Often the inability to squat is not a matter of flexibility, but body awareness

/FTEN THE INABILITY TO SQUAT IS NOT A MATTER OF FLEXIBILITY BUT OF BODY AWARENESS -OST COACHES LIMIT THEIR (EX BAR TRAINING TO DEADLIFTS A "&3 CORE EXERCISE AND SHOULDER SHRUGS AN EXCELLENT AUXILIARY EXERCISE )N OUR /CTOBER ISSUE #ANADIAN STRENGTH COACH 0AUL h-AC'YVERv 'AGNÏ INTRODUCED US TO SEVERAL UNIQUE USES FOR THE (EX BAR (E SHOWED US EXERCISES TO IMPROVE mEXIBILITY BALANCE ABDOMINAL AND UPPER BODY STRENGTH AND EVEN JUMPING ABILITY !FTER THE GREAT RESPONSE WE GOT FROM THAT ARTICLE WE DECIDED TO SEND 0AUL A "&3 IN 3QUAT "OX AND SEE WHAT HE COULD COME UP WITH 7E WERE CERTAINLY NOT DISAPPOINTED 7HAT 'AGNÏ REPORTED BACK TO US WAS THAT THE IN 3QUAT "OX OFFERS A GREAT PLATFORM FOR PERFORMING MANY VALUABLE AUXILIARY EXERCISES SUCH AS HORIZONTAL ROWS DUMBBELL BENCH PRESSES AND OVERHEAD SQUATS 4HESE ARE OF COURSE IN ADDITION TO STRAIGHT LEG DEADLIFTS AND THE SIT AND REACH TEST -ORE IMPORTANTLY 'AGNÏ CONSIDERS THIS VERSATILE BENCH A GREAT TOOL TO TEACH CORRECT SQUATTING TECHNIQUE ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE THEY HAVE PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS THAT PREVENT THEM FROM SQUATTING WITH PERFECT TECHNIQUE h.OT BEING ABLE TO SQUAT CORRECTLY OFTEN HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TIGHTNESS OR WEAKNESS n ITS A MATTER OF BODY AWARE NESS v EXPLAINS 'AGNÏ )N OUR "&3 CLINICS OUR CLINICIANS EXPLAIN HOW THE MAJOR PROB LEM WITH PERFORMING A SQUAT CORRECT IS PERCEIVED TO BE MUSCLE IMBALANCES OR A LACK OF mEXIBILITY BUT THIS IS SELDOM THE CASE h4HE REAL REASON IS LACK OF WHAT ) CALL A KINESTHETIC FEEL FOR A HEELS DOWN PARALLEL SQUAT POSITION v SAYS "&3 &OUNDER#%/ $R 'REG 3HEPARD 'AGNÏ AGREES h!THLETES MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THE WEIGHT SHOULD BE BACK TOWARDS THE HEELS ) ALSO TELL ATHLETES THEY SHOULD FOCUS ON KEEPING THE WEIGHT MORE ON THE OUTSIDE TOES TO HELP KEEP THEIR KNEES IN LINE WITH THEIR FEETv !T "&3 THIS hKNEES IN LINE WITH THE TOESv IS ONE OF OUR 3IX !BSOLUTES OF PERFECT TECHNIQUE !ND THIS CONCEPT NOT ONLY IS IMPORTANT IN SQUATTING BUT ALSO APPLIES TO MANY SPORT TECHNIQUES "&3 CLINICIANS USE SEVERAL TECHNIQUES TO TEACH ATHLETES TO SQUAT CORRECTLY SUCH AS THE hBALANCE GAMEv 4HIS SIMPLE TEACHING METHOD CONSISTS OF HAVING A COACH HOLD ONTO AN ATHLETES HANDS WHILE THE ATHLETE DESCENDS INTO A SQUAT WITH THEIR HEELS ON THE mOOR !FTER PERFORMING A FEW SQUATS WITH THE COACH SUPPORTING THEM THE ATHLETE TRYS