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The Squat Mechanic

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25.01.2022 When I’m assessing someone’s squat one of the first things I look for from the side is centre of gravity; I’m looking to see that it stays consistent throughout the movement. If you look closely in this video we can see a forward shift in this client’s centre of gravity as she descends. She’s collapsing on to the inside front part of her feet, creating an imbalanced, unstable movement. Those with some experience and/or knowledge of anatomy might assume that the forward shift ...is a sign of tight adductors and/or weak glutes, and try to resolve the problem by stretching the tight stuff and activating the weak stuff. But this pattern is actually indicative of a higher level dysfunction - an inhibited core. What a lot of people fail to appreciate is that the tight adductors and glute weakness are often SYMPTOMS of core dysfunction, not the problem itself, and these symptoms will persist until the root of the dysfunction is addressed. Inhibited or under-active core muscles are unable to stabilise our spine & pelvis effectively. In response to such instability our adductor muscles will frequently clamp down to provide some secondary level of support to our pelvis. It’s not terribly effective, but it’s better than nothing. Our glutes rely on a stable pelvis (and functional adductors) to fire effectively, and thus become another muscle that falls victim to core dysfunction. Activating this client's core muscles allowed her adductors to release their stranglehold on her pelvis, which allowed her glutes to fire better. With this increased support she was able to squat with better stability, generating more power from her glutes, thighs and core instead of the balls of her feet, knees and lower back. Resolve the higher-level dysfunction and the lower-level symptoms will usually take care of themselves.

23.01.2022 I looked at her in surprise, trying not to show my astonishment. Say that again? I just don’t feel balanced. A new client, in our first session together, had just finished demonstrating her squat technique....Continue reading

22.01.2022 Let’s talk ceiling of progress. Firstly, PROGRESS is different for everyone. For some people progress is running faster; for others it’s jumping higher, swinging stronger, swimming for longer. ...Continue reading

22.01.2022 I want you to do good squats. If you're doing good squats keep going. If you're not, I want you to stop. I said this to a client last week after her second session. We’d fixed her squats and when she asked what to do during the week I said bodyweight squats ... or a very light dumbbell - like offensively light, 2 kgs, so light you can hardly feel it.... She can squat with decent weight. So this was a bit of a challenge, and could be to anyone well committed to their love affair with strength training and weightlifting. Or perhaps I should say anyone who hasn’t felt what a modified and optimised squat feels like I believe this client’s words were ‘my squat feels more connected, everything feels like it’s working together’ I’m not comfortable blowing my own horn, but this has become my area of specialty. My passion. And it is what makes me different to other trainers. Quality movement. Precision. Technique. Form. THEN strength, gains and glory See, in the early stages of training, I’m not training muscles, I’m entraining movement patterns. I’m not concerned with making the muscles strong YET. I’m looking to change the way the brain uses and recruits those muscles. And the only way that is going to happen is through repetition of the new, quality movement pattern we’re embedding, and by doing movements designed to facilitate and complement this process. It’s not rocket science, but it is a significantly more nuanced and personalised approach. The work I do is different, specialised. It’s the result of working in the industry for over a decade and the fact that as with any sport, when you care to go deep there's a lot to be gained by focusing on technique. For those who are worried they’ve hit a ceiling of progress after years of hard work, or want to up their game - this work is the next step. Sound like you or someone you know? I haven’t got a huge sales pitch, just an offer to get you in for a complementary 30 minute movement & squat session I keep a few spots available each week for anyone interested in getting a feel for how I work. Use the code 'testmeout' to comp the session via my webpage http://www.thesquatmechanic.com.au/squat-coaching

