The Truth About Barefoot Training

by Joel Seedman, PhD |

NEW

Tags: 

Mobility

Powerlifting & Strength

Here's what you need to know...

• Faulty foot and ankle mechanics impact muscle function, mechanics, and joint health throughout the entire body.
• Most shoes act as a crutch, thus contributing to foot and ankle dysfunction.
• Barefoot and minimalist training is the ideal way to train and move, but your body must be properly prepared first.
• If you're unable to perform a majority of your activities in barefoot or minimalist conditions, then you have foot and ankle deficiencies.
• Improving foot and ankle function will do wonders for movement mechanics, particularly in the hips and lower torso.
• The feet and ankles are best trained with a variety of exercises that focus on stabilization and balance.

The Barefoot Trend

A decade ago, the fitness industry initiated a trend in barefoot training that ultimately led to mass production of barefoot or minimalist-style shoes.

Perpetuated by various research studies and writings (most of which supported the potential benefits), this step in a right direction was quickly met with disaster. Athletes, runners, and everyday gym-goers began developing minor to severe injuries.

Enter the Maximalist Trend

Instead of simply returning to normal shoes, these same companies who previously advocated minimalist footwear began creating and marketing "maximalist shoes" with several inches of cushion.

Rather than promoting natural foot activation, these maximalist shoes (along with most other forms of footwear) provide enough foot support to allow a majority of foot and ankle muscles to shut down and go into a state of semi-dormancy and inactivity.

The Real Issue

In reality, the problem had nothing to do with the footwear or barefoot ideology but instead had everything to do with improper application and physical preparedness of the people wearing these shoes.

The minimalist or barefoot shoe trend is one of the few things the fitness industry has done right in the past decade.

If you're unable to perform a majority of your activities, including strength training, walking, jogging, sprinting, agility drills, and even plyometrics in either barefoot or the most minimalist shoes, your feet and ankles just aren't functioning the way they were meant to.

The Solution

The feet, ankles, and toes need to be trained like any other body part. In fact, you could argue they require even greater emphasis considering most individuals wear shoes that limit, constrict, and bind their feet into unnatural positions, ultimately promoting dysfunction of the lower extremity.

The Best Shock Absorbers Money Can't Buy

Skeletal muscles not only produce force, they also act as a means for absorbing force, essentially acting as shock absorbers. When skeletal muscles aren't activating properly, much of this stress is transferred to tendons, ligaments, joints, and surrounding connective tissue.

The feet are no different. With over 100 various muscles, the feet and ankles encompass 15-20% of all the muscles in the body.

In reality, the feet and ankles are meant to withstand incredibly high forces and should provide more in terms of shock absorption than perhaps any other body part.

Unfortunately, humans begin to gradually lose this ability once we start wearing shoes. Over time, the feet, ankles, and toes become inhibited. Gradually, the force-absorbing responsibilities of the feet are re-assigned to the latest in trendy footwear technology.

Besides minimizing the ability to withstand intense ground reactive forces, the body gradually begins sending fewer and fewer signals to the feet, leading to distortions in proprioception and loss of innervation all the way up the kinetic chain.

Ultimately, this produces foot and ankle dysfunction that leads to dysfunctional movement patterns throughout the entire body, head to toe, or in this case, toe to head.

The Big Picture

If you think foot and ankle dysfunction is an isolated issue only affecting your body from the shins down, think again. For example, squatting with weak ankles and feet often contributes to faulty hip and knee mechanics, which indirectly affects the position of the spine.

Poor spinal alignment is often associated with low back pain, neck impingement, shoulder injuries, and inhibition/weakness of the upper extremities.

Besides placing yourself at greater risk for injuries, you've also minimized the amount of force and power your body can produce from head to toe. Furthermore, you've created a scenario where most other movement patterns become flawed to varying degrees, only further compromising your training efforts and results.

Feet Affect Everything

For most movement, neural signaling begins at the feet. The better the feet and ankles are functioning, the better the innervation all they way up the kinetic chain. Unfortunately, a majority of athletes, lifters, and general populations display foot and ankle dysfunction to varying degrees.

