So there are lots of questions about Squats and everything and anything related to Squats and Squat Training.
Today, I decided to opt out of writing The Definitive Squat Manifesto and instead select three random points of discussion that I am often asked about. And as I’ve said before, if you get asked the same question 3-4 times you can basically multiply that by a factor of 100,000 or more to estimate the number of people that also have the same question.
So, what are the 3 questions we’re going to investigate?
- What is the ONE major mechanical error that most people make when squatting?
- Should you wear a belt? If so, when?
- What are the best assistance exercises for the squat?
#1: The most common mechanical error….
Every week I meet with lifters who are getting serious coaching on their squat for the first time ever. Some have been squatting for many years, and some are brand new to lifting. Most have dabbled in it for a few weeks or months before realizing they don’t know what they are doing.
But new or “experienced” I see a lot of the same trends week in and week out. Maybe the most common error I see is simply a lack of understanding about how bar placement on the back effects the entirety of the mechanics of the whole movement – the descent, the ascent, and the cues we use to refine the movement during the lift.
I often refer to this as the “blending” of high bar squat mechanics and low bar squat mechanics – and that is something you just can’t do.
As a Starting Strength Coach, I obviously prefer the low-bar back squat for all the reasons detailed in the book – more weight, more muscle mass, longest effective range of motion. And I believe that if you can squat this way you should.
However, many people cannot.
The most common reason people cannot low-bar squat is shoulder immobility. Especially when first starting out, people often have limitations in shoulder mobility and are forced into high bar squatting.
So what I have seen people do over the years is place the bar in high-bar (on top of the traps) due to shoulder discomfort / immobility, but fail to understand that this alters the mechanics entirely from what is described in Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training.
If you want to squat according to the model in Starting Strength – you can’t just change the bar position and then try and keep everything else the same. The Starting Strength Model of squatting is predicated on the barbell being in low-bar (below the traps). If you change this – you have to change nearly everything.
So people come into my gym and show me their squat, and what I see is someone carrying the bar in high-bar position and trying to squat with low-bar mechanics. Not surprisingly they will often report low back pain and/or a sensation of wanting to “fall forward” with the bar or come up on their toes.
When you “sit back” into a squat you must necessarily lean forward to keep yourself in balance. When you create a somewhat horizontal back angle by sitting back and leaning forward, you throw the barbell well forward of your mid-foot if the bar is on top of the traps. The mid-foot is the balance point of the entire lifter-barbell system and you cannot squat efficiently or safely with the barbell resting forward of the mid-foot. It must be over the mid-foot through the entire range of motion. This is not optional.
So assuming a horizontal back angle (low bar mechanics) with the bar on top of the traps (high-bar) creates poor leverage that leads to an off balance, inefficient, and even dangerous squat.
If you have to squat with the bar in high-bar position (on top of the traps) due to shoulder immobility then you have to keep a more vertical torso in order to keep the barbell centered over the mid-foot. Therefore you will think more about squatting DOWN! instead of sitting back. On the way back up, you won’t think as much about Hip Drive! as described in the book, but instead you need to focus a little more on leading up with the chest, and keeping the torso more vertical which will keep the barbell over mid-foot.
So while I prefer the low-bar squat, if you are going to squat high-bar, you need to do it right.
On the flip side……..
The second scenario is often a little harder to fix because it usually occurs with lifters who have been squatting a while and established some bad habits.
This is where the lifter is carrying the bar in low-bar position, but is trying to squat with high bar mechanics i.e. a very vertical torso.
This “blending” combination essentially places the barbell BEHIND the mid-foot during the movement and results in one of two inefficiencies.
The first scenario we might see is the lifter who cannot achieve depth. Basically the lifter reaches a certain threshold of depth, beyond which, further descent into the hole would place the barbell so far behind the mid-foot that he would lose balance and possibly fall backward. Sensing this, the lifter usually has to cut his depth off about midway down. He may cite “lack of flexibility” but the real reason is that the system is off balance to the rear thus limiting his range of motion. If he would lean forward more and get the barbell centered over his mid-foot the lifter would then be in balance and full range of motion would be achievable.
In the second scenario the lifter is actually able to achieve full depth BUT is experiencing a sharp change in back angle at the bottom of the squat. So the lifter descends into the hole with a chest that is too vertical thus keeping the barbell just behind mid-foot and then when he begins his ascent the barbell sharply moves forward to center itself over the mid-foot. Barbells want to be over the mid-foot and given the chance they may find it for you. But when the barbell shifts forward to center itself, it forces the lifter to shift his back angle from vertical to more horizontal.
At the bottom of the squat is a bad place for this to happen.
We want the barbell moving in straight vertical lines up and down. We don’t want horizontal movement of the barbell during the squat and we certainly don’t want a quick forward translation of a heavy barbell when the lifter is deep in the hole.
The correction for this is to get the back angle set more horizontally at the beginning of the squat and maintain virtually the same back angle throughout the range of motion.