TO n AND THIS IS THE hGAMEv PART OF THE DRILL nPERFORM THE SQUAT WITHOUT ASSISTANCE /FTEN JUST A FEW MINUTES PRACTICING THIS DRILL IS ALL THAT IS NECESSARY FOR ATHLETES TO LEARN HOW TO SQUAT PERFECTLY &OR ATHLETES WHO STILL HAVE PROBLEMS SQUATTING CORRECTLY 'AGNÏ HAS FOUND SEVERAL INNOVATIVE WAYS TO LEARN HOW TO SQUAT PROPERLY USING THE IN 3QUAT "OX )N ADDITION TO TEACHING PROPER SQUAT TECHNIQUE THESE EXERCISES CAN HELP MAKE TREMENDOUS IMPROVE MENTS IN BALANCE AND mEXIBILITY &URTHER THEY CAN BE USEFUL FOR ATHLETES RECOVERING FROM LOWER LIMB INJURIES (OW OFTEN HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT ATHLETES WHO SUCCESSFULLY REHAB ON ONE KNEE THEN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY HURT THE OTHER KNEE WHEN THEY RETURN TO PRACTICE 'AGNÏ SAYS THE PROBLEM IS OFTEN NOT THAT THEY ARE STILL FAVORING THE PREVIOUSLY INJURED KNEE BUT THAT THEY HAVE LOST SOME OF THE BODY AWARENESS THEY HAD BEFORE THEY WERE INJURED (OW DOES SQUATTING TO A BENCH HELP PREVENT INJURIES h4HE REASON ) USE THE IN 3QUAT "OX IS TO DEVELOP AN AWARENESS OF PROPER SQUATTING TECHNIQUE -OST PEOPLE WHO PERFORM A PARALLEL SQUAT WILL BE BENT FORWARD LIKE A HUNCHBACK 7HEN THEY SQUAT PARALLEL WITH A BENCH SUDDENLY THE BODY IS VERY STRAIGHT BECAUSE THEY HAVE AN AWARENESS OF WHERE THEYRE SITTING )F THERE WERE A mEXIBILITY PROBLEM THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO THISv -ANY FEMALE ATHLETES HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THEIR KNEES BUCK LING IN THE SQUAT OR DURING SPORTS MOVEMENTS 3OME COACHES ATTRIBUTE THIS TO ANATOMICAL DIFFERENCES SUCH AS THE HIPS BEING RELATIVELY WIDER IN FEMALES SO THAT THE UPPER THIGHS BOW INWARDS /THERS BELIEVE THERE IS WEAKNESS IN THE VASTUS MEDIALIS A QUADRICEPS MUSCLE THAT CROSSES THE KNEE JOINT AND IS SHAPED LIKE A TEARDROP WHEN WELL DEVELOPED OR THE MUSCLES THAT ROTATE THE #OACH 3HEPARD HELPING AN ATHLETE EXPERIENCE THE KINESTHETIC FEEL OF A CORRECT PARALLEL SQUAT ,ACK OF mEXIBILITY IS NOT THE CAUSE OF BE ING UNABLE TO SQUAT PARALLEL 4HE REAL REASON IS A LACK OF WHAT ) CALL A KIN ESTHETIC FEEL FOR A HEELS DOWN PARALLEL SQUAT POSITION ^$R 'REG 3HEPARD "&3 &OUNDER#%/ HIPS OUTWARD SUCH AS THE GLUTEAL MUSCLE CALLED THE PIRIFORMIS 4HESE FACTORS CAN OBVIOUSLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROBLEM OF THE KNEES BUCKLING BUT "&3S YEARS OF SUCCESS IN TRAINING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ATHLETES HAVE CONVINCED US THAT KNEE BUCKLING CAN OFTEN BE QUICKLY lXED WITH A FEW WORKOUT SESSIONS OF PROPER COACHING ,ET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE 3EVERAL YEARS AGO ) STARTED WORKING WITH 2OBERT 0ETITT ))) *R A YEAR OLD WHO HAD TORN AN !