Is a Back Squat good for beginners?

I would not be surprise if many of you have been told to do a Back Squat in the first training sessions in a Crossfit box or a gym, without even asking if you have previously practiced a sport. I say this because it's happened to me, not in one but in several places.

Although the Back Squat can be considered a basic movement, the level of demand that it has on the body is extremely high, so in my opinion, it requires of a certain level of expertise and body awareness to do it correctly.

The Professionals from GoMind say that in the ideal world, training centers must perform a mobility test to their athletes to determine if there are injuries or restrictions that might compromise the achievement of certain exercises and then perform a corrective workout to adequate the body of the person for the desired exercise. But please!! Very few places have that level of professionalism so it’s up to you to reduce the risks to the minimum.

If we want to perform a good Back Squat we must work on strengthening hip mobility, ankle mobility, and core zone stability through PROGRESSIONS.

Some of the progressions that you could start with are:

-Free squat without weight

-TRX Squat

-SMITH Squat

-Leg press

These progressions have many variations that your coach could adapt according to your needs.

Finally, when you have strengthened these 3 areas and you have developed certain level of expertise, you can do a Back Squat with the reassurance that your body has been through a preparation process that will reduce injury risks.

Here I bring some tips for doing the desired Back Squat:

1. Start with lighter weight or even use only the bar until you own technique.

2. Always keep your eyes forward during the exercise.

3. Always keep your core area active (tightening the abdomen).

4. Distance between feet should be at shoulder width and pointed slightly outward.

5. Heels should always be glued to the floor.

6. Lower your body down with your knees pointing towards your toes.

7. The knees should not pass over your toes when lowering your body.

8. Bring the knees to an angle of 90 degrees (do not start with deep squats).

9. If you experience any pain DO NOT DO THE EXERCISE and go see a physical therapist.

Bear in mind that doing a Back Squat without prior preparation can expose you to injuries in the lumbar, cervical, sacral, dorsal, knees, among others. Even bad breathing technique during the exercise could cause a hernia.

While the new trends in exercise bring a variety of benefits to its practitioners, it also involves risks to which people are exposed just because they want to try what is new and "be fashionable"; the truth is that much of the injuries occur because of irresponsible or inexperienced "coaches" that do not give their students a good guide.

Gladiators in the upcoming weeks we will be talking about other exercises that also require progressions to perform them, so stay posted.

#english