Feet: - The pressure is on the front of the ankles (cue: push the big toe down) 1:17 The Descent: - Simultaneously unlock the hips and the knees 1:45 - Maintain pressure on the forefoot 2:05 The Ascent - Keep the knees forward and drive straight up 2:293:26 - The best cue for fixing shaky knees on the ascent is to grab the ground with the big toe, little toe and the heel (screw your feet to the floor) 4:55
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this video!! I've struggled with my squat turning into a good morning for a long time now (butt shooting back out of the hole and putting all the load on my back/hamstrings). I've tried all the common recommendations: squat in heels, knees out, get your quads stronger, do a lot of front squats, work on sitting back more, try to stay more upright, etc. I can squat light weights with perfect form but even with working on all those cues my butt would still shoot back once I got anywhere near 80% of my 1RM . This is the first video I've seen to direct my attention to keeping my knees FORWARD and not just spread out. I tried it and it made everything feel so much more solid and I can finally maintain tension in my quads during the ascent! AWESOME and extremely helpful explanation!!
Such a simple cue. Keep knees forward. Been following the Starting Strength method, and the HIP DRIVE cue started to have me constantly doing a good morning. Keeping knees forward has come to the rescue, and my quads have blown up since. Numbers steadily increasing.
Hip drive should be incorporated, but that doesn't mean you knees can't stay forward. It is possible to do both. Look at the way Austin and Jordan from Barbell Medicine teach the squat. They're both starting strength coaches.
TheBlooRayChannel That‘s because you didn‘t do them correctly. All people who complain about starting strength don‘t even have the decency to read and understand the book before whineing
Great stuff! Only 1.5 years into weightlifting and this such great content (and the channel, overall, too). "Pillar#1 - Setup" helped my wife and I hit new PRs last week. Looking forward to the final episode...
I love this series! ❤ thanks so much for great content. Also; well done to all 3 of you on usapl raw nationals. Great performance and great coaching! ❤❤
One of the most informative videos regarding the squat. As a long limbed giraffe like figure (big back with spaghetti legs) the squat has been by far the hardest exercise for me even though i have great mobility since i have weak ass quads. After i have been focusing especially on keeping the knees forward and driving the bar straight up for a long fucking time i slowly started to activate my quads more than my hip and hamstrings. Amazing video.
The pillar series is probably best series on internet for exercises - I found bench invaluable and today while squatting I used technique related to breathing and knees and my squats felt so damn light??!! It’s almost like magic - I had same experience with bench pillar - I was stuck at 150 - just broke with fundamentals described in bench pillar … thank you Chad and Marissa
@@JuggernautTrainingSystems I like that you're not actively cueing "hips back" by virtue of the fact that getting the knees forward and sitting down automatically causes hips to get unlocked
This foot screw cue is perfect. Going to use that with my clients as well. Thanks for that one! I was using something similar... but this is a much better mind body cue.
Just watched your podcast with Jordan F. and how you guys have some disagreements with the SS squat. I should mention that I am a follower of SS and train their methods. After watching this video, I can say that although the cues are very different from each other, the end goal in the mechanics of the squat for the SS method and JTS methods appear to be the same. The squats look quite similar. I think the misconceptions about SS methods are the main problem and there should be more clarifications about them from Rippetoe. I am lucky enough to understand body movement and learn the SS methods effectively without coaching and few to no errors in the process. In the end, I don't think you guys should denounce the SS methods due to the fact that you both have similar end goals as mentioned in the Jordan F. podcast. I think both SS and JTS are great in their own ways, only differences are the different approaches to coaching. Keep up the good work!
Corrective exercises and stretching will help the overactive/underactive muscular imbalances associated with knee valgus. Love the videos and all the technical content. Keep up the great work.
Patting your head and rubbing your belly is so difficult, even the great Chad Wesley Smith can’t remember which one goes where Video series suggestion: “five pillars to patting your head and rubbing your belly“
Ok wow.....I didnt expect that when i clicked the video.. Thats literally the exact same way i am squatting right now . I started stronglifts 5x5 and i had great progress but i always thought i was doing something really wrong since my knees traveled forward a lot more. so i tried different stand width and also highbar instead of lowbar position but i just felt a lot weaker in any other variation and had big problems to get out of the hole. Thank you so much for this video, this clarified a lot of confusion.
