Following our recent post discussing the benefits of squatting squat ‘arse to grass’ we have here a much-needed likely to generate questions and queries, so please feel free to Contact Us or post your questions, feedback, experiences on our Facebook Page.
1. Stretch Your Calves
Often the main reason you may not able to go deeper in your squats is tight calves. Try loosening up your calves using an isometric stretch on a leg press – holding each stretch at the lowest position for a minimum of 20 seconds and changing the position of your feet from pointing inwards, neutral and outwards.
2. Elevate Your Heels
By elevating your heels on a platform, you shorten the calf muscles and push the knees forward. This allows your body to be kept more upright as you move deeper into the squat, and also has the added advantage of making the squat a more quad dominant exercise.
3. Stretch Your Lower Back
A tight lower back can often cause your back to round as you descend into the squat, putting unnecessary stain on the lumbar erectors. Performing supine windmills beforehand can help loosen the back muscles, facilitating a deeper and more effective squat.
4. Widen Your Stance
Place your feet slightly wider than your hips, and turn your feet slightly (10-15 degrees) outwards. This creates a greater degree of movement for the femur (thigh bone)
at the hip joint, allowing you to squat past a ‘parallel thigh’ position. Anatomically, this position tends to be more ‘natural’ and further activates the strong gluteal muscles,
enabling you to lift a heavier load with increased stability.
5. Squat With Chains
Using training aids like chains are useful not only in overloading the squat at the top, but also assisting in deepening the range of movement at the bottom of the exercise.
Written by:
Founder and Master Strength Coach