#, AND A -#, AND A FEW OTHER THINGS SEVERAL YEARS EARLIER PLAYING EXTREME SPORTS %VEN WITH A SPECIAL KNEE BRACE 2OBERT COULD NOT BEND HIS KNEES MORE THAN DEGREES WITHOUT HIS INJURED KNEE BUCKLING 3O ) STARTED HIM PERFORMING HIGH BOX SQUATS SO THAT HE KEPT HIS KNEES IN ALIGNMENT 7HEN HE COULD PERFORM A PERFECT SQUAT TO THIS DEPTH CONSISTENTLY ) USED A LOWER BOX !LTHOUGH 2OBERT HAD VERY LITTLE WEIGHT TRAINING EXPERIENCE PRIOR TO WORKING WITH ME IN JUST A FEW MONTHS HE WAS ABLE TO PERFORM A ROCK BOTTOM SQUAT WITH POUNDS 4HE AFOREMENTIONED SYSTEM OF USING VARIOUS HEIGHTS OF BOX SQUAT BENCHES TO REHABILITATE KNEE INJURIES WAS USED EXTENSIVELY BY "&3 6ICE 0RESIDENT 2ICK !NDERSON WHEN HE TRAINED THE 5TAH *AZZ !NDERSON SAID THAT THE BOX SQUAT WAS A KEY EXERCISE IN HIS PROGRAM TO HELP THESE PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYERS PREVENT AND REHABILITATE KNEE INJURIES ESPECIALLY OVERUSE INJURIES SUCH AS TENDONITIS (E ALSO SAID THAT THE BOX SQUAT HELPED DISPEL THE MYTH THAT TALL ATHLETES n AND THERE ARE SOME GIANTS IN PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL n CANT LEARN TO SQUAT PROPERLY -ARK %ATON A SHOT BLOCK RECORD HOLDER WHO PLAYED FOR THE 5TAH *AZZ WAS v AND WEIGHED POUNDS (ERE HE IS SHOWN BEING SPOTTED BY "&3 6ICE 0RESIDENT 2ICK !NDERSON NOTICE THAT !NDERSON HAD TO STAND ON A BENCH TO SPOT -ARK "&3 6ICE 0RESIDENT 2ICK !NDERSON WAS A STRENGTH COACH FOR THE 5TAH *AZZ (ERE HE IS SHOWN WITH FORMER *AZZ CENTER !L "ANNISTER WHO WAS v AND WEIGHED POUNDS !T LEFT "ANNISTER IS PERFORMING THE "&3 ADDUCTOR STRETCH !CCORDING TO 'AGNÏ ONE REASON THE BOX SQUAT IS A SUPERIOR EXERCISE FOR KNEE REHABILITATION IS THAT IT IS A MULTI JOINT EXERCISE h-ANY THERAPISTS TRY TO REHABILITATE KNEE INJURIES WITH ISOLATION EXERCISES AND THIS IS BAD v SAYS 'AGNÏ h4HEY ARE WORKING THE INJURED MUSCLES THIS IS TRUE BUT NOT IN A NATURAL MOVEMENT !LSO UNLIKE THE BOX SQUAT WHICH CAN BE PERFORMED EXPLOSIVELY ISOLATION EXERCISES MUST BE PERFORMED SLOWLY AND THEREFORE HAVE LESS CARRYOVER TO ATHLETIC MOVEMENTSv )N FACT THE THERAPIST WHO REHABILITATED .ANCY +ERRIGANS KNEE PRIOR TO THE /LYMPICS TOLD ME THAT OUT OF FRUSTRATION HE ACTUALLY PUT A KNEE REHAB MACHINE INTO THE TRASH BECAUSE HE FOUND IT SO INEFFECTIVE IN KNEE REHABILITATIONv !LTHOUGH THERE ARE COUNTLESS TRAINING MACHINES AVAILABLE TO ATHLETES ITS