Great video. Do these cues also apply to taller lifters? I’m assuming we’ll need lots of ankle dorsiflexion to load the quads like that as opposed to “sitting back”. Also thank you for the jugg method I’m loving the program as just a casual lifter.
No matter how tall you are, no matter where your knees are in the bottom position (how far forward), keep them there as you start ascending. Depending on your leverages you might be not as quad dominant as other lifters but everyone wants to have her/his quad *as involved as possible* when getting out of the hole. Cheers.
With a longer torso you end up more bent over. Emphasising knees forward helps with the tendency to good morning out of the whole. I know for myself (6”1, long torso) ensuring I push my big toe down helps a lot.
If you have very long femurs and don't want to be as bent over when you squat, you can try getting oly shoes and adding a significant amount in plastic heel lifts you can get off Amazon.
thank you. i already have nike romaleos which gives me about .75 inch heel raise. are you talking about the squatLIFTS/wodLIFTS plastic heels? I can see how adding 1/2 inch would greatly help with lack of ankle mobility and quad development.
Jeff Bunnell I'm actually not familiar with those specific squat lifts, however I do know that you can get on Amazon and buy plastic inserts that go under the insole of the Olympic lifting shoes so that you can easily get up to an extra quarter inch
Thank you I really needed this, I've been trying to drive up with my hips when I squat but it's been leaving me falling backwards out of position with my knees definitely drifting back, hopefully these cues help me keep my knees nice and forward :)
Everyone tells me not to allow my knees to pass my toes and to sit back before I bend my knees because it is safest for the knee joints. Is this method of bringing knees forward and bending the knees prior to bending the hip safe?
OK so I'm getting into a debate on FB about your technique. They seem to think you should initiate the Squat by sitting back first because the knee joint is small and why would we use it over the glutes. What is the answer to that??
Any feed back what to do if your knees then to move forward and tip down coming out of the hole? (Heel is still on the floor but losing a little pressure).
This video is great. More people should see it. I think you would see an increase in views if the title was like "How to squat" or "How to squat perfectly"
I always thought you didn't want knees over the toes as it would put too much pressure on the knees... I guess I was training wrong for the last 20 years? lol
Spread the floor often (not always) leads people to driving the weight onto the outside of their feet and losing that pressure on the big toe that screw the feet into the floor (or tripod foot) gives.
Is it just me or does marissa squat with her right foot a little further forward than left? If its not just me, is this because she has a small leg length difference or something?
Feet:
- The pressure is on the front of the ankles (cue: push the big toe down) 1:17
The Descent:
- Simultaneously unlock the hips and the knees 1:45
- Maintain pressure on the forefoot 2:05
The Ascent
- Keep the knees forward and drive straight up 2:29 3:26
- The best cue for fixing shaky knees on the ascent is to grab the ground with the big toe, little toe and the heel (screw your feet to the floor) 4:55
5 pillars series are so good, Ima need 5 pillars for everything, bench deadlift OHP, heck even the bicep curl
Squatting with Hodor
5 pillars for the deadlift? Please...
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this video!! I've struggled with my squat turning into a good morning for a long time now (butt shooting back out of the hole and putting all the load on my back/hamstrings). I've tried all the common recommendations: squat in heels, knees out, get your quads stronger, do a lot of front squats, work on sitting back more, try to stay more upright, etc. I can squat light weights with perfect form but even with working on all those cues my butt would still shoot back once I got anywhere near 80% of my 1RM .
This is the first video I've seen to direct my attention to keeping my knees FORWARD and not just spread out. I tried it and it made everything feel so much more solid and I can finally maintain tension in my quads during the ascent! AWESOME and extremely helpful explanation!!
Happy to hear it
Such a simple cue. Keep knees forward. Been following the Starting Strength method, and the HIP DRIVE cue started to have me constantly doing a good morning. Keeping knees forward has come to the rescue, and my quads have blown up since. Numbers steadily increasing.
