2.19.2014

Thursday 02.20.14


It appears another Guy's Nite is coming together.
300: Rise of an Empire
March 7
Details TBD, but it looks like a WOD and BWW will be involved.

Let's revisit the performance points of the mighty squat. The squat is THE MOST functional movement we perform. We use it daily to sit and stand. It is a full body movement that works the core muscles, butt, quads, back, and ankles.

1) FULL DEPTH. Unless you're missing an important piece of your body's infrastructure, there no reason you should not be striving for a full-depth squat. A full-depth squat is below parallel. If you put a barbell on your knees at the bottom of your squat, it should roll back toward your hips. Generally, if after completing a squat you have to ask if you got low enough, then you probably didn't. Grab a medicine ball and touch your booty down for each in every squat. Become familiar with what the bottom of your squat feels like so you don't need a ball. Many times, we see athletes achieve full depth squats during the warm-up, and then we see them half-ass nearly every squat during the WOD unless we call them out on it. You know what we're looking for, and we know you can do it, so stop with the excuses and get yo' ass DOWN.

2) KNEES OUT. As you squat below parallel and as you come out of your squat, focus on pushing your knees out and away from each other. You don't want your knees falling inward because that puts undue stress on the knee joint and begets all that whining about how "below parallel squats ruin knees". Don't be that guy/girl. The squat is an active position at the top, bottom, and everywhere in between. There is no relaxing.

3) WEIGHT IN THE HEELS. Keeping your weight pushed down through your heels, instead of up on your toes, keeps you stable and helps with #2 above. (Well, and squatting helps with THAT #2, too.) So sit back and push through your heels!

4) CHEST UP. You know all those goblet squats we do during warm ups? Well, it's to help you recognize how to keep your chest up, particularly at the bottom of the squat. We are not downhill skiiers. Bending over and getting your face closer to the ground does not mean you are squatting lower. Getting your booty closer to the ground means you are squatting lower. So, chest high and booty down.

Only 4 points of performance to keep in mind each and every time you squat today. Make us proud and make those squats beautiful. Your booty will thank you - Spring Break IS just around the corner....

WOD
"Cindy"
20 minute AMRAP
5 pullups
10 pushups
15 air squats

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