But some gyms don’t have the equipment you need for Squats: the Power Rack. Or maybe you’re building a home gym and don’t have a rack yet. Here are some alternatives to Power Racks and ways to Squat without rack.

Benefits of Power Rack. Power Racks make it easy to get the bar in the proper position for the Squat & Bench Press. They add safety and are versatile. Every gym should have a Power Rack.

• Easier. The easiest and safest way to get a loaded barbell on your back for Squats is using the uprights of your Power Rack.
• Safer. Power Racks have safety pins. If anything goes wrong during a Squat, you can drop the bar on these. Read this post.
• Versatile. Tons of exercises you can do with a quality Power Rack: Dips, Pull-ups, Inverted Rows, Rack Pulls, Bench Press, Front Squats, …

Alternatives to Power Racks. If your gym doesn’t have a Power Rack, you’ll usually encounter one of these to do your Squats in:

• Squat Rack. Open Power Rack. Less safe since they usually don’t have safety pins (although some do, but can’t be adjusted). Example.
• Squat Stands. Can fall over if you don’t watch what you’re doing. Don’t come with safety pins, but you can use saw horses. Example.
• Smith Machine. Power Rack with fixed barbell. It looks safer, but isn’t. And it’s less effective than using free weights. AVOID. Example.
• Leg Press. Same problems as the Smith Machine. Also: your pelvis can tilt back when going deep, causing lower back rounding and pain.

Why You Should Avoid The Smith Machine. The Smith Machine looks the same as if you would do free weight Squats, but safer. It’s, however, different. Here are 3 reasons you should avoid Smith Machines:

• Less Safe. Force your body into fixed movements patterns. This can cause knee/back injuries. And the fixed bar doesn’t prevent accidents.
• Less Efficient. Build less strength & muscle since the Smith balances the weight. Expect Squatting less when switching to free weights .
• Little Carry-over. Technique is different using free weights since you have to balance the weight yourself. You’ll have to relearn technique.

How to Squat When You Have No Power Rack. The next solutions work well to give you an idea of what you get from free weight Squats. But they’ll limit your progres in the long-term. Best is to get access to a Power Rack.

• Steinborn Lift. Lift the bar vertical, Squat under it and let the bar fall on your upper-back. Now Squat your reps. Video.
• Power Clean. Perform a Power Clean to get the bar from the floor on your front shoulders. Now Front Squat your reps.
• Bottom Position Squat. Put the bar on 2 saw horses. Now Squat from the bottom up. This is a lot harder, expect to lift less.

Limitations of The Steinborn Lift. Named after Henry “Milo” Steinborn who was Squatting 550lbs for reps in the 1920s. The Steinborn Lift will strengthen your abs. But it’s an advanced exercise with limitations.

• Less Safe. You have to know what you’re doing when picking up the bar and returning it to the floor since you don’t have safety pins.
• Less Strength. You’ll struggle increasing your Squat to more than 1x your body-weight since the Steinborn Lift pre-exhausts your Squat.
• Compromised Technique. Getting the bar in proper position on your back gets even more tricky when you have to do a Steinborn Lift first.

Limitations of The Power Clean. The biggest problem here is that you’re doing Front Squats instead of Back Squats. I recommend you to do the Steinborn Lift instead of Power Cleans. 3 reasons not to Power Clean + Front Squat:

• No Back Squats. Most people are quad dominant. They need posterior chain emphasis from Back Squats to restore balance (think knee health).
• Less Strength. Your Power Clean will limit your Front Squat. Hard to get past 1x your body-weight. You’ll stall on Power Cleans first.
• Less Safe. You don’t have safety pins in case you get stuck. This also limits strength since you can’t go all out without taking risks.

The Long-term Solution. Use the Steinborn Lift if you don’t have a Power Rack. You’ll be able to progress for 2-3 months before things get hard. Your progress should motivate you to find ways to keep going. Ideas:

• Switch Gym. There are gyms out there who have Power Racks. Find one. Check out the gym guide in the forum for ideas.
• Buy a Power Rack. Build a home gym if you got the place. You’ll get your money back within 3 years. Example racks: link, link, link.
• Build a Power Rack. Can be cheaper. Read this, this & this guides on building a Power Rack. Also these threads in the forum: link, link, link.

Last time: find access to a Power Rack. Smith Machine won’t work. Steinborn Lift only works for a while. If you want to get maximal results, the Power Rack is the only solution. Don’t waste your time on this.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

Time to cut the crap. What you Squat is ridiculous compared with what others lift. “Somewhere out there, a little Chinese girl is warming up with your max”. These are the 10 most impressive Squats of all time.

