Is This Perfect?
The left photo is an exact duplication of what I witnessed last spring at an NCAA Division I Football University weight room. The head football coach went from player to player congratulating them as they “maxed out.” They struggled with 415 lbs. on squats that were about one foot from parallel. 1 was mesmerized. wide stances with eyes way up.
The most astonishing technique mistake was how the knees were pressed in causing extreme pressure on the medial collateral ligaments. At this writing, the team is 0-5 and facing a winless season with numerous knee injuries. It will be a miracle if the coach survives. To answer the above question; I’ve never seen anything so far from perfect in my entire life.
Let’s analyze some perfect technique points of the Parallel Squat as we study the photos of NBA Center Mark Eaton and Daniel Cole when he was a College freshman: (1) EYES, Focus with great intensity on a point straight ahead; (2) BAR, Place the bar on the shoulders not on the neck or way down on the scapula area; (3) HANDS, use a wide grip; (4) LOWER BACK, Lock it in by “Spreading the Chest” or “Making the Chest Big”; (5) HIPS - KNEES, keep the knees and hips back. Keep the lower legs as straight as possible; (6) KNEES, Keep the knees directly over the feet - Do not press them in or out.
It’s dangerous; (7) STANCE, Mark gets into his rebounding stance, while Daniel is in his linebacker stance. You'll notice it is the same; (8) FEET, Point them out slightly for balance but be careful they don’t flare out more than Mark or Daniel; (9) DEPTH, To get the ultimate development, you must go parallel as in Mark’s photo. Daniel still has another inch to go. You've got to do it to run fast and jump high! (10) SPECIAL NOTE: When Mark came to me as an NBA rookie, he could not squat the bar and was nota starter in college at U.C.L.A. He became an NBA All-Star and still holds the season NBA block shot record.
Get the BFS Total Program Book or our Squat Video for amazingly complete and detailed information on how to get a PERFECT SQUAT.
From BFS Magazine — Winter 1991. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