No matter how strong, powerful, mobile, agile, fast, or explosive an athlete is, correcting these foot and ankle deficiencies will only improve upon their pre-existing biomotor capabilities as well as reduce their risk for injuries.

Addressing foot and ankle deficiencies will do wonders not only for strength and power but will also do more for technique, muscle function, joint health, and movement mechanics than most forms of corrective exercise.

Barefoot and Minimalist Training

Performing activity in minimalist footwear or barefoot conditions (once the athlete has been appropriately prepared) builds strength, proper firing patterns, and optimal foot mechanics.

Traditional footwear, including weightlifting shoes, are great for demonstrating your abilities but they do nothing for foot and ankle function other than impeding neural innervation.

Competitive athletes should spend a significant portion (at least 50%) of their training, practice, and skill work in barefoot or minimalist shoes. Athletes should treat traditional shoes like powerlifters treat lifting suits and training gear.

Related:  Go Barefoot to Get Stronger

These suits and gear enable powerlifters to lift 5-30% more weight than raw conditions. However, the use of such gear is confined predominantly to contest preparation as it does little for building strength, but much in terms of demonstrating it.

Similarly, minimalist shoes build foot and ankle strength while normal shoes typically allow better demonstration of one's performance capabilities.

Use Caution

Don't go too extreme with barefoot training too soon or you'll set yourself up for injuries. Gradually progress into it. Eventually you should be able to perform most of your physical activity in minimalist or barefoot conditions.

The Right "Barefoot" Shoe

A proper barefoot shoe will include five important characteristics:

1. Wide toe box to allow the toes to move/splay
2. Very flexible sole allowing the foot to bend naturally
3. Zero drop (heel is same height as the forefoot)
4. Minimal to no cushion, forcing the feet to provide most shock absorption
5. Little to no ankle support in the heel or upper of the shoe

Socks

It's okay to wear socks, but make sure they're not tight around the toe box or you'll restrict toe movement, ultimately impeding foot and ankle innervation.

Orthotics

Similar to shoes, wearing orthotics only reinforces faulty foot mechanics by acting as a substitute for what your muscles are supposed to be doing.

This only caters to your inability to properly active the feet and ankles. Remember, the goal is to treat the cause, not the symptoms. With proper training and neuromuscular re-education, orthotics become obsolete.

Additional Foot Notes

• While stability tools such as the BOSU device aren't the best for targeting prime movers and larger muscles of the body, they're exceptional for providing an intense stimulus to the ankles, toes, and feet, particularly under conditions of minimal or no footwear.
• If your toes have a tendency to overlap and have little spacing, invest in a pair of yoga toes or toe spacers.
• When walking around the house, go barefoot as much as possible.
• Blisters, corns, ingrown toenails, bunions, skin irritations of the feet, and even many calluses can be traced back to either poor footwear, improper foot and ankle mechanics, or a combination of both.
• Most of these are a result of placing uneven pressure on various locations of the feet, a common result of faulty foot mechanics.
• Ladies, do yourselves a favor and forego the heels and fancy shoes when possible. They may look good when you're wearing them, but the long-term effects are unpleasant to say the least.
• Standard calf training commonly performed by bodybuilders is great for increasing size in the gastrocnemius and soleus, but it does little for addressing proper foot and ankle mechanics.

Common Deficiencies in the Ankles and Feet

1. Ankle and Foot Pronation

A majority of individuals display a valgus foot collapse (inward collapse of the foot) or ankle pronation.

This is often accompanied by one or more of the following, including prominent medial malleoli (protrusion of the inside ankle bone); over-pronation of the feet, flat feet, fallen arches; overlapping toes; prominent scaphoid or navicular bone (protruding inner arch) bunions; and hallux valgus (inward collapse of the big toe).

Significant flaring in either direction (external or internal rotation) is also commonly associated with the above issues.

Besides impairing various aspects of performance and health, these tendencies can lead to a host of other related problems including ACL tears, low back injuries, knee pain, osteoarthritis, and various injuries to the lower extremity.

2. Ankle and Foot Supination

On the opposite, less-common end of the spectrum lies the supinated foot, a syndrome more commonly seen in bow-legged individuals. These people tend to place greater stress on the outer or lateral portion of the foot.

