Steps to a perfect Squat

[LaHabra]

Rip,

The other day you posted 4 steps to a perfect deadlift. I've been basically following that same method for a few months just less efficiently. Thanks for the clarity.

Do you have a similar approach to teaching the perfect Squat?

[Mark Rippetoe]

The squat doesn't lend itself as well to such a cut-and-dried approach. It's more complex movement, and I think we do the best job possible of making it as simple and straightforward as possible. You've seen our method and tried it yourself. What do you think?

[LaHabra]

It's the method I still use to teach those that want to learn. I've been able to coach people to some pretty decent squats based on what I learned from your book and the seminar. Just wanted to see if through the miracle of time you thought of any refinements.

To tell you the truth; I kinda just wanted some cues for myself since my squats on Tuesday were horrible(good morning, knees coming in, bar rolling up back, etc..) Today they went fine, I made some minor adjustment:heels more narrow, toes out more than comfortable, eyes down more than they were, and stopped exaggerating breaking at the hip to set the back angle .

I asked my boss; he said to just get stronger.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Usually very good advice.

[rpbrown]

Lahabra, could you refresh my memory as to which thread from the other day has those deadlift pointers?

[DanRug]

The earlier printings of the book had a typo. The middle of the foot means the middle of the ENTIRE foot, not the instep. One inch from the shin is directly over the mid-foot. And once you're in the proper position, you don't drop your butt -- you lift your chest. Don't lower the hips after you touch the bar with your shins.

Here is the copy from the poster we have up here in the gym:


The Deadlift: Perfect Every Time



1. Take your stance, feet a little closer than you think it needs to be and with your toes out more than you like. Your shins should be about one inch from the bar, no more. This places the bar over the mid-foot – the whole foot, not the mid-instep.

2. Take your grip on the bar, leaving your hips up. DO NOT MOVE THE BAR.

3. Drop your knees forward and out until your shins touch the bar. DO NOT MOVE THE BAR.

4. Hard part: squeeze your chest up as hard as you can. DO NOT MOVE THE BAR. This establishes a "wave" of extension that goes all the way down to the lumbar, and sets the back angle from the top down. DO NOT LOWER YOUR HIPS – LIFT THE CHEST TO SET THE BACK ANGLE.

5. Squeeze the bar off the floor and drag it up your legs in contact with your skin/sweats until it locks out at the top. If you have done the above sequence precisely as described, the bar will come off the ground in a perfectly vertical path. All the slack will have come out of the arms and hamstrings in step 4, the bar will not jerk off the ground, and your back will be in good extension. You will perceive that your hips are too high, but if you have completed step 4 correctly, the scapulas, bar, and mid-foot will be in vertical alignment and the pull will be perfect. The pull will seem "shorter" this way.

See quote^