Dial in Your Squat | Olympic Weightlifting Squat Technique

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All right, let’s get your squat all sorted out. Bear in mind that we’re talking specifically about an Olympic squat here-some of the details on depth, bottom position and stance will vary for other types of squats and applications.
Variation
The following points are principles that apply to everyone, but there will be variation in the exact positions among weightlifters due to factors like proportions, hip anatomy and mobility. Focus on meeting the criteria of the principles rather than trying to replicate another lifter’s squat.
Stance
First, let’s determine your stance. Stand with your heels around hip-width and your toes turned out to whatever degree feels comfortable. Sit down in a relaxed but balanced position, not worrying about your back.
From here, we’re going to adjust the width and toe-out until we find the optimal position. The first criterion is finding the angle of the thigh that provides the best range of motion at the hip-that is, the position in which we can sit comfortably at full depth without feeling any bone on bone restriction or discomfort other than some possible tension from inflexibility.
The second criterion is keeping each thigh aligned with its corresponding foot-that is, if you look down over one thigh, it’s approximately parallel with that foot. We’re simply ensuring here that the knee is hinging as it’s designed to and eliminating any rotational force. For most athletes, this will mean the center of the knee is very slightly outside the center of the foot.
Depth
Full depth is simple-it’s closing the knee joint as much as possible while maintaining proper back extension and balance over the foot. We can sit lower if we relax and allow the back to round, but we of course don’t want to load a squat in this position. Keeping the back set properly will bring the hips slightly higher into maximal functional depth.
For some athletes, this will mean extreme depth, while others will be barely below parallel-again, this is why adhering to the principles rather than mimicking other athletes is so important.
Posture
The goal is to maintain as upright of a posture as possible throughout the motion to create the best structure to support weight on the shoulders or overhead. This includes keeping the head up and the eyes forward. The body tends to go where the head and eyes go-if you’re looking down or tilting your head down, you’re more likely to tip and shift forward. Keeping the head up also helps maintain overall back extension.
In order to maintain this posture, we need to bend at the hips and knees together to limit the backward hip motion to only what’s actually necessary.
Back
Throughout the squat, the back should remain set tightly in the same position. The lower back needs to remain in its neutral curve, and the upper back should be flattened somewhat through the attempt to extend it. This position needs to be maintained forcefully with continuous muscular effort around the entire trunk.
Pressurization
In order to stabilize the spine maximally, we need to pressurize the trunk with air. Take in a complete breath-allow the abdomen and chest to expand-then lock the air in and forcefully tighten all of the musculature around the trunk. If you have a tendency to get dizzy during heavy lifts, expel a small amount of air as you move through the most difficult range of motion.
Balance
The goal is to maintain balance over the whole foot throughout the squat with full foot contact at all times. No part of the foot should lift off the floor at any point.
Tempo & Bounce
Generally we want to train the bounce in front squats and use a more controlled tempo in back squats. This allows us to best use the front squat to train the rhythm and aggression of the clean, and strengthen the trunk against the additional forces experienced with the abrupt stop in the bottom, and to use the back squat to train leg strength through the greatest range of motion possible.
Even if using the bounce, the initial descent should be at a more controlled tempo and acceleration down begun around parallel. Always stand from the bottom of a squat with maximal speed unless you have a very good reason not to in a specific case.
More
For more details on the squat, see the free videos and articles on catalystathletics.com. Start here:
www.catalystathletics.com/art...
Thank you to Hookgrip and All Things Gym for the videos
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[@matthewna3777]

This man explains things so efficiently. All these other videos are 20 minute or 10 minutes, some have half their video talking about what they ate that day.

[@GetUnwoke]

every time I did squats, no matter which style lo-bar or hi-bar, my low back hurt and I dreaded every time I had to do them. I also kept stalling early and had no idea wtf I was doing wrong. the issue was that I was trying to fix my form while using the wrong bar placement. Finally decided to put the bar on the most comfortable shelf on my traps and everything felt natural and smooth for once. no back pain at all, just pure awesomeness!! bar placement matters the most I'd say and then it's a matter of balance and following the most natural feeling bar path. that was my experience anyways. just my 2 cents

[@brunoduff]

The squat’s step by step in his book is extremely helpful. I no longer feel pain in my back due to it’s instructions. Totally worth it

[@dispencil]

What in particular technique-wise made the pain go away?