Ankle supination tends to be associated with inflammation throughout the outer ankles, shins, and hips including the IT band. Although the problems are typically less severe than those seen in ankle pronators, these individuals can be susceptible to ankle sprains and chronic foot discomfort.

The Cure

Fortunately, the cure for these various issues is the same: Strengthen the ankles by forcing them to assume proper alignment. Most of the exercises described below do just that.

Proper Foot Mechanics

The "three point of contact rule" is a good place to start here. That just means the foot should ideally contact the floor in the following places:

1. Heel or calcaneus.
2. The lateral upper portion of the foot or outer ball of the foot in line with the 5th metatarsal, baby toe area.
3. Near the proximal phalange, or more commonly, the big toe.

What Results Can You Expect?

Even the most severe foot and ankle issues can be resolved with proper foot and ankle training. It took me over a year to fix my own feet and ankles with issues ranging from flat feet, fallen arches, pronation, toe crowding, valgus ankle collapse, and external rotation.

I experimented with a variety of exercises and techniques and if I'd known then what I know now, it would have taken just a fraction of the time. The following exercises will allow you to maximize the efficiency of your foot and ankle training.

For those of you wondering if training your feet will actually produce significant improvements in mechanics, check out these before and after pictures of one of my athletes. In the photos to the left, the pronation and valgus-ankle collapse is pretty extreme, particularly in the right ankle.

You can also see the pronounced navicular joint on the inside of his collapsed right arch. With the photo to the right, these issues are no longer visible.

Some of you may not believe this, but this was the result of only one session. The photos were taken on the same day, before and after our neuromuscular re-education training of the feet and ankles.

Now, some of this was due to him cognitively focusing on correct mechanics, which is in fact part of the neural re-education process. However, with consistent training, this gradually becomes the body's go-to strategy for foot alignment with conscientious effort becoming less and less necessary.

Here are the exercises that can make this happen.

Toe and Foot Mobility/Mechanics

1. Standing Foot Mechanics Drill

This first exercise – although the most simple – is one of the most critical. The goal is to manipulate your toes, feet, and ankles into proper alignment. For many individuals this can be frustrating and very uncomfortable.

There are several things you'll want to focus on once you set your posture. First make sure both feet are completely straight with no internal or external rotation whatsoever. For most people this will feel slightly pigeon toed as a majority of the population favors slight external rotation as a common compensation pattern.

Next, make sure your ankles are pushed out (slightly supinated). As you push your ankles out by placing more weight to the outside of your feet, focus on pressing the base of your big toes into the floor.

This will ensure you're not over-supinating and will also help engage the muscles of the toes. As you perform this you should gradually feel your arches rise.

Finally, focus on spreading all of your toes apart as much as possible, creating slight space in between each toe, particularly the big toe and the second/index toe (in line with the 2nd metatarsal).

If you need to, you can manually manipulate your toes into position by using your fingers. Perform 2-3 sets of 30-60 seconds, 1-5 times per day.

2. Toe Curls

Toe curls are great for teaching toe mobility, an often-overlooked aspect of foot and ankle function. While keeping most of your weight on the outer portion of the ankles and heels, curl your toes up as high as possible while keeping them spread apart.

Then reverse the position by curling your toes into the floor. Hold each position 2-3 seconds and perform for 45-60 seconds.

Uniform Stabilization

The following exercises can be regressed or progressed with a total of six different progressions. For example, each exercise can be performed on three different surface types including hard floor, semi-soft surface (exercise mat or soft carpet), and unstable surface (Airex foam pad, pillow, BOSU ball, etc.)

You can also perform each condition with eyes open or eyes closed. Closing the eyes greatly increases the difficulty by further challenging the proprioceptors and stabilizers.

The key is to start basic and gradually progress to more challenging conditions while making sure foot alignment is proper.

1. Single-Leg Stand

This is the most foundational exercise for lower body stability. With tall posture, lift one leg 10-12 inches in front of the other, making sure both toes are perfectly straight while maintaining balance on a single leg for 30-60 seconds.

Eyes closed on an unstable device (the most progressed variation) will give even the most advanced trainee a run for their money.

2. Single-Leg Swap

This is one of my favorite drills for simultaneously targeting rotary stability of the core and ankle stabilization. The exercise is simple yet surprisingly difficult.

