Using Mind Muscle Connection and Active Range of Motion to Instantly Improve Your Squat
Your snapping hip is telling you something.
You know you’ve become an intermediate lifter when neurological gains run out and you continue the slow slog of growing new muscle fibers. However, there are a few gains that can come from improving your position and addressing the recurring aches and pains that force you to take unplanned deloads.
Lifting is a physics game–apply the minimum amount of force to move the maximum amount of weight. More force allows for you to move more weight, but if your technique is off, this is a quick(er) way to see big gains.
Here are some ways to assess your mobility in the squat and address some positional issues in a few sessions. And remember–passive mobility is ok, but lifting is about your active range of motion. If you are unable to maintain a position with bodyweight and pull yourself into position, you should not rely on a heavy load to force you into passive mobility. Mobility and stability work together to keep joints happy and healthy.
When in Doubt, Look to the Bar
Your squat bar should travel in a straight line over your mid foot; the entire lift and hips creases should be below the top of the knee in the bottom of the squat.
A note on ankles
There is a lot of dogma about ankle mobility. For the most part, it is helpful and most lifters can benefit from improved ankle mobility and stability (including myself, as you will see in the videos). However, I find that this is often related to foot control and strength (more on that later…), and some people are just put together in a way that they need some extra height in the bottom of the squat. (Looking at you, fellow members of the long leverage club.)
If your knee cannot move past your ankle with your heel on the floor, you probably need to visit the squat university. However, if you can move your knee past the ankle but you are still feeling stuck in the bottom of the squat, try elevating your heels and see how it feels.
Learning how to assess yourself and understand the “why” behind the squat will unlock your training.
Scrolling through Instagram and emulating someone else is not going to help you find the best squat for you.
Your squat depends on many factors, including your leg to torso ratio, how your femurs connect into your pelvis, the position of your acetabulum on your pelvis, joint mobility and stability, and injury history. But we do not need to make it complicated.
Your best squat can be found by watching your bar path. In all types of squats (back, front, overhead, goblet) you want your weight and the bar to stay centered over the middle of your foot.
Assessing from the Ground Up
Heel Elevation
If your ankles are the limiting factor, you can elevate your heels. It is ok to use extra help and support while you are training. It is better to train the full range of motion with your heels elevated while you work on your ankle stability and foot strength than only train partial range of motion. This might be a hot take, but I find that to be especially true if you are competing in powerlifting. Heels are allowed. If they make you train with more range of motion, do it.
Olympic weightlifters have some of the best balance of mobility and stability in strength sports. They wear heels so they can get into the deep squat position without overly taxing their hips. You can use help and continue to get stronger at the same time. I view my heeled squats and barefoot squats as two different exercises. You should consider training both types at all times.
Full ROM, tempo calf raises are quick “mobility exercise” you can do to open the ankles and prime the “shin muscles” to pull you into the bottom of your squat. This is superior to stretching since it addresses active range of motion. Passive range of motion is not applicable to lifting. Passive stretching may feel good or be appropriate in certain situations. However, when you are warming up to squat, dynamically taking your joints full their full range of motion with control is going to give you the biggest bang for your buck.
Foot Strength
This is the single best drill that instantly improves nearly every single person’s squat. If you address the feet, everything further up the chain will improve. Thank you Chris Duffin and Cody King for showing me this one.
Trouble Hitting Depth at Light Weights or Hips Rising Before Shoulders
If the foot drill isn’t doing it for you and you find your hips shoot up before your torso in the squat OR you think that you need a plate on the bar to hit depth, try these cues. You should not be relying on heavier weight to push you down into depth. If you cannot actively pull yourself down into the bottom of a squat with a PVC pipe or empty bar, you may need to work on your active hip rotation.
How to Open the Hips with Active 90/90 Rotation
Mid back, Bracing, and/or Pec Limitations
Low back fatigue, lack of power or loss of bar over mid foot can also be due to a lack of tension or a lack of active mobility in the trunk or mid back. This could be because:
You are not properly stacking and pressurizing your trunk and your pelvis is tucking under at the bottom of the squat (this is the most common)
You are retracting the shoulder blades rather than depressing them
You don’t know how to control your scapula (this is the second most common)
Your pec tightness is limiting your ability to stack your ribs over your pelvis (find how to stretch the pecs properly around 5:00)
Please comment, DM, or email with any questions you may have. Thank you for reading. I hope this helps you on your journey!