1. 1000lbs. Lee Moran was the 1st man to Squat 1000lbs. On his 1st attempt the bar flipped over his head and knocked him out. On the 2nd attempt 1 collar came off and the bar flipped over again. This was his 3rd attempt: 1003lbs.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Why impressive? His 2 failed attempts didn’t affect him.

2. 1000lbs x 2. Kirk Karwoski did raw Squats with 755lbs for 7 reps. 10 years after quiting competition he could still do 845lbs raw. He built this physique through powerlifting. Here’s “Captain Kirk” squatting 1000lbs for 2 reps.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Why impressive? “I want to hold it”

3. 1000lbs at 45. Dr. Fred Hatfield, aka Dr. Squat, won the World Powerlifting Championships 3 times. At age 45 he did a competitive Squat with 1014lbs at 255lbs body-weight. Video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Why impressive? He did this age 45.

4. 1000lbs from Pins. Expect to Squat less weight when doing a Pin or Box Squat. You can’t use the stretch reflex when you start from a dead stop. Bud Jeffries doesn’t mind it: 1000lbs Squat from pins.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Why impressive? It’s a pin Squat.

5. No-No-No Squats. In 1993, 3 days before winning the World Weightlifting Championship, Ivan Chakarov was spotted in the training halls doing high bar, ass to grass Squats with 265kg for 2 reps at 91kg body-weight.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Why impressive? No wraps, no belts, no spotters.

6. 400lbs x 20. Take your 10 rep max Squat and do 20 reps with it. Breathe between reps until you got all 20 reps, no matter what. Breathing Squats will test your mental endurance. Jesse Marunde:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Why impressive? He did these after heavy Power Cleans and Pull-ups.

7. 920lbs at 50. Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell club is the only man over 50 years old who can Squat 920lbs. He’s the proof that whatever your age is, you can Squat if you want to.

Why impressive? 920lbs at age 50.

8. 310 kg x 2. I first put Idalberto Arranda here with his 290kg high bar, ass to grass Squat for a double. But then I remembered Eduardo Guadamud doing Squats with 310kg for 2 reps. Video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Why impressive? Beyoncé playing in the background doesn’t affect him.

9. 815lbs at 181lbs BW. Wade Hooper took the 1st place in the 2008 USAPL Men’s Nationals with a 370kg Squat at 82,5kg body-weight. All using a single ply, walking out and squatting below parallel.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Why impressive? 4.5x body-weight Squat.

10. Female 843Lbs Squats. Becca Swanson is often referred to as the world’s strongest woman. She holds world records in the Squat & Deadlift. This video shows Swanson Squatting 843lbs.

Why impressive? I bet she Squats more than you do.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

The bar position during Squats influences your torso position. Bad positioning can not only mess with your Squat technique, it can also feel uncomfortable. Shoulder, wrist & neck pain are common during Squats.

Some solve neck pain by wrapping a towel around the bar or using a bar pad. This post will show you a better approach: putting the bar correctly on your back, and what to do if you struggle with that position.

High Bar vs. Low Bar Squats. Olympic weightlifters Squat high bar: it simulates the upright torso position during their competition lifts. You can, however, Squat more weight low bar, like Powerlifters do.

• High Bar Position. The bar rests on top of your traps. This increases the distance from bar to hips. Your torso ends more upright to keep the bar above the center of your feet. Quads & hips work equally.
• Low Bar Position. Bar on top of your scapular spine. The distance bar to hips decreases, forcing you to lean forward to keep balance. You can sit back more, thereby emphasizing your posterior chain.

Should You Squat Low or High Bar? High bar is easier on your shoulders and allows for more depth. High bar could also feel friendlier on your lower back if you have long legs/short torso like me (less forward lean).

If you are, however, like most people, you lack hip mobility. Your back will round when Squatting deep, increasing risks of injury. Unless you can Squat high bar correctly and it feels more comfortable, stick with low bar Squats.

Common Pains using The Low Bar Position. Lack of flexibility often prevents correct technique. Some things that tend to go wrong:

• Shoulder Pain. You lack shoulder mobility. The low bar position feels uncomfortable on your front shoulders/chest/upper-back.
• Wrist Pain. Your hands support the bar instead of your upper-back. Your wrists hurt when squatting with heavier weights.
• Neck Pain. The bar rests on your spine instead of on your upper-back muscles. Biceps might even go numb during heavy Squats.

Correct Low Bar Squat Position. Don’t wrap a towel around the bar or use a bar pad because it hurts. Both add inches to the bar, messing up with your technique. Start light so your skin toughens up and learn correct technique.

