Squat Technique Basics

Watching the Olympic Weightlifting again last night reminded me of knee issues I had about 10 years ago as a direct result of a poor Squat Technique.

To help you avoid a lot of different injuries, here are 7 really simple steps to getting your basic Squat Technique right:

1. Head straight, shoulders back & chest out

2. Feet shoulder width apart, toes facing slightly outward

3. Soft knees (that means very slightly bent)

4. Squat down whilst inhaling

5. Keep bum out, knees no further forward than in line with your toes

6. Squat to point where back of legs are parallel to the floor

7. Exhale as you drive back up to start position

Extra tip: Try watching yourself in the mirror sideways on when you practise.

If you get this right once you've recovered from an injury, you might find yourself celebrating like Oscar Figueroa did a few days ago!

Oscar Albeiro Figueroa Celebrating his Gold Medal at Rio 2016

He won the gold medal in his weight division and retired with the gesture of taking off his shoes and placing them in front of him. He was one of those I was watching to inspire this brief post.

The Olympic Weightlifting has had me completely fascinated over the last few days. It's great to see the physical therapy & massage the competitors get between lifts in the TV coverage.

During competition, massage will keep muscles warmed up as well as prevent tension and pressure building. It also helps competitors to relax & breath more easily, all of which is vital during a lift.

Zoe Smith of Team GB in a deep squat position

Don't Squat with Weights

If you are coming back from an injury, or looking to improve your Squat Technique, don't use weights - no matter how much you want to imitate Team GB star Zoe Smith, above.

It's much better to practise with only your body weight first, get it right, then build up slowly and as appropriate.

I'll be getting deeper into this in the future, but for now, here's another picture of Colombian Gold Medalist, Oscar Figueroa, in squat position before his massive final lift.