So you’re trying to achieve the perfect squats. Squatting. Heavy….for a girl.

You have the bar in place, you have the plates loaded. You breathe in as you go down, brace your core, nearly get there…..and your knee caves in. Damn that knee. You Nearly had your PB. Again. Sound familiar?

So what causes these imperfect squats and what can you do to correct it?q-angle affecting squats and knees

More prevalent in us girls, we have the problem of wider hips. Wider hips and a larger Q-Angle. Unfortunately, it’s anatomy.

Problems can be exacerbated by weaknesses in hip abductors and external rotators, glutes, hamstrings, ITB tightness, over pronation and also…bad habit!

So how can we start to correct these imperfect squats?

Strengthening and stretching, with a bit of foam roller added in for good measure. Use a mirror. No…not to check your makeup, but to watch your form. Get a massage. No, not a relaxing lovely smelling one, a sports therapy treatment. (Emily Campbell at Priority 6 is great for Oxford locals!)

Work on single leg squats, especially on your weaker side. Start the day with some glute band walks and stretch and roller that tightness out of your ITB. Add in hamstring curls and single leg kettlebells deadlifts.

Start over with your technique. Do a week of squatting technique, low weight. As you come up from your squats, concentrate on exhaling (connecting to that PF) and pushing your knees out.

Get fixed. Get heavy. Get lifting.

 

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