• Bar on Scapular Spine. The bone on top of your shoulder-blades. Put the bar just above your scapular spine for low bar Squats.
• Tight Upper-back. Imagine I put a pen between your shoulder-blades and you try to squeeze it. Chest up and shoulder-blades back.
• Narrow Grip. Makes it easier to tighten your upper-back. Grip the bar as narrow as you can and pull your elbows back.
• Straight Wrists. They shouldn’t be perfectly straight, but also not bent under the bar. Your back supports the weight, not your wrists.
• Shrug Your Lower Traps. Gives the bar extra support. Don’t pull your shoulders against your ears, shrug your upper-back.

Tight upper-back, lower traps shrugged.

Mobility Exercises. Widen your grip if your wrists keep bending under the bar or if it feels uncomfortable. Work on mobility 3-4x/week. Narrow your grip as your upper-body flexibility improves.

• Shoulder Dislocations. Improve upper-body flexibility. If you can’t do them right, you can’t Squat. Focus on proper technique.
• Soft Tissue Work. Get a foam roller and work your pecs, upper-back, lats. Work through the pain, it means you need it.
• Thoracic Mobility. Helps getting rid of the slouching shoulders/round upper-back. Spend a lot of time on thoracic extension.
• Hip Mobility. Lack of thoracic mobility is linked with lack of hip mobility. Check the hip mobility post and magnificent mobility for more.
• Strengthen Your Upper-back. External rotations, scapular wall slides, scap push-ups, … will teach you to keep your shoulders-blades tight.

Last tip: keep Squatting. The low bar Squat position works as an upper-body stretch. Squat a lot & often, and you’ll improve.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

A lot of people — including doctors — will tell you Squats are bad for your knees. Instead of boring you with orthopedic reasons why deep Squats are better for your knees than parallel Squats, I have some practical evidence for you.

The following post was submitted by reader Michael Healy (mjh in the forum). It’s a great example of how some of the worst knee conditions can be improved using Squats. Read mjh’s article, I’ll add my views at the bottom.

Squats, My Knees & Me. I ran into a pole on the school tennis courts at age 11. My left knee fractured into 3 pieces. The fall that followed dislocated the patella fragments and damaged the knee ligaments & tendons.

I underwent surgery and was left with a wire holding my knee together. I spent 10 days in hospital, 8 weeks in a leg cast. When they removed the cast, I had reduced knee mobility, thigh atrophy and a lot of pain.

Physiotherapy was boring, inefficient & painful. Not playing sports depressed me. I soon stopped the home exercises & therapy. Sedentary life style began, with the exception of walking or cycling for transport.

My knee healed well enough to walk. I could run, but before long I’d be in pain. After basketball games, I had discomfort, aches or pains. I favored my right knee to “protect” my left knee, which I thought of as weak & fragile.

Fast Forward to Age 21. After a drunken night game of bull-rush, I woke up with pain & swelling. X-rays and ultra-sounds revealed nothing. My specialist diagnosed arthritis. He prescribed a leg brace & walking stick until it settled.

While pogoing at Punkfest 2001, I suffered subluxation of my right knee. This happened to my left knee months later. These injuries led to a diagnosis of trochlear dysplasia. My uncle said I’ve inherited the infamous Healy knees.

So there I was at age 22. Arthritis, unstable kneecaps, constant aches & pains. I sometimes joked about being in a mobility scooter sooner rather than later, but I wasn’t really joking.

Squats. The desire to get stronger led me to Stronglifts 5×5. I was concerned about hurting my knees on Squats, but I had read articles on why deep Squats are better than partial Squats or machines.

I learned to Front Squat using knee support and light weights. One day I forgot my knee support. I could barely tell the difference. My knee felt stronger and I could see a new muscularity working as I moved.

This improvement encouraged me. But my right thigh was stronger and 8cm bigger than my left thigh. My right thigh was bearing more of the load in the Squat, which I knew would only make the problem worse.

Singe Leg Work. After researching unilateral leg exercises and a thread in the Forum, I added to my routine:

• Split Squats
• Reverse Lunges
• Bulgarian Squats

I alternate one of these each workout. 3 sets of 10 reps for hypertrophy. I use a barbell with the clean grip for several reasons:

• I don’t have access to a Squat Rack, and so can’t easily get a barbell on and off my back.
• It encourages me to keep my torso erect. Elbows up and in, chest out. I tend to slouch my shoulders and round my back with dumbbells.
• It’s harder to balance. This works my core more and forces me to make each rep slow and steady.

