Squat Science

The squat, a movement that most believe is a fundamental pattern to humans; a movement that we should strive to train and maintain for performance and just general wellness.

It is also a topic of much debate when it comes to HOW to perform a squat...

• What stance?
• What width?
• What toe angle?
• What bar position?
• What variation?
• How deep?

I've worked with close to a thousand athletes and guess what… they all squat differently.  Different stance widths,  different foot positions, different depths, different variation preferences, different bar positions, etc.  

I'm tired of hearing athletes being told they MUST squat a certain way or there is only ONE way to squat… that is rubbish and certainly isn't rooted in science. 

Let's think about this - do you really think someone 6'6 should squat the same as someone 5'2?  Should someone with long femurs and a short torso squat the same as someone with short femurs and a long torso?  Should someone with retroverted hips squat the same as someone with anteverted hips?

If I have a group of 20 athletes and had them all squat with a stance of their preference, to a depth they felt comfortable, with a toe angle that allows the most freedom - you know what I'd find?  20 different squats with different widths, foot angles, depths, trunk angles, etc.  

So why do coaches, PT's still try to jam a square peg into a round hole by thinking there is only one way for people to squat?  You NEED to squat with toes forward, in a shoulder-width stance, to a parallel depth!

Now I'm a man of science, not just anecdotal evidence, so let's see what some of the literature on anatomy and skeletal structure of the hips says and how this may effect the squat

• The femoral neck/head isn't the same in every person.  Zalawadia et al (2010) demonstrated that as much as 24-degrees difference in anteversion and retroversion is common.  Zalawadia also noted that these differences of anteversion and retroversion can differ from side to side - not all hips are symmetrical!  

With sooo much potential variation is peoples hips, not to mention potential side to side difference in the same person - you still think everybody's squat should look EXACTLY the same?  Femoral and acetabulum structure will play the main role in ones ability to squat in certain positions to certain depths - NOT a universal preference made up by some person. 

• Laborie et al (2012) noted that anteversion and retroversion isn't strictly contained to the femoral head, it can also be present in the acetabulum.  They looked at  over 2000 samples of centre-edge angles of the acetabulum  and found angles differed from 20.8-45 degrees

Again, how can we expect someone with a 20.8-degree anteversion to squat the same as someone with a 45-degree retroversion?

• Knutson (2005) looked at leg length, and found that about 90% people have a discrepancy with the average difference of about half a centimeter.
• Flanagan  & Salem (2007) examined different kinetic variables in the squat of 18 experienced lifters. They looked at many things including average joint moments at the hip/knee/ankle, ground reaction forces in each foot, center of pressure for each foot, and maximum flexion angle at the knee/hip/ankle. They found many things (some statistically significant, others not) including side to side differences in center of pressure, ground reaction forces, and joint moments at the ankle, knee, and hip (especially the hip). The researchers concluded that NOBODY was balanced and every subject demonstrated differences in at least on of the joints (ankle, knee, hip)

It is COMMON that people squat with asymmetries and differences from side to side.  It's normal to have someone feel and perform better with one toe angled out/in, staggered forward/backward,   externally/internally rotated compared to the other.

If pain isn't present - THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS - and it's likely aiding in performance, comfort, and health.  We aren't symmetrical beings and sometimes forcing symmetry may actually be taking someone out of their "neutral".  

Want to see what these differences actually look like?  Check out the below photos and see how these skeletal structures can differ and visualize how they'll dictate an athletes optimal squat.

If we tried to take these people and squat them in a toes forward, shoulder width stance, to parallel, what do you think would happen?

Some would ace the test, while others would fail miserably… why?

Much of it would have to do with this structure - NOT some mobility, stability, strength, motor control dysfunction, but rather something they CANNOT change - their bone structure.

We seem to be in a stage where we see someone whose can't squat deep, or prefers a wide stance, or turns their feet turn out, or has butt wink and we jump all over them with how their "insert joint/muscle" is tight/weak and needs soft-tissue, mobility, or activation work, BUT in many situations, no matter what correctives, or soft-tissue, or crazy mobility you throw at the athlete - they just won't be able to squat in certain positions.

