15 Tips to a Better Squat

These will be brief and some so simple you might think “well obviously”, but after reading it ask yourself if you do that on every squat repetition you perform. Your genetics likely aren’t what’s holding your performance back in the squat. For most people. Their technique is what holds them back. The bigger problem is as poor technique is used, learned then reinforced you’re creating poor movement patterns and likely creating weak areas in critical muscle groups. It takes a longer time to learn good movement when you have to break bad habits, but sometimes a simple cue will be all it takes. Here’s your checklist to adding pounds on the bar for your squat. 

1. Be intentional with set up. Create a routine and do it that way every time. 
2. Stand up all the way when you get the bar out of the rack. If you start by standing only half way up, this will be similar to the position you finish in. 
3. Create 360 degrees of tension. Losing tightness will alter bar path and also increase risk of injury. 
4. Don’t get hyped up. Every high school and college football lifting highlights show people jumping and yelling. This is false hope and shows a lack of confidence in the task at hand. 
5. Hands even on the bar. This happens a lot and when hands are uneven, the bar will rotate.
6. Elbows under the bar. If the elbows are behind the bar, then the bar will shove forward. If the elbows are under the bar, then the lats are keeping tension. 
7. Eyes slightly up, not head up. Looking straight up will usually lead to discomfort in the neck and a loose upper back for squatting. Look slightly up and out. 
8. Head back not up. Playing off the last one, push your head back into the bar and get rid of any of space between your head and the bar. 
9. Treat every rep the same. The first rep of the workout should have just as much focus as the last rep. 
10. Let weigh settle. Let the bar settle into your upper back before descent. This connects the body to the bar. 
11. Push back into bar. Starting the concentric motion out of the bottom, think push back and not up. Pushing up will generally have people pitch forward.
12. If using a box, keep everything the same. Don’t go wider or use a different tempo. Using the box, mimic your free squat. 
13. Hips break back first. You don’t have to sit way back especially for those not using equipment, but loading the glutes and hamstrings does wonders for people. 
14. Decrease volume. Do less reps with perfect technique and speed. A lot of reps with shit technique will reinforce bad habits via survival. 
15. Let mobility determine stance. A wider stance isn’t more beneficial if the person doesn’t have the hip mobility to use it and keep proper form. Everyone has a preferred natural stance and for almost all people that is the stance to use. 

Nick Showman

Showtime Strength & Performance