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Back Squat, Front Squat,

Overhead Squat.

 

 

 

 

AIR SQUATS

The Air Squat is Foundational to the Front Squat and Overhead Squat

3. CORRECTING THE MOVEMENT

 

FAULT LAZY LUMBAR CURVE, OR LOSING IT (I.E., “BUTT

WINK”)

• Fix – Lift the chest while engaging the hip flexors by

anteriorly rotating the pelvis strongly.

• Fix – Raise the arms as you descend to the bottom

of the squat.

 

FAULT – WEIGHT SHIFTS FORWARD TO BALLS OF FEET.

• Fix – Exaggerate weight in the heels by floating the toes

slightly throughout the entire movement.

 

FAULT – NOT LOW ENOUGH.

• Fix – Cue “Lower!” and do not relent.

• Fix – Squat to a 10” box or medicine ball to develop

awareness of depth.

 

FAULT – KNEES ROLL IN.

• Fix – Cue “Push your knees out” or “Spread the ground

apart with your feet.”

• Fix – Touch the outside of the knee and have the athlete

press into your hand.

 

FAULT –  Train wreck squat: inability to maintain lumbar curve, stay on heels and get to depth all at the same time.

FAULT –  Immature squat: lumbar curve is maintained, depth might be there, and heels are in contact with the ground, but the athlete has to cantilever forward excessively onto the quads to maintain balance.

• Fix – Squat Therapy: Set up the athlete facing a wall

or pole with a 10” box under their butt. Set them up in

the proper stance, with heels to the box, chest close to

wall. Have them squat to the box slowly, maintaining

control and weight in the heels.

1. TEACHING THE MOVEMENT

 

SETUP:

• Stance = shoulder width

• Full extension at hips and knees

 

EXECUTION:

• Weight on heels

• Lumbar curve maintained

• Chest up

• Butt travels back and down

• Bottom of squat is below parallel (hip crease is below the top of the kneecap)

• Knees track parallel to feet

• Return to full extension at the hips and knees to complete the move

• Head position is neutral

 

2. SEEING THE MOVEMENT

PRIMARY POINTS OF PERFORMANCE:

• Lumbar curve maintained

• Weight in heels

• Depth below parallel

• Knees track over feet

 

 

FRONT SQUAT 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Setup, Execution, Points of Performance, and Corrections carry over exactly from the Air Squat. We now add to those a load in the FRONT RACK POSITION. 

1. TEACHING THE MOVEMENT

 

SETUP:

  • Stance = shoulder Width

  • Full extension at hips and knees

  • Bar “racked” on the shoulders (create a shelf with the

    shoulders for bar to sit on), hands outside shoulders,

    loose fingertip grip.

  • Elbows high, upper arm parallel to the ground.

 

Execution:

  • Weight on heels

  • Lumbar curve maintained

  • Chest up

  • Elbows high; arms stay parallel to the ground through-

    out the whole movement

  • Butt travels back and down

  • Bottom of squat is below parallel (hip crease is below

    the top of the kneecap)

  • Knees track parallel to feet

  • Return to full extension at the hips and knees to com-

    plete the move

  • Head position is neutral 

 

2. SEEING THE MOVEMENT

PRIMARY POINTS OF PERFORMANCE:
• Bar racked properly: elbows high, hands just outside

shoulders, bar rests on shoulders with a loose

fingertip grip
• Elbows high throughout the movement 

3. CORRECTING THE MOVEMENT

 

ALL FAULTS AND FIXES FROM THE AIR SQUAT APPLY TO THIS MOVEMENT, PLUS THE FOLLOWING:

 

FAULT – BAR NOT IN CONTACT WITH THE TORSO OR HOLDING BAR OUT IN FRONT.

• Fix – Cue “Elbows high and allow bar to roll back onto fingertips.”

 

FAULT – ELBOWS DROP AND CHEST COMES FORWARD. • Fix – Cue “Elbows UP UP UP! And big chest.”
• Fix – Tactile Cue – Place a hand or arm under the

athlete’s elbows to help keep them lifted. 

 

OVERHEAD SQUAT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Setup, Execution, Points of Performance, and Corrections carry over exactly from the Air Squat.

We now add to those a load in the OVERHEAD POSITION 

1. TEACHING THE MOVEMENT

 

SETUP:
• Stance = shoulder width
• Full extension at hips and knees
• Bar held overhead, in the frontal plane, with a wide grip • Active shoulders
• Elbows locked

 

EXECUTION:

  • Weight on heels

  • Lumbar curve maintained

  • Chest up

  • Maintain constant upward pressure on the bar, and

    active shoulders, to support the load

  • Bar remains in the frontal plane or slightly behind

  • Butt travels back and down

  • Bottom of squat is below parallel (hip crease is below

    the top of the kneecap)

  • Knees track parallel to feet

  • Return to full extension at the hips and knees to com-

    plete the move

  • Head position is neutral

  • Return to full extension at the top of movement.

 

2. SEEING THE MOVEMENT

PRIMARY POINTS OF PERFORMANCE:
• Active shoulders throughout movement • Bar stays overhead, in the frontal plane 

3. CORRECTING THE MOVEMENT

 

ALL FAULTS AND FIXES FROM THE AIR SQUAT APPLY TO THIS MOVEMENT, PLUS THE FOLLOWING:

 

FAULT – LAZY ELBOWS AND SHOULDERS.
• Fix – Cue athlete to actively press the bar up; use your

hands to push the elbows straight and the shoulders into the ears.

 

FAULT – BAR GOES FORWARD OF THE FRONTAL PLANE.

• Fix – Cue the athlete to press the bar up and pull it back to overhead or slightly behind. 

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