How You Can Improve Your Squat!
Athletes tend to incorporate common exercises into their routine (bench press, biceps curls, triceps dips to name a few). These exercises will help build muscle mass and strength initially, but are often performed frequently, so one will plateau. The squat is a great exercise to stabilize through your trunk and core muscles, but there is a great amount of dysfunction when performing the squat. This post will address ways to improve squatting to isolate, and strengthen inhibited, or weak muscles in your trunk and core.
It is most important when identifying dysfunction in your squat that you visit a sports chiropractor to address this. Sports chiropractors address rehab, manipulation, and those certified Active Release Techniques (ART) will help to improve your squat faster and get your stronger. He/she will address where you are tight, where you are weak, and where you are strong through your squat. He/she will look for dysfunctions such as sticking your butt out too far, allowing your knees to go over your toes, and/or arching your lower back too much as you squat down. These dysfunctions can lead to lower back, hip, and knee pain, while not strengthening your trunk/abdominal and gluteal muscles. Sports chiropractors will manipulate your lower back and pelvis to prevent injury, and those certified in ART will help to reduce scar tissue and to improve flexibility and mobility in your lower back, legs, and hips. Lastly, sports chiropractors will utilize rehab exercises to strengthen where you are weak so you can squat more weight and reduce injury. It may take a few months to address these needs, but once you begin to activate the correct muscles, your strength gains will grow exponentially.
You make the call, as it is your Health!
Lincoln Park Chiropractic Brian Marion DC, CCSP, ART, CKTP
2202 N. Lincoln Ave Suite 1 Chicago, IL 60614 773) 248-2790