Lions & Lionesses!

Squatting is one of the most important movements humans perform. Once you lose your ability to squat life is a slow, tortuous decline.  Sounds harsh but I’ve unfortunately seen it first hand. My intention with sharing this post is to hopefully inspire you to make squatting your thing so you are strong and vital for decades to come!

First off, I believe every human should be able to squat all the down and all the way up without any added resistance.

But what about when you add weight?

Everyone is different so I can’t tell you what is best for you without seeing you.  However, my goal is to provide some insight so that you can make your own choices.

A 2019 research study compared the difference between two groups.

The first group performed full range of motion squats. That is, hips to heels. “all the way down”

The other group limited their range of motion to where the thigh (femur) is parallel to the ground.

They measured to determine what muscle groups increased in size.

Those in the limited range of motion group were predominately quadriceps (front of the thigh) while the full range of motion group had significant results in the quadriceps as well as the adductors (inner thigh) and the gluteus maximus. Check out the chart below:

I understand some humans experience pain and discomfort during squats and other movements so I created an “Exercise Substitution Chart”.  This tool provides three different options for whatever exercise you wish to substitute.

Be persistent.  If you cannot do an exercise make it your goal to be able to perform it pain-free.  Don’t just work around injuries, heal them with patience and persistence.  You got this!

BB3