Take a poll of 10 average gym going people and ask if they squat regularly. I would imagine you may get 3-5 people max to tell you they squat once a week. Ask those same 3-5 people if they squat to parallel or below and I bet the answer is no. For most people in the gym a leg exercises are limited to the machines; leg curls and leg extension. For what ever reason, very few people squat. Those that do rarely squat properly.
Please don't tell me squats hurt my knees so I avoid them. If squats are hurting your knees, chances are you are doing them wrong. Are squats hard? Heck ya they are...that's why most people avoid them. If it was easy everybody would do them.
So how important do I think squats are? Sr. RKC Dan John says "If it's important, do it everyday". Well, I do them everyday! I personally use them for warm-up, workouts, and mobility work. The squat is 1 of the first 2 skills I teach to new clients. If you ask any of my clients they will tell you they squat a lot. That's how important I believe the squat its.
Why are squats so important? Because the squatting movement is something we us daily. If you lose the ability to squat, you essentially lower you entire quality of life. You are at a greater risk of falls and other health issues. Think about how you use a squatting movement throughout the course of the day. Every time you stand up and sit down from a chair, vehicle or toilet about sums it up.
Now that we are all understand how squatting in the gym translates into our daily life, lets dig a little deeper. I want you to imagine yourself standing up from a wide range of chairs of varied height. If you find your self needing assistance from a table, or other object, you are at risk. If you are unable to simply stand straight up without rocking or leaning forward and pushing off you knees, you are at risk. The problem starts when we start relying on stationary objects or forward momentum in order to stand. What happens when that "stationary" object suddenly slides on the hardwood floor, or your feet catch the rug with your forward momentum. If your lucky...nothing. Those less fortunate will find themselves falling to the floor.
Starting today I would like to everybody adding squats into their program. I use a goblet squat, a form of front squat, for the majority of my clients. This particular squat is ideal for teaching proper squatting movement along with improving hip mobility and squat depth. You do not need to go "heavy" in order to see results when we look at simply improving quality of life. Many of my clients have seen incredible strength gains by starting with 5 pound medicine balls.
As we age, the most important thing is to maintain the ability to perform the simple things in life. I strongly believe the squat is one of the most important exercises you should do as part of a daily exercise routine. Don't ignore it just because it's hard or you are not sure how. If you are unsure where to begin, look for a qualified RKC or HKC instructor.
For more information on instruction or if you need assistance locating your local RKC please feel free to contact me at aaron.m.pierson@gmail.com and I would be happy to assist you!
Please don't tell me squats hurt my knees so I avoid them. If squats are hurting your knees, chances are you are doing them wrong. Are squats hard? Heck ya they are...that's why most people avoid them. If it was easy everybody would do them.
So how important do I think squats are? Sr. RKC Dan John says "If it's important, do it everyday". Well, I do them everyday! I personally use them for warm-up, workouts, and mobility work. The squat is 1 of the first 2 skills I teach to new clients. If you ask any of my clients they will tell you they squat a lot. That's how important I believe the squat its.
Why are squats so important? Because the squatting movement is something we us daily. If you lose the ability to squat, you essentially lower you entire quality of life. You are at a greater risk of falls and other health issues. Think about how you use a squatting movement throughout the course of the day. Every time you stand up and sit down from a chair, vehicle or toilet about sums it up.
Now that we are all understand how squatting in the gym translates into our daily life, lets dig a little deeper. I want you to imagine yourself standing up from a wide range of chairs of varied height. If you find your self needing assistance from a table, or other object, you are at risk. If you are unable to simply stand straight up without rocking or leaning forward and pushing off you knees, you are at risk. The problem starts when we start relying on stationary objects or forward momentum in order to stand. What happens when that "stationary" object suddenly slides on the hardwood floor, or your feet catch the rug with your forward momentum. If your lucky...nothing. Those less fortunate will find themselves falling to the floor.
Starting today I would like to everybody adding squats into their program. I use a goblet squat, a form of front squat, for the majority of my clients. This particular squat is ideal for teaching proper squatting movement along with improving hip mobility and squat depth. You do not need to go "heavy" in order to see results when we look at simply improving quality of life. Many of my clients have seen incredible strength gains by starting with 5 pound medicine balls.
As we age, the most important thing is to maintain the ability to perform the simple things in life. I strongly believe the squat is one of the most important exercises you should do as part of a daily exercise routine. Don't ignore it just because it's hard or you are not sure how. If you are unsure where to begin, look for a qualified RKC or HKC instructor.
For more information on instruction or if you need assistance locating your local RKC please feel free to contact me at aaron.m.pierson@gmail.com and I would be happy to assist you!
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