When speaking of “squat” it refers to the full or deep squat exercise. This article will review the squat in detail as it is well known that the squat is an exercise that directly strengthens the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, erector spinae, and triceps surae. Apart from the fact that it involves a series of synergistic muscles that contribute to the execution of the exercise and balance.

In this series of articles we deal with some of the most important concepts of strength training, collecting notes from the recently published book Strength, Speed ​​and Physical and Sports Performance written by renowned researchers Juan José González Badillo and Juan Ribas Serna.

Summary

• Squats will do more to prevent knee injuries than any other exercise.
• If the exercise is performed with a correct technique, it is trained progressively and supervised by experts in the training of this exercise, the squat is presented as a training to protect against injuries and improve the strength of the lower extremities.
• The squat is the main exercise that can be practiced by any athlete who wants to improve their physical performance by doing any exercise that is not the actual practice of the specific exercise.
• Healthy non-athletic users would still have less risk because the loads used, the frequency of training and the stress would be much lower.

It has also been possible to verify through the studies analyzed in this text that it has a significant effect on the ability to jump and acceleration. In fact, it has been proposed that higher sprint performances are achieved by greater application of force against release, not by more rapid leg movements (Weyand et al., 2000).

Naturally, this greater applied force can only be achieved by improving the strength of the previously mentioned muscle groups, as momentum in the stride is directly dependent on the strength of the gluteals, hamstrings, triceps surae, and quadriceps. From the functional point of view, when comparing the effect of training the squat, half and quarter squats, only the squat could be considered as an effective exercise to improve strength, because only the degree of flexion of the squat provides the morphological and neural stimuli required for the hip and knee extensors to positively influence acceleration processes (Hartmann et al 2012).

only the squat could be considered an effective exercise to improve strength

In another study in which the effect of training with loads from 60 to 80% of the RM was compared in the squat, the squat to the parallel and the half squat. This means that executing the squat exercise allows an effect that is even above the effect due to the specificity of the exercise itself evaluated. In addition, the squat had the greatest effect in CMJ, 20m run and Wingate test, while the half squat did not improve in any of these three variables and was the only one that experienced a significant increase in the physical disability test (pain, rigidity, functional disability) (Pallarés otal.. 2019)

Traditionally it has been considered that the squat was detrimental to the knee joint, but this does not seem to be very justified. Escamilla (2001) concludes that the squat (to parallel) does not compromise knee stability and can properly reinforce stability. Although he still has reservations about flexing anything more than parallel.

Its embargo, Hartmann et al. (2013) consider that with greater flexion of the knee joint, a displacement of the contact areas of the knee components occurs with a continuous enlargement of the retropatellar articular surface, which leads to lower retropatellar compressive stresses. .

Both menisci and cartilage, ligaments, and bone are susceptible to anabolic processes and structural adaptations to their function in response to increased activity and mechanical stress. Therefore, concerns about degenerative changes in the femoral tendon complex and the apparent increased risk of chondromalacia, osteoarthritis, and osteochondritis due to the squat are unfounded (Hartmann et al., 2013).

It must be taken into account that for the same relative load, when doing the half or quarter squat, the pressure on the joints of the back, hips and knees is much greater, so the risk of excessive stress is also applied. is.

squats will do more to prevent knee injuries than any other exercise

Parker (1992) says: “squats will do more to prevent knee injuries than any other exercise” (p.28). And he continues: “many trainers believe that squats are dangerous for the knees. Nothing is further from reality”. Squats are a staple exercise in the New York Giants (the football team this author coaches) program, and will be for sure in the future.

Poliquin (1992, p. 28), in making the initial diagnosis before planning the training of Jadson Logan, hammer thrower, found that the athlete had been plagued with knee pain for the past eight years. This pain was caused by the continued use of the so-called “safe squat”, “safe squatting”, that is, by the half squat.

To avoid this, this type of exercise was changed to the full, deep squat: the posterior part of the thigh had to cover the calves at the deepest moment of flexion. After six weeks of training, the athlete reported no pain, improved his position in the hammer throw twist, and achieved better results than ever in the vertical and horizontal jump.

