Body Pump Moves with Proper Technique: A Perfect Squat

Squats:

The perfect squat requires an abdominal connection. Use your abs to keep your chest up. Engage your core as you sit down and back, really sticking your butt out. It's so important in a squat to keep your chest up or your lower back will experience pain since it is unsupported.

Notice my chest is high, my but is back and my knees are in line if not behind my toes. Weight is in my heels. This is the proper alignment for your squat. Keeping your knees in line or behind your toes and the weight in your heels takes away unnecessary pressure on your knees. Below is a picture of what not to do.

Notice how my chest is low putting pressure on my lower back. You can also see that the weight is on the balls of my feet causing my knees to come forward. Even holding this position for the camera shot hurt my back and my knees. Definitely, don't try this one at home.

If you are new to squats, you may feel a bit unbalanced, which is why most people lean forwards to begin with. Try putting your hands in front of your body to stabilize, or sitting onto a chair or bench while maintaining weight in your heels and keeping your knees behind your toes. Once you get good, try to hover your bum off the chair or bench and stand up. Make sure at the top of your squat your knees stay loose.

Locked vs. Unlocked Knees:

At the top of your squat, it is common to extend the legs until they lock. This at first gives you a sense of relief at the top. It does take the work out of your muscles, but it does that by putting a strain on your joints. Repeated effects of locking the knees can be severe and even result in knee replacement surgery. This is easy to avoid, but hard to remember.

Locked Knees:

Soft Knees:

Notice in the second picture how my knees are soft? There is a difference between soft and bent. The best and easiest way to make sure your knees are soft is by engaging your inner thighs. As you drive through your heels to lift out of your squat, feel like you are pulling your heels together without actually moving them. This engagement will make it almost impossible to lock your knees. Plus, you'll get a better work out in general.

Adding Weight:

In Body Pump, we add weight by using a bar bell. If you are still experiencing difficulty with your proper squat form, or it's your first time adding weight, try one plate instead of the bar. Hold the bar with two hands between your legs. Make sure that your shoulders are drawn down and back and your abdominals are engaged. This will also help to balance you if you feel like you are falling backwards.

If you are using a bar bell, it's important to place the weight correctly on the meaty part of your back. Having the bar bell as a tool, can also reinforce keeping your shoulders back and your chest high. Your elbows will be your guide. If you are using the bar, your elbows should always point directly at the floor. This ensures your chest high.

When holding the bar bell, your arms should be engaged, holding the weight of the bar. Try not to let the weight press into your shoulders or back. With heavier weight and more reps this becomes more difficult. Be aware, and use your arms to protect your neck and upper back. It's also important to know where the meaty part of your back is, notice I didn't say neck.

Proper Placement for Bar:

Notice the bar is below my neck line, my arms are engaged and my elbows are pointed at the floor. Normally my head would be up, but in order to show the placement, it was important my pony tail didn't get in the way.

Bar Resting on Neck:

Here the bar is resting too high on my back. It is actually on my neck. I was trying to let it sit on my back, but the pressure was too much and needed to engage my arms to protect myself.