I am not an expert in fitness, never got a degree in fitness, nor even certified to do personal training anymore (Don't ask, don't tell). However, I have been lifting for a number of years now and achieved a plethora amount of bro-science knowledge which in the end, if it works it works. I'm an engineer by training and formal education and how I approach my bro-science is through brief study of theoretical knowledge then apply it experimentally. Good to know that that's pretty much how airplanes are built eh?
Brief differences between scientists and engineers:
Scientists know things. Engineers apply knowledge.
The few years that I did do personal training and you were a client of mine, a fellow trainer, a workout partner, or some baboon seeking free advice, it was mostly for my own experiment to see what worked and what didn't. I only save the solid good information for myself so there's no risk to me. Sorry, not sorry.
"It's a man eat man world." - Hanniabal (Been watching it too much)
Anywho, from what I understand (and I admit I don't understand enough) not only from the fitness world, but also in the medical world, it's basically all trial and error. General doctors (not surgeons or research doctors) are uncanny at being doctors because they can memorize known theories and then uncannily regurgitate them when they notice them. Great. They are a living textbook, about to be dethroned by WebMD. However, I see the real miracle workers as surgeons and research doctors who not only have to know their stuff, but more importantly, have to apply that knowledge to solve the problems that arises. Trial and error is unfortunately part of the game, but that's how it's done not only in the medical field, but also in the engineering field. Even in school, my lab results came out with error results anywhere from 2% to 25% which we were told were within tolerable range.
Us 'professionals' just don't tell you that.
It's funnier that way.
What's funnier though is when I saw someone face plant while squatting.
Why people don't squat properly is probably a combination of pure ignorance and laziness. Which doesn't surprise me. A lot of people never get into fitness and find it a chore, rather than joy. It would be like doing meth for me. I would find it annoying and time consuming to find a dealer, cook it, then snort it, despite the potential joys that come out of it. Also not to mention the costs. I get it.
So how does one squat deep? While many believe it's because they're not flexible enough, it's most likely because they have no control over their body. Which sucks cause I wouldn't want you to lose bodily functions around me.
How am I proving this? Sit down on a chair and stand back up. Boom.
Sit down a low stool and stand back up. Can't? Hang on a structure for support then get back up. Did the flexibility change at your hips or knees? No, but your control over your movement did.
This control can be achieved with finding out what's not being controlled.
Squat form cues in layman's terms are follows:
- Weight on balls of feet. (Center of mass)
- Chest up. (Ensures good support in core)
- Head aligned with spine at all times. (Just aligns the nerves better with your skull and spine)
- Making sure the center of mass stays on the center of your body. (Explained below)
What are you doing this whole time? You're squatting. Like squatting to take a dump in the middle of a forest because you're an idiot and thought you were Bear Grylls (which is an awful show).
"I don't know how to squat, better drink my own piss." - Bear Grylls
It's that easy. All you do is squat as the name implies, then you stand back up. Duh
The only difference is while weight training is that once you start adding loads on your back, you need to strengthen your core so your body and hold the weight up in the middle of your center of mass.
Why center of your body? I don't know. Ever seen a see-saw? Don't need to be an engineer to figure this out. Why people fall over is usually because of the moment created when there is weight not over the center of the body. Duh.
To keep heavier weight up means you need a better core and your core is equivalent to the structural beams in a building. The stronger the material, the more weight it could suppport. Duh.
How you place those structural beams (your legs) is also another factor. I would try to explain this in terms of kinematics, but that would be too smart (mostly cause I don't remember a lot of it).
When you're trying to stand playing cards up, you obviously want to find the correct angle. Too wide, then it'll just fall out, too narrow and it'll sway like crazy, and probably fall over.
There is no general "perfect" squat stance since everyone is built a bit different.
Most people will find an easier squat stance with their feet slightly wider than shoulder width, toes turned slightly out, and keeping their knees vertical over their toes. I myself can squat with my feet only 4 inches apart to 4 feet apart, but that's mostly because I'm a champ.
Playing around with different positions is the best way to approach this.
Lastly, though a conventional squat is standing, sitting, then standing, to train for deep/low squats, it's best to train train from the bottom up.
Here are the major steps:
Turn dat ass, shake it fast ya
Pop dat ass, to the left and the right ya.
That's pretty much it.
Use a supportive structure, like a railing, or that chick next to you. Drop into a squat holding onto the support to make sure you can get to depth without any control issues, then find your balance so you can let go of the support. Once you’re at the bottom of the squat completely unsupported, feel out your hips with your mind and move it around to see where you're stable and where you're not. Then stand back up.
"I was trying to squat so I was like shake that tail feather." - Nelly
So obviously hips are the key component of a squat. The first movement while going down is sticking that ass out. Lead with the hips to the bottom. From the bottom, you squeeze the hips in to get up.
This is all the while you keep your core tight. How? Suck in a ton of air into your belly while going down and breath out while going up. The timing should be that so you have max inhale by the time you're in the hole, and no air left by the time you're up.
In the end, a lot of it comes down to just spending your life and lift in low places. I have many friends down there and I've been there too.
This has been brought to you by bro-science and am not responsible for you getting too strong and bulky.
However, it is also not impossible when girls squat, they will look like below in a matter of days, therefore they should only have me spot them to be safe.
The squat blog wasn't actually below parallel. I know. I just wanted to get some rant in.