21.01.2022 If you had to guess, right now, based on nothing more than a glance at these two squat positions - which would you think is stronger? Which position would you rather be in if you had to lift a heavy weight or stop an offensive tackle on the football field? It's kind of obvious isn't it?... On the left we see Natalie's squat position at the start of our first session. Her upright torso forces her knees forward, which brings her hips forward, overloading her forefoot and resulting in a knee/quad dominant squat with very little glute engagement. On the right we see her position in our next session - a much stronger, more stable (slightly blurry) squat position. By leaning her torso forward Natalie is able to drive her hips further backwards, reducing the load through her knees/quads and putting it squarely into her hips/glutes. The squat on the left looks weak and unsteady. The squat on the right oozes stability and power. If you want to learn how to squat with stability and power then download the ‘ProCoach’ app https://procoachtech.com/ I’ve recently been invited to join as one of the technique coaches and if you upload a video of your squat taken from the side and behind, I’ll share three things you can do to begin to correct and optimise your squat movement for the intro price of $14.99. OR If you’re in Melbourne attend the squat workshop I’m running this Saturday in Richmond https://www.facebook.com/events/525908857890136/ OR If you're keen to work with a trainer, book a complimentary 30 minute session to find out if we’re a fit to work together. www.thesquatmechanic.com.au/squatcoaching

17.01.2022 Let’s talk ceiling of progress. Firstly, PROGRESS is different for everyone. For some people progress is running faster; for others it’s jumping higher, swinging stronger, swimming for longer. ...Continue reading

17.01.2022 A lot of clients come to me with poor CORE ENGAGEMENT. This is very different to having strong or weak core muscles. How so?... Well, whilst muscles around our midsection can be individually very strong, that doesn’t mean they actually engage and work well together. And this is a problem because...? If we only train our core muscles for strength (especially if we try to train them in isolation) we can often end up with strong core muscles that still don’t work together to brace our spine and provide stability. And how is that a problem? Because our abdominals work together kind of like instruments in an orchestra: each instrument needs to know its role, varying its volume and tempo in order to contribute to the symphony. An instrument can be played more forcefully, but that doesn’t necessarily make the symphony better. In fact, it can easily make it worse. It’s important then to look not just at ways to make our core muscles stronger, but also to work more harmoniously with the rest of our body. We’ve got to train them to make music! How do we do know if our core muscles ain't makin music? Adrian here is a former elite-level rower and swimmer, and is quite strong. VERY strong, actually. She’s been experiencing back pain for the last few years and I’ve been working with her lately to help improve pain-free function. What I’ve found is that Adrian is very strong in sections - upper body or lower body for example - but lacks the ability to integrate this strength into whole-body movements. Put simply, her core muscles are strong but not harmonious. Her orchestra is loud but its music kinda sucks. So what are we doing about it? A lot of the training we’ve been doing together is based around the idea of integrating abdominal function into more whole-body movements. Here’s an example of a warmup I had her perform during our session last week. Hanging from the bar is engaging her arms/shoulders/back, while holding & moving various objects with her feet requires integration of her adductors and core. The outcome of this is not just an increase in abdominal strength; it’s an improvement in the orchestration and coordination of her abdominal muscles to optimise support and stability. Even more than that, for Adrian it means less back pain, more injury proofing and a stronger foundation from which to generate strength and power. You don’t get that from situps!

14.01.2022 In her first session, my client Lauren here demonstrated zero glute engagement in her squat so I had her perform these single-leg step-downs to test glute function. The glutes play an important role in stabilising our hips, and these step-downs test our hip/leg stabilisers to their limits. Wherever the body 'breaks' in this movement gives me valuable information that influences the path our training will take. If Lauren's glute/hip/leg muscles were strong enough to stabilise ...the movement we would see a relatively straight line maintained between hip, knee and ankle joint. But we don't. See how her knees buckle in towards her midline? Yep, that's a problem right there. Notice particularly that her right-leg stance is wobblier than her left? The hip/knee/ankle alignment is worse on her right side, and at the bottom of the movement her left hip is sitting lower than her right. This tells me she has greater weakness through her right hip than her left, which will need to be accounted for as we work to restore balance and function. Noticing wobbles in your single leg movements? Curious to hear how I'd begin to correct or optimise a particular movement, lift or your squat? Download the ‘ProCoach’ app https://procoachtech.com/ I’ve recently signed on as one of the technique coaches. If you upload a video of any movement that feels weak or uncomfortable, I’ll share what you can immediately do to begin to correct and optimise your technique.

