Correct Breathing
The breath should be maintained from the time that the bar is removed off the stands until the body is properly positioned between the safety boxes. Just before commencing to lower the body to the low squat position inhale as deeply as possible. The breath is then held throughout the complete squatting movement and is expelled just as the body attains the erect position at the last phase of the squat. Exhaling at any point of the low squat position will detract from maximum efficiency as an inflated chest will prevent the upper body from buckling forward and directing excess and unnecessary strain on the lower back region.
The trainee will probably experience difficulty maintaining the breath during this low phase of the squat, especially when lifting a limit or near-limit weight. This is a problem encountered by the advanced squatter as well as the beginner. There is no actual solution to this problem so all I can advise is to concentrate on holding the breath to the best of your ability, your efficiency will improve as you advance.
Side Note: I swear I read a paragraph or two in one of Doug's things that dealt with CALF WORK. He mentioned doing bodyweight calf stretches on a high block in high reps to develop and then maintain ankle flexibility for squatting. Somewhere in all that stuff he wrote over the years. And there was mention made somewhere of doing leg curls at times as well.
When performing repetitions and because of the increased demand for oxygen it will depend on the individual. However, if too many deep breaths are taken the trainee will usually experience a slight dizziness which is due to an overdose of oxygen so let this serve as a guide to your breathing. Never attempt to breath via the nose as it is simply not equipped to handle a large volume of air in a short space of time.
Positioning the Feet
To attain the greatest squatting leverage the feet must be positioned in an extra wide stance, this will help the lower body to "lock" at the extreme low position. This "locking" is mainly due to the fronts of the thighs contacting the lower abdominal region. When the feet are spaced closer together this ability to lock is hampered.
Another advantage of the wide foot position is that the large and powerful muscles on the insides of the thighs are brought into play thus increasing squatting strength and overall efficiency. Also, due to the wide leg spacing, is the important fact that the actual squatting distance is decreased, much in the same manner as in the wide grip bench press. Much of the strain is removed from the lower back as the wider leg position counteracts the tendency to bend forward when arising from the low squat position. (Doug, you dirty reduced range, rainbow-arch bencher! We from beyond your future know where this headed. When he says, "an extra wide stance" for squatting he does not mean this, ya feckin' moron:
The width of the spacing of the feet will vary with the individual. A person of normal proportion and height should space the feet 23-24" apart at the heels. Others, who do not fall into the above category must adjust the foot spacing accordingly. I would suggest having a person of normal height space their feet to the above mentioned distance so that you can actually see for yourself the position of the feet and legs as compared to the rest of the body. This will better enable you to arrive at your own adjustment.
The feet should also be turned outwards; this will facilitate in keeping heels in solid contact with the floor at all times. Some difficulty might be encountered in maintaining the feet flat on the floor when in the extreme low squat position. This is mainly due to the lack of flexibility of the large tendon situated on the backs of the heels. This is usually overcome in the first two or three training sessions. If this difficulty persists turn the feet outwards to a greater degree, this, except in extremely rare cases, will overcome the problem.
Let us assume that the bar has been correctly loaded and has been removed from the stands, the trainee is standing between the two safety boxes with the feet properly spaced. The head should be held upright and the eyes centered upon a point directly ahead and slightly upwards. Strive to keep the head in this position throughout the complete squatting movement. Do not under any circumstances look down at the floor, especially when in the process of arising from the deep squat position. If you do it is a very likely thing that the entire upper body will overbalance forward. This occurrence, as I mentioned previously, impairs the squatting leverage and directs unnecessary strain on the lower back.
Once you have positioned yourself between the two safety boxes and correctly positioned the feet it is then important that the knees be forced back as much as possible. This practice tends to "lock" the legs thus giving the muscles of the thighs a temporary rest as the bulk of the strain is then supported mainly by the body bone structure. It must be always kept in mind that energy must be conserved in every possible way, especially when standing and supporting a heavy poundage at the shoulders.
The Full Squat Movement
The trainee is now prepared to perform the actual and complete squat movement. Take a deep breath and AFTER you have done this commence unlocking and bending the knees. The entire body should be lowered in a CONTROLLED manner and not too quickly as it must adjust to the graduations of the various positions in the lower squat stages. Assuming the low squat position too quickly exerts unnecessary strain on the muscles so influenced, especially in the area of the knees. Also, correct body position is often lost completely, this in turn detracts from maximum squatter leverage.
