Good article, I always love reading a good squatting article and there always seems to be something new that I can learn.
Some of my favorite points were
3. Narrow Grip. The closer your hands are next to your shoulders, the better. It’s easier to tighten your upper back muscles with a narrow grip. Start doing Shoulder Dislocations if this feels uncomfortable.
I had too wide of a grip when I first started squatting but bringing it in feels much better.
6. Chest Up. Put your chest forward. Lift it up. This will avoid bending the back during the Squat.
I find that it's easier to keep a neutral/slightly arched spine if I focus on keeping my chest up instead of keeping my back straight.
14. Knees Out. Pushing your knees ******d will make it easier to squat deep & involve more muscles. Never let them buckle in.
I didn't do this when I first started squatting until my knees started to get stiff and tight. Keep them out!
21. Go Deep. Squatting deep will work more muscles & strengthen you knees. If your knees hurt: check your technique & start light, gradually increase the load from workout to workout. And make sure you don’t bounce at the bottom.
The most important! Go deep or you're not squatting!
4. Thumbless Grip. Put your thumbs on top of the bar, next to your fingers. Makes it easier to keep your wrists inline with your forearms.
I've never heard this one before, I'll have to give thumbless a try tomorrow.
Here's a couple critiques I have from my past readings:
9. Elbows Back. Don’t let them come forward during the Squat. Pulling your elbows back will prevent elbow injuries.
In this article:
http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=body_149squat
Dave Tate says "You must also keep the shoulder blades pulled together with your elbows pulled forward. This will create the much needed upper back tightness to keep the barbell in proper position. Remember, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, so you must keep the barbell in the proper path.
When your elbows turn out toward the back, the bar will drift forward again and end up stapling you to the floor as well as ripping your head off. This is one common mistake I see in all my seminars. When I ask attendees who taught them to squat with their elbows back, nine out of ten times they say, "My coach." This is another example of those who think they know how to squat not knowingsquat!"
15. Hips Move First. Think sitting back on your toilet:
Squatting down: hips go back
Squatting up: hips go forward
Up or down: the hips move first.
I always think of sitting back on a toilet when I squat. Box squats help some with this as well. My nitpick is about moving your hips first when going up. From the same article:
"As a side note, what's the last thing to move when you squat? It would be your head. So what should be the first thing to move when coming out of the hole? You got it, your head. This only makes perfect sense. You have to think about driving your back and head into the bar first during the assent. We tell our lifters the chest and head should always be first. You're trying to raise the bar, so move it first! If the quads flex first, the hips will rise before the bar and force the barbell forward."
11. Feet Stance. Your heels should be shoulder-width apart. Important for proper Squat depth.
I don't feel that it is necessary to always have your feet the same distance apart. I occasionally vary my stance from maybe 2 inches more than shoulder width to several inches wider than shoulder width to have a slightly different motion. My rationale is similar to rotating deadlifting variations like conventional/sumo/snatch grip, in that it keeps your body from totally adapting to the movement and is something slightly new.
Overall, a very nice article. This was the type of thing I would've liked to read when I first started squatting.