Balance on one leg and swap either a kettlebell, weight plate, or dumbbell back and forth slowly between each hand, holding 3-5 seconds in each position. Perform a minimum of 8 total swaps per leg before switching sides.

3. Single-Leg Overhead Press

Few upper body exercises are more difficult to perform on a single leg than a standing overhead press. Whether you choose a barbell, dumbbells, or kettlebells, don't be surprised if you have to drop the weight considerably.

If it still doesn't provide enough of a challenge, you can always go bottoms up. This is the epitome of full body stabilization.

4. Single-Leg RDL and Row Combo

This is one of the greatest exercises not only for challenging the stabilizers of the feet and ankles, but also for targeting your entire back, glutes, and hamstrings. Perform 2-3 rows per RDL while accumulating a total of 3-5 RDL's per side before switching legs.

5. Eccentric Isometric Lunge with Kettlebell Swap

Lunges are incredibly beneficial for foot and ankle stability, especially when performed in barefoot conditions. Add in a significant destabilizing element such as kettlebell swaps and you've greatly increased the demand of the muscles around the feet.

With a kettlebell in one hand, slowly lower yourself into a lunge and pause while smoothly swapping the kettlebell back and forth (between your legs) from arm to arm.

6. Single-Leg Power Hold

When it comes to pure unadulterated overload of the muscles surrounding the ankles and feet, the single-leg power hold is tough to beat. Set up a barbell with a moderately heavy load, un-rack it, and perform a single leg stand with perfect alignment. Hold for 10-20 seconds, then repeat on the opposite leg.

Reactive Stabilization

Stabilizing a joint is incredibly important for performance and overall joint integrity. However, many exercises such as those previously demonstrated produce instability in a fairly predictable fashion.

By adding in sporadic perturbations, it exposes the muscles to unpredictable oscillations, forcing them to continually adjust to the irregular stimulus. I refer to this as reactive stabilization and consider it to be integral for any athlete or lifter seeking to maximize performance.

The following exercises were designed specifically to address this:

1. Single-Leg Stand with Partner Perturbation

Recent research has demonstrated the effectiveness of perturbation training for working the core, proprioceptors, and stabilizers of the body. This technique can be applied to any muscle group. However, it lends itself exceptionally well to stabilization training of the ankles and feet

While standing on one leg, have your training partner gently push you from various directions, angles, and positions. To increase the kinesthetic demand of this drill, perform it while holding a stability ball.

2. Eyes-Closed Eccentric Isometric Squat on BOSU

Stand on the round side of a BOSU ball (or any unstable surface) and slowly squat down into position, pausing for 3-5 seconds for several reps without collapsing. If possible, perform this with eyes closed. Make sure you force your feet to contour to the shape of the ball by pushing your ankles out.

The combination of the eyes-closed eccentric isometrics in conjunction with the unpredictable oscillations from the instability device will greatly enhance proprioceptive feedback.

3. Eccentric Isometric Lunge with Partner Perturbation

Performing lunges with unpredictable taps from your partner is fantastic for activating the stabilizers in the feet and ankles, not to mention the entire lower body and core. Start off with gentle taps and progress to more aggressive perturbations as stability improves.

Rate of Stabilization Development (RSD)

The exercises listed above are great for recruiting a high number of muscle fibers surrounding the feet. However, there's one element missing from these movements: rate of stabilization development (RSD).

Similar to explosive exercises that require a significant rate of force development (RFD), the following exercises will not only require a high number of muscles around the feet and ankles to fire, but it will also force them to turn on quickly and rapidly in order to avoid sudden instability.

1. Single-Leg Hop and Hold

While on one leg, jump with maximal height, catch, and then stabilize until you're completely still. Then repeat. Sounds simple, but wait until you try it eyes closed.

2. Rapid Single-Leg Swap

This exercise is nearly identical to the traditional single-leg swap. The main difference is the rapid hand off/swap forces the muscles around the feet to turn on and stabilize quickly. This is an excellent drill for addressing RSD.

3. Single-Leg Med Ball Chest Pass

Although this can be performed using a wall, it works better with a partner. Stand with perfect alignment on one leg and powerfully perform a medicine ball chest pass.