Let's wet our whistle with a little bit more literature

• Elson and Aspinal (2008) showed what is tremendously obvious for coaches that actually work with people - there are vast differences in range of motion in hip flexion and extension - meaning some people are just better suited for deep hip flexion (deep squat), while this position would cause massive problems for others. 
• D'Lima et al (200) demonstrated that differences in femoral neck/head thickness (as little as 2mm) could impact hip flexor ROM by 1.5-8.5 degrees.  
• Lamontagne et al (2009) looked at people with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAI) and squat ability and concluded due to anatomical variations at the hip such as cam or pincer, there are plenty of lifters who will never be able to deep squat with proper form.

So should everybody squat to parallel or ass to grass?  Should everybody have the same stance width and toe angle?

NO!!!

Some have a tendency to squat deep, while others have tendency for hip extension.  If we force them to parallel or ass to grass we may be forcing bone on bone or a hip impingement - not good things.   The only people that NEED to squat to parallel are powerlfiters, it's a requirement of their sport.  As for athletes, there is no rule book that says you have to squat to parallel or beyond - it's not a requirement nor is it going to make or break performance.

Again, ones ability to squat to different depths in different stances can be explained by their skeletal structure - NOT necessarily mobility or soft tissue or strength issues.  It also means trying to say everybody should squat the SAME WAY is a terrible thought process and could actually be causing more harm than good.

Here's a quote from the great Stu McGill, considered the World's foremost expert on spinal health - "The most important matter on all of this is the depth of the hip socket. If people are looking up on the internet, depth of the hip socket and squat ability, they won’t find it. They have to go to the hip dysplasia literature. What they’ll find is that there are groups in the world with very shallow hip sockets (allow greater hip flexion) and some with deep hip sockets (make it difficult for deep hip flexion)."

Even the World's expert says it's structure that dictates deep squat ability, it's NOT some universal standard.

​Insert pictures of strong peeps, lifting heavy things and what do you see?

No identical stance, depth, toe angle, etc. 

​Why again do we try to force people to squat a certain way, to a certain depth?  Coach athletes as individuals. 

Let's look at some more myths that pertain to squatting

Knee's Can't Go Beyond The Toes

Here is another myth is purported in all areas and there’s little evidence to support this claim. The knees passing beyond the toes is not some universal point where all of a sudden the stresses on the knee become dangerous and every point before that is safe. 

You know what's even more?  Artificially restricting or trying to prevent forward movement of the knees may be detrimental to the hips and back. Fry et al (2003) looked at the effect of restricted squats where a wooden board was placed in front of the lifter that didn't allow the knees to track past the toes.  

​What did they find?  

Restricted Squat

As expected, the board restricted setting reduced torque on the knees, but increased torque at the hip and low back.  So you take stress on one joint, only to increase it at another - so pick your poison.  
The researchers concluded, "Exercise technique guidelines should not be based primarily on force characteristics for only one involved joint (e.g., knees) while ignoring other anatomical areas (e.g., hips and low back).”  

Artificially or cueing an athlete to change their natural mechanics may effect the joint being cued, but those forces and torque need to go somewhere.   

While shear forces have been shown to increase in the deep squat position with forward knees, the body can handle them appropriately without risk for injury (Schoenfeld (2010)).   The most thorough review of squat depth on knee pain showed the demands on these tissues in a deep squat are well below the maximum that those tissues can withstand (Hartmann et al (2013)).  THEY AREN'T DANGEROUS!
​
Plus, every Olympic lifter of all-time, theoretically should have messed up knees and some PT would tell them they're lifting wrong…

Squat Stance and Squat Variation

Guess what - the type of squat you use isn't vastly different from each other.  EMG between a front squat and back squat aren't that different and some studies even showing NO STATISTICAL DIFFERENCE in muscle activities between front and back squats.  (Contreras et al (2016); Gullet et al (2009)).  In general, the front squat will lead to slightly more quad activation and thoracic extension strength; while back squat slightly more glute/hamstring activation, but again, the EMG difference between the two isn't likely a good reason for choosing one over the other.

