Squats – How low can should you go?
Squats! Pound for pound probably one of the best exercises you can do for the body. It improves strength, power, stability, neural activation, endurance, functional ability etc. I am a huge proponent of getting people into the gym to improve their strength, and one of the most beneficial exercises one can do is a squat. With the increasing popularity of exercises classes like CrossFit, BMF, kettle bell classes to name but a few, there is now a section of society that are taking to the gym to lift. Unfortunately, like with most positive movements, there have been a few bumps in the road.
All too often I hear people profess that, when squatting; if you’re not going “ass to the ground” you might as well not be doing them. If you’re experienced doing squats and you know the proper technique and can maintain this throughout your full range, then there isn’t a huge problem with going down that low. However, in a lot of these classes that have sprung up of late, there is an emphasis on just getting through the volume of exercises in whichever way you can.
Please, if you’re starting to squat, get someone that knows that they’re talking about to assist you at first. To give you an indication of the dangers of squatting incorrectly, have a look at the video below that briefly addresses the issue of pelvic positioning in the ‘ass to the ground’ range.
https://www.facebook.com/174520961109/videos/10154020065986110/
Happy squatting!