Squats are a movement that we do all day long, and they are the basis for building strength & power through any CrossFit program.
Doing the squat is seems easy enough, but is commonly done incorrectly.
The setup:
– The barbell should be in a rack to begin
– Back squat: Lift the barbell out of the rack by placing it along the muscular part of your upper back / lower neck (upper traps)
Front squat: Lift the barbell out of the rack by placing it up against the front of your neck, with your fingers under the bar, and your elbows flexed and high making your upper arm parallel to the floor
– Your hands should be gripping the bar just outside of shoulder width
– Align your feet shoulder width apart with a little external rotation (ideal is 8-15 degrees)
The movement:
– Your bodyweight distribution should be toward your heels (in the front of the heel ideally) for the majority of the movement
– To start the movement brace your core (flex your abs)
– Push your hips back, and start to bend your knees
– Lower yourself down into a squat
Performance points:
– The ideal bottom position is for your hip crease to be just below the top of your knees
– When starting out you should only go as low as you can maintain a neutral spine, and as you improve your flexibility you will be able to increase your squat depth
– As you lower yourself into each squat push your knees apart to engage your glutes (butt muscles)
– Your knees should ALWAYS be tracking the direction of your toes, or to the outside of your toes
– AVOID allowing your knees track to the inside of your toes
– Push your elbows toward the front of your body to increase lat (outside back muscle) engagement