Squat Therapy - Friday August 11/17
We Squat A lot... get used to it!
If you have not read the picture just inside the door you will notice the words above in our "guidelines" and we firmly believe the squat is one of the most functional movements you can do and without it you are not going to be flexible, powerful or functional. So yes when you look at this week, you see a lot of squats... Front squats, Medball Cleans, air squats, air squats, box jumps and tire flips.. If you have not perfected your squat.. I am going to make sure you do, and if you think you have perfected it.. I'm going to test it under distress and fatigue.
99 problems and a squat is many:
We are here to help you get better, be better movers, healthier people and live longer. Moving through a squat can be challenging and with different femur lengths and foot arches, tight hips, banged up knees, duck footed people we see all sorts of issues when we squat.
So how do we fix these things?:
In order to fix our squat we must be willing to strip it back, and we must be willing to practice. There are some people in the gym that have had this discussion with me and taken the time to go backwards in order to get better. You may have noticed these people getting better in the squat, pushing higher numbers and doing things like squatting with a ball, a bench in front, wall squats, balance squats and a numerous other variations of the squat.. We call that Squat therapy.
Squat Therapy:
Here are a few ways to get better and fix your squat.
Russian Baby Makers
This is just one of many names given to this drill. This is a great drill to warm up your hamstrings and hips. As you reach your hips up high, drive your chest to your thighs, keeping your hands on your toes. Then actively pull your hips down to the bottom of the squat, lifting your chest up high and driving your knees out with your elbows. As you progress in your reps you should be able get lower and lower.
Hawaiian Squats
A big thank you to indestri friend and Games Athlete Jenny LaBaw for introducing me to this drill! Post yourself up by a rack. Get into a figure four position and pull yourself down as low as possible, without rounding the back. You should feel a stretch through your piriformis. Keep your chest up while you lower, focusing on proper squat mechanics. As you progress in your reps you should be able to get lower and lower.
Rack Assisted Squat Therapy
This is a great drill to work on good positioning in your squat. Position yourself as close to a rack as possible. Your arms should be overhead and, with a tight midline, pull yourself to the bottom of your squat. You can hold onto the rack as you descend, keeping your hands in one place. If you have the stability to do so, remove your hands from the rack, keeping as vertical a torso as possible. Soon, you’ll be able to squat with a vertical torso like this young Chinese weightlifter front squatting 330lbs with ease.
Block out Squats and Counter Balance Squats:
Stand facing a bench press bench with knees 2-3 inches away from the side. Then squat with chest up pushing the knees out and trying to not touch the bench with your knees. If when doing this drill we can not keep the chest up and get the weight on the heels/ mid foot engaging the posterior chain.. then we can hold a weight out in front and counter balance our squat and get back with hips open and chest up.Start incorporating these drills and some more mobility spots we cover in class today in your warm up and cash out routine and you’ll feel so much stronger with your squat position!Happy squatting to you!Love Stouty ( Ps I don't squat, well that is lol)
Friday August 11, 2017
Focus:
Squat Therapy.
Workout Of the Day:
3 rounds for time of:100 squats50 box jumps, 2025 Dumbell snatch 50/35.Lvl 2 Fitness3RFT:100 squats50 box jumps, 2025 dumbbell snatch 35/20.Lvl 1 Technique3RFT:100 squats50 box jumps, 16/1225 dumbbell snatch.Lvl 4 Competitor3 rounds for time of:100 squats50 box jumps, 2025 dumbbell clean and jerks 55/40.
Cash Out:
ROMWOD.Check back each night at 8pm for the next days WOD.
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