Written by TEAM MD
10 March 2021

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Improve Your Squat With Test of Functional Leg Strength

 

Most people do squats improperly, which increases the risk of knee and back pain. Test your functional leg strength and capacity to squat properly. Each exercise is progressively more difficult and none requires weights.

 

Chair Squats: Sit up straight in a chair with your back resting against the backrest and arms at your sides. Your feet should be placed more than shoulder-width apart so that you can get them under the body. Begin the motion of rising out of the chair by flexing at the hips and not the back. Then, squat up using a hip hinge movement (no spine movement). Stand without rocking forward, bending your back or using external support, and keep your head in a neutral position. Return to the sitting position (i.e., sit) while maintaining a flat back and weight placed over the center of your feet. Your thighs should abduct (spread) as you sit back in the chair. Use your hip extensor muscles as much as possible as you stand and your hip flexors as you sit. Do 5 repetitions of this exercise.

 

One-Leg Step-Ups: Stand facing a bench with your right foot placed on the middle of the bench, right knee bent at 90° and arms at your sides. Step up on the bench until your leg is straight, maximizing the use of the hip extensors. Return to the starting position. Keep your hips stable, back straight, chest up, shoulders back and head neutral during the entire movement. Do 5 repetitions. Repeat the same number of repetitions with the left leg.

 

Unweighted Squats: Stand with your feet placed slightly more than shoulder-width apart, toes pointed out slightly, hands on hips, head neutral and back straight. Center your weight over your arches or slightly behind. Squat, keeping your weight centered over your arches, and actively flex the hips until your legs break parallel. During the lift, keep your back straight, shoulders back, chest out and let your thighs part to the side so that you are “squatting between your legs.” Push back to the starting position, maximizing the use of the hip extensors, maintaining a straight back and neutral head position. Do 5 repetitions.

 

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Single-Leg Lunge Squats (with rear foot support): Stand about 3 feet in front of a bench (back to the bench). Place the instep of your left foot on the bench and put most of your weight on your right leg (left leg bent), with hands at your sides. Squat on your right leg until your thigh is parallel with the floor. Keep your back straight, chest up, shoulders back and head neutral. Return to the starting position and repeat for a total of 3 repetitions. Perform this functional test with both legs.

 

Single-Leg Squats (from a bench): This exercise is the most difficult of the functional leg tests. Use spotters if you haven’t done this exercise before or if you do not have the leg strength to perform 3 repetitions easily. Stand on the middle of a bench with your weight on your left leg and arms extended in front of you. Squat on your left leg until your thigh is parallel with the ground. Return to the starting position by extending the left hip and thigh (i.e., stand up) and repeat for a total of 3 repetitions. Perform this functional test with both legs. During the test, maintain a flat back, maximize the use of your hip flexors when going down and hip extensors when going up. Keep your weight over the arches of your feet; do not rock forward on your toes or bend at the waist, and maintain a neutral head position. (Fit & Well: Core Concepts and Labs in Physical Fitness and Wellness; McGraw Hill)

 

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