How about wide stance vs narrow stance?

Wide stance squats tends to activate greater adductor and glute compared to narrow squat, with no difference between quad activation (Escamilla et al. (2001); Paoli et al (2009); Steven & Donald (1999)).  Swinton et al (2012) recently demonstrated exactly this as the researchers showed EMG results for glute activation were significantly higher in a wide stance compared to a narrow stance.  These EMG results also showed that quadricep activation between the stances were identical - concluding, muscle activation wise, a narrow stance isn't superior to a wide stance.

How about toe angle or hip angle?

Ninos et al. (1997) found no difference in vastus medialis activation between barbell back squats with two different hip rotation angles (feet pointing outwards vs. feet pointing forwards).  While, Pereira et al (2010) found externally rotating the hip to 30 and 50-degrees resulted in greater hip adductor activation with no change in rectus femoris activation, leading the researchers to conclude that squatting to 60-90 degrees of knee flexion with 30 degrees of external rotation maximized muscle activation.

Again, there is NO LITERATURE supporting the NEED to squat with toes forward! Rather than squatting with your toes forward or pointed out to a predetermined degree and forcing your knees and hips to follow along, you’re better off seeing what hip and knee position feels the strongest and most comfortable, and letting that determine how far out you point your feet (Nuckols (2016))

In a great review of all the variables that effect muscle activation of a loaded back squat, Clark et al (2012) concluded, research of common variations such as stance width, hip rotation, and front squat do not significantly affect muscle activation.  Turning the toes out, however, only changes the activation of the adductor muscle group. The glutes and quads (the main movers in the squat) are not significantly activated to a greater extent by any of the variables (Clark at el (2012)).

So we've seen, specific squat variations - wide, narrow, toes forward, toes out, depth - aren't make a break factors when it comes to muscle activation, joint stress, or performance.

So again, why would be ever think there is only one way to squat and what would make this way superior?  The fact is, there isn't a single strategy to squat and instead should be dictated upon by the individuals unique skeletal structure, limb lengths, past injury history, mobility/stability factors, and biomechanics.

Here's just a small list of things that influence squat mechanics 

• Foot Wear (elevated heel vs flat heel)
• Long Tibia vs Short Femur
• Short Tibia vs Long Femur
• Short Femur vs Long Torso
• Long Femur vs Short Torso
• Body Mass
• Stance Width
• Toe Angle
• Foot Size (Length)
• Cueing
• Anterior vs Posterior Chain Strength
• Specific Joint Mobility and Stability Strengths and Weaknesses
• Bar Position

Linked below is a really cool that demonstrates how different body part lengths, stance width, bar positioning, etc effect the outcome of a squat will look like - again it's basic biomechanics - http://mysquatmechanics.com

Here are some pictures of how simply changing levers, stance width, ankle mobility, and bar position effect the end look of a squat

All-In-All

The goal of this article is to demonstrate there is no universal way to squat and we need to work to allow and find our athletes optimal way to squat based on their individual anatomy, levers, mobility/stability needs, past injury history, etc - and NOT try to pigeon-hole everybody into a certain way of squatting.

Please share this with anybody you think would benefit and let's stop the squat stupidity from spreading. 

 PS - Below are some squat assessment videos on what we might use to assess our athletes to find their best squatting stance. 














References:

 Clark, D. R., Lambert, M. I., & Hunter, A. M. (2012). Muscle activation in the loaded free barbell squat: a brief review. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 26(4), 1169-1178.

Contreras, B., Vigotsky, A. D., Schoenfeld, B. J., Beardsley, C., & Cronin, J. (2016). A comparison of gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, and vastus lateralis electromyography amplitude in the parallel, full, and front squat variations in resistance-trained females. Journal of applied biomechanics, 32(1), 16-22.

Escamilla, R. F., Fleisig, G. S., Lowry, T. M., Barrentine, S. W., & Andrews, J. R. (2001). A three-dimensional biomechanical analysis of the squat during varying stance widths. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 33(6), 984-998.