[@brunoduff]

@@dispencil in my particular case, positioning of the hips, cervical spine, and legs alignment with feet. But of course there are other steps you need to take

[@andywkd08]

Which book is it ?

[@brunoduff]

@@andywkd08 "Olympic Weightlifting - a Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches", by Everett. I got the third edition, don't know if there's a newer version. It's an amazing book.

[@andywkd08]

@@brunoduff thanks for the reply, I’m going to buy the book for sure

[@jamesrichardson291]

Great video Greg! Exactly what I needed before a big squat workout

[@MeleDrummer]

Awesome, your tutorials are the best and the real examples really help understand the points being made

[@zetsui0411]

0:55 1:28 dont round lumbar curve HUGE, dont relax at bottom 2:56 train front squat with bounce get up max speed

[@chefbuff]

Amazing video, love the amount of knowledge you cover alongside its direct application(s) and such a concise delivery!

[@zsahe21]

Wow what a great video. Exceptional work. Thanks.

[@mukesh1034]

Thank you for making this knowledgeable video ☺

[@omarfit5382]

Perfecto! Gracias por la traducción

[@jeffhaley9494]

Excellent information and easy to understand guidance! Great job on edit and presentation. Keep up the awesome content!

[@TheFoxyPlayer]

Very informative, thank you

[@somebody3158]

Best explanation of the squat

[@jaromvicencio]

No nonsense explanation as expected from Greg.

[@ameg2707]

Great info and details, ty!

[@williamdejeffrio9701]

Perfect video! Straight to the important points and very informative. After squatting for nearly 50 years I am currently trying to improve my form, focusing on a more Olympic form. Thanks!

[@LaurentVF]

Another great video, thanks Greg

[@Poncho_wl]

Thankyou Greg for introducing me to Lidia, my life if changed

[@chrissentell4400]

love how to the point your vids are

[@jacksonchan6822]

Greg. Awesome.

[@andr1]

Thanks, got some good cues to keep in mind

[@karansoam]

Loved it!

[@Spanker866352]

No bullshit, right to the point, very well done! I like the vid, sir. Will send it to my mates to end old debates.

[@henrikgulyas]

great content

[@Brisk855]

I stopped doing parallel and started doing ATG even though I don’t do oly weightlifting, because I respect the ROM.

[@davidgriffiths1447]

Top class content

[@TheCarDude1]

Terrific video, Very well organised, simple and informative I love it

[@Norievanya]

I always watch greg's videos at 0.75 speed

[@javiersanz29]

Is it me or Greg is secretly in love with Lidia Valentín? Jajajaja. Very nice video, Greg, thank you.

[@YouCallThataKnife253]

What's not to love?

[@grumpycroissant8712]

She is everyone's crush okay

[@CatalystAthletics]

She's one of a handful of lifters I can consistently go to for good demos, although to be fair, it's in large part thanks to Hookgrip's great videos.

[@brunoduff]

Dude, who’s NOT?? Hahaha she’s gorgeous

[@javiersanz29]

@@CatalystAthletics That's true. Hookgrip's video library is amazing. By the way, I've been always amazed by Lidia's technique because it looks like she is not going as deep as other lifters (below parallel) and, sometimes, doing like power snatches even . Maybe is beceause she has a lot of dorsiflexion and a very specific technique. I don't know. Keep it up, Greg!

[@S2k_GRsti]

solid 🦅

[@G3Number]

How about talking about nutrition specialy for weightlifting and how do you maximase your sleep quality

[@jeffreywalker4133]

Excellent video. I would like to make a point that is not often mentioned, and this may be one of the better forums to do so. The apophysis (growth plate) of the 5th lumbar vertebra does not close until the age of 22! And it is angled through the vertebral body. So improper form (powerlifting type squats especially) prior to that age puts the spine at increased risk for damage. Rounded back in squatting or heavy deadlifts is dangerous for teens! If it were up to me, I would counsel all younger lifters to stick with higher reps and perfect form.

[@midnightflyer7510]

That’s something I’ve never heard before and quite relevant for me as I have two teen athletes. My 17yr old just hit a PR last night of 495 at 200lbs. Incidentally, he then proceeded proceeded to leg press 11 plates (~1K) for 8 quad dominant foot placement reps followed by two additional down sets for 20 reps each. His goal is more hypertrophy related now that he’s done playing football but I want my 16yr old sophomore to incorporate more Olympic style lifting for wrestling as well as football. Your information adds something else I have to concern myself with on top of the myriad of student athletes woes...LOL😉

[@Tumpz]

Thank you for not making a forced 10 min video :D

[@1articoli]

Right on. And no "Yo bro, wassup".

