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Front Squats For Improved Posture & Performance
By Elliott | November 13, 2008
This scares me to death… strength and sports coaches who load heavy weights onto the back of weak and muscularly imbalanced athletes.
Listen, if yourself or your athletes can not maintain a STRONG posture… which in my book is defined as:
“The capacity to maintain The Instantaneous Axis Of Rotation of all joints while static or during dynamic movement.”
Then you have no business adding external resistance (barbells or weights) to their body in a manner that facilitates the weakness or exposes it to injury.
Let me explain… if a kid has overdeveloped traps and weak scapular adductors (the muscles that hold the chest up and shoulder blades together) he will appear to have a “rounded” or “hunched” mid / back, It may not be as obvious a deformation as the Hunchback of Notre Dame but it is a Red Flag none the less.
Now if you take that kid who can barely maintain thoracic extension (chest up, shoulders down posture) and load his spine with a 225 lb. barbell and expect him to squat… you’re gonna have one of several situations on your hands.
1. The barbell will crush him and toss him face first onto the floor with the barbell doping down on his neck!
2. He will squat the weight, but it will look more like a Good Morning bow than a squat… and his low back is going to be killing him!
3. He will simply not be able to attempt the lift…. EVER! He will never get stronger with this weak link in his “kinetic chain.”
So, what the heck do you do?
Use what I call “Corrective Bodybuilding” to strengthen weaknesses while still taxing the nervous and endocrine system for increased strength and growth!
Check out one more of my “Corrective Bodybuilding” exercises below:
Check out… Football Strength System for more “Corrective Body Building Exercises”, before the price goes up this month!
Topics: Exercise Database, Squat Exercises, Strength Camp TV, Uncategorized |
5 Responses to “Front Squats For Improved Posture & Performance”
Comments
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November 13th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
I can honestly say that the front squat isn’t just for the athlete, but the general client as well. I have a few clients that either hunch the shoulders when they a)squat b)the bent over row c)deadlift to. So at times I ad the bar only to posture training, or have them lean on a wall with shoulders squarly on the wall, no sway in the lower spine, and tell them to force the back as much as possible onto the wall. OR, for my female clients, just to have the arms out in front of them can work the same because you see how badly the waist bend tends to be. Good work big man! Are you still doing strongman training (like I have to ask) and have you decided on your next competition?
November 13th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
hey Elliot
It’s me Zach Keys
Just wanted a desciprion of all the exersises…
A 12 year old kid like me needs.
Thanks
November 13th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
dude, love ur blog
what do u think about front squats like bodybuilders do, arms crossed (old school arnold front squats)
keep killing this blog, it’s my home away from home!
–z–
November 13th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
@ Njama - YEA, im still competing… there is a local show in FEB and a PRO-AM in April (winner turns pro). I’m doing both, but not hitting hard right now.
@ Zach - bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, burpees, chin ups and push ups are great for young athletes.
@ Zach Even-Esh - thanks man! external rotation of the upper arm is associated with extention of the upper / mid back. so, when you use the “Clean” hold like drayton you force better posture. Arms crossed is good, but won’t produce the same “corrective” effect.
November 15th, 2008 at 9:36 am
ahhhhh, thanks bruddah!
–z–