Squat Lower
Squats are a great exercise with many functional benefits. The Problem with squats is not the exercise but the individual. A lot of people do squats wrong or they do not have the mobility to squat low enough
Squat Restrictions
There are a number of factors which will hinder your ability to squat deep. Let’s cover the mobility restrictions.
Tight Hip flexors – many people have tight hip flexors due to sedentary lifestyles. If you sit for the majority of the day it puts your hips in a constant state of flexion which will make your hips tighter over time. This affects your squat as it will be harder to get into the right position, it can cause the chest down fault and it will limit your range of motion when squatting.
Calves & Ankles – Often overlooked are your calves and ankles. They play a major part in how low you can squat. One test you can do to see if your calves or ankles are limiting your range of motion is the elevated heel test. Elevate your heel a few inches by placing either a block, a wedge or circular weight under your heel. If you can squat deeper with the elevated heel and you struggle without it, that is a good indication you need to focus on calf and ankle mobility.
Glutes -Tight glutes can also inhibit your squat. A common problem people have with their glutes which may not always contribute to squat depth but more in the quality of your squat is inactive glutes. Many people get a posterior tilt (butt wink) when they squat. This is because they cannot engage their glutes. Which will affect the quality of the exercise. Fixes for this include glute activation exercises before you squat such as the glute bridge. Additionally, focusing on pushing your knees out when squatting will help.
Hamstrings are one of the major muscle groups involved when squatting. Hamstrings cross the hip and knee joint on your posterior side. They act to flex your knee and extend the hip. At the bottom of your squat when your hips are in a state of flexion your hamstrings are stretched at the hip so tight hamstring will limit how far you can squat.
The video below will take you through a few mobility tools which will help you to squat lower
Tips when stretching
- Hold Hold & Hold the stretch! Many people when we stretch or do mobility do not do it long enough. We spend all day creating imbalances that inhibit our movement. Meaning a 10-15 second stretch will not cut it when it comes to breaking this habits. Hold the stretch between 2-5 minutes.
- Myofascial release can be great for getting out tight knots. You can use a foam roller to spend some time un -gluing your tight muscles
- Warm -up before you squat and always stretch after your workout to ensure your muscles do not get too stiff.
For more on how to improve your squat watch the video below