[@MRJJJarhead]

the MDF platforms soaked in sweat and other bodily fluids are morphing into a piece of modern art.

[@benjaminwetscher9614]

🔥

[@smolboyi]

"hinging as it's designed to" I like how you snuck that in there haha

[@somebody3158]

Well it is a hinge joint soo...

[@smolboyi]

@@somebody3158 designed is the key word

[@yoadrian8496]

When I do a closed knee joint pause squat, my legs are relaxed, which I was told puts too much pressure on the knees which could result in injury. However, I didn't feel any pressure and was able to exit the bottom position correctly. Am i doing it right or should I keep my leg muscle tense?

[@CatalystAthletics]

There should be some tension but you can be relaxed enough (and should be) to really be sitting completely on closed knees as you describe.

[@user-uw5jt2qz1l]

Question- Should we “screw/root our feet into the ground” while squatting? Create some kind of torque or tension in the feet apart from the tension the heavy weight creates? I find that this creates tension on the feet and body and “glues” the feet to the floor helping you to spread the weight all over the foot, and also keeps the knee aligned with the feet and makes it stable and helps you keep balance. The only downside I see about this cue is that it might take some of the focus of pushing straight up. What is your opinion about this issue?

[@CatalystAthletics]

I've never found it useful, but I also think each individual should do what produces the best results for them.

[@harleymbaldwin]

OK, maybe I'm being a bit pedantic here, but what's your opinion on the "momentary" inward knee valgus that we can see on some lifters (Koha & Valentin in this video) when coming out of the "hole"? Do you consider that a form "breakdown" - or how should we justify / explain this phenomenon? Is it something to avoid etc...?

[@CatalystAthletics]

I think concern over it is way overblown. Unless it's extreme (like knees practically touching), the risk of injury is pretty much non-existent - the concern comes from the field sports world in which knee valgus in single-leg situations (jumping, landing, cutting, etc.) is a genuine problem. That said, I encourage lifters to do their best to keep their knees aligned with the feet throughout the lift, and my lifters always have unilateral leg work (squatting and hinging variations) among other accessories to help with hip stability and balance. Definitely not something to panic over and certainly not a reason to avoid squatting.

[@jeffreywalker4133]

I don't agree Greg, because over time, the tracking of the patella is lateral and not in the slot between the condyles, and will lead to abnormal friction over the lateral patella and the tendency towards chondromalacia. I am willing to bet that is the case with rachiecovez comment above, which I answered in detail. I see valgus angle being done on the leg press with heavy weights and it makes me cringe.

[@CatalystAthletics]

@@jeffreywalker4133 You could be correct. But I haven't seen that borne out in practical experience (in that I'm including the entire competitive WL community, for whom there is quite a lot of this valgus motion but not a similar incidence of chondromalacia or other chronic or acute problems). The reality that has to be accepted is that any physical activity we choose to push to a high level will carry risks of chronic problems and acute injury, and there's no reliable way to truly predict who will develop what from what. Each of us has to decide how much risk to accept and behave accordingly. As I've said repeatedly, I encourage people to do what they can to avoid valgus motion, but that's different from saying they should immediately and completely cease any squatting in which it occurs.

[@jeffreywalker4133]

@@CatalystAthletics Great answer!!

[@arpankumarpadhy215]

Hey Greg in dire need of your advice. I get a severe pinching pain near my rear delts while lowering the bar in a heavy pushpress Or jerk back into the rack position. Tried different grip widths but none of them helped. Any suggestions.

[@CatalystAthletics]

Try the various overhead mobility stuff here and see if you get any improvement - www.catalystathletics.com/video/section/2/Mobility-Flexibility-Training-Prep/

[@midnightflyer7510]

Year late but could be an angry infraspinatus or teres minor or both, two of the posterior rotator cuff muscles. I’ve dealt with this on and off my whole 30 year lifting career.

[@user-uw5jt2qz1l]

The best squats’ form I’ve seen so far belong to Lidia Valentin and to Gaelle Nayo Ketchanke. They do not have ideal proportions (they both have long legs and short torso), yet they perform it perfectly- their hips don’t shoot back at all even with heavy weight and their knees stay forward.