The deceleration or catch phase of this can be difficult as it forces the athlete to rapidly turn on every stabilizer in the foot and ankle in order to maintain proper balance. Perform 10-12 reps per leg before switching sides.

4. Single-Leg Box Jump-Overs with Stabilization

Although this may not necessarily be the most challenging movement, it's by far the most advanced due to the high degree of impact.

When performed on a hard surface with minimal or no footwear, it represents the epitome of shock absorption, reactive stabilization, and RSD. Essentially this exercises forces all the muscles around your feet and ankles to turn on rapidly and in synchrony.

Other Exercises

Standing upper body isolation exercises such as biceps curls, lateral raises, shrugs, and cable exercises can also be modified as a single-leg movement or performed on unstable surfaces creating an excellent training stimulus for the ankles and feet.

This is a great way to end an upper body workout with a unique finisher that simultaneously taxes the lower body stabilizers.

Related:  10 Best Unilateral Exercises

Any lower body movements including squats, hinges, and lunges, particularly when performed under eyes closed-eccentric isometric conditions, can be beneficial for the ankles and feet provided the lifter can position their feet properly during execution.

This can be difficult for many lifters, which is why further training of the ankles and feet using the exercises shown above is often necessary.

Programming

There are numerous ways to program based on the above exercises. I often have my athletes perform foot and ankle drills in between sets of compound movements.

Because the goal is re-education of the nervous system, the key will be frequency. Perform a minimum of 2 different drills per day, aiming for 2-3 sets of each drill per session.

USE KETTLEBELLS TO GET IN FIGHTING SHAPE

Andrew Read

The kettlebell rules when it comes to developing strength endurance. While the barbell rules for maximal strength development, the kettlebell is king of the hill when it comes to that gritty stamina required for fighting.

The Gladiator Complex

Teaching at an RKC recently, one of our instructors used the following complex to showcase exactly how helpful kettlebells can be in developing elite levels of strength and conditioning. RKCII Gabriele D’Angelo was on the Italian Taekwondo team for eight years fighting all around the world. He used this complex to develop the strength and mental toughness needed to fight on even when fatigued.

When I asked him what he called it - because all kickass workouts need names - he told me it was called, “the gladiator complex.” It develops the posterior chain needed for hard kicks, the grip strength to muscle your opponent around, total body strength, and the mental fortitude to face down fatigue.

"Complexes have a way of sneaking up on you, and before you know it you’ve hit rock bottom and can barely open your eyes."

The concept is simple. Get two kettlebells (for the RKC event we had everyone use 24kg bells). Every round will always be ten reps, but it is how those ten reps are made that changes from one round to the next. Just like a fight, each round gets harder and harder so you are working the hardest when you’re the most tired.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Round 1: 10 double swings
• Round 2: 8 swings + 2 cleans
• Round 3: 6 swings + 2 cleans + 2 squats
• Round 4: 4 swings + 2 cleans + 2 squats + 2 presses
• Round 5: 2 swings + 2 cleans + 2 squats + 2 presses + 2 squats

Take a two-minute break and begin again.

Gabriele told me he would work up to five full circuits getting ready for big competitions and found that it helped him get in the shape needed for international-level fighting. Between each group of ten reps, take a short break - about the same length of time it would take a partner to do the same moves. If you do this workout with a partner, make sure to keep it strictly “I-go-you-go” and not let extra rest creep in.

Be careful with doing many rounds right from the beginning. Complexes have a way of sneaking up on you, and before you know it you’ve hit rock bottom and can barely open your eyes. Like with all training, this workout is most beneficial with an eye for smart programming.

A Six-Week Scheme

Start by performing the gladiator complex three times per week. Wednesday will be the heaviest day in terms of workload, with Friday being the lightest and Monday being the medium day.

Here’s the scheme for six weeks leading up to an event:

I would suggest that rugged men would use 24kg kettlebells and that women would use 12 or 14kg (because the press is often a weak link for many women you will be limited by what you can press). If you’re currently unable to use the target weights, then you’ll need more time working on maximal strength. After all, there’s no point developing strength endurance if you don’t have any strength.

"If you’re currently unable to use the target weights, then you’ll need more time working on maximal strength. After all, there’s no point developing strength endurance if you don’t have any strength."

