Belt To Heels: My Favorite Directional Squat Cue - Part 1

There are many, many different squat cues that have utility, and can be a great tool in helping to create consistent and repeatable squat patterns. With that said though, all cues are not created equal. Based on a lifter's leverage, sex, bodyweight, technique mechanics, kinesthetic awareness, and more, cues can apply differently to each individual. Some people may get a lot of the cue "sit back", while others it completely messes up their squat. Directional cues in particular like "sit back" , "knees forward", or "knees out" can apply very differently based on a lifter's mechanics, as some lifters may not need to sit back much at all, while others will have less forward knee travel. There is one directional cue that I find tends to have more utility though, as no matter a lifter's anatomical breakdown, they tend to fall within a range of this cue having application to their biomechanics. Its utility then comes down to if the internal application helps a lifter self-align their technique better, which for some they will, and for others this might not work. And that cue is "belt to heels". In part 1 of my latest KZbin, I break down the "belt to heels" cue by first explaining the application and utility of directional cues in general. As explained previously, I discuss why some directional cues are going to apply differently to each individual. I then explain what the "belt to heels" cue is, why it tends to work so well, and some key elements to get the most out of this cue. And lastly, in a special 2 part series, my athlete @nat_lifting has filmed a full video detailing the application of this cue from the athlete perspective, so make sure to head to her channel to check out part 2. Click the link in my bio to view!
#squattechnique #powerlifting #powerliftingtechnique #powerliftingcoach #squat #squatcue #belttoheels #directioncalsquatcue #squatform #lowbarsquat
Natalie's Video: • Using the Belt to Heel...
Setup and Bracing Guide For Low Bar Squatting: • Setup and Bracing Guid...
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[@minhnguyenthai5582]

For a long time ago, I acidentally did that but have never replicated that again. I always believe there might be a magical cue that can solve all problems and be a central drive for squat. I was about to sleep then your video popped up, i got up and did your cue with some air squats. Damn, it worked like charm. It felt so stable and much powerful out of the hole and during the squat.

[@PRsPerformance]

I would still say there is no such thing as a magical cue that solves all problems, but I do think this cue has pretty wide application, and great to hear it clicked with you!

[@quaning3971]

Steve aint even pregnant but always delivers. Jokes aside been 2 months in pwl now subscription now. My coaching’s been going up since Ive seen your videos because in my country most of the coaches always use the % system, no rpe and make it a excel file then send it to clients. Your programming series was the best series for me in my coaching career.

[@PRsPerformance]

😂😂😂😂, I am very happy I am not pregnant. And glad the programming series has helpful, awesome to hear that is helping with your coaching business!

[@ArtlantisDE]

MOM STEVE ANNOUNCED A NEW VIDEO

[@PRsPerformance]

🤝

[@lucasmf_pl]

Thank you so much for that Steve! My coach sent me the IG story in question the day you posted it, and I didn’t understand what was this cue. This video is a great visual for that and it’s very beneficial!!

[@PRsPerformance]

Fantastic, hope this helps it make more sense then!

[@bleakreality1504]

Thanks man ❤️

[@PRsPerformance]

No problem 👍

[@flaffa4837]

Just 2 hours before my heavy squat session, been loving the 15week free program!

[@PRsPerformance]

Crush it today!

[@flaffa4837]

@@PRsPerformance dude, the bottom of my squat literally felt like a leggpress. I had a 170kg single @7 today but it moved and felt like a 5-6 xD, thx alot man

[@danieljahn2027]

Fellow bulldog owner and sad strength apparel wearer. Great vid as always, Steve 🔥💪🏻

[@PRsPerformance]

Bulldogs and SSA for life

[@FCVictorio]

Matt vena brought me here. Thanks for the informatiove video!

[@PRsPerformance]

Thank you to Matt and glad you enjoyed!

[@StephColbertsonStrength]

When I hit a really good feeling squat… I feel like this cue describes what’s happening.

[@PRsPerformance]

Hopefully this helps bring about some more really good feeling squats then!

[@kdh441]

Great video as always steve!!! Any plans to add any programs to powerlifting now in the near future?

[@PRsPerformance]

Working on it!

[@alexcano9382]

Here taking lunch break early.

[@PRsPerformance]

Strategic launch timing just for those lunch breaks 😉

[@kevinAdobo]

Im going to try this cue this might help my “hips shoot back” hope it helps

[@PRsPerformance]

It could, but many people are going to have some relative hips shooting back regardless, as that is just their squat.

[@zitalis8557]

Fantastic video dude! Thank you for all the content you put out. Quick question, would you use this cue for someone who squats high bar upright atg style (oly lifter style) or would you use a different directional cue? Thanks again!

[@PRsPerformance]

This could be applied to that as well

[@zitalis8557]

@@PRsPerformance thank you!

