What actually is a SQUAT?
Oftentimes you see me call your breadth of training exercises, your Exercise Toolbox.
There is a reason for this.
The exercises we complete are simply tools utilized with the purpose of uncovering an underlying mission.
We don’t lift in order to get better at squatting… unless you are a powerlifter I suppose.
We squat in order to get stronger, which helps push us towards our goals of creating a healthier, more resilient body.
The moment you start viewing squatting (or any exercise) as the end product of your training will be when you lose sight of the actual mission.
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Carpenters carry many tools. Doing so increases the value they can provide to others. When the job requires a hammer… they have one. When it requires a saw… they have one.
As athletes, we need to build a massive movement toolbox in order to create the most adaptable and resilient body we can.
We need to be able to produce force out of many positions.
We need adequate motor control amongst large ranges of motion.
We need to insert some variability into our training!
Now, there is a balance here.
In order to produce true progressive overload and increase strength, we want to be sure to include a specific exercise often enough to where we reap the rewards of overloading a motor pattern.
Said another way, it takes time to get comfortable with a movement in training to the point where you can really load it up.
This doesn't mean we should throw out variability.
We simply need to find the optimal balance.
Add variability, but consistently refer back to more comfortable exercises in order to maximize the loading stimulus applied to the body.
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Build your exercise toolbox. Uncover your underlying mission.
Don’t lift to get better at squatting.
Carter Schmitz, CSCS, TPI
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