Use the gladiator complex at the end of each workout. Prior to the complex, perform your normal strength routine, which should be focused on heavy, basic lifts. Don’t try to get out of breath during your heavy sets - save that for the complex. Also, take your time with rest periods to allow yourself to use as much weight as possible.

Stop all maximal strength work in week five, the week before your competition, to allow time for your body to fully recover and bring everything to a peak for game day.

Take It Up a Notch

If you really want to kick things to another level, add regular fartlek running on the non-strength/complex days. Perform 80% of the running at an easy pace - I suggest nasal breathing only to ensure you don’t work too hard - and then go all out for intervals for the remaining 20% of the run. So, in a thirty-minute run, you would run easy for 24 minutes with six minutes of hard intervals thrown in.

Here’s what it might look like:

• Easy run - 12 minutes
• Intervals - 12 x 30 seconds hard, followed by 30 seconds easy
• Easy run - 6 minutes

Two to three runs like this each week on top of your strength work and the gladiator complex and you’ll be in peak fighting shape.

LEG STRENGTH PROBLEMS : WHY YOUR SQUAT WON’T IMPROVE AND SOME IDEAS ON HOW TO FIX IT

http://firstpull.net/2015/03/02/leg-strength-problems-why-your-squat-wont-improve-and-some-ideas-on-how-to-fix-it/

Although weightlifting success is not a 100% dependent on Leg strength, strength of the legs is of great importance for the weightlifter. Every athlete is different – yet we could define them as either Technicians and Strength based athletes. Technicians tend to be rather weak in the strength movements (especially the squats), yet lift heavy because of how efficient they are (They can use a high % of their strength). Strength based athletes tend to get strong super fast in comparison. Their efficiency is, however, on the lower side. They tend to have a large surplus of strength. Both type of athlete can and do step on the international stage. Here are some of my better tricks and ideas to build a bigger squat.

Don’t miss out on Updates : Make sure you follow First Pull on Facebook and Instagram for daily pictures and advice.

Strength based athletes are athletes that can improve their squat by training it 1-2 times a week. These are people you have always known as being stronger than the next person. For instance, my sister deadlifted 160kg the first time she tried the deadlift. She also squatted 60kg for 20 reps on her first day. I have a junior female athlete (53kg, 1 year of training) who can squat twice her bodyweight – yet we only train the squat 2 times a week. For these athletes, increases in strength don’t necessarily translate in improvements in the lifts. These athletes should be spending more time on technique work to increase their efficiency and reach average ratios.

Most technicians tend to be great snatchers and jerkers. However, when it comes to the clean, it just takes out a lot out of them due to how poor their raw strength is. These are the athletes that will clean 95-100% of their best front squat. They are usually great pullers though. For this reason, Technicians should spend more time on getting strong. For technicians, this can be hard on the mind. Working on strength means that your classic lifts will temporarily go down, and that you will need to work a lot to gain kilos on that squat. An increase in strength usually improves the total of these lifters.

There are a lot of ways you can get stronger and improve the squat. Nothing is set in stone and you have to find what works for you. Everybody can get strong – but everybody will do it differently due to individual differences (Recovery, trainability, adaptive ability,etc). However, the idea that to get a bigger squat you need to just squat more is wrong in my opinion. Chances are that if your squat is not moving up, you might have technical issues and muscular imbalances. Thus, any weakness will prevent you from being efficient. In other words, you are as strong as your weakest link.

3 main reasons the squat won’t go up (They are all linked!)

1. Your core strength is on the low side

Stability is the key to efficiency and strength. When people think of the core, they think of six packs abs (rectus abdominis). The core is  the central part of a body or a thing. Thus, in the human body, the core refers to all body parts but the arms and legs. Wikipedia states : ”Major muscles included are the pelvic floor muscles, transversus abdominis, multifidus, internal and external obliques, rectus abdominis, erector spinae (sacrospinalis) especially the longissimus thoracis, and the diaphragm. Minor core muscles include the latissimus dorsi, gluteus maximus, and trapezius”. Your approach to core training as to reflect the function of these muscles. Good core strength increases stability and the ability to keep good posture through the lifts. Good posture translate in greater efficiency which translate in more kilos lifted.

