Common Squat Mistakes and How to Fix Them

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Improper squatting, especially with free weights, is very harmful to the spine and knees. The life hacker provides tests for self-checking squatting techniques, common mistakes and ways to fix them.

You will not be able to do the exercise correctly until your body is ready for it. For example, if you have limitations in the mobility of the hip joint, then you simply physically cannot perform the squat correctly. And even more so, do not try to squat with weights: this can have a bad effect on the health of the knee joints and spine.

Therefore, before doing weighted squats, check to see if you can do them correctly.

Deep Squat Self Test

Starting position: feet shoulder-width apart, slightly turn the hips outward.

Test: Sit down so that your hips are parallel to the floor, keeping your back straight. Stop and then return to the starting position.

Test criteria:

• squatting should be done smoothly, without jerking;
• keep your back straight throughout the exercise;
• knees are directly above the feet;
• do not lose balance;
• the feet are completely pressed to the floor throughout the exercise;
• keep your head in a neutral position.

To assess performance on all criteria, squat in front of a mirror: first facing it, and then sideways.

You can also ask a friend to follow your movements. It can be difficult for us to assess the position of the body, and in addition, we often lack self-criticism.

A good option is to ask to be filmed on video. You will be able to watch the video several times, evaluate your technique and notice all the mistakes.

So, if you succeed in performing the test perfectly, observing all the criteria for correct technique, congratulations! You can do free weights squats without fear of injury.

If your technique does not correspond to the correct one according to some of the criteria, then weak or, conversely, tight muscles do not allow you to perform the exercise correctly. In this case, before taking dumbbells or a barbell, you need to correct your mistakes.

The main mistakes when doing squats

A life hacker will analyze four common mistakes in squatting technique and help you fix them.

Mistake # 1. Knees wrap inward

This is a common mistake that occurs especially when working with free weights. The reason for this error lies in weak muscles that abduct the hip and muscles that rotate the hip.

How to fix

To strengthen these muscles and restore the correct movement pattern, do exercises with a rubber band. If there is no such tape, a looped expander folded in half will do. In the photo below, I am doing the exercise with just this.

1. Squats with an expander

Squat slowly, making sure that your knees are turned outward, and just as slowly take the starting position. Hold in the lower position for a few seconds, try to feel which muscles are resisting the pressure of the elastic.

The good thing about this exercise is that you practically do not need to consciously turn your knees outward, it happens by itself: when you squat, the elastic pulls the knees inward, and the body automatically reacts to this by turning the hips outward.

If you feel comfortable with the elastic band, gradually increase the pressure until you can do the exercise correctly without the elastic band.

2. Breeding legs in a squat

In addition to the regular squat with an elastic band, you can also do knee flattening and extension at the lowest point. Perform a squat, loosen control a little, letting the elastic roll your knees inward, and then spread your legs to the correct knee position. Repeat several times and then return to starting position.

3. Steps to the side with an expander

Place the expander on your legs under your knees or ankles and take side steps.

Basically, the tension will be felt not in the walking, but in the supporting leg. Make sure that during the steps, the knees do not wrap inward, otherwise the exercise loses its meaning.

Mistake # 2: Not Squatting Deeply

If you cannot sit lower, so that the hips are parallel to the floor, then you lack the mobility of the hip joint. In other words, stiff muscles limit the range of motion.

How to fix

Your task is to relax and stretch the muscles that prevent you from sitting deep enough: hamstrings and glutes.

In the video below, there are exercises to stretch these muscles, which are performed on the floor, on a dais, and using a rubber band.

Mistake number 3. Heels come off the floor

If you cannot sit down so that your feet remain on the floor, then you have stiff lower leg muscles.

How to fix

Use the following exercises to stretch your calf muscles:

Tilt forward to toes

Standing Calf Stretch

Stretching the calf muscles against the wall

Mistake # 4. The back is rounded

Perhaps the point is again in the stiff muscles of the back of the thigh and buttocks. When squatting, they limit the range of motion, preventing bending forward.

How to fix

To stretch these muscles, use the exercises shown in the video above. You can also do the squat next to the wall, which gradually trains your body to squat with a straight back.

Stand facing the wall with your feet 15–45 centimeters away from it, and your hands on the wall. While squatting, focus on the position of your back: it should remain straight throughout the entire exercise.

Start at a farther distance and gradually shorten it by keeping your arms raised in front of you, but not leaning on them for support.

Do exercises to correct your mistakes, and when you see progress, try the test again.

If you succeed, you can increase the difficulty of the exercise: do squats with a barbell on your back, and to shift the focus to the front of the body - with a barbell on your chest or with one kettlebell.

You can also make the deep squat harder by adding a jump after it or using rubber bands to create resistance.

Correct deep squatting will help you avoid injury in both strength sports and in everyday situations, such as lifting from a low surface with a heavy object in your hands.