The Squat – how to attain the best form

The main joints we’re looking at here are the knee joint and the hip joint. At the bottom of your squat, the knee joint should be as actively engaged and fully flexed as possible. Your range of motion may not be the same as your neighbor, and that is okay!

As you push your pelvis backward into an anterior tilt, it is okay for your knees to drift in front of your toes. (This can actually help you attain depth in your squat.) (Remember this point, it can be very helpful!)

At about the 1:30 mark, I’ve asked him reach backward more, or do more of an anterior tilt. This is the beginning of getting parallel. You are using your hip flexors to do this anterior tilt.

At the bottom of the squat, your spine and tibia really should be parallel to each other. I find it easier to achieve this if I start thinking about it right away. So, as soon as you initiate hip and knee flexion, keep your back and lower legs parallel. Just before you can’t stay parallel, that is the bottom of your squat!

In order to not be pulled into lumbar hyperextension, contract your rectus abdominis as much as possible. This should keep that lumbar spine out of hyperextension.

However, it will pull your thoracic spine into hyperflexion if you’re not paying attention! Now you have to visualize thin strands of spinal extensors that you can contract to pull your thoracic spine out of hyperflexion.

Go back and forth to make sure that the anterior and posterior muscles are equally contracted. As a side note, remember to pull your head out of your shoulders. This will help that thoracic spine stay strong.

Increase your squat depth only if you can be parallel and equally contracted.