The squat is hailed as the king of all exercises for building strong and powerful lower body muscles. However, many people struggle to perform squats correctly, leading to discomfort and even injury. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through four easy steps to help you perfect your squat form, avoid common mistakes, and maximize your muscle growth. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned fitness enthusiast, these tips will transform your squats and take your gains to the next level.
Step 1: Set Up Your Squat for Success
Before diving into the squat, it's crucial to find the right setup for your body. This will ensure proper alignment and reduce the risk of injury. Start by positioning your feet hip-width apart and hold a light weight at your chest. Squat down and take note of how low you can comfortably go. Experiment with widening your stance by an inch or two to find the sweet spot that allows you to squat the lowest without discomfort.
When it comes to foot angle, slightly pointing your toes outwards can alleviate joint stress for most individuals. Don't force your feet to remain perfectly straight if it feels unnatural. Remember, everyone's anatomy is unique, so finding the optimal stance may require some trial and error.
Next, it's time to grab the bar. Place your feet under the bar and bend your knees to get underneath it. Position the bar on your upper back, ensuring it rests on the meaty part of your traps rather than the bony bump at the base of your neck. Grip the bar with your hands as narrow as possible without experiencing wrist, shoulder, or elbow pain. This narrower grip enhances upper back tightness and stability during the squat.
To ensure balance and stability, take three careful steps to walk the bar out of the rack. Start with a little step back with one foot, followed by the other. Use the third step to adjust your foot position to your ideal squat stance. Focus on spreading your weight evenly over your feet, making sure your big toe, pinky toe, and heel are in contact with the ground.
Step 2: Create Whole-Body Tension
To perform a squat with optimal form and maximize muscle activation, it's essential to create whole-body tension. This involves activating key muscles that protect your back and maintain stability throughout the movement.
Start by screwing your feet into the ground, as if you were trying to touch your heels together. This engagement of the lower body helps establish a solid foundation. Level your pelvis with the floor by tilting it back, similar to preventing water from spilling out of a bowl. Squeeze your inner thighs, glutes, and quads to lock in this adjusted pelvic position.
For the upper body, avoid pointing your elbows back and losing tightness in your upper back. Instead, pull your elbows forward under the bar and imagine bending the bar in half as you pull it down into your upper traps. This activates your lats and maintains stability in your upper back.
Take a deep breath into your waist, expanding all sides of your weight belt. Brace your core as if you just coughed forcefully. This combination of breathing and core engagement enhances overall stability and protects your spine during the squat. Ensure you feel the activation of your legs, core, and lats before proceeding to the descent.
Step 3: Master the Descent
As you initiate the descent of the squat, it's important to prioritize proper technique and control. Begin by pulling yourself down into the squat using your hamstrings. Allow your butt to drop down between your heels while pushing your knees out in the same direction as your toes. Maintain tightness in your upper back by continuously pulling the bar down throughout the descent.
How deep should you go? Research suggests that deep squats, where the hips go below parallel, can lead to greater muscle activation and growth in the glutes and abductors. Aim to squat down to at least parallel or slightly below if your mobility allows. Experiment with different stances to find the depth that works best for you.
However, it's important to note that some limitations may prevent you from achieving a deep squat. Limited ankle mobility or a weak core and glutes can hinder your ability to reach optimal depth. In such cases, elevating your heels with weight plates or incorporating more stable exercises like Smith machine squats can help you progress towards the barbell squat.
It's crucial to maintain proper alignment during the descent. Avoid excessive forward lean of the upper body, heels lifting off the ground, or excessive rounding of the lower back (known as butt wink). These are signs that you may not be ready to go deeper yet. Limited ankle mobility or a weak core and glutes can contribute to these issues.
Contrary to popular belief, letting your knees go over your toes is generally safe as long as they track in line with your toes. A 2019 study indicated that restricting knee travel increased stress on the hips and lower back. Therefore, focus on pushing your knees out in the same direction as your toes and maintain proper form throughout the descent.
When you reach the bottom position, avoid relying on gravity to bounce you back up. Instead, exert control and force your muscles to work by pausing for a half-second before proceeding to the ascent. This pause maximizes muscle activation and stimulates further growth.
Step 4: Power Through the Ascent
The final step of the squat is the ascent, where many people make common mistakes that compromise form and safety. To execute this phase correctly, focus on driving your traps up against the bar as you push the floor away. This upward drive should result in your chest and hips rising at the same rate, maintaining balance and minimizing stress on your lower back.
Keep your glutes engaged by ensuring your knees align with your toes throughout the ascent. Avoid allowing your knees to cave inward, as this can lead to poor mechanics and potential injury. Maintain a strong push against the floor, gradually extending your legs until they are fully straight at the top of the squat.
When completing the ascent, it's important to note that exhaling forcefully can decrease intra-abdominal pressure, potentially compromising spinal stability. Instead, focus on maintaining abdominal pressure by keeping your lips slightly held together as you gradually exhale. This technique helps protect your back and maintain stability throughout the movement.
After completing the ascent, take another deep breath, brace your core, and repeat the squat for another repetition. Congratulations! You have successfully performed the perfect squat.
Final Thoughts
Mastering the squat requires patience, practice, and attention to detail. By following these four easy steps, you can improve your squat form, maximize muscle growth, and reduce the risk of injury. Remember, everyone's body is unique, so it's essential to find the right exercises and proper form that work best for you. If you're unsure, consider seeking guidance from a qualified fitness professional.
To further enhance your training and progress, consider incorporating variations of the squat, such as front squats, goblet squats, or Bulgarian split squats. These exercises can provide additional challenges and target different muscle groups.
Now that you have the knowledge and tools to perform squats properly, take your training to the next level and unlock your full potential. Happy squatting!
Additional Information:
The squat is the KING…of poorly performed exercises. Get your barbell squat technique wrong and instead of growing nice quads and glutes, you’ll feel aches and pains in your knees, hips, back, and even shoulders. But if you want to learn how to squat properly or how to do a squat, follow these 4 easy steps and I guarantee you’ll get your back squat form perfect.