Squat (heavy resistance)

3-POINT SET-UP:

1. One foot on front platform

2. Second foot underneath safety strap on moving carriage

3. Push carriage away until feet are between hip and shoulder width distance (holding equal weight distribution)

Body Part • Direction • Action Verb:

• PUSH the carriage away so that your feet are between shoulder and hip width distance and then HOLD THE CARRIAGE STILL.

• HINGE at your hips

• LOWER into a squat by BENDING at your knees

Range of Motion:

• Lower towards a 90 degree angle, stopping before your pelvis posteriorly rotates and hips tuck under

• Lift to the top, stopping before your knees lock out, and maintaining a neutral pelvis (not squeezing glutes at top)

 Kinetic Checkpoints:

HEAD:

SAME AS PLANK

FEET:

❌ Put all of the weight into your heel

❌ Lift your toes towards the ceiling 

✅ Maintain an equal weight distribution in all three points of contact in your foot (the tripod: below the big toe, below the pinky toe, and in the heel)

✅ Keep the arch of your foot engaged and lifted  

KNEES:

❌ Driving your knee past your toes as you lower your hips

❌ Pull your knee behind your ankle and you rise to the top of your squat

✅ Aim to keep your feet in alignment with your mid foot as you lower into a squat tracking right behind your second and third toe at the bottom.

HIPS:

❌ Excessively Tipping your pelvis forward prior to lowering into a squat

❌ Hinging from your hips to the point that your chest/shoulders are parallel to the floor

❌ Keeping torso fully upright and tucking hips under 

❌Tucking your hips under by going too low or squeezing your glutes at the top 

✅ Keep your hips frozen in neutral position and level throughout the movement

Talking Points:

• The distance between the platform and the carriage ultimately dictates the amount of external rotation necessary in hips in order to produce a biomechanically sound squat. As the carriage moves farther away from platform, more external rotation of hips in necessary in order to have your knees tracking properly behind your second and third toe while lowering into a squat

• A squat is an excellent warm up exercise in particular to this method prior to going into more intricate movements. 

• A favorite visual I like to use for clients is to have them imagine as if they have an exercise band on below their knees, and while maintaining all 3 points of contact with their feet, drive your knees away, keeping the imaginary exercise band tight. 

• If you see a lot of mid back (thoracic) extension, check the clients neck to make sure they are in proper alignment. Following this, you can check the pelvis to ensure a neutral position and a braced core throughout the range of motion.