Flanagan, S. P., & Salem, G. J. (2007). BILATERAL DIFFERENCES IN THE NET JOINT TORQUES DURING THE SQUAT EXERCIS. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 21(4), 1220-1226.

Gullett, J. C., Tillman, M. D., Gutierrez, G. M., & Chow, J. W. (2009). A biomechanical comparison of back and front squats in healthy trained individuals. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 23(1), 284-292.

Hartmann, H., Wirth, K., & Klusemann, M. (2013). Analysis of the load on the knee joint and vertebral column with changes in squatting depth and weight load. Sports medicine, 43(10), 993-1008.

Knutson, G. A. (2005). Anatomic and functional leg-length inequality: a review and recommendation for clinical decision-making. Part I, anatomic leg-length inequality: prevalence, magnitude, effects and clinical significance. Chiropractic & osteopathy, 13(1), 1.

Lamontagne, M., Kennedy, M. J., & Beaulé, P. E. (2009). The effect of cam FAI on hip and pelvic motion during maximum squat. Clinical orthopaedics and related research, 467(3), 645-650.

Ninos, J. C., Irrgang, J. J., Burdett, R., & Weiss, J. R. (1997). Electromyographic analysis of the squat performed in self-selected lower extremity neutral rotation and 30 of lower extremity turn-out from the self-selected neutral position. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 25(5), 307-315.

Nuckols, Greg.  http://strengtheory.com/how-to-squat/. 2016

Paoli, A., Marcolin, G., & Petrone, N. (2009). The effect of stance width on the electromyographical activity of eight superficial thigh muscles during back squat with different bar loads. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 23(1), 246-250.

Pereira, G. R., Leporace, G., das Virgens Chagas, D., Furtado, L. F., Praxedes, J., & Batista, L. A. (2010). Influence of hip external rotation on hip adductor and rectus femoris myoelectric activity during a dynamic parallel squat. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 24(10), 2749-2754.

Schoenfeld, B. J. (2010). Squatting kinematics and kinetics and their application to exercise performance. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 24(12), 3497-3506.

Steven, T. M., & Donald, R. M. (1999). Stance width and bar load effects on leg muscle activity during the parallel squat. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 31, 428-436.

Swinton PA, et al (2012) A Biomechanical Comparison of the Traditional Squat, Powerlifting Squat, and Box Squat. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 26(7):1805–16​​

Hip Dissociation

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When we walk, jog, jump, kick, swim, bike, or sprint, our hips have to perform two very different movements. One side of the hip is going through flexion while the other side is going through extension. This is what I call hip dissociation—the separation of the two legs and their movements at the hip joint.

When you sprint, each leg cycle consists of one leg dynamically performing hip flexion (knee drive) while the opposite leg simultaneously performs dynamic hip extension (leg extending toward the ground). The two legs are performing separate and simultaneous actions at the hip joint. When we train, we typically perform movements where both sides of the hips are performing the same movements. In typical squats, deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, kettlebell swings, glute ham raises, and hip thrusts, the legs and hips are working together on the same movement in the same plane.

Yuri Verkhoshansky (quit possibly the smartest coach ever!) was the first coach to realize these two opposite movements and he tried to implement a way to train them. He came up with some pretty innovative exercises to train both of these simultaneous movements. However, for some reason, they never really stuck, and you’d be hard pressed to find any program that trains this quality.

You might be thinking that I’m advocating switching bilateral exercises for single-leg movements, but in reality, almost all single leg work doesn’t attack this hip dissociation fully. Take a single-leg squat. One leg is performing the squat, so it’s going through hip flexion and subsequent hip extension. But the other leg is just statically staying put, not going through any range of movement. It’s performing a low intensity, isometric contraction at an almost neutral position.

While split squats, lunges, and RFESS do stress the opposite actions of extension and flexion in each leg, they don’t stress full range of motion or dynamic movement in the back leg. Think about it—the hips are in two different positions, but the back leg doesn’t go through a full range of motion, dynamic movement, or resistance, which is seen in actual movements. Most of these movements consist of one leg performing the movement while the other doesn’t move and contracts isometrically or performs only a small range of motion without any resistance.

