I enjoyed today’s article. I respect the opinions of all 4 authors, I think they all raise excellent points. I just wanted to offer my opinion because I believe the squat is a very misunderstood exercise.
Some people are built to squat, plain and simple. Others have body proportions that do not predispose them to be great squatters, but in no way does that mean that they cannot squat heavy weights in a safe manner. As with any free weight exercise, you must make your leverages work to your advantage.
I think we can all agree that to say that no one should squat and that it is inherently dangerous is downright stupid. Watch a squat video of Ivan Chakarov or Sam Byrd (raw or equipped), it’s poetry in motion.
That said, there is certainly the potential for injury due to squatting. I would argue that this is mostly due to bad technique. But if one learns to squat properly then the potential for injury will be no greater than with any other compound movement.
I believe that the key misconception about the squat is that it is a quad exercise. Regardless of stance width, I believe that the hamstrings and glutes should be the prime movers out of the hole in the squat. Think about it: the quads are responsible for knee extension. If you fire your quads to come out of the hole, what’s going to happen? Your feet are fixed, so your butt is going to rise and your torso will become more parallel to the floor. This is exactly what Mike Boyle is talking about when he says that the squat is a low back exercise and that people “rarely have trouble getting out of the hole. But nearly all of them will bend forward when they fail.” I know all to well what he’s describing, but I also know that there’s a better way to squat.
On the other hand, if you fire your glutes and hamstrings to come out of the hole, you are emphasizing hip extension. Your back angle will become more vertical throughout the entire ascent, thus minimizing shear stress on the back by minimizing the lever arm. This will maintain your most favorable leverages and ensure that the legs/hips are the prime movers.
Properly utilizing the hamstrings and glutes will also ensure that the weight remains on the heels. This prevents excessive stress being placed on the knees.
Despite all of this, I completely respect Mike Boyle’s stance on the squat. The squat is a highly technical movement and it is very difficult for most people to learn. This is made worse by the fact that nowadays people lead sedentary lifestyles, and as such most people have poor movement patterns. I believe that Mr. Boyle’s reason for not advocating the squat is that it is too difficult to teach proper and safe form to his athletes and that they are better off focusing on simpler exercises in order to build their strength while remaining injury-free. Similar arguments have been made as to why the Olympic lifts should not be utilized for athletes.
As someone who has squatted both very poorly and fairly well, I can tell you that when you do it right it will feel like a completely different movement. I’d say that the squat is one of the most difficult exercises to master, but it is also one of the most worthwhile. Remember, if squatting was meant to be easy they’d call it the leg press.
Agree? Disagree? Feel free to state your case.