FIVE Squat Mistakes You're Making with Your KNEES...
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(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 12/15/23)
Let’s identify and fix - in lightning-quick fashion - a few problems we commonly see with lifters’ knees in the squat.
Mistake #1: Knees Too Far In (Valgus Knees)
You’ve got your stance correctly set with your heels at roughly shoulder width and your toes pointed out about 30 degrees. Your knees, however, are tracking inside of your toes - in other words, your knees are going forward and not traveling in line with the direction your feet are pointing.
To fix this, simply cue “knees out,” “knees apart,” or “knees sideways” as you start your descent.
Mistake #2: Knees Too Far Out (Varus Knees)
This is the opposite of Mistake #1, and while less common, it’s still certainly common enough to merit discussion. In this case, you’ve done too good of a job of shoving your knees out - to the point that they now track outside of your toes.
To fix this problem, cue “knees forward” or even “knees stay in.”
Mistake #3: Knees Bending After the Hips Bend
When you start your descent, you want the hips and knees to break (i.e., bend) at the same time, but you’re making the error of bending at the hips first and then bending the knees second. This causes balance and knee positioning problems (the knees usually travel too far forward at the bottom of the squat).
To fix this problem, cue “knees and hips together” or even “knees first,” but remember that this last cue is actually an overcue (i.e., an exaggeration of what we actually want to do).
Be sure to watch the included video to see this problem and the solution in action.
Mistake #4: Knees Slide Too Far Forward
You are breaking at the hips and knees together (i.e., you’re not making Mistake #3), but your knees are traveling far past your toes, and as a result, your balance is either forward or your back angle is too vertical.
To fix this problem, remind yourself to set your knees in their final position (roughly above your toes or just slightly in front of that) at one-third to one-half of the way into your descent. They will still bend after that, of course, but you’ll keep them in that location. Check out our video on using a TUBOW to help with this.
Mistake #5: Knees Not Moving Far Enough Forward
This is simply the opposite of Mistake #4 and can sometimes occur in combination with Mistake #3. In this case, your knees move forward, but only slightly, and as a result, you hit the bottom of your squat with your knees well behind your toes and nearly vertical shins.
The fix here is the same as that for Mistake #4: set the knees during the first portion of the descent. You may need to cue yourself to “set the knees forward” to help with this. Again, check out the TUBOW video to see what this looks like in practice.
As always, we hope these tips help you get stronger and live better.
-Phil
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Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.
Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.
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What Strength Coaches Know About Squat Safeties That Most Lifters Don't
/Confused about squat safeties and which type is best? In this video, Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers breaks down the different types of squat and bench safeties, how to set them up correctly, and ranks them from worst to best.
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The Brutal Truth About Squatting No One Wants to Hear
/Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers explores one of the most important truths about squatting – and how embracing it can completely change your progress.
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8 Things Successful Lifters Do Before Squatting HEAVY (plus 2 BONUS tips)
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Let’s cover 8 things that successful, intelligent, wily lifters do before squatting, and at the end, we’ll cover two bonus tips that you might not typically think about. Let’s dive in.
#1 Grip
First, make sure your grip is symmetrical – use either the score marks (i.e., the rings in the knurling) or, if your grip is narrow enough, use the point at which the knurling begins. Keep the grip consistent every time.
Second, take a grip that is as narrow as it can be but also as wide as it needs to be. Narrower is generally better as it helps you create a nice, tight upper back and bunches up your delts to create a solid shelf for the barbell to sit on. However, the grip also needs to be wide enough that you can slide far enough under the bar to position the bar in the proper location (i.e., a grip that is too narrow won’t permit this).
becky takes a grip that is as narrow as she can get it but also as wide as necessary to get the bar into the correct position.
Third, once your grip is set, don’t let it move as you get under the bar, and definitely don’t let it move once you’re in position under the bar. Your grip plays a pivotal role in your ability to center yourself relative to the bar, so make sure your grip is a constant.
Fourth, we typically teach a “thumbs on top” grip with relatively neutral wrists – this ensures that the bar is never supported by the hands and wrists. However, if you don’t have the shoulder flexibility to achieve this position, and this is not uncommon, you can bend your wrist backward into extension and wrap your thumbs under the bar and still utilize the low bar position. This is very common, it can work quite well, and if you use this grip, I would recommend wearing wrist wraps to provide the wrists with extra support.
#2 Bar Position
Slide under the bar far enough that the bar is sitting just below your traps and resting securely on your bunched up delts. If it’s higher than that, the bar will tend to roll up your back and you won’t be able to get into the leaned over position we want, and if it’s lower than that, the bar will have a tendency to slide down your back.
gage demonstrates the correct bar position.
If you can’t achieve this position due to a lack of shoulder flexibility, this is not the end of the world. Move the bar up a bit until it’s resting on the traps. This is referred to as a “high bar squat” and simply means that you won’t be able to lean over as much as you would in the regular squat (AKA the “low bar squat”).
#3 Unracking the Bar
Treat the unracking process as if it’s your first rep. Don’t be sloppy.
Get both feet symmetrically positioned directly under the bar, take a big breath and get tight, and then stand the bar up smoothly and under control. Everything that should be in place and tight when you squat should also be in place and tight before you stand the bar up from the rack – you shouldn’t need to make any adjustments after you unrack the bar.
