Beware of squats

If you are a regular Inside Sports Medicine listener, you have surely heard one of Dr. Souryal’s countless warnings about the perils of including squats in your exercise routine.

Squats have always been popular among athletes, as almost every sport requires the player to generate power and explosiveness from a squatting position. Still, it makes sense that squats are scary to an orthopedist. They can wreak havoc on your back.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, there are three main factors that lead to back and injuries among those who squat.

1) Lifting too much weight or lifting to failure

Taking on too big of a load can lead to a herky-jerky lift, which can in turn lead to sudden and drastic spinal compression.

2) Leaning forward too much

The more a lifter leans forward, the greater the load on the back. The greater the load on the back, the greater the spinal compression force. The greater spinal compression force, the higher incidence of stress fractures and slippage of the vertebrae.

3) Lack of flexibility

If the squatter cannot adequately bend his or her knees and hips, or cannot properly arch his or her back, the weight will be unevenly distributed. Unevenly distributed weight is bad news.

It is for these reasons that Dr. Souryal recommends the leg press. The leg press targets the same group of muscles as the squat, but the back is stabilized and the spinal compression force is therefore negligible.

Also worth mentioning is new research from the European Journal of Applied Physiology, which indicates that squats and leg presses do not work our hamstrings nearly as much as they work our quadriceps. If not paired with a deadlift or another hamstring-focused exercise, the quads will be disproportionately strong, potentially leading to knee, hip, or ankle injuries.

If you do insist on doing squats, do so with proper form. Here is a good video to help you do just that.