

If the ranges are limited in both positions, there is probably tightness in the knees or hips.

Pulling them with over pressure will reveal the joint range of motion.Lying on your back pulling your knees to your chest will reveal what your muscles can produce in terms of control of the joints.Supine Active and Passive Knee and Hip Mobility Test (Double Knee to Chest)Ī good way to check knee and hip mobility in a position that replicates the squat form is in the supine double knee to chest raise test. The back knee should clear the inside bone of the front ankle, the medial malleolus.Keeping both heels down, bend as far as possible over the ankles.Simply stand with one foot in front of the other in a tandem position.The standing ankle mobility test is an easy way to determine this without equipment or measuring devices.
#PROPER SQUAT FORM FULL#
Ankle Mobility Testĭemonstrating full ankle mobility in an open kinetic chain position, meaning not connected to the ground, is good, but measuring how the ankle moves when it is weight bearing on the ground is more functional and practical. There also needs to be proper mobility in the spine, especially the thoracic region. Practicing the wrong concepts will only lead to improper results.īefore training the squat pattern, proper mobility is required in the ankles, knees and hips. You also should not continue to train and “learn” on a dysfunctional pattern. If you don’t move well first, you can’t add loads to a dysfunctional movement. To execute a proper squat, first you will need to ensure that you have proper mobility throughout the legs and the torso. Ensuring proper squat form and technique is crucial before adding loads to the pattern. The number one mistake individuals make is that they add weight and loads to a dysfunctional squat.ĭysfunctional squats can predispose someone to excessive stress, pain and/or injury in the neck, low back, hips, and knees and even in the ankles.

The back squat might be the “big boy” move aside from the dead lift when it comes to strength training but there are plenty of variations of squatting patterns used to help re-educate the movement for function and performance measures. Once they learn to sequence the muscles together, they can then execute the movement properly. Without learning to use the appropriate musculature, they will fall over, which most do until they get the hang of it.
#PROPER SQUAT FORM HOW TO#
They also learn how to execute a squat because they need to learn how to balance the weight of their heads over their center of gravity for lowering their body down to the floor. If you notice, toddlers will squat down to play with an item on the floor and they will sit there throughout the entire time as a resting position. These shapes and positions result in deficient use of the proper musculature. Sitting on chairs throughout the day for work or schooling, sitting in a car, sitting on the toilet and sitting on couches have caused us to adapt to a new shape and form which limits the need to squat throughout the day. This has reduced our need to use the muscles required to execute a squat. This is partly due to environmental factors, which have resulted in life style changes promoting convenience. The squat provides benefits not only for function but also for performance, which is why it is one of the most popular strength training movements.ĭespite being a movement that we master as a toddler, the average person today is unable to execute a proper squat. It allows us to transfer weight from the ground to an elevated position in a mechanically efficient manner. The squat is one of the most essential primitive functional movements that human beings can execute.
