Sbs Squat

• Bracing quality, upper-back rigidity, and sticking-point strategy can raise performance without changing muscle mass.
• Long term, weak links (quads/core/hips) still need targeted strength work.

Scope Note

This skill covers squat technique and broader SBS training philosophy. For questions about general programming, periodization, or training principles: provide a broad evidence-based answer using SBS framing. Use squat examples when illustrative — but don't narrow general questions into squat-specific answers.

SBS Epistemic Style

• Strong evidence: multiple converging studies, consistent outcomes, clear practical signal.
• Moderate evidence: generally supportive but mixed/limited; give recommendations with caveats.
• Weak evidence: mechanistic/speculative or sparse data; present as tentative, not prescriptive.
• Separate confidence level from practical recommendation (you can still give a practical default while noting uncertainty).
• Prefer nuanced conclusions over absolutist claims.

Greg's Distinctive Positions (High-Leverage SBS Takes)

Deadlift fatigue vs squat fatigue

• Common claim: deadlifts are inherently much harder to recover from than squats.
• SBS pushback: when volume is matched, fatigue outcomes are broadly similar.
• Why perception diverges:
  • Path dependency: most lifters are less practiced with high-volume deadlift exposure.
  • Grip fatigue confound: grip limits can make deadlift sessions feel systemically worse even when lower-body recovery is comparable.
  • Programming norms: deadlift volume is usually lower, so equalized sessions feel disproportionately hard.

Belt evidence and recommendations

• Belts improve performance mainly via intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and tactile bracing feedback.
• Increased IAP can transfer to greater hip extension torque — not merely a placebo/confidence effect.
• SBS Belt Bible framing: belts are broadly beneficial for heavy compound work; "belts make your core weak" is weakly supported.
• Practical recommendation: learn to brace without a belt first, then use belts strategically for heavier sets.

Minimalist warm-up

• SBS framing: warm-up should be treated as a cost-benefit decision.
• Most lifters can warm up less and perform just as well.
• Use the minimum warm-up that enables safe, high-quality reps at target intensity.
• If uncertain, iteratively remove one warm-up element at a time and track whether performance/readiness changes.
• For many sessions, compound work sets are sufficient warm-up for later isolation movements.

Isometric training

• Isometrics can improve strength most around trained joint angles (roughly ±15° carryover).
• High-intent ballistic maximal contractions are generally more useful for strength than long moderate holds.
• Isometrics often have a different fatigue profile due to no eccentric loading.
• SBS framing: valuable accessory tool, but angle-specificity limits broad carryover.

Bands/chains for hypertrophy

• Accommodating resistance changes the force curve (more load in stronger ROM positions).
• Hypertrophy caveat: too much band/chain contribution can reduce stretched-position loading, which is often highly stimulative.
• For powerlifting/strength, accommodating resistance is often more compelling (e.g., sticking-point and force-production practice).

Setup Checklist (Use Before Every Work Set)

1. Bar position

   • High bar: on traps (not grinding into C7 neck bump).
   • Low bar: on rear delts (not directly on scapular spine).
   • Front squat: shelf on front delts/clavicle area with scapulae protracted.

2. Grip and wrists

   • Grip as narrow as possible without wrist/elbow/shoulder pain.
   • If wrists hurt in back squat: widen slightly, use thumbless grip, keep wrists neutral.

3. Elbows

   • Back squat default cue: “scratch your ribcage with your elbows.”
   • Front squat: elbows as high as possible.

4. Unrack + walkout

   • Unrack aggressively (hips under bar, shoulders up into bar).
   • Use minimal steps (2-3) to save energy and improve consistency.

5. Stance + toes

   • Start around shoulder width, then personalize.
   • Toe angle should usually match knee tracking direction.
   • Narrower stance/less abduction -> toes less turned out.
   • Wider stance/more abduction -> toes more turned out.

6. Brace sequence

   • Deep diaphragmatic breath into abdomen/obliques (360° expansion).
   • Beltless: brace like taking a punch.
   • Belted: push abdomen/obliques into belt.
   • Hold pressure (Valsalva) through rep.

7. Foot tension + whole-body tension

   • Tripod foot: big toe, pinky toe, heel all grounded.
   • Keep center pressure over mid-foot.
   • Cue hips: “screw feet into floor” (narrow/medium) or “spread floor” (wider).
   • Cue upper back: “bend the bar across your back.”

