Technique Tuesday #001 = The Air Squat
Hey fitness community we are going to try something new. We are going to take some technique videos of some different movements we see in CrossFit along with other fitness programs we have at Nucleus and share a few pointers! It may not be all the information but hopefully it can help a little!
Today we are kicking the Technique Tuesday series off with the “Air Squat”
Our goal is to give you a few pointers to help you move a bit more safely and efficiently. As we may not hammer every detail of every movement were just hoping you can grab a little bit of each video to get you on the way to becoming a better mover.
Our Air Squat is a foundational movement we review regularly to ensure a good default movement when we are fatigued or the weight gets heavy. As we begin to challenge this movement pattern there are a few things we can fall back on to that will help keep us safe and allow us to be as strong as we can be.
– Proper Stance and keep feet glued to the floor.
– Weight in heels but entire foot stays on floor, big toe is Active.
– Hips are in charge, the drive down and back to initiate the movement.
– Keep back straight and stomach/core engaged the entire time.
– Be in control at all times, lowering yourself down slowly under control is important for strength gains and joint safety.
– Keep knees in line with toes (missed this one in video but it’s important as well) – really don’t want them coming in towards each other or going to far forward as we go lower in our squat.
– Depth is not our main concern, we want to work on getting full depth but only if we’re mobile enough. No need to force bad movement patterns to achieve a range of motion. Safety First! If you need to improve your mobility to get lower do so in between training sessions, and do it often… as in every day!
We use the squat for all kinds of movements at CrossFit Nucleus: front squat, back squat, overhead squat, kettlebell goblet squat, wall balls, thrusters, dumbbell squats, squat cleans, squat snatches, and more…. This is an essential movement pattern in order to achieving YOUR best fitness level.
So lets learn the Squat, challenge it however YOU need to(weight, reps, or using different objects for resistance) and keep getting a little more Fit every day!
Check out this video link of our YouTube Channel to see these tips in action!
Thanks and email us with any questions at CrossFitNucleus@Gmail.com
– Coach Mike Whetstone Head Coach/Co-Owner