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To add to this, there are a slate of classic mistakes noobs make while squatting that impact depth and cause pain: 1. Your feet should not be pointing straight

To add to this, there are a slate of classic mistakes noobs make while squatting that impact depth and cause pain: 1. Your feet should not be pointing straight ahead while squatting, regardless of stance width. This is by far and away the biggest noob mistake. Most people never hit depth / develop knee pain because they squat with their feet straight forward. You should set up with your feet rotated ~30 degrees outwards from parallel (ie your feet should be forming a V with the vertex behind you). 2. When you are squatting down, you should project your knees in the direction that your feet are pointing. Your knees should be out over your feet at all times. Your knees should not go straight forward. 3. Squat (and really all other powerlifting movements) are full body exercises. Your core should be tight; your back should be tight; etc 4. Don't squat in running shoes. If you must squat in running shoes, use a board as the OP stated. Running shoes tend to have a very squishy sole which is great for running but not so great when you are trying to establish a stable base to balance on and push off of. Try to squat in shoes with a hard sole.

korethr 7y ago
This sounds consistent with the advice from my trainer when I was going to the gym. One thing you don't mention is knee position relative to your toes. I was admonished that the knees should never be allowed to go forward of the toes -- they will get excessively loaded if they do. Is that true in your experience?
- Thriptic 7y ago
  That is true, but knee position relative to toes is more of a diagnostic for other form issues rather than something to try to optimize for in it's own right if that makes sense. If you are breaking at the hips (ie pushing your butt backwards to initiate the movement as opposed to sitting straight down on your ankles) and also breaking at the knees (ie pushing your knees apart to start the movement) properly, then your knees will usually not go passed your toes. If you find that your knees are going far passed your toes, you probably aren't doing at least one of those things correctly. It also usually means that the bar is not over your heels so you are moving it inefficiently. It's similar to when people say "chest up" for squatting which actually has nothing to do with your chest directly and is instead a diagnostic for if a person's back and core are tight. If your back and core are tight then your back won't round and therefore your chest will appear "up".
- triceratops 7y ago
  Where your knee ends up in a full-depth squat depends on the relative lengths of your tibia and ankle. If you have long tibia and short ankles (relatively) the knees will inevitably go past the toes when squatting. If it hurts excessively don't do it, or proceed with extreme caution. It's probably not a big issue otherwise.

korethr 7y ago

This sounds consistent with the advice from my trainer when I was going to the gym. One thing you don't mention is knee position relative to your toes. I was admonished that the knees should never be allowed to go forward of the toes -- they will get excessively loaded if they do. Is that true in your experience?

Thriptic 7y ago
That is true, but knee position relative to toes is more of a diagnostic for other form issues rather than something to try to optimize for in it's own right if that makes sense. If you are breaking at the hips (ie pushing your butt backwards to initiate the movement as opposed to sitting straight down on your ankles) and also breaking at the knees (ie pushing your knees apart to start the movement) properly, then your knees will usually not go passed your toes. If you find that your knees are going far passed your toes, you probably aren't doing at least one of those things correctly. It also usually means that the bar is not over your heels so you are moving it inefficiently. It's similar to when people say "chest up" for squatting which actually has nothing to do with your chest directly and is instead a diagnostic for if a person's back and core are tight. If your back and core are tight then your back won't round and therefore your chest will appear "up".
triceratops 7y ago
Where your knee ends up in a full-depth squat depends on the relative lengths of your tibia and ankle. If you have long tibia and short ankles (relatively) the knees will inevitably go past the toes when squatting. If it hurts excessively don't do it, or proceed with extreme caution. It's probably not a big issue otherwise.