Squat Therapy

The squat is not mastered over night. We spend years sitting in chairs beginning before preschool age. Humans were not built to sit in chairs, no matter how ergonomic furniture claims to be. Sitting causes tighter and weaker hip flexors, hips and hamstrings. Residents of third world countries that cook, play games, socialize and even work in the squat position rarely have knee or back problems. When new CrossFitters have to hit the bottom of our beloved squat’s range of motion (ROM), flexibility issues rear their ugly head.

When I was introduced to CF, I got a very strong message that the squat takes about 1-3 years to master if you are diligently working to improve. I definitely needed improvement. Like many of you, my weaknesses and inflexibility produced a very immature squat: knees come in, torso too far forward, weight not always on my heels, loss of lumbar curve at the bottom of the ROM, etc.

How do we fix our squat issues? Just like we fix everything else in CF; work on form, consistency, and then intensity. If your form is less than stellar, you have probably heard one of your favorite coaches try to help you with cues. Not every part of your squat can be fixed on command. This is where squat therapy comes in…

We have several types of squat therapy:

Forrest’s favorite form of squat therapy, and one that has helped many of you, has the athlete facing the wall and squatting to a medball. You should be as close to the wall as possible without leaving snot and saliva streaked down the red paint. Start with 10 reps of sitting on the ball and pressing your heels into the ground to get off the ball – remember, try not to touch the wall with your face or knees. Arms are positioned out to your sides or over your head. The next 10-15 reps should start at the top of your ROM with your hips fully extended. As you squat allow your glutes to “kiss” the ball (don’t sit/rest on the ball) at the bottom of your ROM and then press back up to standing. Eventually you will do all 25 reps starting at the top of your ROM. The next step is to grab pvc and perform 25 overhead squats (OHS). Work on getting your feet closer and closer to the wall until can perform 25 OHS with your toes touching the wall.

Remy learned a squat therapy technique during her Level I Certification, and she was a huge help in writing this section of the post. Thanks, Remy! This technique will help with eventually eliminating the ‘butt wink’, or butt tuck, at the bottom of the ROM. Due to tight hamstrings some people relax their back at the bottom of their squat causing their butt to tuck. Place your feet in squat position straddling one the vertical posts of the pullup bars. Your chest should be touching the post, and your toes should be in line with the front of the post. As you squat the bar supports your chest and allows your spine to stay in the correct posture (chest up, lumbar curve) while you descend to the bottom of your ROM. Hold the bottom position for 3-10 seconds to really feel the correct position; then rise back to standing. If needed, grab the bar to stabilize yourself. As in any properly executed squat, staying upright will require effort and stabilization. You will need to use your core muscles and continuously activate your glutes. Keep your chest up by contracting your lats. If you needed to grab the bar to stay upright, try again with your toes/feet/chest an inch behind the bar (or more) and repeat.

My favorite squat therapy I learned from Brand X during my CF Kids Certification, and starts with your back to the wall. Stand with your feet in squat position with a distance of one of your own foot lengths away from the wall. Bend at your hips and place your glutes against the wall. As you descend into your squat continue to press your glutes against the wall. Your shoulders and lower back should not be touching the wall. (If your lower back touches the wall at any point, your hamstrings may be overly tight.) Hold the bottom position for 3 seconds. To ascend keep everything tight; and press your heels down, knees out and butt back. Do your best to prevent your torso from bouncing or rocking forward to start the ascent. Finish your squat’s ROM with hips fully extended. Your glutes should no longer be touching the wall. Perform 25 reps. Then, move away from the wall and perform 15-25 without wall support.

Ask a coach to watch/help you the first couple of times you try these techniques to make sure you are performing therapy correctly, and to prevent you from potentially developing bad habits. Add squat therapy to your warmup or after a workout…or both. As with any other day at the gym, continue to foam roll and stretch. Tight hamstrings, especially, will plague your squat and your back. Above all squat correctly and squat often!

Congrats to all of our athletes who competed in the NLP this past weekend!

WOD 4/12/2010

This week begins the WODs to qualify for our affiliate cup team. If you are interested in competing, do the WOD as Rx’d. There will be three workouts this week and if you can’t make it, you can make it up on another day.

This week will also be the benchmarks for the next Paleo Challenge.

A. Deadlift 1 Rep Max

B. 4 Rounds
20 Double Unders
10 Ground to Overhead (155/75)