In a new video on the Athlean-X channel, strength coach Jeff Cavaliere CSCS lists the most common mistakes people tend to make when back squatting and how to correct them.
First, he explains, many people start with the wrong posture, making it too narrow or too wide. But there’s an easy way to find the right posture for you: Simply lie on your back with your knees raised, then spread your legs apart to find the point of maximum hip flexion where you’re not rounding your back. Once you’ve found that sweet spot, align your feet with your thighbones, then stand up.
Foot placement is another area where a little tweaking can lead to big improvements. “It’s generally accepted that a little bit of outward rotation of the foot will create more space within the hip joint when you go deep, and you’ll also get a better job of recruiting the adductors at the bottom of the squat to help you power copy.” security,” says Cavaliere. “But if you forget to move the rest of your leg besides your foot, you’re asking for trouble…you’re creating knee torsion problems…Stop worrying about rotating your feet and start rotating your knees. If you move your knees out, your foot will move with them, as will your hip.
Another common misconception, adds Cavaliere, is the idea that the knees should never go over the feet during a squat, something many people take to heart, meaning they don’t go as deep into the movement as they can.
It’s also important to keep your chest and pelvis together at all times in a squat. “It gets more challenging at the bottom of the squat, where there’s a tendency to let the hips move first, breaking the link,” says Cavaliere. “But if you do this and do it right, it will lead to a more efficient squat and a straighter bar.” Many people also forget to squeeze the lats while squatting, which can cause the chest to round and sag. “It maintains that lateral support needed to create that rigid torso,” he adds.
Cavaliere also takes issue with people using padding on the bar while squatting; while he ostensibly exists to make the movement more comfortable, he actually creates far fewer opportunities for the bar to sit comfortably on the shoulders. It only fits naturally over the lower cervical vertebrae, but won’t stay comfortable for long. “If you get rid of this and put the bar on your back, you’ll find a more optimal position without the downsides that come with that pad,” he says.
He goes on to suggest incorporating complementary unilateral exercises like the Bulgarian split squat, lunge, or step into your training as a way to identify and work on imbalances in your strength.
Not heating enough is another common mistake. Just as dangerous is piling on weight and rushing in to get a big total lift before your body is ready. “If you’re looking to prepare your body to perform something like a squat, you want to make sure you take at least some time to prepare your body to do it,” says Cavaliere.
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