[@danyalraza9707]

Hips shooting back is literally just a function of anatomy + dorsiflexion mobility

[@idonaveh5343]

@@danyalraza9707 Nope. The position and angles of your body and limbs at ass to grass is a product of your anatomy, but those angle should be kept as much as possible when pushing out of the hole. If the hips shoot drastically back to a state that your shins are parallel to the ground, that means it is too much of a weight to push with your quads and it is an instinct of the body to shift weight from the quads to the lower back so you can overcome the weight. You can see this happens to some extent even in elite weightlifters. Good squatters kill that instinct and they would fail a squat without shifting the weight to the lower back. If you train yourself again and again to not be afraid of a fail and be able to throw the barbell back safely when the quads can’t push the weight, you will kill that instinct

[@aethylwulfeiii6502]

I do and prefer front squats. It actually works the muscle I am trying to work (the legs) with a less heavy load on my bloody spine. Is back squat still good because it has a greater range of motion somehow than front squat? It seems like I can get significantly deeper without compromising posture with front squat.

[@CatalystAthletics]

Sounds to me like you have an issue with either position or mobility in the BS - the depth should be pretty much identical. And there shouldn't be a dramatic difference in how it feels on your back either, which further suggests a bad position that's creating strain that shouldn't exist. That said, if you can't BS safely, don't do it. You'll survive with only FS.

[@dyaballikl]

Goddamn your mobility rules.

[@a8a8642]

i've noticed most of them demonstrate knee valgus as they come out of the hole. Is this normal in olympic weightlifting? because usually they tell you to avoid that when you are learning the squat

[@CatalystAthletics]

Not uncommon and if not extreme, not a huge concern, although ideally you train from day 1 to avoid it.

[@davidwestwood2457]

I was hoping someone asked that question! Thanks for answering it!

[@DanielDettlaff]

hey greg. i don't know if you know but Rebeka Koha specifically asked to not show her arms and hair anymore due to her recent conversion to islam. Just as a heads up

[@DanielDettlaff]

00:13

[@CatalystAthletics]

Was not aware of that. Will avoid going forward, thanks.

[@ben94_]

should I try to keep my elbows directly under the bar or does it not matter

[@CatalystAthletics]

No, they should stay a little behind, but low. Moving them directly below makes it hard if not impossible to maintain scap retraction as wanted.

[@siawinkelmolen2851]

I always wonder where to put my hands and create upper back tightness.

[@CatalystAthletics]

Assuming you're talking about a back squat, usually a closer grip on the bar will help you keep the upper back tight/extended unless you have really poor mobility, in which case it can do the opposite by forcing you to lift your elbows up and back and hunch over a bit.

[@siawinkelmolen2851]

Catalyst Athletics Thank you so much! Your channel is the best!

[@cjparkeffaking4551]

I don't really know how to word this. But I feel my sciatic nerve in my hip for a couple days after squatting. It is really painful but I know it is there. Is there any reason for this. I am a weak ass squatter and thinking / hoping it goes away after some strength is built up

[@CatalystAthletics]

Being a weak squatter won't cause a nerve issue - getting stronger may mitigate the problem indirectly and coincidentally, but anything nerve-related, I'd get checked out by a pro.

[@cjparkeffaking4551]

@@CatalystAthletics Hey, thank you for the reply. I think I sorted it out myself. I just did a better warmer up (really focused on my back), lowered the weight a bit, upped the volume a little and really paid attention to form all the way through, especially at the bottom.

[@koreanbeefcake]

So should I be cutting my depth short?

[@CatalystAthletics]

no... what are you talking about?

[@koreanbeefcake]

@@CatalystAthletics i mean to prevent even a little bit of back rounding

[@CatalystAthletics]

@@koreanbeefcake Yes, at least with more heavily loaded squats, and continue improving your mobility to increase depth over time.

[@wilmerstall3933]

Aight

[@wesmantooth6532]

how do you set the back without the butt wink?

[@jeffriggins9106]

Stop overextending your lower back prior to squatting.

[@yoshua5640]

I know this video is a bit old but i'm hoping to maybe get some answers. Now I personally have long femurs and a short torso in comparison, now there are a lot of channels like, Squat University, that it is borderline impossible for me to get into a nice "olympic atg" deep squat without bending over too much making it a low bar squat and that mobility can only improve it minimally. Does anyone have a different experience? I'd love to know!

