Notes

Squats
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/
the_thirdworld_squat

You're What You Repeatedly Do

The law of repetitive motion, popularized by Mike Robertson and Eric Cressey, comes into play here. There are countless opportunities throughout the day in which you can practice the squat and groove proper posture.

How an individual begins to go about this will depend on how immobile he or she is. This means that you'll have to assess yourself. Stop reading this right now. Get out of your chair and get as far into a third-world squat as you can. Since you're probably reading this at the office on company time and don't want to draw too many curious looks from your co-workers, just pretend to be picking up a pencil or rearranging your computer cables.


How'd that work out for ya'?

If you couldn't keep your weight off of your toes and barely got your thighs to parallel before you started tipping over backwards, you have a fairly severe degree of immobility.

If you're at this level it'll be challenging, if not impossible, to squat down with your heels on the ground. Your goal here is simply to attain this.

In order to prevent falling backwards, grab onto something sturdy in front of you, like a doorframe or a handrail. While maintaining a neutral spine (sternum high and brace those abs!) grab onto whatever's in front of you and lean back on it, pushing your butt out behind you. Keep your feet pointed fairly straight forward, and don't allow your knees to track in or out. Your weight should be on your heels. Try wiggling your toes to confirm this. Now drop your hips progressively lower.

Once you can't drop any further, hang out for a while, slowly rocking side to side and up and down. This should free up a little bit more range of motion. Try to maintain this position for about one minute. Repeat this at a minimum of once daily. Either as a part of some pre-workout mobility work, or after sitting or standing for an extended period of time.


Ditching the Training Wheels

As you progress, you'll find yourself dropping lower into the position and becoming increasingly comfortable. At some point you'll be able to drop into a shallow third-world squat without the assistance of an object to hold onto. Congrats, this is your first benchmark. At this point, you'll most likely still need to lean far forward and stick your arms out in order to balance and not tip over backwards. This will be the next set of training wheels to get rid of.


From this point, continue working on the squat at least once daily. This frequency will help ensure steady progress. One minute of holding the position will begin to feel easier, and you can either lengthen the time, or begin adding more sets. Focus on dropping deeper into the squat each day, and bringing your spine more and more vertical. Physically placing your kneecaps into your armpits will help.

Eventually you'll improve to the point that you can sit deeply in the third-world squat without holding onto anything with your arms and without any difficulty in balancing. Your spine will be nearly vertical, in a neutral position, and you'll be able to move freely. Getting into and out of this position will feel no less natural than walking up a flight of stairs or getting into your car. Your body will reap the rewards of this new level of mobility.

From here, all you have to do is maintain what you've got by utilizing the squat on a regular basis. I occasionally set my laptop on my bed and check my email while in the squat position, or drop into the squat for a few minutes while watching TV.