The Squat – It’s the best exercise in the world and you’re probably doing it wrong!
Let me ask you, when you go to the gym do you squat? Has anyone ever shown you the correct way to do this fantastic exercise?
The squat is simply the best exercise you can do, it strengthens your back, legs shoulders, bum and core, it helps improve digestion, it massively speeds up your metabolism and helps you to burn fat. It also improves the overall power and strength of your legs.
What more could you want from an exercise!
BUT this only happens when performed correctly:
- The bar should rest on the top of the shoulder blades
- Feet should be shoulder width apart
- – Chest elevated
- – Abs pulled in
- Breathe in at the top, hold your breath on the way down and release on the way up
When doing the squat you should always keep your back straight and the bar over your heels, see the pictures above and see which one you resemble when you squat.
When performed incorrectly the squat can do lots of damage to your body, common injuries resulting from poor squat technique include knee pain, back pain – both upper and lower – shoulder and neck pain and abdominal strain.
If you can’t squat properly or its causing you pain to squat get help from a professional that knows how to squat properly, and I don’t mean by asking someone you see squatting 150kg wearing a weight belt.
Wearing a belt when squatting is probably one of the quickest ways to injure your back.
It is not good for you believe me – I’ve had to rehabilitate a lot of backs and several have been because of weight belts. Weight belt wearers believe it makes them stronger and lift heavier, in truth what it does is trick the body into believing there is more strength in the body than there is. It also conditions the body to distend the abdominal wall making the pelvic floor muscles weak and the back weak.
Don’t believe me? Suck in your stomach and tighten your pelvic floor muscles and try to bend side to side. Not so easy is it. This is an active abdominal wall.
Now push out your belly button out and try the same thing. Notice how easy your spine flexes.
If you want to get stronger fitter and healthier, squat belt free and with good technique.
Happy squatting!
