THE SQUAT

The squat is considered the most important exercise in any strength and conditioning program. Relative strength is the comparison of a lift or lifted to their bodyweight. The squat is the lift I do a lot of comparisons to. Usually, but not all the time, an individuals relative strength in the squat, is a predictor of speed both linear and vertical. Even with this in mind, there still seems to be disagreement in the area of technique and depth. Let's take a look at some specifics.
Ian King, an excellent strength coach from Australia, said it best, "there are 2 types of squats". " One is the quad dominant, or Olympic style (QDOS), and hip dominant, or powerlifting style (HDPS)". The major differences in the two styles, in my mind, are huge. The position of the knee will dictate the style and which muscle groups are used.
QDOS squats have the knees go past the toes. The hips will stay over the ankles, and the back will stay more upright than the HDPS squat. Ideally, depth should be rock bottom. Rock bottom is defined as the hamstrings, or back of the legs, touching the calves. I say ideally, because in many weight rooms, that is not what happens. The butt (the lifter's ass) will not go lower than the knees. This is a high squat. The upper torso usually leans to far forward, and the upper back may slightly round. My neck hurts just writing about this. Usually the core, or lower back and abs, are unable to properly maintain an upright position. This is a classical example of too much too soon. The glutes and quads, especially around the knees, take the brunt of this movement. If the bar is placed to high on the neck, to much stress is placed on the knees. Over time this is not good. If the athlete is not wearing solid lifting shoes, instead of his or hers cross training shoes, the knees will never get a break. Most sneakers are made for the foot and knee to roll forward, not statically maintaining a position. You need to do some front squats and QDOS squats, but not every time you squat.
HDPS squats will typically take a wider stance. The bar is placed in a groove in the upper back. If you attempt to touch your shoulder blades, or what is called your scalpulae, the bunching of the trapezius, levator scalpae, and rhomboids (all upper back muscles) create an area where the bar sits snugly. Rotating the shoulders backward, slightly throwing the chest forward, while slightly elevating the scalpulae create a nice solid natural valley for the bar to sit in. Shrugs, lat exercises, and rear delt work will help to develop the proper musculature in that area. Practice with a broom, with no shirt, in front of a mirror, with a good coach, and you will see what I mean.
OK, sorry for the detailed explanation on bar placement, but back to HDPS. The knees are the major difference between the QDOS and HDPS squats. In the HDPS squat the knee should be over the ankles. Not sort of close but directly over the ankles, freshman!!! You will find that this needs to be done on to a box. A box, sacrareligious, to some, but great to me. If a box is not used, the athlete will usually fall backwards. That is because the lift is emphasizing something the lifter is massively weak in, the hamstrings and posterior chain. The posterior chain is defined as lower back or erectors, glutes or ass to some, and hamstrings. Since these muscle groups are responsible for roughly 65% of an athletes ability to run fast, it makes a lot of sense to me. Parallel would be defined as the top of the knee cap is even with the hip were hip flexion occurs. This is probably 6 inches or more lower than the previous bad example in the QDOS squat. The box can also be adjusted to various heights to address various weaknesses the coach sees in a lifter.
Let's take a look at some similarities between the two styles.
*Feet should always remain flat on the ground at all times. Usually this indicates a flexibility problem in the Achilles tendon, but could possibly be problems in other areas.
*Do not put the elbows excessively behind the head. This will place undo stress on the shoulders. It can also reck havoc on the elbows and forearms. I had soft tissue work done on my forearms, that proved to be very effective, because of this technique flaw.
*Keep your wrists relatively straight. If the bar is not in a solid valley, it will slide. An injured wrist could be the result.
*Maintain a superman back. I use to love that show when I was a kid. "Look up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's superman". "Clark Kent a mild mannered..... Great stuff. Anyway, when you don't see a flat back, particularly between thoracic vertabrae 5 (T5) through T11, then an injury will eventually come to town.
*Avoid torque or what I call helcoptering. This is when the bar moves like blades of a copter. The bar needs to stay parallel with the hips.
*Desend under control. This not real slow, and this is not crashing down like a house of bricks. Once you get the feel of it, you will know what I mean. And ascend explosively, freshman!!! Why are you doing all this lifting. To get slower? Think explosiveness, always!!
*Bunch the muscles together in the upper back, for proper bar placement. If not the cervical 7 (C7) disc will not like you.
I will cover the differences and other interesting info next Monday. For answers to your questions I can be contacted at acudave@yahoo.com