Squats

I can't tell you how many times I've heard fitness "experts" say "don't do squats!  Squats are bad for your knees! They're bad for your back!  They'll give you herpes!"  OK, I may have exaggerated a little on the last one.  Here's reality; humans are designed to squat.  If you want to see a squat performed perfectly,watch a toddler, as this photo illustrates.  To read the captions, enlarge the photo by clicking on it.

You're probably thinking, "of course a toddler can do that.  Toddlers are only slightly less flexible than jellyfish!"  It's true that few adults' joints retain a toddlers' range of motion, but that doesn't mean we have to lose it entirely.

I've witnessed scenes like the ones at left in Afghanistan, Iraq, Ethiopia, etc.  People young and old squat whenever they need a short rest.  They'll sit comfortably in squatting position for 20 or 30 minutes.  If they anticipate waiting longer they may switch to sitting cross legged, but not if the ground is muddy (or worse).

Bottom line: humans are designed to squat.

The Army recently changed its physical training (PT) program to one they call physical readiness training (PRT).  The PRT incorporates the squat.  I've watched Soldiers perform "squats" for the PRT and their form is atrocious.  They rise up on their toes, they bow their backs, their knees are too close together, their thighs don't even come close to parallel with the ground.  So, why is it that an ancient Afghan man can perform a perfect squat, but the average "fit to fight", 18-year-old American Soldier can't come even close?

One word: furniture.

People in poor countries can't afford furniture, so they squat to rest.  We can, so we don't.  We lose our mobility over time because we don't use it.

I'm not suggesting that we burn all our furniture.  No thanks.  I like my furniture.  Well, most of it, anyway.  I'm saying that we wealthy Westerners, because of our lifestyles, need to make time to work on improving and/or maintaining our fitness.  Flexibility is one component of fitness.

"But lifting weights makes people inflexible", the fitness "experts" say.

Bull crap.

Anyone who thinks that has zero knowledge of Olympic weightlifting.  Isolating muscle groups and single joints at a time, like body builders do, makes people less flexible.  Working multiple joints and muscle groups through their entire range of motion, like Olympic weightlifters do, makes people more flexible.


So, learn to squat properly...

then add back squats...

front squats...

and overhead squats...

at weight levels that challenge you, but still allow you to maintain good technique.

Squat, people.  You're designed to do it.