TOUGH TO BEAT THE EFFECTIVENESS AND VERSATILITY OF SIMPLE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT SUCH AS THE "&3 IN 3QUAT "OX "&3 HAS PROVEN IT WITH THE COUNTLESS ATHLETES WHO FOLLOW THE "&3 4OTAL 0ROGRAM AND 'AGNÏ HAS CONlRMED IT WITH HIS ELITE ATHLETES 4HE "&3 IN 3QUAT "OX MAY NOT BE AS FANCY AS ALL THOSE EXPENSIVE EXERCISE MACHINES YOU SEE IN EXCLUSIVE HEALTH CLUBS AND REHABILITATION CENTERS BUT YOU CANT BEAT ITS VERSATILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS !ND AS YOU READ THIS 'AGNÏ HAS PROBABLY COME UP WITH ANOTHER DOZEN EXERCISES USING IT )N ADDITION TO USING THE IN 3QUAT "OX FOR BOX SQUATS 'AGNÏ USES IT FOR MANY OTHER EXERCISES 3HOWN HERE ARE CRUNCHES PULLOVERS HORIZONTAL ROWS WITH DUMBBELLS AND DUMBBELL BENCH PRESSES 'AGNÏ ESPECIALLY LIKES THE DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS WITH THE IN BOX FOR THIS REASON )TS SHAPE PLACES LESS STRESS ON THE SHOULDERS BECAUSE IT ENCOURAGES YOU TO KEEP YOUR SHOULDER BLADES DOWN )N THE SIDEBAR ACCOMPANYING THIS ARTICLE 'AGNÏ SHOWS SEVERAL SQUAT TING VARIATIONS USING THE "&3 IN 3QUAT "OX SUCH AS THE OVERHEAD SQUAT WITH CHAINS "ECAUSE IN EACH OF THESE EXERCISES HE PROGRESSES FROM HIGH BOXES TO LOW BOXES THE IN 3QUAT "OX IS IDEAL FOR THESE EXERCISES BECAUSE THE HEIGHT OF THE BENCH IS ADJUSTABLE !ND AS WITH MOST "&3 AUXILIARY EXERCISES 'AGNÏ GENERALLY PERFORMS ABOUT REPS PER EXERCISE 5IFCPYTRVBUTFHNFOUJOUIJTWJEFPJTBCTPMVUFMZBXFTPNF &WFSZDPBDIBOEBUIMFUFOFFETUPTFFJU*OBEEJUJPO EFUBJMFE JOTUSVDUJPO JT HJWFO PO UIF QBSBMMFM TRVBU BOE GSPOU TRVBU * HVBSBOUFFFWFSZDPBDIXJMMCFBCMFUPDPBDICFUUFSBOEFWFSZ BUIMFUFXJMMCFBCMFUPTRVBUCFUUFS _%S(SFH4IFQBSE #'4'PVOEFS$&0 )D[ ‡ELJJHUIDVWHUVWURQJHUFRP‡:HVW6RXWK‡6/&87 7HEN WORKING WITH ATHLETES WHO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH mEXIBILITY OR THOSE WHO ARE RECOVERING FROM INJURIES 'AGNÏ USES A PROGRESSIVE SERIES OF EXERCISES ON A IN 3QUAT "OX TO IMPROVE BODY AWARENESS (E STARTS WITH A HIGH SETTING FOR EACH EXERCISE AND THEN LOWERS IT WHEN THE EXERCISE CAN BE PERFORMED IN PERFECT FORM FOR APPROXIMATELY REPS /NE PROGRESSION HE USES IS AS FOLLOWS BODYWEIGHT ONLY SQUAT WITH HANDS ACROSS THE CHEST WIDE GRIP OVERHEAD SQUAT WITH A BARBELL OVERHEAD SQUAT WITH DUMBBELLS WIDE GRIP OVERHEAD SQUAT WITH A BARBELL AND CHAINS )UHLJKW)UHH3DFNDJH'HDOV &DOO 6ROLGVWHHOFRQVWUXFWLRQZLWKQRQVOLSGLDPRQGWUHDGIRRWSODWH )D[ ‡ELJJHUIDVWHUVWURQJHUFRP‡:HVW6RXWK‡6/&87

From BFS Magazine — May/June 2005. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).