How to be Safe while lifting!

Proper Squat technique!

My personal favorite compound lift is the Barbell Squat! Not because its my best lift or anything like that… Anyways although its my favorite lift I would have to label it the most dangerous of the big three even more so than deadlifting due the risk of injury being much higher which is why I’m going to provide a slideshow of my very own squat form! (small ego flex this was 405lbs on the bar for 5 reps >:3)

Step by Step

Breathing: Before I explain each step here, breathing correctly on a squat is essential to the movement, so imagine it like this…

At the top position standing up with the bar on your back, take a deep breath then proceed to squat down. This is called the squat dive similar to how you take a deep breath before diving into the water.

Then once you hit the bottom position hold the position for a second then powerfully, but controllably release the breath you held on your ascent upwards like you’re coming back up for air from the bottom of the pool, then repeat this process for each rep and congrats! You can now squat dive!

Picture 1 : I’m loading the bar comfortably on my traps right beneath my rear delts with an even grip on the bar making sure my knees are shoulder width apart and slightly bent, my back is also completely straight here before take off. This is important to prevent any take off mishaps which may interfere with the lift

Picture 2 : I’ve now taken off with the bar on my back, however I didn’t immediately jump into the lift. Take a few moments to feel the weight on your back and get a mental image of how much force you are about to exert. You’ll also notice my feet are pointed ever so slightly outwards, that’s to help my hips sink as deep as they can on the next part of the movement. Once you’re comfortable with proper knee and feet position you can begin the squat

Picture 3 : As you descend into the squat it is VERY important that your descent is controlled all the way down, having an uncontrolled descent can lead to swaying or bending in your back. You’ll also notice the only part of my body that actually moved are my glorious glutes, all the descent requires is to sink your glutes past your hips into a deep sitting position. Pardon my French but this is referred to as “Ass to Grass” depth, in other words its the deepest squat you can muster to maximize the muscle activation. Another key factor here is the knees, notice how my knees are still completely upright, that is the safest position to have your knees in when squatting if you cant help but move or wobble your knees I suggest using less weight.

Picture 4 : By this point I have completed one rep! Notice how my position is nearly identical to when I first took off this relates back to my point of only moving your glutes which picture 5 also relates to. The squat is a quad and glute based exercise so don’t use any other muscle that ya don’t need! ( other muscles don’t include keeping your back straight which may target lower back) Give your glutes the workout they deserve!

Picture 5 : In this photo I’ve begun my second rep, and as previously stated its nearly identical to the first rep. Consistency is key here each rep should be as perfect or nearly as perfect as the last which is why its so important to memorize each step!