Many lifters like to employ a style of squatting wherein they drop quickly to the extreme low position and then "bounce" upwards. This method of squatting might function with light poundages but never with one's limit. I know from experience that you just don't bounce up with five or six hundred pounds on the shoulders. I would hate to think of what would happen to me if I attempted a bounce full squat with 750 pounds. The knees can be severely injured when squatting in the above manner. In my opinion there is simply no point to this type of squatting and there is no advantage in any way, shape or form.
As the body is lowered into the full squat the trainee must learn to "feel" his way into this position. I have found that arching the back during the low stages of the squat tends to relieve the strain from the lower back region and also helps to prevent the upper body from buckling forward and hindering leverage. A rounded back during ANY stage of the squatting movement is dangerous, both from the standpoint of efficiency and body injury.
At this point the reader is probably wondering how low one must go before it is considered a full squat. It has been generally accepted throughout the lifting world that when the upper thighs attain a point that is parallel with the floor that a full squat has been performed. As we are primarily interested in squatting with maximum poundages we will henceforth assume that the extreme low squat position has been reached when the upper thighs are parallel with the floor. If the trainee wishes to lower the body beyond the accepted level he may do so to his discretion. However, it must be remembered that if this is done less weight will be handled.
Because of the fact that one cannot see oneself when squatting it is extremely difficult to know exactly when the parallel squat position has been attained. To help overcome this problem I would recommend the trainee to shoulder a fairly heavy weight and then perform several full squats in front of a mirror. In this way the trainee will soon get the feel of the parallel squat position. This will prove an asset when squatting competitively or for that matter even when training as the trainee will instinctively know when to commence to arise to the erect position. This will eliminate wasting energy or being disqualified for not attaining a low enough squat position when in competition.
The trainee will also find that when the parallel squat position is reached that the upper portion of the front of the thighs will come in contact with the sides of the abdomen. This is brought about by the wide stance of the legs. When this is felt by the trainee it is a signal to halt the downward movement and commence rising to the erect position.
Rising from the parallel position to slightly past the halfway point of the full squat is the most difficult phase. The trainee must strive to exert himself to the greatest extent both from the mental and physical standpoint as it is here that will decide the success or failure of the full squat.
Concentrate on utilizing all the power in the back and legs to accelerate the upward progress of the squat as the faster you are moving when the critical halfway point of the squat is attained then the greater the chance of succeeding.
The point that is actually the most difficult to overcome in the complete squat movement is at the halfway mark (the exact point will vary with the individual). It is here that the trainee must strive to keep the back and shoulders as erect as possible while forcing the head back and maintaining the breath. If the trainee exhales at this point the resultant deflated chest will cause the entire upper body to shift forward and away from the vertical position. I don't want the reader to think that the upper body must remain rigidly erect at all times as this would be impossible. It is natural for the upper body to move forward to a certain degree when arising from the parallel position. My point is that the trainee must not allow the upper body to exceed the normal amount of front lean.
When the body has passed though the halfway point of the squat the lift is very rarely failed. However, don't get overconfident, concentrate on thrusting the back and shoulders to the erect position and at the same time complete the straightening of the legs.
When the back is almost erect it is then safe for the trainee to exhale. It is understood that the trainee inhales at the commencement of the squat just before preparing to assume the low position and that the breath is maintained throughout the complete squatting movement until the upper body is almost erect at the last stages of the completion of the squat.
As soon as the squat is completed ( the single repetition or the final repetition in the set) step forward carefully (take short steps) and replace the bar on the stands. Make sure that the bar has been properly centered on the stands so as to facilitate removal for further squatting. The trainee can breathe at will after the single or repetition squats have been completed and the bar is in the process of being returned to the stands.
I have found, especially when performing repetitions, that a good aid to recuperation between sets is to walk for a short while when breathing heavily just after the completion of the squatting. This can be done also between the heavy single repetition but not to such a great extent as the breathing will not be so heavy.
As soon as the breathing has returned to normal, or nearly so, it is advisable to sit or even lie down on the floor or bench to aid the recuperation.
I would also recommend that the trainee remain off the feet even after the squat session is consummated, if possible, for an hour or so.
The trainee should refrain as much as possible from indulging in any other activities that would tend to fatigue or overtax the muscles involved in squatting, at least when specializing and following this concentrated training routine. This will aid in promoting faster gains, both in strength and muscular bulk.
Continued in Part Three: Your Training Routine
Enjoy Your Lifting!
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