It’s often said that the stuff you suck at or the stuff you don’t like is the stuff you have to do to improve. That saying couldn’t be more true than when it comes to squats. No one likes them, and few do them right when they actually do them. You want to know why it’s the things that suck that you have to do more of to get further in life? It’s life’s way of testing you, and making sure you really want what you say you want. Just like consistently eating the right foods is hard, squatting properly and consistently for a long time is hard and it’s going to take commitment. You say you want to get leaner, feel better, and fit into your clothes. Prove it. Commit to 6 months of eating properly the majority of the time and lifting weights consistently and I guarantee you won’t regret it.
Hard work and commitment are life’s way of sifting out the people that aren’t cut-out for whatever achievement someone is striving for. And the bigger the goal, the bigger the sacrifice. You want to become a doctor? It’s going to take 12 years of sacrifice to achieve it. Most people can achieve anything they set their mind to, but most won’t because they quit when it gets tough. The tough things in life is where the magic happens. You have to lean into the tough things not shy away from them. And the harder it is the more magic there is. So when it comes to attaining the physique you want, you can achieve it but you’re going to have to work for it, and the harder you work the better the results.
Squats suck because they are hard work, but that’s why I do them and that’s why all of my clients do them. I don’t necessarily enjoy doing squats, but I absolutely love the results I get from squats. And i’m not talking about half-squats either, if you aren’t getting below parallel you’re short changing yourself. But, it hurts my knees or my back or whatever other bullshit excuse you have. No it doesn’t, it’s hard and it makes you uncomfortable. Accept it and find a solution, i.e. learn how to squat. Take your ego back out to your car and come back in and lower the weight and take one step back so you can take two steps forward once you learn how to squat to parallel. It’s not a big deal, but fix it. Learn how to brace, open up from your groin and sit between your heels. Now feel your hamstrings, stop decelerating the weight on the way down with your hips and quads. Engage your hamstrings (which will shut off your hips and quads) and pull yourself into the hole. There you go, now you’re parallel, now blast that shit back up 🙂
Make it a great day and do a few squats while you’re at it 😉
Jamie
