Technique For a Safe Squat

The squat is one of the most basic fundamental strength exercises that a lot of adults dread or avoid altogether, for a few basic reasons:

1. They've heard it's bad for the knees or back (which isn't true if you do them the right way)

2. Their knees or back hurt when they squat (which is almost always a technique issue)

3. The exercise is hard 

The problem with squats for most people is that the pattern for squatting was mastered in childhood and gets lost in adulthood.

Without at least a decent pattern, squatting can put more pressure on the knees and/or result in excessive movement in the low back. Both of those can result in pain.

That doesn't mean squats are inherently bad for you. 

More times than not, if you fix the squat pattern the pain goes away.

The more you practice that good squatting pattern, the less pain you're likely to have even if your technique isn't perfect.

To fix your squat, you need to build QUALITY first (how well you squat) before QUANTITY (how much weight you squat or how many reps you can do). 

Watch the video and see if you can improve your squatting pattern.

When you get more comfortable with squats, your knees and back will feel more stable and you'll probably be able to squat deeper - and they won't feel as hard!

Squats can still be a tough exercise, but a good pattern will make them a lot easier. And knowing when your quality and technique are failing will make it easier to figure out when to stop the set. 

Getting better at squatting will improve the strength of your lower body for everything you do, so it pays to master this one.

Doug Barsanti
ReInvention Fitness


P.S. If your knees hurt during squats, 9 times out of 10, your thighs are too strong despite the common misconception that the knees hurt because the thighs are weak. Start learning how to use your hips and give those thighs a break!