Squat Mobility Exercises: How to Squat Better

You Need To Squat

The squat mobility exercise tips below are going to help you get there. Now, you don’t necessarily need to squat with hundreds of pounds on your back. But, you do need to squat in order to …

sit down and stand back up under control . . . 

carry your groceries . . . 

pick up your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, and friends’ kids . . .

use the washroom fully and completely under your own control (yes, I went there) . . . 

Whether it is a matter of reclaiming one or more of these functions or specific goals around building gargantuan slabs of muscle and Herculean strength, squats (or “squatting”) is a part of life and an essential movement to understand, control and maintain for as long as possible.

Squatting in an exercise context is a great way to help preserve and enhance these functions. (Many thanks, Captain Obvious).

As intuitive and simple as this sounds, it is often not so simple.

In a typical gym context, “proper” squats are done as follows:

• with a loaded barbell across your shoulders;
• feet shoulder-width apart; and,
• to a depth where your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.

While squatting this way might be a goal for you or a valuable part of an exercise process towards your goals, please read this carefully:

IT IS IN NO WAY NECESSARY TO SQUAT IN THIS EXACT FORM FOR ALL GOALS AND EXERCISE OUTCOMES.

It might not be necessary at all. Squatting in the (not so) “perfect” form might be harmful to you, in fact.

When I was in my twenties, squatting in excess of 450 lbs (heavy, but not elite by any standard) was fun and it probably helped my add lots of muscle and strength to my physicality, which were goals of mine at the time. Now in my forties, my exercise goals are aimed at overall health, longevity and keeping my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practice progressing. While keeping my strength is important to me, I am no longer compelled to keep heavy, “standard form” barbell squats in my exercise process.

I still squat, just not like that.

I hope that the following squat mobility exercise tips help you alter your squats so you can use this useful movement to keep your strength and mobility intact, and your personal exercise goals unencumbered by arbitrary exercise rules.

Tip 1 – Ditch the Barbell in your Squat Exercises

In case I haven’t stated it already (haha), standard form heavy barbell back squats are not essential to building strength, adding muscle, getting better at the act of squatting, maintaining mobility or any other goal that might be helped by keeping some sort of squatting effort in your exercise process.

More importantly for our purposes here, barbell back squats are often inaccessible (or at least quite difficult to execute) for many exercise participants. Reasons for this can include:

• Unavailable joint ranges of motion. This movement requires mobility demands from your shoulders, spine, hips, knees and ankles to be done safely and effectively.
• Bad squat proportions. You’ll notice that the best barbell back squatters tend to have longer torsos, shorter femurs (thigh bones) and longer lower legs. Click here for a great video from one of my teachers, Tom Purvis, breaking this down.
• Contact pain from the barbell. I have had many clients and members at my gym (link) eager to get into barbell back squatting who had to cut their efforts short because they were unable to tolerate the pressure and associated sensations of the barbell on their upper backs.

Do any of these issues describe your squatting experience?

Whether they do or not, here are some other options for squatting that might be a better fit for you (or at least complementary scenarios to give your squat workouts some variety). I’ve included video links, as well as some benefits and drawbacks to each alternative.

• Goblet Squats
  • Benefits compared to barbell back squats:
    • Brings the weight in front of you for a more upright squatting experience and potentially greater available range of motion in the exercise.
    • Avoids painful barbell contact on the neck and upper spine.
  • Potential Drawbacks compared to barbell back squats:
    • Might be limited due to upper body strength
• Safety Bar Squats
  • Benefits compared to barbell back squats:
    • Keeps weight loading through the spine in a more comfortable way and with less demand on shoulders, elbows and wrists
    • Cantilevers load forward for a more upright squatting experience
    • Conducive to easier bracing and control of the trunk and spine during squatting motion
  • Potential Drawbacks compared to barbell back squats:
    • I honestly can’t think of any unless you’re a rare person who finds barbell back squatting somehow more comfortable than this alternative or you’re concerned about the “gym street cred” of your workouts. Or, you have a specific goal that requires standard barbell back squatting.

Tip 2 – Open Your Squat Exercise Stance

There is still a pervasive myth in the exercise world that squats of any sort MUST BE DONE with the feet shoulder-width apart and the toes pointed out.

If this is a goal of yours, then definitely progress towards it in a safe, process-oriented manner. However, until that kind of squat is available to you, you can concurrently squat in other ways and get tons of benefits from your squatting efforts.

Opening your feet and concurrently turning your toes out as required can take a squat that is uncomfortable and not particularly useful and make it smooth-looking and feeling, as well as one that works to move you towards better strength, mobility and overall exercise benefit.

This tip can be used in conjunction with the alternatives to barbell squats we shared in Tip #1 to help customize your squatting experience and make it truly great.

One caveat: When experimenting with opening your squat stance, do so gradually. Without using any added load, walk your stance out little bits at a time until you find the width and foot orientation that suits you best. Gradually add load afterwards to your squats.

Tip 3 – Own The Bottom of your Squat Exercises

Even in competitive squats in powerlifting competitions, where barbell back squats with as much added load as possible is the name of the game, competitors must pause at the bottom of their squats before coming back up in order for their lift to register as “legal”. The thinking is that the pause at the bottom shows control of the weight and movement.

I happen to agree with this thinking. And, for our gym clients here at Striation 6, I also know pausing at the bottom of a squat motion:

• decreases risk of injury;
• lends itself to true gains in strength and mobility; and,
• shows true exercise ownership, creating a better basis for progression in your squats.

Additionally, intentionally owning the bottom portion of your squats increases the chances that you move with more control both up and down in the exercise. The mindfulness required to keep that full control will therein heighten the experience of your squatting and the benefit of the exercise as a whole.

Together in whatever combination suits you best, these tips will move you towards a squatting experience that defies conventional norms and, more importantly, is most conducive to your individual exercise and mobility progress.

Whether it’s how much load you’re moving, building strength and muscle, staying mobile and independent, or improving your performance in sport or life, squatting in a way that suits you best is essential. Don’t let “industry norms” define your exercise. The value of an exercise experience and process is really about how well it helps serve your needs. It should mold to you, not vice-versa.

If you are interested in customizing your exercise experience, we can help. Let us know what kind of help you are looking for. You should also be sure to check out our Muscle System Work offerings to support your squat mobility. One of our team members will get in touch within one business day.