[@CatalystAthletics]

See this - kzbin.info/www/bejne/en7CY5Rnq8utjas Your ultimate depth and position are determined by proportions. Even perfect mobility can't make you look like a differently-proportioned athlete... the goal is to achieve the best position you can with what you have to work with.

[@yoshua5640]

@@CatalystAthletics Thanks a ton!

[@Scott-zh5ip]

For the algorithm

[@Diego-vb8lg]

hello! I love your videos, they are very concise. I have a doubt with something that is said in two videos. Here (2:18) it is said that the natural curvature of the lower back should be maintained, but here (kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWimm5yuicRlqrs 2:14) it is said that the area should be arched . So what should I do? I would really appreciate a clarification. First of all, Thanks! All the best!

[@CatalystAthletics]

The natural curvature of the lower back IS arched - neutral lumbar spine is a curve, not flat. See kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaK9o3duZd9qsK8

[@RyanAl92]

3:05 Ooh, bouncy... 😍

[@tornquad5024]

Tips on tight pecs making it hard to get into position

[@CatalystAthletics]

Do this series in warm-up and a second time every day, and do the doorjamb stretch at least between sets - kzbin.info/www/bejne/harZooGKjtSBga8

[@ruffstreams]

don't wanna be that guy but i think koha announced she'd be happy if people don't share any more content of her with uncovered arms/legs/hair great video anyways!

[@CatalystAthletics]

Not being that guy, you're just telling the guy who doesn't follow shit on IG and had no idea.

well time to dust off the shoes and put a face mask on

[@rachiecovez]

I miss squatting to full depth. Stupid chondromalacia!

[@jeffreywalker4133]

Make sure to wear elastic knee braces with a patellar cutout. Never pause at the bottom as the pull on the patellar tendon will aggravate the chondromalacia pain. Just guessing in your case, but I have seen a lot of women let their knee tracking drift inward on the way up, (knock-kneed) which causes the patella to ride more to the outside and encounter the convexity of the femur rather than the natural anatomical slot between the condyles. I see this a lot as well in leg presses, and with heavy ones, makes it more damaging to the knee joint, and even dangerous to the point of tearing the medial collateral ligament or the lateral meniscus. Go back to lighter weights and higher reps. And if all else fails, you can have the patellar surface shaved in a short surgical procedure. I know these things because I have lifted for more than 40 years, and because I am a retired emergency physician.

[@jeffreywalker4133]

That would be the undersurface of the patella to be shaved. Not a difficult surgery. And although leg extensions are not great muscle builders, they are good for almost any kind of knee injury rehab.

[@user-uk8xl1et2i]

الأوزان مزيفة بالنسبة الامبياد

[@GrandpaDon69]

Man u age well no homo

[@andreycheb1]

For correct technique of wieghtlifting squats, you mast have short legs (with short hips !), long torso. If it's not like that - "correct technique" not for you.

[@CatalystAthletics]

Yes, you're right you should quit trying. No one without short legs and a long torso has ever been successful in the sport...

[@zetsui0411]

THIS is how you edit videos. What a RESOURCE for olympic lifting. 90% of the videos out there are GARBAGE

[@CatalystAthletics]

We are in the minority with that opinion.

[@kramkalisthenics]

How about a really tall person? All these athletes are short. Technique is different for tall people.

[@CatalystAthletics]

Principles are principles because they're universal. Which one of these criteria do you believe can't be met by a tall person? I've personally coached 6'4" and 6'5" lifters as well as multiple right around 6'. Lasha Talakhadze is 6'6". Watch him squat and then tell me how his technique differs from short people or how he doesn't meet the principles in this video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHbGZKqMedh6edU

[@kramkalisthenics]

​@@CatalystAthletics Not sure, but I feel much more comfortable in a wider stance, seems to be easier on my knees. I'm 6-1.

[@shawnmann9491]

@@kramkalisthenics Then perhaps your own unique hip structure plays an important role in your comfort with your own choice of squat form? I’m 6’5” and am most comfortable and effecient with a medium width myself.

[@kramkalisthenics]

@@shawnmann9491 makes sense.

[@mkdorkov123]

Better delete this video ASAP. Can clearly see Koha's uncovered forearm and hair.