The purpose of hip dissociation exercises is to stress, load, and mimic these movement patterns. Instead of training these qualities separately, you kill two birds with one stone. Not only that, but as Pavel Tsatsouline has been known to say, you’re “greasing the groove.” You’re teaching this separation and developing this movement pattern while in the weight room.

On top of the added mechanics and loading of a specific movement pattern, you also get a great contralateral core stabilization exercise. These movements won’t only stress your hips, but they present contralateral forces on the body in which the torso will be forced to stabilize. Your torso will be forced to act as an anti-rotator to keep the body positioned.
So overall, these exercises:

• Provide simultaneous strengthening of hip extension and flexion
• Develop hip and leg coordination and dissociation
• Develop sprint/jumping mechanics
• Allow you to engrave this very important movement pattern
• Stress contralateral core stabilization
• Allow loading from all different planes, vectors, and positions

Again, I’m not advocating that you drop bilateral movements in favor of these exercises. I firmly believe that the big, bilateral exercises should be at the base of a training program. What I’m saying is that maybe you should throw these in for accessory/auxiliary work, during a warm up, or in between sets.

I’m not claiming that these movements will change the way you train, but they could be of great use if you train athletes who need great movement skills. Experiment with them and see if you find some carryover into your movements. Hell, if Dr. Verkhoshansky thought to train these qualities, that right there is enough for me to think that they must be important. So let’s get to the good stuff and see what I’m talking about.

Glute bridge with isometric hip flexor:

I like to start with this progression because it helps to learn how to create simultaneous tension of hip flexion and hip extension in a more controlled, static position rather than jumping right into dynamic movements.

Band-resisted leg “scissors”:

We pick up the speed of the movement a little bit. But again, it’s still in a controlled state to engrain and stabilize the movement pattern.

Isometric glute bridge with hip flexion:

Hip extension stays under tension, and we pick up the velocity of hip flexion. This is really going to stress the posterior muscle sling to stay stable.

Single-leg glute bridge with hip flexion:

Now we fully piece together dynamic flexion and extension. An easy way to load hip extension is to use chains, sand bags, or dumbbells/kettlebells.

Single-leg hip thrust with hip flexion:

Now we progress to a greater range of motion, which will require more coordination and allow for more velocity. You can always add chains, sand bags, or dumbbells/kettlebells to the hips to further load hip extension.

Step-up with hip flexion:

Now, we move up to our feet to load more vertically rather than horizontally like in the previous movements. I find that a band is the best way to load the back leg (hip flexion), but ankle weights are another option. Adding a vest or increasing the speed or box height of the step-up will enhance the hip extension portion.

Reverse lunge with hip flexion:

Finally, another option is to use a reverse lunge into hip flexion. This hybrid loads both the horizontal and vertical vectors. Make sure the band has tension on the reverse lunge aspect. Otherwise, the band has a tendency to slip off the foot (or you could always wrap it around your ankle a couple of times to keep it tight). Again, using a vest is an easy way to load the reverse lunge.

Conclusion

There you have it—hip dissociation. I really feel that these exercises have a lot of bang for your buck and do have a place in a program (at least in mine). I really like using these during my warm up for activation or between sets or as auxiliary exercises.

As always, Go Get ‘Em!

Teaching the Hip Hinge

This was previously posted on EliteFts, you can check it out here

Everyone who has been serious about moving around heavy weights, knows what the hip hinge is.  Hinging at the hip puts our posterior chain muscles in a position of advantage so we can work the shit out of them.  This movement is key in developing strong and powerful hamstrings and glutes which will carry over to improved athletic movement.

The hip hinge is not a squatting movement and being able to separate these two patterns is very important.  Hip hinging is emphasized in deadlifts, RDL's, Olympic lifts, swings, and even in some upper body rowing and scapular stabilization movements.

Anybody who has ever tried to teach, or for that case tried to learn the hip hinge, knows just how hard it can be for people to pick up.  Most people do not know how to separate the squatting movement from this hinging movement, and if you're like me, this results in urges to rip your hair out and scream until your lungs are sore.