Therefore, if the exercise is performed with a correct technique, it is trained progressively and supervised by experts in the training of this exercise, the squat is presented as a training to protect against injuries and improve the strength of the lower extremities.

Contrary to popular belief, the squat does not contribute to increased risk of passive tissue injury (Hartmann et al. 2013). Given its positive effects for carrying out practically all sports actions in which the legs are involved and its protective effects against possible injuries, the squat is the main exercise that any athlete who wants to improve their physical performance by doing any exercise other than their own can practice. practice of the specific exercise.

The squat is the main exercise that any athlete who wants to improve their physical performance can practice.

Regarding the way to perform the squat, a series of considerations must be kept in mind, a squat can be considered complete if it is exceeded, even slightly; the horizontal of the thigh with respect to the ground. That is, it is not necessarily about forcing the maximum possible flexion.

The greater or lesser flexion will depend on the joint mobility of each subject, and it is never recommended that the flexion be the maximum possible if the subject has high joint mobility. Therefore, in all cases, and especially in subjects with some joint laxity, due to their low muscle-tendon rigidity, it should be recommended that the last degrees of flexion are not reached and that the subject not relax in this phase, losing the correct posture of the lumbar zone, which must remain straight throughout the execution of the movement, nor that it make a marked “rebound”, excessively fast, at the moment of the eccentric-concentric transition.

On the other hand in the flexion phase (eccentric phase) in its entirety a high speed must not be reached.

Another important aspect is the load with which this exercise should be trained. As a training exercise, you should never perform a squat with the maximum load (1RM), nor a training or an estimation of strength with the maximum possible number of repetitions per series (the “famous” 6RM, 8RM, 10RM, 15RM. ..) That is, the “character of the effort” should never be the maximum.

Nor should MRI be used as an initial test to program training. For this, as indicated, the execution speed is taken as a reference, and in the event that it cannot be measured, the guidelines in this article must be followed and applied in relation to what to do when the speed of execution cannot be measured. execution.

Throughout the text, extensive information is given on the loads for training this exercise. Most of the exercises that are carried out in sports produce significant stress on the knees. Practicing sports as diverse as alpine skiing, soccer, hockey, tennis, jumping, weightlifting, badminton… and many others cause much higher stress than a full squat performed correctly and with the proper loads.

Moreover, many of the injuries that occur in these sports, except weightlifting, may have a lot to do with the weakness of the muscles that protect the knee, which can be correctly stimulated with the deep squat. Whoever considers that this exercise is not suitable for someone or something is in charge of showing the reasons.

Extensive experience using this exercise, apart from studies aimed at analyzing its mechanics, risks and effects, favorable, in some cases, as a means of protecting against injuries, allows us to affirm that there is no reason to justify against its use, and that However, there are reasons to apply it to the entire population that practices sport.

Healthy non-athletic users would still be at lower risk because the loads used, training frequency and stress would be much lower. Obviously, if you suffer from a knee injury, the situation would change, but the experience of having applied this exercise to athletes (top-level soccer players) with great benefit for the recovery of injured knees and cruciate ligament surgery is taken into account.

The squat is the main exercise that any athlete who wants to improve their physical performance can practice.

Other athletes to whom this exercise has been applied with great success for their sporting results and without a single case of injury or discomfort in the knees during a long time of training, were, for example, the national track cycling team ( speed), who went from being able to perform approximately a squat with 105-115 kg in some cases, or 150-160 kg, in another, to being able to move 160-170 and 190-200 kg, respectively, improving their performance in competition . No athlete presented the slightest knee problem.

During all this time, neither 1RM nor training with a “maximal effort character” was ever performed. The women’s field hockey team (1992 Olympic champion) trained with this exercise for three years, each year improving their vertical jump, their time in 15-30 meters and their threshold speed (the so-called second lactate or anaerobic threshold) were runners-up in Europe (lost final on penalties) and there was not a single knee or back injury.

