Form Focus: The Essential Squat Cues That Save Your Back and Build Your Legs
The squat is the king of all exercises. It’s a fundamental human movement, essential for building strength, protecting your joints, and generally being a robust human being. But the moment you add a heavy barbell, form becomes everything.
As a former athlete who has dealt with injuries, I can tell you: your safety net isn’t a spotter; it’s perfect form. Here are the three most critical cues I give every client, from beginner to advanced.
Cue 1: Screw Your Feet Into the Floor
This cue is the secret sauce for hip stability.
- The Problem: Many people let their knees cave in, relying too much on their quads and putting stress on the knee joint.
- The Fix: Before you start the descent, imagine you are trying to turn your feet outward without actually moving them. Screw them into the floor. This immediately engages your glutes and external rotators. You should feel tension in your hips.
- Result: This torque “locks” your hips into a stable position, ensuring your knees track properly over your toes and allowing your glutes—the most powerful muscles in your body—to do the work.
Cue 2: Chest Up, Show the Logo
This simple phrase keeps your spine rigid and safe under load.
- The Problem: Allowing the chest to collapse forward is the fastest way to turn a good squat into a risky “Good Morning” (a back exercise). This puts shearing forces on your lower back.
- The Fix: Imagine you have a favorite logo on your shirt. Force yourself to keep that logo pointed forward and slightly up throughout the entire movement. Drive your shoulder blades down and back.
- Result: Maintaining this neutral spine position, with your chest proud and your core tight, ensures that the weight is transferred safely through your vertical structure, minimizing lumbar stress.
Cue 3: Sit Back, Not Down
We are trying to load the hips and glutes, not fold the torso onto the thighs.
- The Problem: If you just “drop” down, your knees shoot forward, overloading the quads and ankles, and making it harder to get deep.
- The Fix: Imagine there is a low chair or box two feet behind you. Initiate the movement by pushing your hips straight back toward that imaginary seat. This loads the hamstrings and glutes early.
- Result: This sequence keeps your shins more vertical, allows you to hit greater depth (hips below the knees), and sets you up for an explosive, powerful drive upward.
Master these three cues, and you won’t just lift heavier; you’ll lift smarter and safer for years to come.