The Squat
Foundational movement patterns are what you do or are supposed to be doing on a daily basis. They consist of the most basic movements that are also involved in more complex movements. I’m talking about Hinge, Squat, Lunge, Push, Pull, and Carry. These 6 moves are the most basic structure of a complete strength training program.
Squats occur on and off the couch, chair, seat, sofa, bench, box, and toilet on a daily basis, if you’re healthy. Most sports involve at least one variation of a squat, usually multiple. Everyday people squat when they sit and stand up. Strength athletes train and progressively overload the movement to lift as much weight as possible. Regardless of your goal or the intention behind it, everyone squats. This includes you, so avoid the future hospital trip and make sure you’re doing it right.
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The Assessment
The overhead squat assessment (OHSA credit: NASM) was created to look at an individual’s dynamic flexibility, core strength, balance, and neuromuscular control.
The full assessment is very detailed with 7 checkpoints from 3 view points looking for 12 possible compensations. For this assessment you will perform the overhead squat looking for 3 common compensations from only 2 perspectives; front and side. Have a friend watch you from the front and side to look for compensation. If you have no friends then you have no worries. You can record yourself from the front and side with your phone resting on a chair and assess yourself visually.
The Assessment
The Starting Position
Shoes off, feet hip to shoulder width apart, toes forward, arms overhead.
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The Movement
Set 1: (Front view) Squat with arms kept overhead for 5-10 repetitions
Set 2: (Side view) Squat with arms kept overhead for 5-10 repetitions
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The Evaluation
Looking for 3 compensations from two views.
From the front view: Did the L/R foot turn out? Did the L/R knee move inward?
From the side view: Did the arms fall forward?
Post Assessment Corrections
Squat Exercises For Strength
Using the squat in your daily life will probably look different than a squat you do at the gym. First, the intention is different. A mobility squat varies greatly from a squat intended to build strength and size. Squatting down to pick something up, grab something from under the sink, fix a door hinge, or just getting up from a seat all vary, so don’t limit yourself in your training.
Strength exercise examples involving a squat dominant pattern:
- Squat– all variations
- Goblet Squat
- Barbell Back Squat
- Single Leg Squat
- Zercher Squat
Power exercise examples involving a squat dominant pattern:
- Wall Ball
- Medicine Ball Frog Hops
- Standing Broad Jump
Cues For A Better Goblet Squat
Although the barbell back squat takes the cake when it comes to exercises for building a massive, strong lower body, safely learning it takes time, commitment, and requires a baseline level of training. The Dumbbell Goblet Squat is a better option for people with limitations in shoulder mobility, issues with lower back pain, or who do not have access to a barbell, weights and squat rack.
My client Amanda demonstrates what proper setup and execution of a Goblet squat should look like.
Set-Up:
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Kick your shoes off, pick up a dumbbell and hold it to your chest with your palms facing upward and thumbs in toward your chest.
Plant your feet into the ground about shoulder width apart with your toes facing forward.
Squat:
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Brace, Inhale and descend into the bottom position of your squat. Keep feet in full contact with the ground, keep balanced between left and right and heels to toes of your feet. Keep your hips traveling back as you descend. Your “bottom” position is the lowest point at which you can control the weight while maintaining alignment at the joints and a neutral spine. Stop just before the point your hips start to posterior tilt or butt wink.
Finish:
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Keeping even foot pressure stand up from the bottom position. Squeeze your glutes without driving your hips in front of your shoulders.
Practice At Home
This is an easy way to start making progress from your home, before joining a gym as so many of us do. The end goal is to be able to squat at least your bodyweight for multiple repetitions with relative ease. For reference, to be considered strong amongst powerlifting communities females squat 2 or more times their bodyweight and males squat 2.5 or more times their bodyweight.
All I ask of you is for 10 days of increasing your endurance and quality of movement with a challenge of progressively increasing bodyweight squats. Kick your shoes off, plant your feet solid into the ground, and square yourself in front of a chair. Squat until your butt taps the chair, then stand and finish.
For more experienced athletes, try this 21 Day Squat Challenge. The exercise is Barbell Back Squat. Use your regular training loads for hypertrophy. Workouts change over 3 weeks focusing on building strength, joint stability, power, and refining your overall squat technique. Take into account your current training volume and factor this challenge into your regimen accordingly. Heavy Squats are very taxing on the CNS. You need to be eating, drinking, mobilizing, breaking out and sleeping enough in order to recover.
After completing 21 days and resting for a day or two, reevaluate your normal training load and retest your 1 Rep Max.
Resources:
For education and support backed by decades of science and application:
- National Academy of Sports Medicine: www.nasm.org – Overhead squat solutions table for more detailed information on the assessment, compensations, and possible causes.
- www.DrJohnRusin.com – Dr. John Rusin is an online coach. The 6 Foundational patterns are his brainchild. I have learned a lot from him, I apply some of his teachings in my own training and incorporate them into my own processes. I hope you find his work helpful too.
- The American College of Sports Medicine: www.ACSM.org offers peer-reviewed journals, official positions related to sports medicine and exercise science, books, podcasts, blogs on trending topics, andmore. ACSM Sets the gold standard for physical activity and health. American College of Sports Medicine. Physical activity guidelines. [cited 2022 October 3]. Available from: https://www.acsm.org/read-research/trending-topics-resource-pages/physical-activity-guidelines.
- Functional Movement Systems www.functionalmovement.com has a movement podcast and tons of great articles and other free resources available. The FMS certifies healthcare professionals in systemsthat help people to improve quality of movement by first moving well, then moving often.
- Book: 5/3/1 By Jim Wendler: The simplest and most effective training system for raw strength. A closefriend of my showed me this years ago and the philosophy proves itself true for people of all ages.
