Learning how to squat properly is one of the most basic places to start if you’re trying to make pain free gains in your legs. The proper Squat Form requires that you keep your head up, back angled slightly forward but straight, knees traveling outward as you descend, elbows tucked and chest out. Even with all of these tips and cues on how to squat properly, there is one major squat flaw that is still commonly performed.
In this squat tutorial video, Jeff Cavaliere show you how to perform the squat exercise correctly by paying attention to the alignment of the hips in the transverse plane. Even when your feet are square and your chest is square to your feet, you can still mistakenly allow your hips to open up. This creates a rotational torsion on the pelvis. Though likely very small in absolute motion, this can lead to bio-mechanical changes in your squat that can cause hip, knee, and back pain over time.
It’s important to learn how to squat properly and to learn proper squat form if you want to keep your gains coming while minimizing injuries to other joints. Form is an important part of any exercise, but it’s critical when it comes to the squat, given the loads that are often involved in the lift. The same issue applies to the dead-lift as well.
In order to fix this squatting flaw, you have to consciously contract your gluteus before every repetition of the squat. This will correct the alignment of the pelvis and make sure that your hips are not left open prior to the descent. It takes just an extra second per rep, but will pay significant dividends to both your joint health as well as the gains you can see from your leg workouts.
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