice in Western medicine and personal training to completely avoid movements (IE, the squat) if the person is unable to immediately perform the movement perfectly. It's this avoid-at-all-costs mentality that perpetuates fear in the general population, when it is more laziness on the coaching side than danger in the movement.

 Look at any personal training manual and you'll see the supposedly ideal form that is expected: back straight, knees and feet pointed straight forward, feet hip-width apart and femurs parallel to the ground at the bottom of the squat. All other biomechanical issues (primarily lack of depth) aside, this is not a realistic squat. Sure, some people can pull it off, but have you ever seen any strength sport athlete squat like this? It's not an efficient way to move weight. For most people this position will shut down the hips, remove any and all posterior chain (back/glutes/hamstrings) recruitment, possibly cause the knees to buckle (due to adductor weakness and hip angle) and put undue stress on the knees. It is a theoretical way to squat - an academic interpretation of how someone should squat, assuming all things on all people are equal. Funny thing, though: we're all different. Special and unique snowflakes, all of us.

 To safely and effectively teach someone how to squat, individual differences must be accounted for - body proportions, lever lengths, previous injuries, tension patterns, natural flexibility (we all have it in certain ways). The squat isn't a movement that you can show someone a stock example of and say, "do this." It must be adapted to the individual to account for their particulars, and thoroughly taught to ensure safety and biomechanical effectiveness. Some can't squat, ever - but it's a much smaller portion of the population than you might imagine. There are many, many people walking/limping around out there claiming they can't squat, when in reality they can (and should), but just haven't been taught how to do it correctly. Only experience can help you find your correct squat, either through working with a knowledgeable coach or personal research (hopefully a combination of both) can help you find the right version of a squat for you. The two best forms of feedback will be pain and progress: if it hurts, it's not the right squat for you. If you can't move more weight over time, your squat needs adjustment. Pay attention to these factors and you'll squat more, better, easier. 

The Squat Pt. 2

Last week I addressed some of the myths and fears about the squat. Today we're going to talk about how to squat weight safely and effectively. For simplicity's sake, the squat in question will be a barbell back squat. There are many varieties of squats, all with their own benefits and drawbacks. For the barbell alone there is the front squat (where the bar is placed on the front of the body, across the chest and shoulders), the overhead squat (where the bar is held overhead with arms extended and elbows locked), the Zercher squat (bar held in the crook of the elbows), the Jefferson squat (I won't even begin to explain this one), et al. The squat is a movement that can be infinitely varied for just about any purpose (some more valuable than others). Its adaptability and central nervous system (CNS) demand make it an essential movement, and one of the most valuable for gaining strength and mobility.

Spinal integrity is the most important component of the squat. There are some coaches who claim that the squat is a movement to be avoided due to the spine as a limiting factor - meaning that for some people (usually elite athletes), the legs can actually move more weight that the spine can support. This is in rare and extreme cases, and powerlifters are living proof of the potential strength of the spine/back. Many elite lifters can squat upwards of 1000lbs. Yes, many wear suits, but the lift still demands incredible strength of the spinal support muscles (aka "the core"). So for your average (or more than average) lifter, the back stands to gain strength and stability through squats.

 Crucial to a good squat is correct positioning: set up under the bar, grabbing with hands just outside shoulder-width (a bit wider if you have tight shoulders, but a narrower grip leads to a tighter, stronger upper back). Place the bar on the shelf created by your rear delts (shoulders) and traps - too high and it will sit on your last cervical vertebrae and place undue pressure on your spine. Too low and you'll have to support it with your arms, which will be uncomfortable and put too much strain on your shoulders and wrists. There is a bit of debate amongst lifters as to which is the more valuable bar positioning: Olympic weightlifters utilize the high bar position which shifts the center of gravity slightly forward making it a more quad-centric movement, while powerlifters prefer a low bar position which places the bar much lower on the back, allowing the lifter to sit back much further, putting the emphasis of the lift onto the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, etc). Both have their benefits, and I recommend playing around with each to see which fits your body type and goals.

Once you've established your bar position, you must now establish your trunk: some people describe the set up of the spine as establishing an “arch,” while others talk about tucking the hips. The goal is to create a locked midline from chest to hips. . Imagine the weight is going to crush you (when you get heavy enough, it actually will), drive the shoulder blades back and down as if trying to touch them to the hips, push the ribs down and lock the hips into position. It is in this position that we are able to most safely recruit all of our spinal support muscles (transversus abdominis, multifidus, internal and external obliques, rectus abdominis, and glutes, mostly). This is critical in safely establishing the squat position, and it's probably one of the best "core" strengthening movements you can do. The goal is not to stick out the butt, but instead create a tight “core.” You should be able to squeeze your glutes (hold a quarter between your butt cheeks) and be pushing out your belly (power belly). This is the true purpose of a belt – pushing out against the belt to increase recruitment of the core muscles, but that’s another talk in and of itself.

The trunk isn’t limited to the aforementioned “core” muscles, though: the lats and glutes are critical in establishing your spine positioning, as they're important muscles that are rarely referenced in a stabilizing capacity. The lats help hold the shoulder blades in position and stabilize the spine, while the glutes are principal in keeping the trunk upright. Pulling the elbows back and together while the bar is on the back will help activate the lats, but it's not as easy to keep the glutes turned on throughout the squat. Here's where we bring out the awkward cue: squeeze your sphincter. If you keep tight "down there" you'll keep all of your deep core muscles active and maintain that spinal integrity. Your elbow position may shift throughout the squat based on your technique, but keeping the lats and upper back muscles tight and strong is what keeps the chest up throughout the movement.

Once your upper back, trunk and hips are all locked in position, it’s time to unrack the bar and step out: limit your number of steps – too many and you’ll have a long journey back to the rack after squatting. Hopefully you’re still solid head to hips from your previous set up, but it doesn’t hurt to run through an internal checklist: upper back tight, ribs down, belly tight, glutes tight. Get your feet set in position at whatever your width is (this depends entirely on the person and their hip structure, as well as your style of squat – powerlifting, Oiympic weightlifting, etc) and screw the feet in to the ground. Another popular way to describe this is pushing the ground apart, but whatever allows you to create a strong base and increase your glute recruitment and predispose your hip to flexion and external rotation (aka squatting) works. You want to limit variables: your upper body is one ridge unit, your feet are rooted and all that should move is your hips and knees.

Now you’re ready to squat. Go for it. Lift something heavy and have some fun.