How To Do The Perfect Bodyweight Squat

How to Improve Your Bodyweight Squat

“Drop it like a squat!”

The squat, commonly termed the air squat, bodyweight squat or hunter-gatherer squat is one of the most functional movement patterns humans possess - it is after all based on sitting down without a chair and then standing up.

The squat is an essential movement pattern that, once mastered, will protect against injury as well as rehabilitate and maintain the integrity of your back, hips, knees, and ankles. It also challenges balance and coordination. Many of us are in the pursuit of the perfect squat, envying kids who do the squat so well, so how should we go about it?

FEAR OF THE SQUAT

For some reason, the word “squat” strikes fear in individuals who may be concerned about the impact on their knees. But studies suggest that the glutes are the main muscles becoming more active as squat depth increases reducing the likelihood of knee injuries.

Just think of the squat as sitting down and standing up; if this causes discomfort, then all the more reason to work on this most fundamental of movements. We are not aiming for the “Jane Fonda” aerobics squat with very shallow and limited range of motion unless that is your limit, but squats of higher quality, difficulty, and depth - that is a full range of motion.

Squatting is widespread in many cultures where squatting below parallel is commonplace. Achieving a squat of this nature may take time due to a lack of mobility or strength, but working on it is one antidote to all the chair sitting we do. Remember you can use assistance if required to help you get as low as possible. For instance, you can use a lamp post or tree to support your upper body to allow for lower depth.

A FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT PATTERN

This simple exercise is crucial because it forms the foundation of all activities impacting the lower body. It can have an impact on how well you lunge, jump, run, or walk. Everyone’s squat is going to look slightly different; much like our walking gaits, but, fundamentally, it will follow a particular pathway. The bodyweight squat (air squat) is something I utilise as part of the programme in the Animal Moves book too!

Let's have a look at some of the basic mechanics. The eccentric, or lowering, phase of the movement requires hip flexion, knee flexion, and then ankle dorsiflexion. You are bending at the hip, knee, and ankle into the lowest position. The concentric, or standing, phase requires plantar flexion, with ankle, knee and hip extension into the standing position.

Here are 7 pointers to improving your squat.

#1 GET TECHNICAL

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and feet slightly turned out.
Exhale, bend at the hips, and move your bottom back as though you were going to sit back into a chair; lift your arms up and out to assist with balance and keep your midsection tight.
Keep your head up in a neutral position and accentuate the arch of your lower back (lumbar curve) by keeping your shoulders high and shoulders back.
As you descend, let your knees track over your feet without letting them roll inside or outside the feet.
Keep as much pressure on the heels as possible and keep weight off the front of the feet.
Keep the torso elongated, avoiding any exaggerated forward lean. If you were to view yourself from the side, your ears should travel down in a straight line rather than move forward.
Stop when the crease of the hip is below the knee, just below parallel to the ground. Don't lose the lumbar curve when in the bottom position; continue to keep your feet flat on the ground.
Inhale and reverse the movement on precisely the same path as you descended to stand up without any forward lean.
The whole body should be involved in the movement in a controlled fashion, regardless of speed.
At the top of the movement stand as tall as possible.

#2 KEEP THE PELVIS IN CHECK

As you lower keep your pelvis in check. Look at your tailbone and determine when this part of your body begins to tuck underneath you. You may find that you need to reduce your range of motion.

When you are doing a squat, your pelvis is going to tilt forward naturally. It may, however, lean too far if the range of motion in your hips is limited, and this means that your lower back is going to be pulled along with it, heightening the pressure on the discs on your lower spinal disks; lean backwards to prevent this.

“You can use a lamp post or tree to support your upper body to allow for lower depth.”

RELATED: Make Sure You Move In 3D!

#3 LOOK AT THE FLOOR

When you are doing this exercise, it is a wise idea to locate a spot on the floor, roughly 3 metres in front of you. As you are doing your reps, it's crucial to gaze at this point throughout the entire process. Where you look will affect both your neck and head while you are carrying out the exercise.

You need to keep everything in the right alignment so that you can squat efficiently.

#4. RAISE YOUR ARMS

When you are carrying out a bodyweight squat, it is a good idea to raise your arms in front of your chest and raise them above your shoulders at the bottom of the squat. This posture places more load onto the back, and the rest of the posterior chain, away from the knees.

5. PUSH YOUR KNEES AWAY FROM EACH OTHER

To help maintain alignment when you begin to rise from the bottom of the squat, actively push your knees out, making sure that your thighs remain in line with your feet. The reason for doing this is because it can be difficult to maintain alignment. Keeping your knees over your toes is not too tricky during the lowering portion of the squat.

It is challenging, however, to do this when you are in the lifting phase. When your knees collapse inward, you heighten your risk of joint injury and pain, as well as lowering your strength.

Click here to watch an example of squat video technique!

6. Find your ‘sweet spot’.

Once you have lowered down into the bodyweight squat position, your kneecaps should be hovering over the tops of your feet. Lean your torso forward slightly, which should create between a 30-and 45-degree angle with your thighs. Here is the sweet spot, with your glutes engaged and working the hardest.

If you sit back too far, you are going to force your hips to do all of the work, resulting in your torso leaning forward. Conversely, you will shift all of the stress to your knees if you sit straight down because your torso will be completely upright.

7. Push Through Your Feet

Make sure you push through your feet’s outer edges. To do this, you will need to ensure that all of your foot is pressed into the floor. You should then push through the outside of each foot while you are lowering into the exercise.

Pushing down and through your feet and splaying your toes is important because your feet provide your foundation for support. What happens further up your body is therefore impacted by how you stand. Creating a stable and secure foundation with your feet will help make sure that your hips and knees are correctly aligned as well.

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By consistently following these simple tips, you will be able to progress to a perfectly formed squat.

Hippocrates said “Look well to the spine for the cause of disease” I wholeheartedly agree. Movement is Medicine.