Lower Body Push Movements

Squat Movements

Air Squat technical points

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  1. Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart

  2. Turn your feet out slightly

  3. Brace your abs

  4. Push your bum back slightly and then bend your knees (as thought you are sitting down)

  5. Whilst ensuring your chest stays up, achieve the appropriate depth (this will depend on your mobility and stability

  6. You may use your arms as a counter-balance or a way to keep your chest up

  7. Make sure your weight is distributed though the mid-foot to heel

  8. Stand back up

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High Bar Back Squat technical points

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  1. Set up your squat stands or squat rack so the bar rests on the pins below your shoulder line

  2. Place your hands symmetrically on the bar

  3. Bring your head under the bar and place the bar on your traps (below C7)

  4. Squat the bar out of the rack and take 2 steps backward

  5. Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart

  6. Turn your feet out slightly

  7. Tighten your upper back and bring your elbows into your side

  8. Brace your abs

  9. Push your bum back slightly and then bend your knees (as thought you are sitting down)

  10. Whilst ensuring your chest stays up, achieve the appropriate depth (this will depend on your mobility and stability

  11. Make sure your weight is distributed though the mid-foot to heel

  12. Stand back up

  13. When your set has finished, ensure your walk into the pins/squat rack and place the bar safely onto them.

Front Squat technical points

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  1. Set up your squat stands or squat rack so the bar rests on the pins below your shoulder line

  2. Place your hands symmetrically on the bar just wider that shoulder width apart

  3. Bring your shoulders to the bar so that the bar is touching your collar bones

  4. Bring your elbows around the bar so that your upper arm is parallel to the floor and the bar is resting on your shoulders 

  5. Squat the bar out of the rack and take 2 steps backward

  6. Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart

  7. Turn your feet out slightly

  8. Brace your abs

  9. Push your bum back slightly and then bend your knees (as thought you are sitting down)

  10. