Squat Problems: Inside look at our Assesments

  If a client struggles with squatting and it isn’t due to a previous injury, it could be coming from being inexperienced with actual squatting, restrictions in joint mobility, functionally tight hips, low core activation, etcs. The only way to find out what may be causing the issues is witnessing the squat, then breaking it down into it’s fundamental parts: A. Does the joint have full ROM without load but when you load it movement is impeded? Muscle Control. Can’t move the joint freely? Lack of mobility. B. Test their squat in a different positions, like with their heels elevated on plates (dorsiflexion) or with their hands behind their head instead of overhead (shoulder/thoracic mobility). Does it change anything? If it improves…..there’s your problem. If it doesn’t change, that’s not the problem. C. Get them to do a plank or side plank for a few seconds and re-test. Did it get better? If so, it’s a core issue. If it didn’t change, it’s not a core issue. D. Do their feet rotate or collapse as they squat? It’s likely a hip mobility issue that’s torquing the knees. If they’re feet collapse they need to spend some time working on a unilateral stability and single leg work, then test again.]]>