TheBlooRayChannel same here man. I always fell forward and couldn’t get my quads going.
Same here, when I heard them talk about this in a different video a while ago it was a 'mind blown' moment
Hip drive should be incorporated, but that doesn't mean you knees can't stay forward. It is possible to do both. Look at the way Austin and Jordan from Barbell Medicine teach the squat. They're both starting strength coaches.
You are supposed to keep you knees forward in the SS method. This is reiterated in the books and in many videos by people in the SS community.
TheBlooRayChannel That‘s because you didn‘t do them correctly. All people who complain about starting strength don‘t even have the decency to read and understand the book before whineing
My squat has really progressed thanks to this series. Tks!!
Best visuals and explanation I’ve seen on squat technique!
Great stuff! Only 1.5 years into weightlifting and this such great content (and the channel, overall, too). "Pillar#1 - Setup" helped my wife and I hit new PRs last week. Looking forward to the final episode...
I love this series! ❤ thanks so much for great content. Also; well done to all 3 of you on usapl raw nationals. Great performance and great coaching! ❤❤
One of the most informative videos regarding the squat. As a long limbed giraffe like figure (big back with spaghetti legs) the squat has been by far the hardest exercise for me even though i have great mobility since i have weak ass quads. After i have been focusing especially on keeping the knees forward and driving the bar straight up for a long fucking time i slowly started to activate my quads more than my hip and hamstrings. Amazing video.
The pillar series is probably best series on internet for exercises - I found bench invaluable and today while squatting I used technique related to breathing and knees and my squats felt so damn light??!! It’s almost like magic - I had same experience with bench pillar - I was stuck at 150 - just broke with fundamentals described in bench pillar … thank you Chad and Marissa
You're welcome!
@@JuggernautTrainingSystems I like that you're not actively cueing "hips back" by virtue of the fact that getting the knees forward and sitting down automatically causes hips to get unlocked
Something clicked after seeying this series. #4 and #5 especially. Thanks a lot! Had a great squat session
This foot screw cue is perfect. Going to use that with my clients as well. Thanks for that one! I was using something similar... but this is a much better mind body cue.
This best squat technique coaching ever.
Great series. I show all of my friends your videos.
Thanks
Awesome video
"Remember to skrew your feet for the skwats!" JTS 2K17
Very good video!
Very helpful tip about maintaining forward knee position and driving straight up out of the hole thanks!
This was the pillar I needed
Just watched your podcast with Jordan F. and how you guys have some disagreements with the SS squat. I should mention that I am a follower of SS and train their methods. After watching this video, I can say that although the cues are very different from each other, the end goal in the mechanics of the squat for the SS method and JTS methods appear to be the same. The squats look quite similar. I think the misconceptions about SS methods are the main problem and there should be more clarifications about them from Rippetoe. I am lucky enough to understand body movement and learn the SS methods effectively without coaching and few to no errors in the process.
In the end, I don't think you guys should denounce the SS methods due to the fact that you both have similar end goals as mentioned in the Jordan F. podcast. I think both SS and JTS are great in their own ways, only differences are the different approaches to coaching. Keep up the good work!
Corrective exercises and stretching will help the overactive/underactive muscular imbalances associated with knee valgus. Love the videos and all the technical content. Keep up the great work.
Patting your head and rubbing your belly is so difficult, even the great Chad Wesley Smith can’t remember which one goes where
Video series suggestion: “five pillars to patting your head and rubbing your belly“
Found these videos trying to work out why my groin muscles hurt from squatting, will try some of these tips and see if it goes away!
Ok wow.....I didnt expect that when i clicked the video.. Thats literally the exact same way i am squatting right now . I started stronglifts 5x5 and i had great progress but i always thought i was doing something really wrong since my knees traveled forward a lot more. so i tried different stand width and also highbar instead of lowbar position but i just felt a lot weaker in any other variation and had big problems to get out of the hole. Thank you so much for this video, this clarified a lot of confusion.
Such a great video,thank you so much!
Great video. Do these cues also apply to taller lifters? I’m assuming we’ll need lots of ankle dorsiflexion to load the quads like that as opposed to “sitting back”. Also thank you for the jugg method I’m loving the program as just a casual lifter.
