Online Personal Trainer - Andy Griffiths

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Barbell back squat

KEY COACHING POINTS:

  • Keep your shoulder blades pinned back

  • Feet should be just wider than shoulder width apart

  • Brace your core

  • Descend by pushing your hips back and letting your knees track towards your toes (knees should not track inwards)

  • Squat as low as you can whilst maintaining a neutral spine

  • Press up and lock your hips out at the top of the movement to achieve a full contraction of the glutes  

MAIN MUSCLE - QUADRICEPS

FULL TUTORIAL

Step 1 - Stop avoiding the squat with your weak ass excuses….”I have bad knees’…”It hurts by shoulders”. 

Step 2 - Grab the barbell shoulder width apart

Step 3 - Bring yourself under the bar whilst keeping your hands in the same position

Step 4 - Squeeze your shoulders blades together

Step 5 - Bring the bar to an almost comfortable position just above your shoulder blades and sitting across your posterior delts

Step 6- Brace your core and take a deep breath

Step 7 - Unrack the bar by squeezing your gluts, this will allow your hips to slightly drive forward and unrack the bar.

Step 8 - Walk the bar out with a minimal amount of steps

Step 9 - Make sure your feet are shoulder width apart and slightly facing outwards.

Step 10 - Exhale, then take a deep breath whilst re-bracing your glutes and core.

Step 11 - Start the squat by pushing your hips back and letting your knees track towards your toes, I suggest you slightly push your knees out to increase glute activation.

Step 12 - Once you have hit depth (thighs parallel to the ground), drive up by contracting your legs, driving your hips forward and knees slightly out

Step 13 - Take a second to appreciate how biomechanically awesome what you just did was.

Step 14 - Repeat