Stop the SCARY SQUATS! Just watching kills my back and knees!

2016 Has been the year of scary squats! One lady was doing such a crazy squat (that her trainer "taught" her) that I felt inclined to show her how crazy it looked and my knee hurt for 6 months! Her feet were close, she guarded her groin, collapsed forward and she was doing 100 a day! Please, please, please understand if you cannot squat properly with just your own body weight NO ONE should be asking you to bear additional weight. So my coaches, athletic directors, strength coaches, athletic trainers, personal trainers, and parents PLEASE STOP RUINING YOUR ATHLETES KNEES! Please make sure our youth can master their body weight, in every way, before they move to weights! Here is the description and a video of my favorite guy squatting. And by all means if you or someone you train is identified as not being able to squat properly send them in and I will figure out why. It is not always tight hams or a butt wink, sometimes we have to check on ROM in hips or lack of core strength,

• Start in a standing position in which your body is upright and your spine is neutral.
• Position your feet slightly wider than your shoulder-width, toes turning out and keep your legs straight.
• Hold your chest up and raise your arms straight out in front of you, palms facing down.
• Breath in, zipper up your core from pubic bone to sternum, and hinge your hips back by bending at your knees and hips, allowing your hips to ease backwards.
• Keep your spine neutral and ensure that the bend in your knees follows the line of your feet.
• Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor ( or further if you have good hip mobility). Pause, then return to the starting position by breathing out and pushing through your heels while you tighten the glutes.
• When it is perfect add a dumbell!
  Sincerely, Holly