#4 The Walk-Out
Be efficient with your walk-out.
Once you stand the bar up from the hooks, don’t walk back a mile to squat. Take one step back with each foot (or at least move back a distance equivalent to that) and then make any small adjustments needed to finalize your stance.
#5 Stance
Position your heels at roughly shoulder width and point your toes out about 30°. Your toes are now arrows that point in the direction you want your knees to travel.
#6 Focal Point
First, have one.
Second, it’s not the ceiling.
Instead, pick a spot about three to six feet in front of you on the floor and stare at it throughout the set – before your first rep, during each rep, and between each rep.
#7 Breathing and Bracing
Before each rep, take a big breath, hold the breath in the back of your throat (i.e., against a closed glottis, not against your lips) and clamp down tightly with every muscle in your trunk as if you expect to get punched.
Hold that breath and those tightly contracted muscles throughout the rep, and only release the breath after the bar is back in the same place it started.
If you’re not sure how to correctly breathe and brace when training, check out the very useful video below.
#8 Spotters or Safeties
Get spotters or use safeties.
Those are the only two sensible options for your work sets. Intelligent spotters – one on each side – are always ideal since you’ll squat better with two people next to you (yes, the social pressure of training buddies is real). Also, if you fail, you don’t take the bar all the way down to the pins; instead, at the moment of failure, your spotters assist, which means the bar only dips an inch or two before the three of you together stand the bar up and put it back in the hooks.
If spotters aren’t an option, then be sure to set the safeties at a height that is both low enough to not cause problems (i.e., you shouldn’t run into them when squatting) and – very importantly – high enough that you can set the bar on them and get out from under the bar in the event of a missed rep. Be sure to practice this, i.e., practice failing a rep with an empty bar and with the safeties set at the correct height.
Watch the short video below for a demonstration and explanation.
Bonus #1 Chalk
It’s not a deadlift, snatch, or clean, but the squat still benefits from chalk.
You don’t want your hands to slide even a fraction of an inch when squatting heavy, and this is doubly important for those with tight shoulders.
You won’t need to apply as much or as often as you would when deadlifting, snatching, or cleaning – simply apply some chalk at the start of your session, and you’re probably good to go for the squat.
Remember, if you train at a public gym, you’re not only dealing with the moisture and oil from your hands — you’re also potentially deadling with the moisture and oil from the hands of those who’ve used that barbell before you.
Chalk up, my friends.
Bonus #2 J-Hooks
Set your hooks at a reasonable height, and when in doubt, set them lower than you think you should.
Walking the bar back to the hooks after your set should be simple and easy, so you should never have to perform a calf-raise and stand up on your toes to rack the bar.
Remember, the height of your j-hooks is not a reflection of your worth or status as a man or woman (although some people seem to think it is judging by how many people set them too high).
Don’t be a doofus.
As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.
-Phil
PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:
Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.
Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.
Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.
Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.
Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.
(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)
At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?
Enter the TUBOW
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(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 11/20/18)
What on earth is a TUBOW?
So glad you asked! A TUBOW is a Terribly Useful Block Of Wood. Many of you have seen us use 2-foot lengths of 4 x 4 lumber when people squat from time to time - these are TUBOWs.
Why would one use a TUBOW?
We use TUBOWs in the squat, and there are a couple reasons we might use a TUBOW. The most common use is to fix the knee's forward position on the way down.
becky’s knees are so far forward that parker refuses to watch.
Two common errors that we see when people squat is either (a) the lifter's knees travel forward all the way down, or (b) the knees travel forward at the bottom of the squat.
We would like to see the knee establish its final forward position about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way into the descent of the squat, and touching the TUBOW with the knee at this point provides excellent tactile feedback as to whether or not the lifter is doing that correctly. If the lifter accidentally knocks the TUBOW over, it provides excellent negative feedback that the knee has traveled too far forward.
becky touches her knees lightly to the tubow during the descent.
Another use of the TUBOW is to fix the knee's lateral position in the squat, i.e., is the lifter shoving the knees out (to the side) far enough, or perhaps even too far? The TUBOW gives the lifter something concrete (well, lumber, actually) to aim for, and very often, this will help solve the issue.
One of the great side effects of fixing the knee position is that it will often fix the back angle in the squat as well. If the lifter's knees can only travel "so far" forward on the descent, then the hips will have to travel backward (since your hips and knees are connected by your femurs . . . you know . . . the leg bone). If the hips have to travel backward, the lifter will have to lean over during the descent to avoid falling over backward and stay balanced on the midfoot, and that leaned over position is precisely what we want in the low bar squat. Pretty awesome.
Are you one of those people who is deeply, intensely, spiritually, emotionally, and morally opposed to using the TUBOWs? If so, you're probably the type of person whose squat would benefit most from using them. And if your squat benefits, then you benefit, because you'll get stronger - faster.
Where do I get a TUBOW?
You can go to your nearest lumber supply store and get a 4 x 4 (and they'll often cut it to size for you), but if you'd rather just order a 2 foot section of 4 x 4 online and have it show up at your front door, then just click here.
We hope these tips help you get stronger and live better.
-Phil
PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:
Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.
Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.
Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.
Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.
Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.
(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)