Just because you can hold a plank for 3 minutes does not mean that you have sufficient core strength for weightlifting. This is why we have to differentiate between static and dynamic core functions. When we think of static core strength, we think of posture and the ability to hold said posture. Static core strength is of great importance for weightlifters because it allows you to resists forces applied on the body (prevent the body from moving). In other words, it helps with stabilizing weights over head and in static positions of the lifts (ie : Front rack before jerking). This is why we – coaches – include pause work in our training plans.

Credit Macklem

Dynamic core function refers to the ability of the body to move in a planned manner while forces from different plane of motion are applied on it. For example, when squatting, the barbell applies a force on the body. The direction of the force can change minimally as you squat (Different leverage and/or different positions as you execute the movement change the contribution of the muscular system).  To keep good form (good posture), you therefore need to be able to adapt to the change in speed (From static to dynamic movement), which in turns means that muscles contractions must match the forces applied on the body to preserve posture through the movement.

This is why good core training includes a lot of movements from different plane of motions. My favorite are the barbell side bends, good mornings, ab roll, oblique crunches and hyper extensions. The good morning and hyper extensions are especially good because they work muscles that will help you grind through a bad squat. If you can’t squat and keep tight at the bottom, chances are your core strength needs some working. Also, it is a good idea wear the belt only for heavier sets.

2. Mobility/mechanical problems

Sometimes the squat won’t go up because your mobility does not allow you to use certain muscles fully. I’m always surprised to see some weightlifters – who have great quad development – walk around with average or below average glutes and hamstrings muscle mass. This can be the result of training methods – but it can also be the results of bad mobility. Only in deep squats do gluteal muscles get fully activated. Because of the importance of powerfully hip extensors, it seems logical that your squatting mobility should allow you to go low to reap the benefits of strong glutes.

Credit Hookgrip

Most people will be tight in their hamstring, piriformis and calves. This may lead you to be inclined forward as you descent in the squat or squat from the toes or from the heels (straight shins). The back – and to some extent the quads – will take most of the load. The hamstrings and glutes wont be recruited as much. If your mobility is good enough to hit great position, then you will be more efficient. A sound squat technique will prevent these muscles imbalances which will help in getting stronger.

Mobility in the thoracic region can also ruins your chances of developing a bigger squat. Many people with poor thoracic mobility will compensate by exaggerating the curve in their lower back (lordosis). Most of the time, the hips will tilt anteriorly as well. This will make it much harder for the muscles of the abdomen to stabilize the spine. In other words, putting yourself in such a position makes it hard for your core to do its work. The back will be recruited a lot more than it should and the leg drive will be lessen.

It is a good idea to stretch often to preserve your mobility or make it better. You will also notice that stretching some muscles will loosen other muscles in the chain. For instance, most people will improve hamstring range of motion by stretching their calves. It is a good idea to consult with a professional to find out what are your mobility problems and how to fix them.

Credit hookgrip

Pushing the knees out excessively is also something that can create efficiency problems during the squat. By pushing the knees out excessively, it is harder for the hips to sink low and for the quadriceps to work optimally. I have not conducted any EMG or biomechanical studies on this, but one of my athlete saw big gains in strength and mobility when I told her to keep the knees in a neutral position (towards the middle toes -not out or in). My hypothesis is that once you reach the bottom position, you should be focused on extending the knees and hips. People who push the knees out excessively will introduce abduction as the first movement and main movement of the ascent, thus proper knee extension is not happening. I might be wrong – but it worked for her.

3. Poor upper body strength. 

Depending on your method of training, poor upper body strength can lead to instability during the squat. A common example of this can be observed during the execution of a front squat. If your shoulders and upper back are not strong enough, elbows will drop and the thoracic region of the spine will round. Thus the force generated by the legs is lost to instability in the upper body.

The body moves according to the principle of the path of least resistance. Thus, what is strong is privileged. If your lower body is very strong in comparison to your upper body, then stability will be compromised. The expression of your leg strength will be limited by your upper body strength. The same is true when it comes to the jerk. Many people have trouble stabilizing weights above head because their upper body is just too weak.