I focus on using both legs when I Front Squat. I also do glute activation, hip mobility exercises and soft tissue work with a tennis ball. My goal is to correct years of bad posture and muscle imbalances.

Mjh’s legs. Left: Feb 14th 2008. Right: May 23rd, 2008.

Before & After. All these efforts are showing results. Compare the left photo from 14 February 2008 with the right one from 23 May 2008. My injured left knee is on the right in the photos.

• My left knee muscles are bigger & stronger. This reduced mobility of my patella. I can no longer move it around in its socket.
• Size difference between left & right leg has reduced from 8 to 4cm.
• Knee pain has reduced. Aching only comes after vigorous exercise or as post workout soreness.
• Part of the improvement was psychological. My left knee no longer feels weak, and I don’t protect it from daily loading or balancing anymore.

More Examples. I’m not the only one to improve my knees with Squats. Forum member esmitty wrote about his wife in early May:

She also has “bad knees”. They pop and grind when she squats. Our chiropractor took some x-rays on her knees and said that much of her cartilage is worn. “She has the knees of a 50 year old” he said. (She’s 33). She’s concerned about stressing her knees out.

She couldn’t finish 5 sets of 5 squats, and was sore after trying. 2 weeks later, esmitty posted:

My wife did her first 5×5 set of unassisted body weight squats. She is so excited to make that milestone, she had tears in her eyes… Less than 3 weeks ago she couldn’t do 1 set of 5, now exactly 7 workouts into the routine, she can do all 5×5 and will start with 5lb on Wednesday!

Squats, done correctly, are good for your knees. You might find that Squatting is exactly what they need.

#########

How to Get Rid of Your Knee Pain. I wrote about knee pain before. Bottom line: improve ankle/hip mobility using dynamic stretches and strengthen your legs — especially your posterior chain.

I don’t like mjh doing Front Squats only. Weak posterior chain is a big cause of knee pain. I’d recommend adding Pull-throughs, Glute-Ham Raises, 1 Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts, etc as he doesn’t have access to a Squat Rack.

This one was posted by forum member Jstahly.

I had minor surgery on my left knee a little over 2 years ago to fix some cartilage and a grind down a bone spur. This knee is the one I hurt in high school during wrestling practice and has the tender patella tendon. I use to wear a very tight knee wrap when I did my squats because the tendon above the knee would ache badly if I didn’t and this knee would randomly ache throughout the week.

Since I have started doing full squats instead of partials my knee(s) has gotten much better. I no longer wear a knee wrap, even on the heavier lifts and the tendon pain is almost all gone. The tendon is less sensitive to touch as well and almost never aches now. I have had this problem since 1973 when I originally injured it.

All in all even with my 52 year old body complaining (loudly at times) about what I’m putting it through the aches and pains are lessening. I feel better today than I did 10 years ago, my health, weight and mental attitude have improved a lot. I would do this all over again if I had too, the rewards have been to great to give up on and I know there are still more and bigger benefits yet to be received. It’s just hard to remember that sometimes when your in the hole of a heavy squat.

Start light, focus on correct technique and add weight progressively. Add single leg work, always pushing your knees out. Get Bullet Proof Knees for a definite resource on eliminating knee pain.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

From a safety & performance standpoint, Box Squats are superior to Squats. Many coaches have replaced Squats by Box Squats for those reasons. Here’s how to perform Box Squats with proper technique.

What Are Box Squats? Grab a box on which your hips end up lower than your knees when sitting. Squat down by sitting on the box. No bouncing, no touch & go. Sit back on the box in a controlled way. Then come back up.

Check Boris “Squat RX” Bachman’s video on the Box Squat. Notice his hips move back first on the way down. Notice also his shins stay perpendicular to the floor. And he doesn’t bounce off the box.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Benefits of Box Squats. Many of you will struggle to do Squats correctly. While giving up an exercise too early is never the option, switching to Box Squats can allow for safer & faster progress. Benefits:

• Enforce Proper Technique. You can’t cheat depth and you learn to sit back by moving your hips first. Box Squats also improve hip mobility.
• Develop Hip Power. Box Squats have you start from a dead stop in the bottom position. This develops a strong, explosive posterior chain.
• Safer. Rounding the lower back on Squats is common. While you still can do it on Box Squats, it’s much harder and often goes away faster.

Getting The Box. Grab a box on which your hips end up below your knees when sitting. A box big enough for your glutes to sit on. Best is a box that allows for different heights so you can vary depth.