[@MirNovichok]

Thanks for the great demonstration, Steve! How would you cue this for long-femur short-torso lifters? Would you cue a pre-hinge because the torso lean can be quite substantial for us, which in turn makes the path of the belt somewhat erratic. It doesn't quite have a vertical translation up-down with the pelvis as would be the case with rotund or stockier lifters.

[@PRsPerformance]

That is very dependent and I'd have to see someone's individual technique to answer this correctly. But I very rarely even cue a pre-hinge for long femur'd lifters, and this cue would be applied the same way. You'd really need to be on the far end of the spectrum to need to overly change things. And I never said in the video it would have a vertical translation solely for anyone. Even short femur'd lifters, the belt will translate down and back.

[@MirNovichok]

@@PRsPerformance "Even short femur'd lifters, the belt will translate down and back." You did and demonstrated it quite well, at that. My bad! Thanks for the help. I suppose I am on the far-end of the short-torso long-femur spectrum here, but it's also why I tend to observe elite female lifters a bit more. That body-type seems more common there. Layne Norton and Panagiotis Tarindis are probably the exceptions among popular IPF lifters.

[@PRsPerformance]

I really wouldn't even consider Layne and Pana that far on the end of the spectrum. Pana does the French low bar, so thats more so what requires more torso lean and hinge from him, otherwise he has a pretty "normal" looking squat. And Layne's squat has a lot to do with just how he decides he wants to squat and works best for him. Neither of those lifters are highly disadvantaged for squat or on the far end of the spectrum for leverages IMO.

[@MirNovichok]

@@PRsPerformance I'll keep that in mind, thanks again. I'd heard Layne always chalk up his chair-folding squat down to his legs (and why he had to work hard to get them big, but that's besides the point). Fair comment about Pana. Again, what I know is quite limited but I'd thought that the hips rising first is typically seen as less than ideal in squats. Nuckols has written at length about it. You're the expert here though and I'm sure an IPF champ knows what they're doing. Which lifters would you say fit the mould of these kind of leverages, then?

[@juiceboxerman]

What tips will you give an athlete who consistently doesn’t hit depth in training? Is squatting in heals always a go to if they squat in flats?

[@PRsPerformance]

Have a whole 30 minute video on that topic on powerlifting now that I’d check out

[@KarimKhldi]

Steve I’ve got a question 🙋🏻‍♂️ How do you adjust cueing for extreme cases of squat patterns. I, for example, squat with a very narrow stance due to my narrow hip anatomy as well as highbar (as up on my traps as possible) with an ATG depth utilizing my stretch reflex while wearing heels. I’ve tried implementing your previous cue of chest lean with knees forward but any slight chest deviation made me lose balance and tip forward as I am very upright during my squat. My hip movement is no where near as much as how much I drive my knees forward. The reason I use this movement pattern is quite honestly 1) I enjoy highbar 2) might not be the most optimal but it for sure feels the strongest 3) I like this extreme ROM for the added hypertrophic stimulus My question is, considering my extreme condition, does this apply for me as well ?

[@PRsPerformance]

I’d have to see your squat to answer that, but I have a whole post on Instagram about how I cue high bar and low bar very, very similarly. To me though it sounds like you are doing more of an Olympic squat than “powerlifting”.

[@KarimKhldi]

@@PRsPerformance would that change that drastically even though both are more or less squat patterns ?

[@craigfitzpatrick7926]

Thank you so much for this video! I do have one question to clarify; when you say “over the heels,” do you mean center of the heel (middle of the malleolus), or do you mean that it should line up just behind the heel? From the camera angle, sometimes it looks as if the buckle is right at the end of the heel (like the Achilles tendon). Not trying to nitpick, just trying to clarify. Maybe I’m overthinking it.

[@PRsPerformance]

General vicinity of the heel, you are overthinking it

[@craigfitzpatrick7926]

@@PRsPerformance Overthinking tends to be the problem with me 🤣. Thank you for the clarification! Looking forward to trying this approach!

[@MrEverisforever]

Do you do online coaching? I competed this year at IPF Bench worlds for Australia. I am a coach myself but looking at the possibility of getting a coach for Bench only. 93kg, would like to bench 200kgs, hovering around the 180s atm.

[@PRsPerformance]

I do, but not taking on any new athletes for the foreseeable future

[@mwansafitness9383]

How would you use this cue without actively keeping your gauze down. Do you recommend all lifters to use a slightly low gauze.

[@PRsPerformance]

Barring you are looking very up, it shouldn’t change much.

[@Ducks2]

Do you have a similar cue for the concentric?

[@PRsPerformance]

I rarely cue anything on the concentric. The eccentric determines the concentric action, so if you get that right, the concentric is just about lifting the weight.

[@TAKOTSSJ]

All this for free???

[@PRsPerformance]

You got it!

[@VSpeed181]

Steve can this cue work on highbar squatter?

[@PRsPerformance]

Yes

[@VSpeed181]

Thank you

[@user-wm5xv8np6u]

great content brother! do you have a business email?

[@PRsPerformance]

I don’t have email