It is a trend in weightlifting to not work on the strength of the upper body. Many people don’t include good mornings, rowing, presses, pulls and the like in their training. This may result in a weak torso in the long run. Your legs might be able to push the weight up and down, but your torso wont be able to resist the forces applied by the barbell. The further you are from competition, the better it is to train your upper body. As you get closer to competition, it is a good idea to remove draining upper body work.

You need more than strong legs to squat heavy. Credit Hookgrip

Ideas on how to develop a bigger squat

1. Frequency of the squat 

If you are currently doing high frequency squats without any results, then change for lower frequency and vice versa. Adaptation takes time and you need to find what works for you. Many people have built big squats either way. It can be a good idea to alternate 1-2 weeks of higher frequency with 1-2 weeks of lower frequency.

As a rule of thumb, the higher the frequency, the lower the volume. If you squat everyday, it might be a good idea to do less sets and reps. If you squat 1-2 times a week, it is a good idea to include a lot more volume.

2. The Stimulus is important and needs to be varied

Strength increases are always bigger if it follows a period of hypertrophy. Most people care too much about the weight lifted and not enough about the stimulus itself. If your squat is weak, doing singles at high intensity day in day out does not work well. You will need to spend some time with moderate weights and more sets and reps before you move back to higher % squats.

I like to keep things simple. I like to write programs in 3-4 weeks blocks and the strength phases usually last for a while. Here is an idea, 3 weeks of 4-5 sets of 5 reps, 3 weeks of 4-5 sets of 3 reps, 2 weeks of 3-4 sets of 2 reps, and 1 week of 1-2 sets of 1 reps (test week). Auto regulate the weights (moderate weights for the first 6 weeks) according to frequency and how tired you are. Plan frequency according to tip #1.

Credit Hookgrip

3. Include a lot of posterior chain work

I can’t tell you how many people’s squat I have increased by reducing squatting frequency and upping the frequency of posterior chain exercises. Most people will increase their squat quickly by working on their back, hamstrings and glutes. You need posterior chain strength to hold position as you move through the use of your legs and hips.

Exercises I like are romanian deadlifts with snatch grip, good mornings, Kang squats, hyper extensions, Hang pulls (going all the way down to low hang without touching the floor). For romanian deadlifts and hang pulls, I use weights between 90-100% of the best snatch done for a few reps (3-5). For the good mornings, kang squats and hyper extensions, higher reps are recommended (4-6 for the first two, and 8-10 for the hypers). Of course, pulls should be done frequently as well.

4. Squat variations are important too.

Replacing  1 squat session with a squat variation has been very productive and conclusive for us. There are three variations that I use often : Pause squats (pause either in the bottom or at parrallel — pauses are usually 4 seconds), box squats (not the powerlifting kind where you roll back and forward – I want straight torso and no sitting) and dead squats (squats where you start at the bottom in a cage). All have their purpose and you should use the one that targets your problem. The first and third variations are harder than actual squats – thus they help with developing the right mind set as well.

5. Upper body strength

Anything can work here, but I would include a lot of  sotts press (clean and snatch) to help stability and mobility issues at the bottom of the squat. I like shrugs, rows, presses, dips, pull ups and even bench press sporadically. I usually program 4 sets of 4-5 reps. These can be done at the end of a training session. No need to overdo them – but don’t skip them.

6. Unilateral work

It can be a good idea to include some lunges as many weightlifters have an imbalance in strength between both legs due to the jerk. It is also a good way to develop hip muscles that are key in the squat.

Credit Hookgrip

The bottom line :

I explored many concepts and although some of it is simple, they are important and should not be overlooked or underrated. However, don’t include everything at once – add in and remove as you go. For the most part, if your squat is low and not moving up, you need to either squat more frequently or less frequently (based off what you are currently doing). I highly recommend to play with various rep and set ranges. Too much of the same thing seems to not be productive.

On top of that, I would suggest to work a lot harder at developing your core and posterior chain. I listed some exercises that I think you should be doing to accomplish this task. I have to repeat that this should not be overlooked I have seen lifters add 10kg to their squats while not changing a single thing in their squat work out other than working a lot on their posterior chain. I did not list any full programs, but I do have some that have worked exceptionally well in the past for my lifters.