• Plates. Bumper plates are thicker thus work better. But you’ll need a lot of plates to get the right height, gym people might not be happy.
• Be Creative. Aerobic box. Or plyometric jump box. Or build a wooden box. If it’s robust, it works. I use stones. A bench is usually too high.
• Adjustable Box. Elite FTS sells a box you can adjust at different heights. You’ll find more info at their site.

Low bar position on Box Squat. Notice the tight upper-back.

Box Squat Starting Position. The starting position on Box Squats is similar as for Squats. Although you’ll use a slightly wider stance.

• Low Bar. High bar doesn’t work for Box Squats. Put the bar low, on top of your scapular spine. If this position feels hard: thoracic mobility.
• Narrow Grip. Makes it easier to keep your upper-back tight, which adds strength. Do shoulder dislocations if you struggle with this position.
• Foot Stance. Doesn’t need to be a sumo stance, but should definitely be wider than your shoulder-width. Feet turned out about 30°.
• Tight Upper-back. Imagine you try to squeeze a pen between your shoulder-blades. Keep this position during the whole lift.
• Chest Up. Make a big chest and keep it up. This together with the tight upper-back will prevent your back to bend.
• Look Forward. Fix a point in front of you during the whole lift. Don’t look up or down: look forward. If it’s a mirror: look through it.
• Push Your Abs Out. Increases lower back stability. Push your abs out as if someone was going to punch you in your stomach.

How to Squat Down on The Box. Lower yourself by moving your hips first. Your knees should hardly move during Box Squats, it all comes from your hips. Read the article on how NOT to Squat.

• Sit Back. Lead by pushing your hips back as far as you can. Think sitting on a toilet. Your knees don’t move, your hips move back.
• Shins Perpendicular. Or even past perpendicular to the floor. You’ll get this by moving your hips first. Push them back as far as you can.
• Knees Out. Your upper-thighs must stay inline with your feet to avoid knee injuries. Push your knees out, point them where your toes point.
• Sit on The Box. Do not let yourself fall on the box. Lower yourself under control. Not slow, and not a touch & go. It should be controlled.
• Stay Tight. Don’t relax your muscles, it can cause back injuries. Keep all your muscles tight on the box.

How to Squat off The Box. Stay tight, keep your chest up and look forward. Squat up by thinking hips up, do not lean forward.

• Heels on The Floor. Curl your toes. Heels on the floor so you don’t lose balance. Push from the outer side of your feet (wear Chuck Taylor’s!)
• Explode. You can’t do Box Squats slow. Squat up by exploding from your hips. That’s how Box Squats build hip power.

Common Box Squat Mistakes. Box Squats – like any weight lifting exercise – can mess with your lower back if you don’t do them correctly. The key is to sit on the box and stay tight. Do not bounce or relax.

• Bouncing off The Box. Sandwiches your spine between the bar & the box, causing back injuries. Lower yourself under control. Sit on the box.
• Relaxing on The Box. Your spine gets the whole load as surrounding muscles can’t provide support. Stay tight, push your abs out.
• Knees Forward. Kills posterior chain strength. Keep your shins (past) perpendicular to the floor. Lower yourself by pushing your hips back.
• Rocking Forward. Can’t use your glutes effectively this way and risk back injury. Squat up by moving your hips up. Keep your torso still.
• Leaning Forward. Can make your back round. Look forward, big chest, shoulder-blades back & down, arch your back, push your abs out, Squat.
• Knees In. Puts uneven compressive forces on your knee joint. Push your knees out from start to finish. Keep your thighs inline with your feet.

More on Box Squats. Here are some extra articles on the Box Squat written by the Westside Barbell guys. Read them, you can never have enough info.

• Why You Should Box Squat & Box Squatting by Louie Simmons. 2 guides on Box Squats written by Louie Simmons himself.
• Squatting from Head to Toe by Dave Tate. He squats 900 pounds and was trained by Louie Simmons.
• EliteFTS Exercise Index Squat and Deadlift. 114mins DVD on Squat & Deadlift technique, including Box Squats. Watch the trailer.

One variation of the Box Squat is the Box Front Squat. Technique is similar to Box Squats, but using a clean grip. Great exercise, I might write about in the future. Subscribe to automatically get free updates (and a free eBook).

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

Where You Shouldn’t Look During Squats. These are the 3 biggest mistakes you’ll see on the Squat with regard to the head position.

• Not at Your Feet. Your body follows your head. If you bend your neck to look down, your upper & lower back will also want to bend. Rounding your lower back during Squats increases risks of spinal discs injuries.
• Not at The Ceiling. Hyper-extending your cervical spine increases risks of spinal discs injuries. It also shifts the weight to your heels which can make you lose balance. More bad technique can follow to compensate.
• Not Aside. Never look aside during Squats or any other exercise to see what’s going on there. It’s a guaranteed way to tweak your neck.