The training carried out was even less stressful than in the case of the cyclists. Other examples with the same results are soccer players who have participated in World Cups and other top-level youth of their ages, top-level volleyball players, or 400-meter runners.

Conclusions about the squat

As a summary of the advantages of the squat exercise, the following is indicated:

• During the full squat, the full range of motion is used in the sagittal plane of the knee and hip joints and quite a bit of range of the ankle. This causes all the components of the connective tissue of said joints to be stretched, thereby giving these tissues stimuli to adapt to great stresses at angles of extreme magnitudes, which probably improves the rigidity of these tissues in extreme displacements.
• The use of full ranges of joint movement probably leads to the distension of the sarcomeres in the most homogeneous way possible before a shortening, accustoming the system to make the “strong” sarcomeres work against the “weak” ones, so that the whole of the fiber (or muscle fibers) get the most out of it.
• Activating a fiber in different ranges of stretching provides advantages when it comes to obtaining the best moments in the length-tension curve of each fiber, especially in penneate (non-linear) muscles. As well as the possible increase in the length of the fascicle, due to the contribution of sarcomeres in series.
• When a fiber is stretched beyond its normal range, the risk of breaking some Z line and, above all, some T tubules increases, which would lead to local contractures within a fiber and an increased risk of total fiber rupture. But the fact of accustoming it to working in wide ranges of stretching probably adapts the sarcolemma and, therefore, the tubule system itself to work in those conditions with less risk of complete fiber rupture.
• Probably the degree and form of the recruitment of motor units within a muscle is different depending on the range of movement, one of the reasons is that at different moments of force, different recruitment and synchronization requirements, due to the participation of large muscle groups of coordinated way.
• The articular cartilages and menisci are maintained thanks to the stimulus that Ssupposes the rubbing of a load, intermittently, on them. When you only work in a short range of movements, a part of the cartilage stops receiving adequate stimuli and before a sudden shock in the less stimulated region it can be injured. Something similar, but with tensions instead of pressures, happens with the ligaments. Today it is known that the innervation of the ligaments is important to maintain the tone and hypertrophy of some muscle groups of the joint in which the ligament is located. The stimulation positions of the ligaments are not exactly known, but it is known that they work in joint positions in which the muscles have little to do (this seems to be precisely one of their functions, that the muscles can relax in certain angular positions). of the joint) It is also likely that when working in positions with a wide range of joints, the synergy of action between ligaments and muscles (especially of the elastic elements of the latter) increases.

If you don’t already know Fitenium is a free, mobile, video-based social network for athletes who train strength or bodyweight exercises. At Fitenium users can follow their performance, compete and get discounts in nutrition and sports equipment stores. Download it here.

At first glance, it can be hard to tell the difference between anxiety and stress. Both emotions are generally similar in their effects, negative and triggering. The feelings of threat and lack of control in our environment that generally overwhelm us and cause us fatigue, discomfort and frustration.

But stress and anxiety are different medical conditions, and the distinction between them is important so that we can know what we are dealing with and thus help combat them. The main difference is that stress is generally a temporary problem, how our body handles specific moments of great demand, and anxiety is usually a long-lasting psychopathology.

If you suspect you have one of the two, but don’t know which one, these clues will help you tell them apart.

1. Stress usually responds to external factors

Stress is often a reaction to a problem, and anxiety is a reaction to the stress itself.

This difference is important because stress often occurs when many stressful events occur; stress is the cause.

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2. Anxiety continues when problems go away

The stress caused by a particular problem can cause anxiety, but in many cases when the problem is resolved or resolved, the stress goes away but the anxiety continues.

This reinforces the previous point. Anxiety should be treated as a separate disorder, not just a product of stress. Anxiety rarely goes away during vacations, spa visits, or massages.

We also know what worries people who suffer from stress, but for those who are anxious, stress is less of a problem than anxiety.

3. Anxiety includes unnecessary worries

Many symptoms of stress and anxiety are similar: sleep disturbances, upset stomach, irritability, decreased concentration… but there are certain symptoms that characterize anxiety only. All of the above.

