Part 2: Your Squat Called. It Wants You to Stop Doing This.
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Are you making this squat error? Let’s fix it fast.
In Part 1 of this series, we covered a common mistake lifters make with their stance. Today, we’re talking about your eyes.
Stop using a ridiculous – or nonexistent – focal point.
If you’re looking up (Figure 1) or if you’re not even sure where you’ve been looking when you squat, I’m talking to you.
figure 1: don’t be like this fool.
Your focal point matters. Having a fixed focal point reinforces your balance (rather important with a heavy barbell on your back), and if chosen wisely, your focal point reinforces your technique as well.
With this in mind, find a spot on the floor roughly 4-6 feet in front of you and stare at it. Burn a hole in the ground with your eyes.
Find that focal point after you finalize your stance, stare at it during your first rep, between reps, and during every rep thereafter. After you rack the bar, then you can look elsewhere.
Until then, that’s where you look.
Figure 2: This . . . is much better.
That focal point (Figure 2) helps your balance, it helps you establish the correct back angle on the descent, and it helps you maintain the correct back angle on the ascent.
Additional tip: you might not actually be sure where you look when you squat, and if that’s the case, pay attention the next time you train. Also, record yourself from a front-oblique angle every once in a while. It’s not usually the best angle for spotting errors, but you might think that you have a solid, constant focal point only to find out that your gaze has been wandering when squatting. A video or two from the front will point this error out in a hurry.
As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.
-Phil
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