High Bar vs Low Bar vs Front Squat (Scannable)

Practical take: all build full-body strength; differences are usually emphasis, not completely different exercises.

Descent Cues

Primary options

• Sit down: knees + hips break together, butt drops between heels, more upright.
• Sit back: hips break first, butt back, more torso incline.

How to choose

• Need more quad stimulus/depth -> bias sit down.
• Need slightly shorter ROM (often powerlifting) -> bias sit back.
• Limited ankle ROM -> sit-back style often feels better.

Universal descent rules

• Descend as fast as possible while staying in control.
• Keep tripod foot pressure and balance over mid-foot.
• Keep spinal position (no lumbar/thoracic collapse).
• For most training goals: squat as deep as controlled anatomy allows.

Ascent Cues (Especially Sticking Point)

Out of the hole

• Initiate with: “traps back into the bar + feet through floor.”
• Avoid immediate hip shoot-up that turns rep into a good morning.

Through sticking point (usually 1-6 inches above parallel)

• Do not panic and rush hips up.
• Cue pair:
  • “Shoulders/traps back into bar.”
  • “Hips under (forward under) the bar.”
• Think deadlift lockout mechanics: shoulders back + hips through.
• Goal: redistribute effort so hips don’t do everything while quads under-contribute.

Intent

• Lift each concentric as explosively as technique allows.

Most Common Problems -> Specific Fixes

Good Morning Squat Pattern (Must Recognize)

Pattern: hips shoot up, knees drift back, torso inclines more than intended, rep becomes hip/back-dominant.

Why it happens: at bottom-to-mid ascent, body shifts demand away from quads toward hips because quads are limiting (most common) or bracing is failing.

Fix stack:

1. Technical cue: traps back into bar + hips under bar.
2. Stay patient at sticking point; don’t rush hips up.
3. Build quad capacity: front squats + machine knee-dominant work + unilateral work.
4. If squat:deadlift gap is huge (>15-20%), improve bracing and thoracic extension endurance.

Non-Negotiables vs Style Preferences

Non-negotiables

• Avoid excessive knee cave.
• Avoid meaningful spinal rounding/collapse under load.
• Maintain balance over mid-foot with stable foot tripod.
• Use controlled depth that matches goal and anatomy.

Style preferences (individualize)

• Bar position (high/low/front)
• Stance width
• Toe angle
• Degree of forward lean
• Sit-down vs sit-back bias
• Head/eye focal point
• Belt/flat vs heeled shoe preference (solid sole required)

Quick Answers (Most Common Squat Questions)

1. Are squats safe?

   • Generally yes when technically sound and progressed sensibly.

2. Should everyone squat ass-to-grass?

   • No. Anatomy varies. Use deepest safe, controlled ROM you can own.

3. Do knees over toes ruin knees?

   • Usually no in healthy knees; context and pain response matter.

4. Should bar path be perfectly vertical?

   • Not always, especially with lighter loads. Keep system balance over mid-foot.

5. Is wide stance always easier?

   • No. Depends on anatomy, comfort, and leverage.

6. How should I squat for more quads?

   • High bar or front squat, sit-down bias, deep ROM, add quad accessories.

7. What if ankles feel tight?

   • Test true ROM first; often it’s a strength/control issue (quads/calves), not pure mobility.

8. How do I fix elbow/wrist pain in low bar?

   • Slightly wider grip, neutral wrists, thumbless grip, improve shoulder/thoracic mobility; use high bar temporarily if needed.

9. How do I pick bar position?

   • Pick the style that best matches your sport goal and lets you train hard consistently.

10. Do I need only squats for leg growth?

• No. Squats are central, but full leg development usually needs additional exercises.

Decision Rules by Goal

• Powerlifting: low bar often best for max load; manage depth to legal minimum + control.
• Weightlifting: high bar + front squat for upright depth and clean/snatch carryover.
• Bodybuilding: bias long ROM, stable positions, and variation variety for complete development.
• General strength: choose pain-free, stable style you can progress for years.

References in This Skill Folder

• references/01-setup-equipment-bracing.md
• references/02-stance-foot-descent-depth.md
• references/03-ascent-sticking-point-diagnosis.md
• references/04-common-problems-and-fixes.md
• references/05-variations-mobility-programming.md
• references/06-general-programming-and-sbs-philosophy.md