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The Fundamental Nature of the Squat

The squatting pattern is fundamental to the sport of Olympic Weightlifting. Having the ability to be able to receive a barbell in as deep a squat as possible, either in overhead position or on the shoulders, will lead to you being able to lift the most weight possible.

The squat inherently places the majority of the demands on having optimal mobility at the ankle, hip, thoracic spine and shoulder, as these regions see the majority of the range of motion throughout the movement. Having optimal mobility in these areas enables the maintenance of a neutral spine, a braced core and optimal control of the knee alignment throughout the movement, no matter the velocity of the movement or the load used.

Realistically, a squat is a simple movement and requires very little in the way of coaching or cueing. “Keep your feet flat and drive your knees out over your toes” often goes a long way to being able to give someone the mental tools they need to successfully complete a bodyweight squat, provided they have a model of success via a good demonstration. 

However, you – or indeed your clients – are likely to become somewhat frustrated with the lack of success or progress with this fundamental pattern if these prerequisite requirements are not met. You could coach someone all day long with all of the thoughtful cues at your disposal but will see little progress if the individual in question still has mobility restrictions throughout the kinetic chain. 

Unlike other fundamental patterns, such as a hip hinge or horizontal pushing or pulling, squatting places the most extreme demands on prerequisite mobility. This is why this movement is often used as a screening tool to derive an individual’s current level of ability. 

If you want to understand how fundamental the squat is then take a look at a young child and their ability to effortlessly squat without restriction or hesitancy. Perhaps as we have grown and developed some of us have lost those prerequisite qualities that we once had. 

If you needed more evidence of the role of mobility in the sport of Olympic Weightlifting look no further than the lifting shoes worn frequently throughout the sport. Olympic lifting shoes have a hard solid sole which aids in stability and the ability to be able to produce force from the floor. However, their primary role is to elevate the heel, with a wedge at the base of the shoe.

This elevated heel position serves to reduce the prerequisite mobility demand of the ankle and therefore enable the wearer to achieve a deeper squat position with a more vertical torso position. A vertical torso position is pivotal to being able to receive a barbell in an overhead position or at the shoulders. 

Pelvic Position and Stability In The Squat

Whilst a lack of mobility is the most common barrier to success in a squatting pattern, and therefore the movements of the sport of Olympic Weightlifting, the position of the pelvis also plays a key role in optimising movement quality.

The pelvis is a complex structure of multiple bones, muscles, and ligaments. Pelvic tilt refers to the position of the pelvis in relation to the spine and can be described as either an anterior pelvic tilt (where the front of the pelvis is rotated downwards) or a posterior pelvic tilt (where the front of the pelvis is rotated upwards). 

The position of the pelvis plays an important role in how we move, as it can influence the alignment of the spine and the length-tension relationships of the muscles of the lower back, hips, and legs. 

When an anterior pelvic tilt occurs, in which the pelvis is excessively rotated forwards, the hip flexors on the front side of the body become shortened and the hamstrings on the back side of the body become lengthened. This is often accompanied by a flaring of the ribs, which lengthens the abdominal musculature and potentially compresses the lumbar spine: the most hazardous of all consequences. 

This chain of events leads to shortened hip flexors, a lengthened posterior chain that is not optimally aligned to produce force, a lengthened abdominal musculature that can no longer effectively aid in stabilising the spine, and increased compressive forces at the discs of the lumbar spine. 

With time and/or excessive loading in bad positions, these consequences can become primary mechanisms for injuries such as degenerative or herniated discs. 

In the case of a posterior pelvic tilt, the hip flexors are lengthened and tension is created in a shortened posterior chain. As a result, the lumbar spine is pulled out of its natural curvature, leading to a reduction in the shock-absorbing capabilities of the lumbar discs, and excessive stress being placed on the soft tissue structures that support the interconnectivity of the joints. 

It is pivotal that you build awareness of your hip orientation to identify when you are in a bad or indeed a dangerous position. 

As a simple test and drill, stand up straight with your feet in a squatting position. Enter into an anterior pelvic tilt by rotating your hips forward. Now squat as low as you feel comfortable and take note of the range of motion you achieve. Now, stand up again and enter into a posterior pelvic tilt by rotating your hips backwards and once again squat as low as you feel comfortable. 

Lastly, find a neutral spine by finding the middle point between the extremes of the anterior and posterior pelvic tilt and maintain this position. Imagine your hips are a level bucket filled with water that you do not want to spill out of the front and back. Now, squat down one final time and take note of the range of motion you have achieved but also the ease with which you achieved it. 

When we enter into an extreme of a pelvic tilt in either direction we negatively affect the length tension relationship of the core, hips and lower body, making the natural mobility we have at our hips difficult to access as we move.

Achieving a neutral spine balances the length tension relationship as much as is possible throughout the kinetic chain and allows us to use as much of the mobility that is available. This also places significantly less stress on the joints of the pelvis and lumbar spine. 

A neutral spine is a prerequisite component of movement in any movement and does not preclude the development of qualities such as mobility at the ankle, hip, thoracic spine and shoulder. 

Fundamentally, squatting well or improving your ability to be able to squat will go a long way to arming you with the prerequisite ability to be able to complete the Olympic Weightlifting movements. 

Using the table below and our FORM-AI Movement Library App you can work on specific qualities that are required to squat well. Within the Corrective Category of the app you will see 24 different categories of exercise that all pertain to different qualities. Within these categories, any exercise can be utilised to improve said specific quality. 

FORM-AI Movement Library App Squat Exercises
Squat Quality App CategoryExercise Example
Ankle Mobility Ankle Mobilisation, Calf Mobilisation½ Kneeling Ankle Rock With Band- Front Foot Elevated
Hip Mobility Quad & Hip Flexor Mobilisation, Posterior Chain Mobilisation, Adductor Mobilisation, Hip RotationOpen ½ Kneeling Quad/Hip Flexor Stretch- Kettlebell Behind Back
Thoracic Spine MobilityThoracic MobilisationHeel Sit – Thoracic Rotation With Band
Shoulder MobilityLat Mobility, Pec MobilityProne Pec Stretch With Foam Roller
Pelvic ControlTrunk Control, Deep Hip Flexor ActivationSupine 90/90 Wall Sit With Diaphragmatic Breath Cycle
Core StabilityTrunk Control, Deadbugs, Deep Hip Flexor ActivationDeadbug Traction Hold – Contralateral Core Assist
Shoulder StabilityArm Bars, Scapular Control DrillsSide Lying Kettlebell Arm Bar

Next we will look at the other mobility prerequisites of Olympic Weightlifting, and how we can improve them to lift better, faster and heavier.

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