{"id":743,"date":"2019-05-06T21:17:51","date_gmt":"2019-05-07T02:17:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/liverealfit.com\/?p=743"},"modified":"2019-05-06T21:17:51","modified_gmt":"2019-05-07T02:17:51","slug":"is-squatting-actually-bad-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/liverealfit.com\/is-squatting-actually-bad-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Squatting Actually Bad for You?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever wondered if squatting is actually good for you?\u00a0 We see people hit the squat rack all the time but what if they are actually hurting themselves in the long run?\u00a0 You may have even heard advice about being careful not to squat too deep because you might damage your knees.\u00a0 Or not to squat too heavy because it’s not good for your back.\u00a0 So many opinions on squatting are a result of a bad personal experience that lacks true validity.\u00a0 What is the actual truth about squatting?\u00a0 Is it good for you or will it merely break down your joints at a faster rate and leave you crippled in your old age?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Well if you know me at all you know that I am a big fan of performing compound lifts, including squats, as part of a well-rounded weight lifting program.\u00a0 That being said, although my personal methodologies are rooted in science-based practice, I thought I would give you more than just my personal opinion and provide you with true evidence on what why squatting is so beneficial for us all.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Why Squat?<\/h2>\n

The squat movement is essential for so many of the activities we do on a daily basis.\u00a0 Try going to the bathroom, sitting on the couch or even getting work done at your desk without squatting.\u00a0 Add to that any kind of sporting activity you might like to do or lifting that Amazon box that just got delivered to your house.\u00a0 Developing a competence in performing the squat movement is not only essential for effectively participating in recreational sport and exercise but also for maintaining strength and mobility as we age [1].<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I totally get it.\u00a0 No one likes to think about aging.\u00a0 But the truth of the matter is that muscle breaks down as we age.\u00a0 \u00a0Developing strength with functional movements like the squat helps improve quality of life and your ability to perform daily activities while maintaining independence.\u00a0 It might be a little harsh but as Mark Rippetoe puts it\u2026\u201d strong people are harder to kill and more useful in general\u201d.\u00a0 Doing your squats isn\u2019t just about looking good in a bikini.\u00a0 We\u2019re talking about setting yourself up for a long, happy, healthy and active life well into your elderly years.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Squats are a staple movement performed in many exercise programs.\u00a0 It is a compound movement that involves a variety of large and small muscle to perform.\u00a0 There are many benefits to performing compounds lifts that I have talked about in a previous post<\/a>.\u00a0 Not only do squats assist with the physical changes and attributes you might be looking for\u2026did someone say booty gains? But, more importantly, squatting is a fundamental movement pattern that, performed safely and effectively, will improve strength and build your resilience to potential injury\u00a0[1].<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Don’t be afraid.<\/h2>\n

\u201cSquatting isn\u2019t good for your knees\u201d.\u00a0 \u201cMy knees are bad, I can\u2019t squat\u201d.\u00a0 I\u2019ve heard these kinds of comments many times from countless different people.\u00a0 Maybe you have even said them yourself.\u00a0 I can understand how it might appear that squatting is meant only for the young and healthy.\u00a0 All that heavy weight on your shoulders then going all the way down to the floor and back up\u2026that can seem rather intimidating not to mention crazy hard.\u00a0 That kind of heavy load must put crazy amounts of strain on your joints and just can\u2019t be good for you\u2026right?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Wrong!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The fact of the matter is, that squatting is not only NOT BAD for you but it\u2019s actually really beneficial and I might even say necessary.\u00a0 Deep squatting has been shown to be an effective training exercise for protection against injuries and strengthening of the lower extremity [2].\u00a0 This in part relating to something called the wrapping effect.\u00a0 Which essentially just means that when you bend the knee past 90 degrees the knee is more supported.\u00a0 \u00a0The load placed on the knee is better distributed as well as the force transfer throughout the knee.\u00a0 Not only that but performing half squats (squats performed between 80-100 degrees of knee flexion) are not recommended due to creating higher compression and stress through the knee.\u00a0 In fact, the compressive forces are highest at 90 degrees of knee flexion [2]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In addition, deep squatting does not contribute to increased injury of the passive structures of the knee [2].\u00a0 These would include your ligaments, tendons, meniscus, and cartilage.\u00a0 In fact, positive adaptations such as larger, thicker ligaments, have been seen in those who perform squats.\u00a0 Deep heavy squatting below parallel has been shown to make all structures of the knee stronger [2].<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Load it up!<\/h2>\n

The body has an amazing way of responding to loads.\u00a0 At the cellular level, we are able to sense and respond to forces applied to the body.\u00a0 A physical stimulus, or load, applied to one cell becomes a stimulus in surrounding cells and beyond [3].\u00a0 Our bodies cellular response to this is to remodel and become stronger! \u00a0Increased loading leads to positive adaptations that are protective to degenerative changes of the knee such as arthritis, meniscus and cartilage damage.\u00a0 Years of strength training in full ranges of motion utilizing correct movement patterns result in functional adaptations of the articular cartilage and meniscal tissue [2].\u00a0 Therefore, the more you squat, the more injury resistant your knee becomes.\u00a0 Ultimately, not only is it safe for you to perform squats but it may actually be necessary to prevent injury and allow for a healthy seamless move through your decades of life.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now that you are armed with all of these good science knowledge bombs…grab a barbell and go do some heavy deep squats like your life depended on it!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Xx<\/p>\n

Allison<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Works Cited<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
[1]<\/td>\nH. Hartmann, W. Klaus and M. Klusemann, “Analysis of the Load on the Knee Joint and Vertebral Column with Changes in Squatting Depth and Weight Load,” 2013.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
[2]<\/td>\nG. D. Myer, A. M. Kushner, J. L. Brent, B. J. Schoenfeld, J. Hugentobler, R. S. Lloyd, A. Vermeil, D. A. Chu, J. Harbin and S. M. McGill, “The back squat: A proposed assessment of functional deficits and technical factors that limit performance.,” vol. 36, no. 6, 2014.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
[3]<\/td>\nS. L. Dunn and M. L. Olmedo, “Mechanotransduction: relevance to physical therapist practice-understanding our ability to affect genetic expression through mechanical forces.,” Phys Ther, <\/em>pp. 96:712-712, 2016.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever wondered if squatting is actually good for you?\u00a0 We see people hit the squat rack all the time but what if they are actually hurting themselves in the long run?\u00a0 You may have even heard advice about being careful not to squat too deep because you might damage your knees.\u00a0 Or not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":666,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fitness"],"yoast_head":"\nIs Squatting Actually Bad for You? - Real Fit<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ever wondering if squatting is doing you more harm than good? 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