Lots of Squat Thoughts & New Cues - Beast over Burden - #490

Lots of squat thoughts & new cues. Andrew & Niki discuss what cues they've found useful on squats and how they've improved their squats and squat coaching.

Lots of Thoughts on Squats

Andrew & Niki discuss some squat thoughts - things they've been noodling over, observing, and applying in their lifting and coaching.

They both have been thinking more about what it means to effect and maintain a rigid torso (as opposed to just extending your back). Too often, the focus here can be only on the back, to the detriment of your front side.

Lifters need to ensure all the muscles around the spine are working - and working roughly the same. This includes the abdominal muscles and muscles around the hip.

Applying these squat thoughts, Andrew has been able to overcome his squat mornings or good morning squats and rather drive up with hip and knees extending together, as they should.

Any deviation from this means inefficient force production with less weight on the bar. It also just simply won't feel as good.

Squat Thoughts & New Cues

Andrew and Niki take all this and share some cues they've found themselves delivering more.

Andrew has said "wrap your spine in muscle" or similar to this, really emphasizing the contribution of all the muscles around the spine working to maintain spinal extension (not simply extending your back or lifting up your chest).

He has also been using more often "balance on your full foot," which is really the master cue for the squat. Too often, though, people aim to have the bar moving straight up and down over the middle of the foot as opposed to realizing that the center of mass needs to move over the midfoot, not the barbell itself.

Let's keep the squat thoughts coming.

Niki cues people to "maintain the distance across the front of your body." She could draw the attention specifically to the nipple line and belt line. These two lines should not move farther apart or come closer but should maintain their separation.

Another cue Niki has been giving is "when you inhale don't get taller." This corrects an idea of back extension (or hyperextension) where people don't crunch down on their abs.

We hope you've enjoyed these squat thoughts.

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