Should You Be Squatting?

In the fitness world, squatting is dogmatic (in this article when I mention squat I mean a two-legged deep squat). There are even some coaches that say everything can fix everything and can increase performance for everyone. In my experience with aging athletes however, the need to squat varies widely. Many of my clients will never deep squat to reach their goals, while others will go through a systematic progression that will take years in order for them to get to a deep squat.

The biggest reason I resist throwing clients directly into squatting (especially deep squatting) is there are requisite are ribcage, back, hip, knee, and ankle ranges of motion the client will need to perform a safe squat. For instance, if you have concentric orientation of upper ribcage (caused by a lack of dorsal rostral expansion), it will impede an upright squat and force the client into a compromised squatting position (leaned over). This leads to an overuse of the lower back muscle and minimizes the value of the squat in increasing muscle in the glutes, hamstrings, and quads. There are TONS of other exercises that I will utilize to build these areas that have a lot more effectiveness and less of a learning curve. These movements include single leg squats, split squats, lunges, hip thrusts and step-ups just to name a few. If I feel the need to progress a client in bilateral squatting, I will most of the time utilize kettlebells in the front rack position as this allows for: 1. A more upright squat 2. Safer loading (in case the client needs to get rid of the load quickly) 3. Aids in mobility of the ribcage through breathing. If you are having back, hip, or knee issues, it may be time to 86 the squat and work on your mobility, ability to inhale/exhale, and technique. Need help? I am here to serve. Click the link below to book a free assessment today!

To learn even more about squatting assessment and progressions, you won’t want to miss Scott Hagnas and I’s most recent podcast. Click below to listen!

Diaphragmatic Breathing For Aging Athletes

Over the last 7 years, I have utilized exercises to improve breathing mechanics (Postural Restoration Institute) for not only warm-ups and cool-downs but for progressing athletes and clients in advanced movement. Take the back squat for example; you are trying to simultaneously flex the hip and knees while supporting a load on the back of the shoulders (axial loading on the spine). This may seem like a simple and easy thing to do, but as we look at what it takes to progress the squat in load and get the most out of it, we see that the position of the ribcage plays an enormous factor in whether or not the movement is being used properly. To improve squatting, pressing, and hinging mechanics, we must create a solid foundation to build on. Enter diaphragmatic breathing.

Diaphragmatic breathing is something we are born to do. However, we learn compensatory breathing patterns through our modern day living that ends up ruining what we are biologically made to do. Take a look at a baby/infant breath, move, squat, etc.. This is how we are born to move. The more we sit in chairs, avoid primal moving patterns (squatting, hinging, crawling, pressing), and overuse certain movements/exercises the deeper these new patterns are ingrained.

Fortunately, we can relearn how to properly move, and it starts with understanding optimal breathing to access the widest capacity of movement (NOTE: NOT NECESSARILY THE BEST SINCE BEST IS SUBJECTIVE). It's not as simple as sucking air in and pushing it out. If we focus only on those actions, we are not addressing the root problem: What strategy are we using to execute inhalation and exhalation. In this video, I review breathing mechanics we use for postural exercises (influenced by Zac Cupples, Bill Hartman, and The Postural Restoration Institute), including points of emphasis for aging athletes. Aging athletes tend to have less mobility in the ribcage (influenced by aforementioned activities) and need special consideration when relearning how to use the diaphragm in breathing.

The biggest take away: practice your breathing mechanics daily and you will see your mobility (both upper and lower body improve) and chronic pain diminish. Need a personalized touch to your mobility routine? I'm here to help. Click the link below to see up a free assessment today and let's move toward the best version of you.