Blackhawk Fitness

At Blackhawk Fitness here in Wichita, KS, a good squat is so critical to so many exercises we do, it is vital to have a “good looking” squat before you really beginning tearing into the workouts. I say “here at Blackhawk”, but in reality, a good squat is the foundation of just about any physical activity in which you have to reach down, lift something, or engage the hamstrings in any way.

Good for BFHIT, great for LIFE.

The first question is: “Why is a good squat so important?”

The answer is two parts and both pertain to overall performance. First, if you have a poor squat technique, you are limiting your potential. If the knees are coming forward of your feet when you squat, you are limiting the ABILITY of your hamstrings to help you in the lift when you come back up. We’re not just talking about weights here, either. We are talking about picking up that bag of dog food, lifting the baby, lugging the grass clippings, etc. I mean, let’s face it, THAT’S WHAT CROSSFIT IS MEANT TO TRAIN – Functional Fitness.

Not only are you able to run that 5k at a drop of the hat, but house work, chores, and physical labor in general are just easier!

You wouldn’t let someone tell you to do a bench press with one hand, nor would you expect to be told to type up a paper with a computer, but without word processing software. Sure you might be able to do both of those ill-equipped, but why would you? So WHY would you limit yourself with a half-assed squat?

Picture a rubber-band. When you hold a rubber-band without pulling it, there is NO FORCE there, no power. It just sits, inert. However, when you pull the rubber-band tight, there is obvious resistance and pull by the band to get back to its relaxed state. The same is true of your hamstrings! Doing an improper squat, by letting the knees swing forward of the toes, you are not tightening the rubber-band. Your hamstring is inert.

By getting into the proper position, by positioning the knees and tibia correctly, you are automatically engaging the hamstrings; tightening that rubber-band that is going to assist you in the work you’re doing.

It’s just that simple.

SECOND, and perhaps more important for people with pain in their knees or knee injuries, the proper squat doesn’t apply a shearing force to the knee joint! When squats are done poorly, the pressure of the body is driven into the knee joint for support. The meniscus (the shock absorber in the knee) and your ligaments will take that pressure for a long time. However, that doesn’t eliminate the fact that you are putting undue pressure and incredible force on a joint that isn’t meant to work in that manner. That is just in everyday motion too! Now we’re talking about doing a crappy squat AND adding WEIGHT to it!

Finally the meniscus just decides it’s had enough and it tears. If you aren’t going to do the motion correctly, it can only accommodate you for so long before breaking.

Enter the hamstring. Not surprisingly, there is a muscle cluster in each leg MEANT to compensate for this type of motion! The hamstring, when a squat is done correctly, removes that force from the knee and, thus eliminates the shearing force that wants to tear your meniscus. Ta-da!

By focusing on keeping the tib/fib upright in EVERY squat or lunge, you are telling your body to engage the hamstring for support versus using the knee as that bridge for support. When I say every squat, I mean it. You should be working towards keeping your knees behind your toes, your body rocked back on your heels in every semblance of a squat you do. You may not be able to achieve a 100% vertical  tibia every time (specifically in lifts like the overhead squat or snatch), but striving for that goal will improve performance and reduce the likelihood of injury.

So there you have it. The reason why a good squat is so critical to performance.

GET FIT!
 Chief Everhart

Blackhawk Fitness

Wichita, KS, 67211

CrossFit ICT (CrossFit Affiliate)