Origin's Lifting Series: The Squat

• The bodyweight box squat: the bodyweight box squat allows you to squat below parallel onto a box whilst working your technique on driving the power through your legs when sitting in that ”hole”.

• Bodyweight squat: a simple bodyweight squat, ensuring you are comfortable squatting bodyweight, with the correct technique and with no issues.

• Banded Squats: added a little tension through a band on your legs to help strengthen your legs when squatting.

• Squatting with the bar: squatting comfortably with a bar, ensuring you keep the correct form throughout.

• Increasing the weight: working your way up different weight categories to add more weight into your squat. Knowing how many reps and sets to be carried out without pushing yourself too hard

• Squatting for PB’s: using the correct safety measures and techniques to work your way to your first (or many squat pbs) pushing yourself further.

• The technique: Pushing off from your heels and avoiding rounding your back. Keep your knees apart as much as possible. Following the line of your feet, your knees should travel out at a 30-degree angle. You'll have more leverage to push up from your heels in this position. 

• Training with a friend or professional: If you've never failed a lift before, it's a terrifying thought to consider. Training alongside a friend not only provides you with a boost of confidence if anything goes wrong, but it also allows you to receive any pointers for the next time you squat.

• Clips on the bar: Always ensure you use clips on either side to avoid the weights falling off from either side. A slight change in balance could cause severe injury.

• Warming up correctly: Never just hurl yourself under a heavy bar and expect your body to be able to handle it.  Always make sure you warm up your muscles properly by stretching or doing some low weight exercises.

• Weightlifting knee sleeves: Used for providing additional support when required around the knee. Helps combat pain and aids with aligning techniques during squats and other lower body workouts.

• Spotter arms: Spotter arms should always be a must when performing solo heavy compound lifts. They provide you peace of mind that if the lift doesn't go to plan, you'll be supported. Spotter arms will catch any falling bars, preventing them from plummeting to the ground. Assuring your safety and others.

• Knowing your own limits: Avoid ego lifting. If you're exercising alone, adhere to the weights you're comfortable with. Don't expect to go from zero to one hundred in a matter of days or weeks.

• Weightlifting belts: Great for encouraging you to lift more with your legs and less with your back. Wearing a weightlifting belt on larger lifts will help support your back and lessen the blow of injury. However, it should be stressed that weightlifting belts should not be utilised as crutches and only used for larger lifts for that extra support.

• Wearing the correct footwear: When training, wearing flat-soled shoes will allow your foot to effectively grip the floor underneath you. Providing increased stability during lifts. Some people lift with shoes on or completely barefoot. It may seem odd at first, however, it does have its advantages. Improving the way your feet grip the ground and strengthening the connective tissue & muscles in your feet.

• Failing a Squat Correctly: Before you attempt a weighted squat, make sure you know how to fail safely. When an athlete fails a squat, it's typically in the hole (at the bottom of the squat). The easiest way to fail your lift is to lean backwards and let go of the bar behind you if you have trouble pushing up. Letting the bar fall away from you safely to allow you to stand back onto your feet. For a more in-depth example, have a look at this video. 

• Breath: Don't forget to breath!! A deep breath in right before you squat and a big breath out when you push back up from the bottom will help you concentrate on your lifts.  

• The bar placement: Maintain shoulder level with the bar; do not allow the bar to extend onto your neck and create pressure. You should be able to maintain your head up and tall and feel light in the neck.

• Recovery: Giving your body enough rest to recover between squat sessions will help increase your total squatting strength. Split your squat session up throughout each week.

• Mobility: Incorporating mobility training can help you perform better while squatting frequently. Pistol squats are a common example; The heel of most people rises off the ground when they bend one leg down to the ground. The reason for this is that their ankle mobility is poor. Which can be improved over time by performing mobility and strength exercises.

• Sleep: Get enough rest. You won't be able to function at your best with just five hours of sleep. Adults 18+ should be sleeping between seven and nine hours per night.

• Protein Intake: Enough protein in your diet. Protein not only aids the repair of ripped muscles but also aids the speed of recovery.

• Session Recording: Record your sessions to reflect. This will help you identify areas where you need to improve and areas where you are excelling.

• Taking Notes: Keep track of the weight you're lifting. If each lift went smoothly or it felt horrifically heavy. It is important to reflect in order to progress.

• Good Form: Performing your lift with good form is essential when looking to lift heavier. If for example, your depth is preventing you from doing so. Get back to the basics. Start with a weight that you are comfortable with and gradually increase the weight, altering the depth each time.

• Plyometric Exercises: Explosive plyometric exercises can help you strengthen and power your lower body. Addressing strength and stability imbalances in your legs, glutes, and hips to improve your overall squat technique.

Kathryn, Origin Fitness’ strongwoman, will be competing in Scotland's Strongest Woman on the 8th of May. As part of her training, she incorporates roughly five different variations of squats to help her improve her performance in the main events.

Despite squats not being the main lift in her Strongwoman competitions, they really help aid her mobility for events that involve a lot of leg power. Such events include sandbags or farmer's walks.

Kathryn is currently crowned Queen of the North U73kg 2021, with a personal best of 127.5 kg for back squat.

Beth, our company's powerlifting champion, is tiny but incredibly strong. In competition time, Beth includes squats twice a week in her programme. She always ensures she does not do it too often in order to let her muscles recover. One session focuses on lower weight but higher reps to help increase stability and speed when getting out of heavier weighted squats. Her other session focuses on heavy lifting to prepare for competition.

Beth currently holds the European record for squats in the U44kg category, squatting 85kg. That's 1.98 times her body weight at just 5ft!