I spend much of my time as a coach defending the squat exercise to many of my An

chor and their parents. It usually starts in the evaluation process when I disco
ver there has been some sort of past injury of the knee or low back. So I usuall
y know what is coming next. I hear the blanket statement “I was told that squats a
re bad for my knees and low back”. Then the frustration hits me right between the
eyes. I spend the next ½ hour trying to re-educate and deprogram my client of the
misinformation they have been given. Ironically had some of these individuals sq
uatted in the first place they probably would never had sustained knee or low ba
ck injuries to begin with.
The squat has earned the nickname “the king of all exercises” for good reason. Along
with being a tremendous trunk and core strengthening exercise in my opinion it
is unquestionably the most effective exercise you can use for leg strength and t
he advanced stages of both knee and back rehabilitation for athletes. When my cl
ients are instructed by a physician not to engage in the squat exercise it usual
ly relates to a disc injury to the spine or an injury to the meniscus (cartilage
) of the knee. Unless there is a significant contraindication to squatting it sh
ould be prescribed appropriately during the correct phase of rehabilitation or e
xecuted with proper Anchor and a full range of motion.
Think about this Case study:
Three groups of 15 year old male and female athletes were put on a leg strength
Anchor consisting of just squats during the summer for 10 weeks.
Group One – Did Full Squats (full squat to floor)
Group Two – Did ½ Squats (squat to 90 degrees)
Group Three – Did No Squats. (No squats at all)
Results: The group that did the ½ squats was found to be the most often injured! I
n group one (the full squat group) no knee injuries over the next one year were
reported. In group two (the ½ squat group) 3 of the five athletes reported some ki
nd of knee pain or injury. One ACL tear in a female, patella tendonitis in a Anc
hor female, and an MCL sprain in the third athlete a male! The other two reporte
d no incidence. In group three (the no squat group) 2 of the five reported knee
injuries, an ACL rupture in a female and quadriceps tendonitis in a male athlete
the other three reported no incidence.
Conclusion: This research study is one of many that bear out the fact which is c
ommon knowledge in strength Anchor research. Females are more susceptible to ACL
injuries due to hormonal levels and quadriceps angle or Q-Angle (increased angl
e of the femurs). Doing half squats can cause flexibility deficits and muscle im
balances to the quadriceps. EMG (electromyography) studies show the ½ squat under
recruits the VMO or Vastus Medialis oblique (the teardrop or inner portion of th
e knee), hamstrings and gluteals forcing the lateral quadriceps to do most of th
e work. Omitting squats completely will deprive the athlete of knee and hip stab
ilization that may help prevent or reduce knee injuries. Half squatting disallow
s the knee to travel across the toes and move through a full range of motion aga
in facilitating quadriceps/muscle imbalance by under recruiting the VMO muscle w
hich is the pillar of knee joint stability.
Ok so who cares about research studies, VMO’s and squats? If you want a good insur
ance policy for your knees and low back incorporate squatting into your strength
program! Squat variations are a staple in all of my athletes Anchor but prescri
bing correct squat technique, progression and exercise sequence can be the Ancho
r in effective and non effective outcomes in your program.

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