Essential movement pattern of our biomechanical make-up. The primary lower extremity muscle groups as well as the muscles stabilizing the torso must work synergistically to ensure a safe and economic motion.

As you prepare, make a firm and conscious contact with the ground. You should feel the weight of the bar traveling into the center of your sole. Again, I recommend a slight weight shift into your metatarsophalangeal joints.

Spinal integrity should be maintained throughout the sequence. A peripheral gaze and top-down orientation is advised.

As you descend, forward inclination of the trunk should be obtained via flexion of the hip not lumbar spine flexion. This would only increase anterior shear forces and a decreased tolerance to compressive force.

Simultaneously the tibia inclines forward flexing the knee in accordance with hip movement. Ankle joint mobility (capacity for dorsiflexion) is essential to ensure this movement. If there is a dorsiflexion deficit the heels can be elevated to compensate for lack of mobility.

The concentric portion of the squat should be forceful, actively pushing the feet into the ground while maintaining spinal neutrality. The force vector travels from the middle of the sole through the hips to the front of the dorsal spine.