Your Squat Called. It Wants You to Stop Doing This.
/Countless new and experienced lifters commit this squat error. It wastes time and energy, so let’s identify the problem and fix it fast.
Stop messing with your squat stance.
If you unrack the bar and then proceed to take the next 30 seconds setting up and making minute adjustments, I’m talking to you.
If you are squatting a challenging weight (and I hope you are), then efficiency matters. We don’t want to rush anything, but we also don’t want to spend any extra time supporting that heavy load – after all, the squat itself should provide the work, not standing there wiggling your feet around like a doofus.
Here’s the solution: “right step, left step, right adjust, left adjust.”
In other words, after standing the bar up from the hooks, take one step back with your right foot, take one step back with your left foot, make a small adjustment with your right foot, and then make a small adjustment with your left foot.
Additional tip: keep either your toes or your heel on the ground when making small changes. When you lift your entire foot off the ground, you typically make too big of an adjustment.
Do this, and you’ll save energy, you’ll look like you know what you’re doing (not strictly necessary, but always nice), and you’ll spend less time with a heavy barbell on your back.
As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.
-Phil
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