Just as anxiety is often confused with stress, many people consider panic attacks to be much more common than they really are. Very specific physical experiences related to the development of fear and anxiety. Symptoms such as sweating, tremors, fast heartbeat, nausea, chest pain, choking, and chills.

If someone is having a panic attack, whether stressful or not, they are most likely anxious.

4. Difference in treatment between stress and anxiety

For all these reasons, it is concluded that stress and anxiety require very different treatments, and that solving one (usually the simplest is stress) does not necessarily end the other.

In the case of stress, it is usually enough to deal with the factors that cause it: work situation, duration of the test, difficult relationships with a partner… are factors that we cannot easily ignore (for example, most of us cannot do without a job). Therefore, it is necessary to develop strategies to deal with them and compensate them with activities that help you relax, such as going on vacations, learning yoga or learning to turn stress into a motivating feeling (this is called stress or positive stress, as if was a challenge).

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Anxiety, on the other hand, is a more serious and usually permanent psychopathology: people who suffer from anxiety do not have a single specific factor, so solving the causes that cause it requires more specific and personalized attention.

Anxiety treatment is based on medication and treatment if it becomes a limiting factor or reduces the patient’s quality of life. This does not mean that people with anxiety do not benefit from relaxing activities, exercise, or reducing the use of stimulants such as caffeine.

If you don’t already know Fitenium is a free, mobile, video-based social network for athletes who train strength or bodyweight exercises. At Fitenium users can follow their performance, compete and get discounts in nutrition and sports equipment stores. Download it here.

Some of us may have regular or occasional bad relationships with food. From time to time, in certain moments of stress or anxiety, we can transmit this stress through food, eat almost obsessively and even spoil.

For others, emotional starvation is a common strategy that not only occurs in a timely manner, but even leads to great pain. One of the symptoms of this type of diet is the loss of self-control. So you need more than that to get over it.

How to stop the ruckus

The first thing we have to achieve is to be able to recognize that we are disturbed by anxiety and emotional hunger. In addition, they must be able to recognize if it is carried out in a timely manner or if it is already installed as a habitual action and strategy.

1. Learn relaxation techniques.

In many cases, bulimia responds to moments of stress or anxiety that we cannot control, and for those of us who lack the tools, a reaction strategy that makes it easier to get rid of that feeling in time. Bring However, this is not an adaptive strategy.

For this reason, we will have to look for other more appropriate strategies that help us manage stress and anxiety, without ending up falling into binge eating and inappropriate eating patterns. they suit us better.

In each of these cases, some are widely used, such as Jacobson’s relaxation, guiding images or breathing techniques such as diaphragm and rapid relaxation. The more you practice and process these techniques, the less likely you are to be tempted in stressful situations.

2. Keep dangerous foods away from home

When we make a mess in our diet, in reality, we are more likely to do it with unhealthy foods, cakes, sweets, etc… instead of vegetables and fruits. When it comes to food as comfort for negative emotions and things that overwhelm us, it’s a good idea not to have these foods at home.

In general, we usually eat what we have at home. And while it is true that you can leave the house and buy it at that moment, the time it takes to leave the house -the effort involved- the time you spend getting to the store gives you space to settle in and others. Implement a more appropriate strategy And be aware that we can stop.

3. Look for distracting elements

Another strategy that can help us when faced with the risk of binge eating is to look for distractions. Ideally, these distractions are healthy and help fill our thinking with healthy and appropriate factors.

One of these strategies is to go out to play sports when you encounter stress or extreme desires, or to meet friends and family to participate in social activities. favorite.

4. Talk to a mental health professional.

We put it last, but reality is first and foremost of everything we can do to prevent this from being ruined by anxiety and stress.

Going to a mental health professional not only helps us to know exactly why we are going to eat as a strategy, but also gives us the right tools to avoid it. This expert will teach you how to properly protect the tools mentioned above.