No matter how tall you are, no matter where your knees are in the bottom position (how far forward), keep them there as you start ascending.
Depending on your leverages you might be not as quad dominant as other lifters but everyone wants to have her/his quad *as involved as possible* when getting out of the hole.
Cheers.
With a longer torso you end up more bent over. Emphasising knees forward helps with the tendency to good morning out of the whole. I know for myself (6”1, long torso) ensuring I push my big toe down helps a lot.
If you have very long femurs and don't want to be as bent over when you squat, you can try getting oly shoes and adding a significant amount in plastic heel lifts you can get off Amazon.
thank you. i already have nike romaleos which gives me about .75 inch heel raise. are you talking about the squatLIFTS/wodLIFTS plastic heels? I can see how adding 1/2 inch would greatly help with lack of ankle mobility and quad development.
Jeff Bunnell I'm actually not familiar with those specific squat lifts, however I do know that you can get on Amazon and buy plastic inserts that go under the insole of the Olympic lifting shoes so that you can easily get up to an extra quarter inch
Thank you I really needed this, I've been trying to drive up with my hips when I squat but it's been leaving me falling backwards out of position with my knees definitely drifting back, hopefully these cues help me keep my knees nice and forward :)
This series is awesome and helps a lot in my squat technique! Could you do such a series for other movements like the deadlift as well?
Great video i hear more and more people doing ques like back back back and most of the people cant break the parallel that way
Very helpful!
thank you, very useful!
Should you simultaneously keep the knees forward and squeeze glutes, drive upward with them to avoid hip problems in the future?
so good
Great info,fuck that i found this so late.i have been doing hip hinge squats for 2 years
Everyone tells me not to allow my knees to pass my toes and to sit back before I bend my knees because it is safest for the knee joints. Is this method of bringing knees forward and bending the knees prior to bending the hip safe?
absolutely...squeeze the glutes at the top so that the knees don't cave in during the squat, break parallel, and the knee joints will be safe.
If don't let your knee cave in during the lift then it's totally fine letting them travel past your toes, that mith has been debunked multiple times.
OK so I'm getting into a debate on FB about your technique. They seem to think you should initiate the Squat by sitting back first because the knee joint is small and why would we use it over the glutes. What is the answer to that??
Do you have a video on how to help with ankle mobility ?
Any feed back what to do if your knees then to move forward and tip down coming out of the hole? (Heel is still on the floor but losing a little pressure).
This video is great. More people should see it. I think you would see an increase in views if the title was like "How to squat" or "How to squat perfectly"
I just struggle because if I come too far forward, it jacks up my knees and I have knee pain for days.
I always thought you didn't want knees over the toes as it would put too much pressure on the knees... I guess I was training wrong for the last 20 years? lol
Instead of screwing our feet into the ground could we instead spread the floor with our feet as I've heard that does the same thing?
Spread the floor often (not always) leads people to driving the weight onto the outside of their feet and losing that pressure on the big toe that screw the feet into the floor (or tripod foot) gives.
@@JuggernautTrainingSystems that makes a lot sense. Thank you for replying 🙏
Chad's calves are bigger than Marissa's quads
Because he's fat
What if both knees shift towards the left when you get up?
i feel my strongest when keeping my knees there and pushing the floor as a deadlift, it is ok with this?
Every single squat rep my knees are cracking anyone know why?
Hay-ree-buddy...
The knee forward looks like you are almost jumping forward out of the hole.
Is it just me or does marissa squat with her right foot a little further forward than left? If its not just me, is this because she has a small leg length difference or something?
Cue, not queue
Skrewing?
Whats the 5# pillar to get her phone number? haha, jokes aside, youre the best online coach anyone can get from youtube.
She squats narrow like me. I guess that’s ok! I’m an oly lifter but I don’t squat wide. Don’t like it.
Soo many little details for a perfect squat. Honestly, a bit overwhelming.
damn my squat technique is totally shitty
Don't like the cue of screwing your feet. I just think 'shove your knees out over your toes'
B-but I s-see chinese weightlifters caving in with their knees sometimes... D:
Are you guys boning she's always at ur pad