First and foremost, we need to accept that the hinge is a basic movement that all athletes need to be able to master.  As athletes develop they learn to run, land, jump, skip, squat, push-up, tumble, and change directions, among others.  We need to make it a priority to learn the hip hinge, as this will set up athletes for success and safety in the long run. 

Just like the name states, the hip hinge, put simply, is your hip acting as a hinge for your lower and upper bodies. 

Sounds pretty easy, right?

Having worked with athletes ranging from 9 years old to college seniors, I can tell it's anything but. 

It's incredible to see how difficult it can be, for all levels of athletes, to perform this movement.  For all of us with a ton of experience using hinging exercises, we often take for granted how "easy" it is to hinge. 

So what do we do when someone can't hinge?  We cue the hell out of them!

"Push your hips back, keep your back flat/neutral, don't let your knee track forward - press them back, pull your chest forward, created horizontal separation from your hips and shoulders, etc"

We cue these athletes until we're blue in the face, and the athlete just does not get it.

It is very hard for unexperienced athletes to exhibit the correct body position and motor pattern of the hinge.  They don't have the connection of how their body moves, operates, and feels in this kind of movement setting. 

So they tend to either flex (round) their spine, flex their neck, use a squatting patten, and not get their posterior chain involved. 

Why do they do this? 

Because it is easier for them to do so.  Heck we as well trained professionals round our backs when picking up things off the ground because it is easier than keeping a flat/neutral spine.  They also lack the ability to perform a proper hip hinge because they lack, strength, mobility, stability, and like we touched on, don't have proper education of their body to perform these movements.

While it is dificult to teach, it is also essential that we take the time and effort to ingrain this movement in young athletes as it is so important for later in their lives.  Below I give my favorite progression to teach the hip hinge, and have been using these with good success. 

It takes proper progression, adequate reps, and being patience for it to become permanent.  We would all like to fly through these progressions and start adding some weight so we can really load the p-chain, but we need to slow down and perfect this movement first.

Dowel RDL

The dowel RDL involves the athlete holding a dowel behind their back.  We place the hands behind the small of the neck and the small of the back. 

The dowel must make contact with the athletes butt, upper back, and head.  This needs to be emphasized!  The athlete is instructed to maintain all three points of contact throughout the entire movement.  Because the dowel must remain in contact with those three points, the hip hinge movement will come naturally. 

This is great because it gives the athlete self-feedback and they develop the knowledge of how to self-correct their movement.  For example if the dowel loses contact with their butt, then the are flexing their spine.  They then teach themselves how to fix that, and really learn on their own how to perform the movement correctly. 

We will stay with this progression for as long as we feel they need work.  I will throw this exercise into our warm-up, rest periods, and in our cool-downs as a way to get lots of reps to instill this pattern. 

Here are the mistakes you are looking for when using the dowel RDL.  Dowel coming off the butt means spinal flexion, dowel coming off the back means squatting to much, dowel coming off the head means cervical flexion.



 Dowel Extension w/ Wall Touch

The next progression we make is called Dowel Extension w/ Wall Touche.  We now have the athlete hold the dowel behind their backs, but parallel to the ground. 

We externally rotate their arms so their palms are facing down.  This automatically get them in scapular retraction and makes it difficult for them to round their thoracic spine.  From there we set them up 8-10 inches from a wall and tell them to keep the dowel pressed up against the wall.

We que them to touch the wall with their butt and pack their neck.  This forces them to press their butt back and because they are in external rotation, it keeps their spine neutral.

 Good Morning w/ Wall Touch

The next progression involves a good morning with a wall touch.  The good morning, again externally rotates the shoulders and promotes a big chest and flat back. 

But this progression makes it easier for the athlete to flex their spine.  So we use it as a check mark.  If they have learned to retract their scaps, pack their neck, and maintain a neutral spine, they will show it here.  If not, we know we need to keep working on the earlier progressions.

 Snatch Grip RDL

We then move to the snatch grip RDL.  The load is now put anteriorly, and now their arms are not externally rotated or pulled behind their body to assist in correct positioning. 