14.01.2022 Functional leg length difference can be an enormous obstacle for anyone training to improve their strength and physique. It creates instability that reverberates around the body, increasing the risk of injury, preventing symmetrical muscle engagement and impeding progress. This clip is an example of the dramatic improvement that can be made once the leg length discrepancy is corrected. Zoe's squat is transformed from a shaky, twisting movement to a stable, balanced movement that allows far more symmetrical engagement of hip and leg musculature. The effect is instantaneous - the squat is stronger and more stable from the very first raise-assisted rep and we're now encouraging muscular imbalances to begin to correct and in time render the heel raise unnecessary.

14.01.2022 Stage 1: In our first session together, Leroy demonstrates what has been his normal squat movement to date. We see his knees breaking before his hips, his thighs pointing directly forward despite his feet being externally rotated (leading to nasty torque through his knees), and his pelvis rolling backwards and forwards through the movement. All of this indicates very poor gluteal and abdominal engagement during his squat, and a high chance of knee and/or low back pain in his... future. Stage 2: After a few minutes instruction we see hips breaking earlier, thighs driving out over toes, and much less tilting of the pelvis. Stage 3: In our second session together we see far more stability throughout the trunk and pelvis, and hips driving much further backwards indicating a more glute-dominant squat pattern. Stage 4: Adding the barbell we can now see vastly improved stability and control throughout the movement. Ft. The XX vs. Biggie Remix

14.01.2022 A lot of clients come to me with poor CORE ENGAGEMENT. This is very different to having strong or weak core muscles. How so?... Well, whilst muscles around our midsection can be individually very strong, that doesn’t mean they actually engage and work well together. And this is a problem because...? If we only train our core muscles for strength (especially if we try to train them in isolation) we can often end up with strong core muscles that still don’t work together to brace our spine and provide stability. And how is that a problem? Because our abdominals work together kind of like instruments in an orchestra: each instrument needs to know its role, varying its volume and tempo in order to contribute to the symphony. An instrument can be played more forcefully, but that doesn’t necessarily make the symphony better. In fact, it can easily make it worse. It’s important then to look not just at ways to make our core muscles stronger, but also to work more harmoniously with the rest of our body. We’ve got to train them to make music! How do we do know if our core muscles ain't makin music? Adrian here is a former elite-level rower and swimmer, and is quite strong. VERY strong, actually. She’s been experiencing back pain for the last few years and I’ve been working with her lately to help improve pain-free function. What I’ve found is that Adrian is very strong in sections - upper body or lower body for example - but lacks the ability to integrate this strength into whole-body movements. Put simply, her core muscles are strong but not harmonious. Her orchestra is loud but its music kinda sucks. So what are we doing about it? A lot of the training we’ve been doing together is based around the idea of integrating abdominal function into more whole-body movements. Here’s an example of a warmup I had her perform during our session last week. Hanging from the bar is engaging her arms/shoulders/back, while holding & moving various objects with her feet requires integration of her adductors and core. The outcome of this is not just an increase in abdominal strength; it’s an improvement in the orchestration and coordination of her abdominal muscles to optimise support and stability. Even more than that, for Adrian it means less back pain, more injury proofing and a stronger foundation from which to generate strength and power. You don’t get that from situps!

14.01.2022 "IF YOU COULD HAVE ME ANSWER ANY ONE QUESTION ABOUT SQUATTING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?" What question would you ask Stu The Squat Mechanic? In case you're interested and thinking about coming to tomorrow's workshop we'd love you to know that to make attendance a directly valuable experience, we ask all attendees this question. ... Here are some of the answers we've received so far: - When is a glute or quad dominant squat more appropriate and why? - How can I improve core / breathing / bracing when squatting? - How can I develop a strong squat? - How can I assess (both visual and questioning) the individual client to identify the best squat technique for them - How can we best prevent injury under load. - Is it true that my knees shouldn’t go past my toes? - Is my form getting in the way of me cracking the 100kg barrier? - What can I do to help clients who experience a caving in of their Thoracic spine We also asked if people: > Squat for strength > Squat as part of my fitness routine or group class > I'm a personal trainer/coach And have a mix of people from each category. ** There are 5 spots left ... just sayin **

