As far as lower body exercises are concerned, the barbell squat is king. Unfortunately, this weightlifting exercise also has a bad rap for causing knee injuries, when in fact the opposite is true—squats are actually good for your knees, provided you use proper form.
If you plan to make squatting a part of your weightlifting or bodybuilding routine, it is vitally important to stick to proper form. Not performing a squat correctly is a great way to injure yourself, especially if you decided to squat heavy right away. Remember, proper form trumps a heavier squatting weight. You can't continue to exercise if your knee is injured.
Common squat mistakes that cause injury
To help you avoid injury, I'm going to go over a list of the most common squatting mistakes bodybuilders and weightlifters make. These are mistakes I've personally seen fellow bodybuilders, colleagues and even friends and family members make.
1. Not squatting deep enough. Visit your local gym and I guarantee you will see this: a person squatting way above parallel, or only until their knees are slightly bent. This is not proper form, nor does it work all of the necessary muscle groups. It also puts more pressure on the knees, which, if you have knee problems to begin with, isn't a good thing. To avoid unnecessary pain and injury, lower yourself until you reach parallel. For maximum effort and muscle work, I recommend going below parallel.
2. Keeping your toes pointed forward. Not keeping your toes aligned with the position of your knees while squatting can put you at risk for a nasty knee injury, so never point your toes forward. Instead, make sure they follow the same direction as your knees. A good rule of thumb is to have them point out at a 30 degree angle.
3. Using the Smith machine to squat. You cannot, and I repeat, cannotexecute proper squat form if you use a Smith machine. In turn, the Smith machine does most of the stabilizing work for you, which requires you to use less of your own stabilizing muscles. If you want to avoid knee injuries, strengthening these muscles is actually good, but you won't get this benefit if you use a Smith machine. Plus, Smith machines increase your risk of injury—and I can say this from personal experience.
4. Letting your knees buckle. To avoid unnecessary strain or injury to your lower body, avoid buckling the knees while descending or ascending from a squat. It's common for the knees to wobble or buckle in while lifting heavier weights. To prevent this, try pushing the knees out when descending or ascending.
Remember, focus on proper form before anything else—it's the best way to avoid unnecessary squat injuries.