To help this we take a snatch grip to naturally pull their pack their scaps and assist in better positioning.  This is the true test to see if they have mastered the hip hinge.  Often we will see relapses in technique here, and now we have to take a step back and keep working on Good Mornings or earlier progressions.

KB Swings w/ Object Between the Legs

Finally if the RDL is mastered, we start loading it.  We now have established proper technique, motor control, and strength in the hinge movement.

So what's next?

Time to progress to dynamic hip hinging!

This could be Olympic variations, dynamic deadlifts, but my favorite to start with is the swing. 

The swing is a dynamic hinge movement that allows for greater speeds to overload the eccentric portion and really stress the SSC for great dynamic hip power. 

When first learning the swing I like to start with a progression that involves placing an object betwen the athletes legs.  This prevents a squatty swing, and overall fixes a while mess of technique errors that commonly occur in the swing. 

Depending on the height of the athlete, we want the object to come up to the tibial tuberosity (object in video is too low).  So this could be a cone, yoga block, medicine ball, whatever works for you.  In the video I use a dumbell, but I would recommend using something like a cone or yoga block, so if the athlete hits it, their won't be any chance of injury or damage to equipment.

A whole other article could be written on swing technique, but for the sake of time, here is our technique overview

Great advice from Dan John
   Attack your zipper/crotch on the downswing, it is active not passive
   Snap your hips and glutes to drive the weight back up
   After hips and glutes drive weight out of the hole, the torso should be tight and stable like in a plank
   Don't let the weight come above shoulder level
   It is a RDL, but with more speed

After finishing all of these progressions the athlete will be very proficient in the hip hinge.  They can now safely move on to higher loads and greater speeds of movements. 

This is a great basis for learning olympic lifts, deadlifts, good mornings, and RDL's.  If you work with youth athletes or even higher level athletes that can't hip hinge, this progression is key.  The hip hinge technique will allow these athletes to progress to later exercises that will build the foundation of their lower body strength, especially the glutes and hamstrings. 

So grab a dowel and get to teaching.  Until next time Go Get 'Em!


Like, Dislike, Agree, Disagree, WORLD CHANGING, or a big turd; whatever you feel, leave a comment below and let me know!

Rotational Sequencing and Power - Part 3

Alright time to conclude this series on Rotational Sequencing and Power.  In case you missed the first 2 parts check them out here, Part one, Part two.

In this final part we are going to go into the details of the correct sequential patterns to enhance rotational power, efficiency, and safety. 

Proper Sequencing

Rotational movements require proper sequencing of the body through various parts.  This does not happen naturally for all athletes, and must be taught. 

Athletes need the proper kinetic linking and sequencing to allow athletes to reach their maximum potential.  Athletes need to learn how to

     Load from the ground up
     Lead movement with hips
     Sequence energy through joints/muscles
     Movement should look like a whip
     Be able to separate hips from upper body and shoulders

Take a look at these pictures again and look at the athletes hips compared to their shoulders

Their hips lead their upper body and shoulders.  They get their power from their hips, and they use the mobility and stability to transfer that power to their implement. 

This, in a nut shell, is rotational sequencing. 

The athlete loads up using thier hips and posterior muscle sling, and then unloads from the ground up, snapping their hips to transfer this force through their anterior muscle slings and onto the upper body and shoulders. 

As we touched on in part 1 (TPI Rotational Sequence), this proper sequencing is what separates amateurs from the elite.  Learning how to load and unload using the correct sequential pattern is key to creating more rotational power and speed.

Tony Mikla, during a webinar, dicussed how he trains two Olympic discuss throwers of very similar strength, speed, power, stability, and mobility standards.  Except one of the throwers out performs the other by significant amounts. 

How is this possible?  They possess the similar physical abilities, but their performances are very different. 

Dr. Mikla noted the difference was in the sequencing of these two athletes.  Athlete A out performs Athlete B because she better utilizes the power she generates from her hips. 

She doesn't have energy leaks and has proper sequencing from the ground up through her hips, onto her thorax, and finally to her arms. 

