The Many Faces of Squats

Your key to longevity and greater athletic performance

Vitality and longevity begin with physical independence starting with the functional movements we perform every day to the complex movements that allow us to excel in the sports we love into the later decades of our lives.

Those who know me or have tuned in to my podcast appearances may know that my mother is 95 years old. I talk about her frequently because she is an “encyclopedia” of knowledge and insight into physical longevity and the struggles that women have endured over time. Ironically, she has never set foot in a gym or stepped onto a field to play a sport - but she can mow a lawn, mulch a yard, move furniture, finish a basement, and split logs for firewood. This is what you are left with when deliberate physical training was “not for women” when she was in her physical prime shortly after the end of World War II.

What does this have to do with this week’s workout? This week’s feature movement is the squat - the arguably uncontested Queen of functional movements. Squats are the foundation of simple tasks such as sitting and standing and whose strength and power can be leveraged by competitive athletes to optimize physical performance. We also perform squats with little thought about it during physical activities outside of fitness and sport. So, although my mother never set foot in a gym, she has undoubtedly performed thousands of squats over the course of her lifetime. Today, she lives independently, still drives, and does her own laundry, grocery shopping, and housecleaning.

Now let’s take a closer look at the squat, its modifications, and physical targets. The linked movement videos demonstrate proper mechanics which is critical for appreciating the benefits of these movements while keeping you safe from injury.

As with any new movement, start with body weight or a PVC pipe/broomstick. Next, find your pain-free range of motion. Set up a “target” such as a STABLE chair or box that will define the bottom of the movement and the point at which you will rise to a standing position. Only when you can do the movement confidently, should you add weight in the form of a weighted barbell/dumbbells. As you build strength and become more proficient, try lowering the target to increase your pain-free range of motion.

Types of Squats

Chair Squat - If squats are not accessible to you, start with sitting and standing from a chair. Use a cane, broomstick, or PVC pipe for assistance if needed. As you build strength, use less assistance. Once you can perform this movement confidently, without assistance, move on to the Air Squat.

Air Squat - A basic squat without load that can be done anywhere without equipment. The depth of your squat can be modified as above (using a chair or box) to achieve your starting point of pain-free range of motion.

Back Squat - Builds lower body and midline strength. Improves general sports performance and sprint performance, coordination, and flexibility. *Use caution if you have disc issues or back injuries. Check with your doctor first!

Front Squat - Targets the quadriceps and gluteal muscles differently by shifting load to the front of the body. Builds midline stability and mobility in an upright position and can improve posture.

Overhead Squat - Builds balance, joint flexibility, lower body strength, and core stability improving posture and possibly fall prevention.

Split squat - Trains 1 leg at a time. Excellent for addressing asymmetries/imbalances due to injury or other limitations. It is again important to define your pain-free range of motion by creating targets for the bottom of the movement. A modification of this movement that provides the same benefit is the box step-up.

Squat Jump - This is a plyometric movement that builds explosive power in the muscles of the lower body and has favorable effects on bone. Set a high target to touch at the height of the jump to measure your proficiency with this movement. If jumping high is a limitation, place a line on the floor with tape over which to jump or add a little height with a low bar such as a barbell or dumbbell.

… one last thing

• In addition to building muscle strength and stability, squats of all types have favorable effects on your bones. By definition, a squat is a weight-bearing exercise because it supports the weight of your entire body. Muscle, bone health, and fracture-prevention are critical for health and longevity during midlife and beyond!

For today’s workout, select one or two of the types of squats above to develop and practice! Next week, you can select another, and the week after, another, until you have practiced them all and built an arsenal of squatting skills that serve as your foundation for longevity and sports performance!

Warm Up

AMRAP 7 (As many rounds as possible in 7 minutes)

• 10 Up-Downs

• 10 (right + left = 1 repetition) Mountain Climbers

• 10 Air Squats

Movement Practice

Select the type(s) of squats above to perform for the workout today. Take 5-10 minutes to watch the video and practice your selected movement(s). If you are selecting a squat that is new for you, use bodyweight only or a PVC pipe or broomstick and find your pain-free range of motion.

If you are proficient with your selected movement, take this time to select your weight. Barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells can be interchanged for most of the above movements (except the overhead squat). You should be able to perform 10 repetitions of the movement confidently.

Workout

Part 1 - MOVEMENT PROFICIENCY AND MUSCLE HYPERTROPHY

Select ONE of the squat types above for Part 1 of the workout.

E2MOM (every 2 minutes on the minute) x 6 sets.

Set a timer and perform 10 repetitions of your selected squat at minute 0:00 and every 2 minutes thereafter for a total of 6 sets. Once you finish the 10 repetitions, rest for the remainder of the 2-minute interval. If you choose the split squat (or the box step-up), perform 5-7 repetitions on one side, then 5-7 repetitions on the other side.

REST 5 MINUTES BETWEEN PARTS 1 AND 2

Part 2 - STRENGTH BUILDING

Select another type of squat with which you would like to build strength. Start with a weight that you can perform confidently for 3 repetitions and build to a “heavy set of 3 repetitions” by incrementally adding weight over the course of the 5 sets.

What is “heavy”? - The weight at which it becomes very challenging to perform 3 unbroken repetitions with 80% perfect form.

Be mindful of mechanics! If it is starting to get ugly, reduce the weight and hold at that weight for the remainder of the sets.

E3MOM (every 3 minutes on the minute) x 5 sets.

Set a timer and perform 3 repetitions of your selected squat at minute 0:00 and every 3 minutes thereafter for a total of 5 sets. Once you finish the 3 repetitions, rest for the remainder of the 3-minute interval.

When building strength, more rest is required for recovery between sets. For best results, embrace the rest!

You may feel that strength will be difficult to train in Part 2 after doing 6 sets of 10 repetitions in Part 1. Although you will have muscle fatigue, this is an opportunity to build strength because your legs will be warm and muscles activated. It is not uncommon for athletes to achieve Personal Records (PRs) in strength-building activities after an intense workout.

Cool Down

Your hips brought their A-Game today, so let’s show them some love and jumpstart their recovery with this 15-minute hip-focus yoga from Five Parks.

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