13.01.2022 Sit in front of a computer with your shoulders hunched and your neck straining forwards much? A lot of our musculoskeletal health is tied to our upper back and shoulders. The ‘rounded shoulders, forward head’ posture is unfortunately common in our society - think for a moment about how many tools and activities we perform daily that put us in the ‘arms/head/shoulders forward, looking down’ position. ... If the section of our spine in our upper back (thoracic) doesn’t have the ability to extend and rotate easily, and if our shoulder blades lose the ability to swivel fluidly around our ribcage, the consequences can flow through to all extremities of our body and cause problems like lower back pain, shoulder pain (along with increased likelihood of shoulder injury), neck pain, headaches, and even pain referred to our lower limbs. Not only that, it limits access to the full complement of muscles needed when lifting weights and training for strength in the gym. That’s what I’m battling in this pic here with Mel! One of the first things I’ll do with a new client is assess the posture and the range of motion of their shoulders and upper back. If I see any of the telltale clues of dysfunction it becomes a priority to address this before moving into any of the major upper body exercises. In this picture I’ve got Mel performing a simple drill: stand with arms by your side and wind your thumbs out as far as you can. Keep winding until the shoulder blades start squeezing together. Pretty simple, right? I’m looking for a few things here - one is how easily the shoulder blades move together, the direction they move (do they pull in together or shrug up slightly?), but another really important one is the position of the ribcage. See how Mel’s rib cage has lifted a little? It’s telling me her shoulder blades aren’t moving freely because they’re pulling the entire rib cage along for the ride. The lifted rib cage means loss of abdominal engagement and adds a forward tilt to the pelvis, which in turn causes the thighs to internally rotate. This change to pelvic & thigh alignment will affect the way she walks, placing abnormal stress at the lower back, knees, ankles and feet. So we see that upper back/shoulder dysfunction can create pain as far away as our knees and feet! Cool, huh? ~ No, wait, it’s the other thing: terrible. Improving the function of upper back and shoulders obviously becomes a high priority then, and is usually surprisingly straight-forward. I use a combination of activation exercises, stability/coordination exercises, and the occasional stretch or two (used sparingly - those of you who’ve read some other posts of mine will be aware of my reluctance to rely on stretching to correct imbalances). If you want to have a crack at improving shoulder mobility yourself, this simple drill is great to help you bring awareness to the area and something you can do to help your posture out whenever you get up from the computer.

10.01.2022 Stage 1: In our first session together, Leroy demonstrates what has been his normal squat movement to date. We see his knees breaking before his hips, his thighs pointing directly forward despite his feet being externally rotated (leading to nasty torque through his knees), and his pelvis rolling backwards and forwards through the movement. All of this indicates very poor gluteal and abdominal engagement during his squat, and a high chance of knee and/or low back pain in his... future. Stage 2: After a few minutes instruction we see hips breaking earlier, thighs driving out over toes, and much less tilting of the pelvis. Stage 3: In our second session together we see far more stability throughout the trunk and pelvis, and hips driving much further backwards indicating a more glute-dominant squat pattern. Stage 4: Adding the barbell we can now see vastly improved stability and control throughout the movement. Ft. The XX vs. Biggie Remix

08.01.2022 Want to improve your technique, get stronger and lift heavier? Notice a bit of 'buttwink' going on when you squat? Ever wondered if you should lift or tuck your chin?...Continue reading

04.01.2022 Thighs doing all the work when you squat? Knees hurting? Not getting DOMS in your glutes? I’m not surprised. It’s more common than you would think. Although an enormous number of people turn to squatting to improve their strength, figure and grow their glutes, a quick glance around any gym reveals an abundance of subtle errors that, to the trained eye, show just how few people are getting the kind of glute activation that will achieve the change in strength and physique they’...re working for. If this is you and you’re ready to make a change I can help. I’ve recently been invited to analyse and coach technique via a great new app ProCoach. https://procoachtech.com/ Download the app, upload a video of your squat and I’ll help you get them glutes cookin. OR Attend the 90 minute squat workshop in Richmond this Saturday https://www.facebook.com/events/525908857890136/