Starting Strength’s Way. Starting Strength recommends to fix a point 5-6′ in front of you on the floor. Several readers have posted videos in StrongLifts.com Forum showing bad technique while they own Starting Strength. Examples:

• Looking too much down because you’re squatting close to a wall/mirror
• Finishing the Squat with your neck bent, torso bent and hips unlocked

Read the text (p. 27), don’t only watch the pictures (p. 26). Most of you face a wall/mirror when squatting, so you can’t fix a point 5-6′ in front of you on the floor. The point is to keep your neck inline with the rest of your spine.

Where You Should Look. Not at the ceiling as this is bad for your neck. Not at the floor as this causes your back to bend. Your cervical spine should be inline with the rest of your spine during Squats for maximal safety.

Look forward. Fix a point on the wall/mirror in front of you. Your neck won’t be perfectly inline with the rest of your spine in the bottom Squat position. But as long as you don’t look at the ceiling, your neck will be ok.

Forward Head Posture. If you have a forward head posture, your neck is more at risk. If you have a forward head posture, you’ll usually also have kyphosis (a bent upper-back). Improve your thoracic mobility, then work on head posture.

• Do Nods. Make a double chin, hold for 5 sec, repeat for 10 reps. Don’t retract your neck, and don’t force the range of motion.
• Stretch. Your Levator Scapulae, like this. Stretch also your upper-traps & sternocleidomastoid (same stretch, but tilting head to the side).
• Keep Your Head Back. When sitting, working on computer, driving, etc Do a few nods when in doubt.

Remember this also for other exercises like Deadlifts or Pull-ups. Just like your lower back must remain neutral, so should your cervical spine remain neutral from start to finish to prevent spinal disc injuries.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

The 2nd biggest Squat mistake is lowering yourself by moving your knees first. This impairs performance and can also cause knee injuries. The correct way to squat is using your hip muscles. Here’s how.

How NOT to Squat. Here’s a video of reader Banderbe’s Squat technique. Pay attention to the bar placement and his knees/hips movement. He squats down by flexing his knees first instead of his hips, and uses a high bar position.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Why This Is Bad Squat Technique. Low bar Squats emphasize your posterior chain. High bar Squats are quad dominant. It’s not bad to Squat high bar as long as your training program is balanced. But moving your knees first is bad.

• Strength Loss. Power comes from your hips. You can’t use your hip muscles optimally when squatting down by flexing your knees first.
• Knee Injury. Squatting down by flexing the knees first impairs posterior chain strength. A weak posterior chain can cause knee injuries.
• And Much More. Anything becomes possible when you squat low bar by flexing your knees first: excessive leaning forward, lower back rounding, heels off the floor, etc.

How to Squat Correctly. Move your hips first. This stretches your hamstrings on the way down, storing energy in your stretched muscles. Use this energy on the way up by bouncing off your stretched hamstrings.

• Sit Back. Think of sitting on a toilet. Squat down by pushing your hips back as far as you can. This stretches your hamstrings, building tension.
• Lean Forward. Put the bar low on your traps and lean forward. Keep the bar above the center of your feet so you don’t lose balance.
• Look forward. Avoid doing a goodmorning. Look forward while keeping your neck straight. Big chest, shoulder-blades back & down.

Good Squats, Bad Squats. Here’s an example of good vs. bad Squat technique. First 30 seconds is bad technique, next 30sec good technique. Ignore the depth: I’m using a broomstick. Focus on the knees/hips movement.

Click here to view the embedded video.

How to Learn Correct Squat Technique. Most people are quad dominant and have tight hamstrings/adductors. Moving your knees first is usually caused by weak posterior chain muscles or lack of hip mobility. Here’s what you can do

• Squat Stretch. Hold on to something. Chest up. Shoulder-blades back & down. Lower leg close to perpendicular to the floor. Knees out. Push your hips back. You’ll feel tension in your hamstrings/adductors. Hold the stretch. Aim for 30 seconds while trying to break parallel.

  Click here to view the embedded video.

• Wall Squats. Force you to move your hips first instead of your knees. Stand against a wall with your hands between your legs and squat down. Push your knees out.

  Click here to view the embedded video.

• Practice. Low bar position. Chest up. Shoulder-blades back & down. Curl your toes up. Push your hips back as far as you can. Lean forward. Knees out. Break parallel. Bounce of your hamstrings.

The same principle applies to High Bar Olympic Squats & Front Squats. The upright torso position makes sitting back harder but you still must move your hips first. Dan John recommends to “squat between your legs”.

