Most trainees perform the squat very poorly for the sake of exercise because they emulate or take instruction on performance from competitive lifters. This is a mistake, because the goals of exercise are very different than the goals of competitive lifting, and these activities have different requirements and constraints. When practicing a competitive lift you want to maximize load relative to effort, but when exercising you want to do the opposite and maximize effort relative to load.
When performing a squat for exercise, the guidelines below will help you do that and significantly increase their effectiveness while reducing your risk of injury. You will probably need to reduce the weight you squat with by at least half to do this correctly:
DO: Use a stable squat rack or power rack with safety bars or straps at the correct height if using a barbell, or a machine with an adjustable start point (bottom of your ROM).
DON’T: Squat without any safety equipment to prevent you from being trapped under the bar at the bottom of your ROM.
DO: Use a weight that allows for at least 40 seconds time under load with strict form, but not more than two minutes. A time under load (TUL) of 60-90 seconds is a good starting point for most trainees.
DON’T: Use so much weight you can’t perform the exercise continuously (no rest between reps!) for at least 40 seconds.
DO: Squat bilaterally with a symmetrical stance.
DON’T: Squat unilaterally or with an asymmetrical stance (no lunges, split squats, pistols, etc.).
DO: Stand on a stable, level, firm, non-slip surface.
DON’T: Stand on an unstable, uneven, squishy, or slippery object or surface.
DO: Keep your head and neck still in a neutral position, with your chin slightly down.
DON’T: Look straight ahead, extending your neck as you descend.
DO: Breathe freely, through an open mouth, without making any other noise.
DON’T: Hold your breath, grunt, groan, or yell.
DO: Gradually apply force and move slowly when loading/picking up the weight.
DON’T: Rapidly apply force and move suddenly when loading/picking up the weight.
DO: Move very slowly and deliberately during both the positive and negative phases.
DON’T: Rapidly drop down or explode out of the bottom.
DO: Go as low as you can while keeping your back relatively neutral and your feet flat, ideally until your hamstrings touch your calves.
DON’T: Only go down halfway or less to avoid the harder (and more beneficial) portion of the range of motion.
DO: Gradually slow to a complete stop, then after a brief hold, very slowly begin the positive phase.
DON’T: Rapidly bounce up out of the bottom/start position.
DO: Extend your knees and hips at the same rate so your pelvis does not rise faster than your shoulders.
DON’T: Raise your pelvis faster than your shoulders initially, to shift the load from your thighs to your hips and lower back.
DO: Reverse direction smoothly about twenty degrees short of full knee and hip extension to avoid unloading the target muscles.
DON’T: Fully extend your knees and hips (or worse, rapidly thrust your hips forward into full extension) or pause to rest at the top.
DO: Continue the exercise until you are unable to do so with strict form, then slowly lower the weight to the start point (bottom of your ROM) and gradually unload.
DON’T: Stop the exercise when you are still physically capable of continuing in strict form, or continue the exercise after you are unable to maintain strict form.
Apply these guidelines the next time you squat then let me know how it goes in the comments!
If you would like the explanations for each of the above guidelines, want more detailed instructions on how to squat properly, or want to see videos of proper squat performance with a barbell, dumbbells, safety squat bar, and more, join my HIT List forum and online education platform and visit the Exercise Demonstration section or search for videos with “squat” in the title.
Comments on this entry are closed.
Drew, all the pointer you give are fantastic. The squat is one that I really struggled with when I started exercising earlier this year. I read these tips earlier somewhere on your website and they help immensely. I feel better while doing the exercise and can feel the difference in my muscles.
Thanks,
Judd
Thanks for posting!
I’ve never been a fan of top loading the spine – such as with barbell squats – especially with an old lower back injury in play. I find belt squats or leg presses much safer, and easier to target the lower body musculature. Then I use ISOs to target the lower back.
What are your thoughts on hip adductor and abductor exercises- are they necessary in an exercise routine? They appear to be stabilizing muscles as well, but with the ball and socket design of the joint, could it be a good idea to include them in a program?
There are benefits to performing them but whether they are necessary depends on the individual and their goals.
I did videos on these recently and discussed this in an answer to a similar question in the HIT List forum.
Hi Drew,
How many sets is the above stated 60-90 secs TUL recommended for, or is it essentially one set until failure?
Thanks,
Eddie
One set per exercise is all you need if you perform it correctly.