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| The Squat: Your Legs and Glutes Will Thank You |
 Trina writes, "I was recently asked, "I have bad knees, any suggestions for leg and glute exercises?" One answer is the Squat."
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For centuries humans have been performing the squat, in fact this natural and functional motion starts at the toddler stage. Ever watch your toddler play - notice how they squat deep and low to pick things up? I am not saying that this statement does not hold some validity, people are often told by their doctors they should not squat. The fact is, squatting is not only excellent for strength training, it is also a fantastic exercise for both rehabilitation and for injury prevention. The squat builds muscle, increases leg strength, increases hip felxibility and strength, and increases knee stability through strength.
However, if you are only performing partial squats, where the crease of the hip doesn't sink below the depth of the knee, the majority of the force is placed on the tibia as it sinks down and forward. As the tibia is pulled forward, the hamstrings fail to reach full stretch. This puts the ligaments of the knee (where the quadricepts connect to the front of the tibia) in shear and often results in patellar tendonitis.
The often injured ACL works alongside the hamstrings to prevent the tibia from moving forward of the femur. Because of this, some ACL injuries can be attributed to underdeveloped hamstrings. By maintaining healthly hip mobility and practicing full-depth squats, you can squat without any stress being placed on the ACL. Instead, you are strengthening the posterior chain and stabilizing the knees, rehabilitating old injuries and preventing future ones. The key is to squat correctly with proper depth.
Adapted from "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore.
Trina K Kubitschek, CPT
Owner of CrossFit Station
Nutrition Counseling
Endurance Coaching
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Posted on Jul 09, 2012 08:21am.
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