BOXROX Pro

8 Squat Secrets EVERY Athlete Should Use to Improve Their Lift

Pay your respects to the king of strength exercises!

Squat Secrets – You might be thinking, “What more is there to know about the Squat?”

We could all benefit from being able to move heavier loads in the Front Squat, Back Squat, and/or Overhead Squat. The truth is that no matter how tenacious and well-conditioned you are, it will not allow you to move a load that you’re not strong enough for.

As Cj Martin once said, “You can’t fake strength.”

Being able to move heavier loads opens up opportunity for you to express your conditioning and tenacity.

Have you ever noticed how the first thing that comes to mind for improving your strength in the squat is simply squatting heavy? This is not always the answer and I’m excited to show you why.

I remember reaching a point where my squat numbers were going up, but I was grinding through these reps in a way that didn’t feel the best. The numbers stroked my ego. But I knew something was off. I didn’t feel as stable and in control as I would’ve liked.

One side felt like it was working harder than the other. I was starting to develop hip and knee discomfort. But hey, that’s apart of the game right?

Wrong.

If I was sidelined from a minor injury at any point, not being able to squat at all, would’ve meant that all my hard work had been counter intuitive. That was the beginning of when I realized I have to explore ways outside of the box of movements we’re used to for squatting.

Squat Secret #1: Squat Everyday

This is such a controversial topic. I actually had a chat with Travis Mash where I wanted to do some myth busting around the misconceptions of “Squat Everyday” programs.

The key for this concept to work is to choose movement over performance.

The idea is to do some variation of squatting everyday. Even if that means using an empty barbell or 30% of your Back Squat at times just to explore and appreciate the range of motion being used. By doing this, you can improve your hip and ankle mobility as well.

You run into trouble when you let ego get in the way. So if you decide to squat to a MAXIMUM every single day, then you’re bound to run into issues. Knowing how to auto-regulate is a skill that is honed over time. Knowing when to push and when to back off.

Make it a point to get in the bottom of your squat every single day and get in touch with how things feel on that given day.

Image Sources

Related news