all things [squats]
Drop it, drop it low, girl!!
Can you drop it low and get your a$$ to grass??
The squat is one of our 5 foundational movements that translates to every day movement. Every time you sit, stand, ascend/descend stairs or jump, you’re squatting! Which makes it more than important to train the squat!
Before loading a squat, you always want to master the basics…do you have the required range of motion and core stability to master the body weight squat? If not, start there and then progress.
In the gym , there are countless variations including back squats, front squats w/ a barbell, goblet squats w/ a kettlebell or dumbbell, air squats and box squats. There are also a number of single leg variations including pistol squats, skater squats, split squats and lunges.
Squats work your glutes and quads primarily but the location of the weight matters!
For instance, consider a back squat vs a front squat or goblet squat:
The back squat places the load on top of your shoulders. This tends to be a little more hip dominant as the weight is towards the back side of your body. One thing to note with the back squat is that the bar is loaded on top of your spine, this can add a major compressive force to your spine. Compression refers to the vertical forces applied to your spine, this occurs if we are sitting or standing in one place for long periods. The other type of force that can occur at your spine is a shearing force, this occurs when we bend forward or overextend backward. Given that compressive forces are high in the back squat it becomes very important that we do not also increase the amount of shear occurring at our spine. This means not excessively leaning forward through our trunk. This often occurs when the load is too heavy and we are unable to appropriately load into our glutes.
The front squat shifts the weight to the fronts of your shoulders, out ahead of your spine. This means your core has to work harder to keep your torso upright and to keep from dumping the bar forward onto the ground.
Bringing the weight forward produces a more knee dominant movement and increases quadricep muscle engagement. Although the back squat is going to allow you to use the most weight when squatting, the front squat may have a better risk:reward when considering functionality and longevity. The other advantage of the front squat is that you are able to extend your hips fully at the top, seeing as the bar is on top of your shoulders there will likely be some degree of flexion in your hips at the top of the movement.
Extending this concept even further, consider a goblet squat. Here the weight is hel out in front of you in your hands. This is likely the safest way to squat although your ability to add load will be limited as your grip will become a limiting factor. Here the weight is even further out in front of your spine causing you to really use your core and your grip. The goblet squat also helps to reinforce appropriate form by serving as a counterbalance for you to sit your hips back. Thinking about descending with your elbows falling between your knees; this will help ensure appropriate knee position by preventing them from collapsing in.
Lastly we have our single leg variations, this includes pistol squats, skater squats, split squats and lunges. These are a great option for training a squat pattern with minimal access to equipment. They also tend to be more functional as much of the squatting that you typically do on a daily basis occurs on one leg; think about stairs, running, jumping, walking, playing tennis, yoga etc.
In terms of muscle engagement you are going to get more activation from the lateral hip muscles. These muscles are super important as they provide us with stability when we are moving in a front-back plane of movement, which is most of the time. Weakness in these muscles explains why we may have back pain after walking or running; when these muscles are not doing their job the muscles of the lower back attempt to take over which can cause back spasms or tightness.
Single leg squat variations tend to involve a higher degree of skill. Practice them unloaded or with light weights first as overloading them or training with poor form can cause issues with your pelvis, hip or back. Whether it is a lunge or a pistol squat, pay attention to what your knee is doing, do not let it collapse inside of your toes.
And that is the Squat!