And on top of that, we’ll develop plans and programs that are right for us, gradually implementing more adaptable strategies and tools based on individual needs and progress. In such a situation, the best alternative is to seek the help of an expert who can guide us and help us in the most appropriate way.

The word stress is associated with negative implications, but scientifically speaking, stress is neither good nor bad. Learn what Eustress is and how to use it to overcome stress.

If you don’t already know Fitenium is a free, mobile and video-based social network for users who train strength and/or body weight exercises. At Fitenium users can find free personalized routines, follow their performance, compete and get discounts at nutrition stores and sports equipment. Download it here.

Stress is defined as the body’s physiological response when one has to face a more threatening or serious situation than usual. This reaction consists of a fight or flight response of the nervous system to find an escape route when facing or fleeing a threat.

Therefore, the nervous reaction is neither good nor bad. What happens is that our body can not always live in stress. After a while, the body will return to its normal physiological state. This is known as homeostasis.

Stress becomes a mental health problem if you are exposed to constant or frequent stress for too long. But actually, stress can also be a positive emotion.

two faces of stress

It’s normal to talk about stress simply, but in a nutshell, there are actually two different types of stress-related emotions, one positive and one negative.

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EUstress or positive stress

The word Eustress comes from combining the Greek prefix EU, which means good, with STRESS, which refers to force or pressure.

Eustress is a natural adaptive process that consists of the short-term activation of sensations and reflexes, in the face of exceptional threats and other types of situations that require more effort.

In this case, a stressful situation generates positive feelings, impatience if what we expect is good, strengthening self-esteem in unusually demanding situations, self-realization, etc.

Distress or negative stress

Instead, distress exceeds the potential for homeostasis or balance and causes fatigue, irritation, anxiety, or anger.

If negative stress is maintained for a long period of time, physical problems can occur due to weight loss and gain, lack of defense, high blood pressure and increased energy expenditure resulting in headaches for example.

Differences in symptoms

There are some differences between distress (or what is commonly known as stress) and positive stress. One of them is how to live it.

In the case of stress, it is often accompanied by fatigue, irritation, anger and anxiety. In addition, it is accompanied by a habitual feeling of obstruction that interferes with decision-making and the development of tasks that only exacerbate stressful situations.

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In this line, Eustress is an experience that on an emotional level provides greater satisfaction, vitality, energy, optimism and self-esteem. These sensations lead to a better quality of life.

How to manage stress and turn it into eUstress

In some cases, the stress that some people experience reaches a point where it becomes a health problem and requires professional help. If you find yourself or think you may be in this situation, it is best to see your doctor.

But if things aren’t quite there and you think you can try to turn stress into positive feelings, here are some tips to help you do just that.

1. Manage negative thoughts

We can be our own worst enemies by compounding highly demanding situations with negative thoughts that exacerbate stress and anxiety. It is not easy to avoid this, but it is not impossible. For example, instead of looking at everything that could cause problems in any of these situations, think about everything that has already been done and what you know about how to solve it.

2. Trust yourself and your decisions

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You can seek opinions and advice from someone you trust in their judgment, but you should not override your opinion or gut feeling. We often know more than we want to believe, although all decisions require a bit of self-confidence.

3. Don’t magnify the problem

Most of our worries are not as big as we usually see them. Don’t get caught up in unnecessary worries. You can also relativize the problem by comparing it with many others that surround you and that are more important.

4. Physical activity and relaxation

In many cases, due to stress, long-standing problems, work, exams, and family responsibilities, people give up physical practice. And this is a mistake.

Areas of physical activity, especially those that are helpful for relaxation, such as yoga and Pilates, are good ways to turn that stress into eustress, cope with commitments in other ways, and cytokine positive emotions in your daily life.

5. Find the moment you like

There are other things we stop doing at times of great stress, like when we get together with friends and family or spend time on hobbies like sports. Turn our entire day to day into a monothematic session of work or study, eliminating the good things that our life has. We can’t dedicate as much time to them as we would like, but we encourage you to never take these day-to-day activities out of our lives so we don’t get stressed.