The squat is undoubtedly a power move in the gym. It is also a functional move, meaning you have to squat in daily life. If you can use the bathroom, you probably have to do a squat to get the job done.

Many cases of hip and lower back pain in Farmington are linked to a poor functional squat, or loss of strength and coordination of the hip, pelvis and core muscles.

TONS of injuries happen during squat sets in the gym.

Avoid these myths and save yourself and your back.

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Squatting Myths in Farmington

Myth 1: Never let your knees go past your toes.

To be honest, I have no idea how this got started, and neither does anyone else, but not letting your knees past your toes is begging for an injury.

In a 2003 study of experienced lifters, NOT letting your knee past your toes caused 1000% more torque at the hips than just doing a normal squat.

That is bad.

Let those knees move on forward and get those hips opened up.

Myth #2: There is a perfect squat stance.

There are an infinite number of options when it comes to foot placement and squatting.

All the way from "your feet touching together" to "further than shoulder width apart."

Toes forward, toes pointed out....

It just keeps going.

The truth is, the perfect squat stance is specific to YOU and YOUR goal for a single day in the gym.

This is something we test and train on with every athlete. It is easy to tailor your stance to your goal once you know the tricks, AND it gets rid those hurting knees, back, and hips.

Myth #3: Don't squat past horizontal.

We train to squat to a full sitting position safely. We want to see full range of motion, and agility with power, in our lifters.

When you squat with a reduced range of motion under weight, you are losing your stability...

That is an injury waiting to happen.

Remember FSSA

• Flexibility
• Stability
• Strength
• Agility

Flexibility comes first.

When we work to hit your best functional sqaut, it is close stance with a full range of motion.

Avoid danger signs:

If it causes sharp or pinching pain, it's wrong. If it feels awkward or unsteady, dial it back. If you have to round over your lower back in Farmington, that is a danger.

Decrease your weight, shallow out your squat depth and widen your stance a bit. If that feels better move on with the routine.

Less weight and better form is always the best choice.

If you don't feel the burn, just slow down your reps. Count them out 5 seconds down, 5 seconds up. That will kick in the lactic acid for sure.

Squats are a skill, and like all other skills, a great squat takes practice.

We want you to have the skills to kill it in the gym, without the gym killing you back.

Call Desert Hills Chiropractic in Farmington if you have further questions.