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Military Muscle: 3 quick ways to improve your squats today

The squat is a fantastic exercise in all its variations. But it’s also one of the most misunderstood.

There are many myths that have led people to use poor technique — or just avoid squats altogether.

Let’s start by looking at how your ego, shoes and clothing can hurt your squats.

The first example is the guy who thinks the amount of weight he squats needs to match his ego. We all know this guy — he usually has a couple of weaker guys with him as cheerleaders and spotters.

The three of them load the bar with hundreds of pounds. The star of the show then gets under the bar, and, with great fanfare, they begin. The bar comes off the rack, and the star descends into a quarter-squat. With an explosion of noise, he then launches back to the start position.

After a couple of reps, the team replaces the bar and the star stalks the gym for the next 10 minutes in case anyone failed to see his efforts. Problem is, he’s not accomplishing much of anything. He is almost always hunched forward and looking down, weight on his toes, knees out over the toes — and usually suffering from low back pain.

The second problem I see is people squatting in running shoes. Cushioned shoes have led to an astonishing number of injuries in running and are equally responsible for weightlifting injuries.

Try watching any decent weightlifter squat even moderate weight in running or highly cushioned shoes. You will see his ankles wobbling in circles, and it’s the cushioning that causes this instability.

That wobbling is transmitted up the leg into the knees, hips and spine, and it tells the body’s safety mechanisms to hold back. Squatting in cushioned shoes is like building a tower on a waterbed. The joints will never be stable and safe for maximum effort because the foot is never stable in the ever-shifting cushion.

For more appropriate footwear, you could try Converse Chuck Taylors or wrestling shoes — neither have much cushioning. Many elite squatters use jungle boots or old basic training boots because there is no cushion, yet the footwear offers the advantages of a slight heel elevation.

Last, you need to wear the right clothing. Many squatters wear restrictive clothing that pinches, binds or is improperly cut. You should avoid anything that features a low waist and narrow hip width and depth, despite the fact that most workout clothing is cut this way. Look for clothing that does not restrict your hip movement — your clothing should never be a support mechanism or hindrance. A lot of bad form stems from restrictive clothing, particularly the standard-issue physical training gear.

Nate Morrison is an Air Force pararescueman staff sergeant. He is a military fitness expert and founder of the online fitness magazine http://www.milfitmag.com. E-mail him at militarymuscle@atpco.com.