Best cue is to go for the hamstrings stretch. When you squat down correctly, you’ll feel tension in your hamstrings. The greater the tension, the bigger the force on the way up, and the more weight on the bar.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

The truth is that Squats are a good indicator of health. If your knees hurt you’re Squatting incorrectly or something prevents you to Squat correctly. Here are 10 tips to stop your knees from popping and cracking.

1. Strengthen Your Knees. Your knee joint is made for stability. Strengthening your leg muscles — quadriceps, but especially hamstrings & glutes — increases the stability of your knee joint by adding support.

Squatting below parallel is the best exercise for overall leg strength. Start with an empty bar, focus on Squat technique, add weight each workout. After 2-3 months Squatting with good technique your knees will feel better.

2. Squat Correctly. The length of your legs & torso influences the knee position on Squats. Your knees may or may not come over your toes depending on your built. Knee position is therefore irrelevant. What matters:

• Squat Below Parallel. Partial Squats don’t strengthen your posterior chain, causing muscle imbalances. Your hip joint must come lower than your knee joint. Tape yourself or ask someone to check depth.
• Sit Back. You risk bouncing on your knees if you Squat straight down. Squat down by moving your hips first. Push your hip back as far as you can. Lower the weight and stretch your hamstrings if necessary.
• Knees out, Toes out. Knees out strengthens your adductors. Your feet must be inline with your thighs. Squatting with your knees out & toes in (or knees in & toes out) puts uneven compressive forces on your knees.
• Heels on The Floor. Squatting with your heels off the floor stresses your knees. Read how to keep your heels on the floor on Squats.

Many other weight lifting exercises can cause knee pain. The Push Press for example can hurt your knees if you dip on your toes. Read the articles on exercise technique and get Starting Strength.

3. Warm-up. Warm-ups lubricate your joints, raise the temperature of your body, let you practice technique, etc. Do some dynamic stretching. Start each exercise with an empty bar. Read how to do proper warm-ups.

4. Improve Hip Mobility. Your knees are designed for stability. Your hips are designed for mobility. Lack of hip mobility forces your knees to compensate & causes technique problems. Read how to improve your hip mobility.

5. Improve Ankle Moblity. Same story as for the hips. Lack of ankle mobility forces your knees to compensate, causing knee pain. Tight calves can cause posterior knee pain. Improve your ankle mobility.

6. Glute Activation. Tight hip flexors — lack of hip mobility — are linked to dormant glutes. Weak glutes lead to several problems on the Squat: heels coming off the floor, knees buckling in, etc. Work on glute activation.

7. Soft Tissue Work. Popping knees is evidence of trigger points causing joint stress. You can remove the knots through soft tissue therapy using a tennis ball or foam roller. Lauren wrote a guide on soft tissue work using a tennis ball.

Trigger points in your peroneals can cause knee pain. Massage them using a tennis ball. Massage all your leg muscles while you’re at it. I recommend the trigger therapy handbook for a definitive guide on soft tissue work.

Soft tissue work for Peroneals. Image credit: laurensfitness.com

8. Learn to Jump. Landing with straight knees forces your joints to absorb force. This is bad for your knees, but also for your lower back, hips, ankles, …

The correct way is landing into a Half Squat. This way your muscles & tendons absorb the force, not your joints. This is for any kind of jumping: basketball, plyometrics, Power Cleans, etc.

9. Eat Healthy. You are what you eat. Healthy nutrition improves the quality of your skin, digestion, joints, …

• Fish Oil. Inflammation is linked to joint destruction. Fish oil helps against inflammation. Eat fatty fish and supplement with fish oil.
• Veggies & Fruits. Full of vitamins, minerals & antioxidants. Especially antioxidants (berries) improve connective tissue health.

10. Stop Doing What Hurts. Watch out with leg extensions, straight-legged deadlifts, hamstring/adductor static stretches with locked knees, etc. All put pressure on your knee joints. Avoid.

More on Knee Health. I didn’t include knee sleeves or supplements. Improving technique, mobility and posterior chain strength will solve most knee problems. Check out Bullet Proof Knees if you want a resource on eliminating knee pain.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

Squatting with your heels off the floor increases the torque on your lower back, stresses your knees and can cause plantar fasciitis. Squatting with your heels off the floor can also make you lose balance.

You must keep your heels on the floor during Squats to minimize risks of injury. Many of you struggle with this. Not anymore. Here are 7 ways to keep your heels on the floor on Squats.

