Of all the injuries a strength athlete can sustain, low back pain is often the most frustrating and debilitating. Not only does an injury to your back instantaneously drain you of your power and strength, it can also have an intense psychological effect that leaves you feeling like a shell of yourself. If you’ve everContinue reading The Low Back Pain Epidemic
Welcome back to Squat University! If you’re dealing with an injury while lifting – this is a good starting place. In the blogs below you’ll find links to many of the common places you will find aches/pains when lifting. In these blogs you’ll learn WHY these injuries occur and also some of the best firstContinue reading Common Lifting Injuiies
Imagine for a moment you got the chance to drive your dream sports car. As you sit in the drivers seat, you can feel the engine roar beneath your feet. Your body is pulled back into the seat as you step on the accelerator. After a few hours of driving you glance at the dashboardContinue reading Is It Really “No Pain, No Gain”?
Welcome back to Squat University! Last week we started a discussion on overhead mobility. We introduced two screens that can expose overhead mobility problems that can affect your barbell lifts (snatch, overhead squat, etc). This week, I want to share with you a few of my favorite mobility exercises to address these weak links. MobilizeContinue reading How to Improve Overhead Mobility
Prior to the turn of the century, the overhead squat was primarily used by competitive weightlifters. Olympic weightlifting coaches use the overhead squat as a teaching progression for novice athletes. The overhead squat is used to strengthen the bottom position of a barbell snatch. Since the recent boom in CrossFit, the use of the overheadContinue reading Perfecting the Overhead Squat
Welcome back to Squat University! Last week we started a conversation on scapular stability. The muscles that control the scapula help stabilize the barbell during an overhead squat or snatch movement in a strong and safe position. Previously, we introduced the T & Y screen as a tool to expose possible weak links our scapularContinue reading How to Improve Overhead Stability
During a recent Squat University seminar, I was approached by an athlete who wondered why I had asked everyone to show me his or her squat with their toes straightforward. This was definitely not the first time I’ve been asked this question. There’s a lot of controversy in the fitness world today when it comesContinue reading Toes Forward or Angled Out When You Squat?
I was recently working with a weightlifter that was trying to get over some nagging knee pain. During our session I had her perform a few sets of heavy back squats so I could watch her technique. Before she would approach the bar, I noticed she would take the weightlifting belt hanging around her waistContinue reading How to Use a Weightlifting Belt
Why is front squatting more difficult than back squatting when using the same weight? Is the low-bar back squat better for your knees than the high-bar variation? These are all common questions some of us have. In order to answer these questions we have to look behind the curtain of movement and understand the scienceContinue reading The Real Science of the Squat
The high-bar back squat is typically one of the first barbell exercises young athletes are taught today. By perfecting technique an athlete has the potential to lift bigger weights with less risk for injury.Continue reading How to Perfect the High-Bar Back Squat
