Back Squat
The back squat is possibly the most all-round effective exercise you can do in a strength training regime. This exercise, when done correctly, will activate more muscles than any other exercise. The operative word here being correctly. First of all lets get clear on what a back squat actually is… This is the exercise where you place a loaded bar on the back of your shoulders/base of your neck and squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground or beyond. Good, now we’re on the same page. Lets look at why you should be squatting… Benefits of SquattingSquatting is an exercise that is incorporated into almost every athletic strength and conditioning programme. Here are the reasons… - The squat recruits more muscles (motor units) than any other exercise known to mankind.
- The squat is a primal motion pattern, which means it is a movement that the human body is naturally meant to perform.
- Because of the large number of motor units recruited, the back squat stimulates the production of key hormones such as testosterone and human growth hormone. And yes, this is good for women too, especially for performance.
- Both athletic performance and daily tasks require first and foremost powerful hip extension. The squat is by far the most powerful way to develop this.
- Squatting strengthens the back better than any other exercise.
Dos and Don’ts of the Back SquatI see so many people doing squats with poor form in the major fitness centres. I have even seen people working with a trainer while the trainer stands by and counts out damaging rep after damaging rep. It’s a sad fact but it’s happening everywhere. The problem is that with great power comes great responsibility. Because the squat is such an effective exercise it also has the power to damage a person in unimaginable ways over the long term when done ineffectively. DON’T… - Let your knees extend beyond your toes. This opens the knee joint to an unnatural angle and places great strain on both cartilage and the anterior cruciate ligament. This is a bad thing by the way.
- Squat with a rounded spine. This places what is called shear pressure on your lumbar vertebrae. Shear pressure leads to disc protrusions and painful “bone on bone” in the spine.
- Perform back squats with a hyper-extended spine. This is in response to the last point. While trying not to have a rounded back people tend to extend a little too far the other way. This places the muscles that hold you upright into an unnatural position and weakens their effect on your spinal stability.
- Squat shallow. This is a major mistake many people make. I see people trying to squat enormous amounts of weight and as a result they don’t go deep enough. You should go at least parallel. Squatting shallow creates a weak point beyond the point at which you are squatting, which leads to poor performance and injury in sport and daily tasks.
DO… - Stick out your chest a little and always look forward. This helps keep your back straight.
- Bend at the hips. There is a common misconception that to have a straight back means having it at 90 degrees to the floor. Your back needs to be straight but you can still bend at the hips, which places your back at around 55 degrees. As long as the spine is aligned it’s fine.
- Focus the weight through your heels instead of letting the distribution of weight go over your toes.
- Squat just beyond parallel but not too deep. Squatting to the floor increases lumbar curve and places shear pressure on your spine.
- Perform squats before anything else within a workout. The reason is twofold; the first being that the squat takes a lot of energy. Muscle fatigue will compromise form. Secondly, the back squat stimulates production of many hormones and will charge you up for the rest of the workout.
That was a basic run-down of the back squat. All in all it is a fantastic exercise and should be learned by everyone. By doing so you are developing the most primal movement patterns that exists. Take the time to learn it properly, seek out instruction and it will become the centre of all strength workouts.
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