Athlete B doesn't sequence correctly.  She might have her torso lead first and then the hips and shoulders come next, simultaneously. 

This funk it sequencing doesn't allow her to fully utilize the transfer of forces through her kinetic chain.

Essentially sequencing is technique, and proper technique separates athletes in all sports.  We teach proper technique in all other exercises, but often times do not for rotational exercises. 

We need to teach rotational movements and use progressions just like we do with all other exercises. 

Getting After It

I like to use med ball variations when training rotational power as they allow for great velocity.  Use the rotational stability exercises mentioned in part 2 for gaining strength and stability.  This step cannot be skipped!  If you do, you are setting your athletes up for injury.  Progress correctly!

Use dynamic med ball work for enhancing rotational power and sequencing.  No need to use an overally heavy med ball, 6-12lbs will typically do for most rotational movements.  Remember, besides the shot put, sports do not use heavy implements, it's about creating higher speeds and forces into our movements. 


Lateral MB Punch

I find this as the easiest progression to teach to correct sequential pattern.  With the med ball close the body it reduces any kind of lever arm, and makes the whole movement easier to perform and learn. 

Load the ball in the back armpit, while also loading up the rear leg and posterior muscle sling.  Press through the ground with the rear leg and lead the movement from the hips, through the torso, and finally through to the shoulders through to the ball.

Lateral Scoop Throws

Now we take the ball and place it away from the body.  This creates more torque, but also allows a good picture of the sequence of the kinetic chain.  Load up the back leg and transition from the ground up, through the ball.



Parallel Scoop Throws

Parallel throws really separate the hips from the shoulders.  It's a little tougher to get the hips to rotate thoroughly, but requires great amounts of mobility in the T-Spine, hips, and ankle.  It also requires great strength and stability through the hips and trunk to get adequate rotation and power.



Split Stance Lateral/Parallel Scoop Throws

The split stance take the hips slighty out of the movement, but it forces the athlete to create rotational force through a unilateral position.  The hips must be stable, and the athlete must keep a solid base for rotation to revolve around.



Lateral OH Slams

OH slams place the load in a different position and challenges the athlete in a top-down pattern.  This puts a ton of stress on that anterior muscle sling, and will really lengthen the lateral components of the body.

Lateral Med Ball Slams

Another great OH movement to challenge top-down and the long lateral lines of the body.

Lateral Shuffle MB Punch

Now that we've established a solid base of rotational movements from a static position, we now move towards dynamic movements. 

In sports, often times rotational movements require the athlete to continue to transfer force from the momentum and movement already built up.  So here we start with a single shuffle pattern into a dynamic lateral punch.  Kind of like the glide technique in the shot-put.

Use the momentum and speed built up to transfer that force into the rotational movement.  The same sequencing and patterns still apply even though the speed of the movement is greater.

Crossover MB Punch

I've helped coach a couple of kids for sport showcase type events like pro-agility
(5-10-5), 60 yard dash, and L-Drill (3-cone).  These drills require crossover steps, and this drill simulates gaining power and movement from a crossover position. 

Moving Crossover MB Punch

Next we like to move into our moving crossover and punch movement.  Just think about how many times athletes are required to cross their feet over in their sport.  Baseball, soccer, football, basketball, and volleyball all require athletes to crossover into a sprint or some other movement.  Here we get to work on that quality.

MB Drop Step Punch

This is something fun and challenging for your athletes to do.  It really challenges spatial awareness, coordination, and 180 degree rotational qualities.  This has tremendous carryover to throwing events, basketball, and any sport that requires these types of turns (DB in football, Centerfielder turning on a deep fly ball, etc)



Well there you have it.  That's the series on developing rotational sequencing and power.  Learning the correct pattern of rotational sequence might be separating you and your athletes from further success, oh and like I said before, developing rotational power = hot women asking you out for dates, it's science!

So take and use what you can and as always Go Get 'Em!




Like, Dislike, Agree, Disagree, WORLD CHANGING, or a big turd; whatever you feel, leave a comment below and let me know!