1. Curl Your Toes up. Simple trick to keep your heels on the floor when doing Squats. Your heels can’t come off the floor if you curl your toes up. The weight automatically shifts to the center of your feet.

2. Keep Balance. Your heels can come off the floor if you Squat with the bar in front of the center of your feet. Keep the bar above the center of your feet.

• Bar Position. Put the bar low, on the muscles of your back shoulders. Below the bone at the top of your shoulder-blades.
• Squatting down. Move your hips first, not your knees. Squat down by bringing your hips back before moving your knees.
• Squatting up. Bringing your hips forward will push your knees forward. Bring your hips up, not forward.

3. Improve Hip Mobility. Your heels can come off the floor if you have tight hip flexors. This is your feet compensating lack of hip mobility. Do Reverse Warrior Lunges & Split Squats to improve your hip flexor flexibility.

4. Glute Activation. If you have tight hip flexors, you also have weak & dormant glutes. This is Reciprocal Inhibition. Anterior pelvic tilt and bad Squat technique are possible. Do Glute Activation exercises.

5. Improve Ankle Mobility. Bottom Squat position needs dorsiflexion flexibility. Tight plantarflexors inhibit optimal dorsiflexion. Your heels will come off the floor to compensate lack of ankle mobility. This can cause plantar fasciitis.

Increase your ankle mobility using Ankle Mobility Drills & Pike Calf Stretches. You can Squat with a wider stance in the meanwhile. Your ankles bend less with a wide stance as your shins are more perpendicular to the floor.

6. Proper Footwear. Running shoes with air or gel filling impair stability. Wear shoes with a hard, incompressible sole and good heel support. Flat soles work best for low bar parallel Squats.

• Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars
• Adidas Superstars or Sambas
• Wrestling shoes

7. Strengthen Your Posterior Chain. Heels coming off the floor can mean your quads are stronger than your posterior chain. Make sure your routine includes exercises for your glutes & hamstrings: Deadlifts, Power Cleans, Back Squats, …

Never put a plate under your heels to work around the problem. Find out why your heels come off the floor during Squats and fix it.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

I have a problem with keeping my knees from buckling in as I move to higher weights in my Back Squats. I know that I am weak on the lateral aspect of my legs and that I need to concentrate on abduction movements to help strengthen that area.

Which muscles do I want to target besides my vastus lateralis and gluteus medius to keep my knees straight while doing squats? What exercises would you recommend to strengthen these muscles?

Reader Craig reported the same problem in StrongLifts.com Forum. He wrote: “I’m worried about my knees, they wobble sometimes when I’m pushing up”. Check Craig’s knees in the video below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Why You Must Keep Your Knees Out. It’s easier to break parallel when your knees are out: your stomach doesn’t get in the way of your legs. Knees out also means more strength and less chance of injury.

• More Strength. Your quads do all the work when you Squat with your knees in. Knees out involves your adductors & makes squeezing your glutes easier. More muscles used is more strength.
• Knee Safety. Your feet must be inline with your thighs. Knees out is more strength, thus toes out. Squatting with knees in & toes out puts uneven compressive forces on your knees.

Why Your Knees Buckle In. Knees buckling in on Squats means your have weak adductors. Strengthening your abductors won’t solve the problem.

Same reader Matt replied:

Are you sure its weak adductors? I was taught that adductors pull your legs in towards the midline and abductors pull away from the midline of your body.

Being in the exercise science field myself and talking to other professionals on this matter, we believe that the problem is weak abductors or lack flexibility in my adductors.

Getup. Do body-weight Squats while pushing your knees out. Feel how your adductors extend on the way down & shorten on the way up. Now Squat with your knees in. Your adductors can’t work, your quads do everything.

Matt is right on the adductor/abductor function. Hip flexibility is important, work on that too using the Squat stretch. But if your knees buckle in on Squats, you have weak adductors. Not weak abductors.

How to Keep Your Knees Out. Don’t lose your time strengthening your adductors with special exercises. Squats will fix the problem.

• Push Your Knees Out. Actively push your knees to the side on each rep you Squat. Focus, tighten all muscles & exaggerate pushing your knees out. Your adductors will get stronger.
• Lower The Weight. Easier to learn technique with light weights. Lower the weight. Relearn how to Squat. Increase the weight each workout.
• Use a Resistance Band. Do body-weight Squats with a mini Flex Band double wrapped right below your knees. The resistance band will force you to push your knees out. 3 sets of 10 as warmup/on recovery days.

Resistance bands works well if you lack muscle control / focus to push your knees out while Squatting. If you don’t have that problem, actively push your knees out every time you Squat. Your knees will stop buckling in.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.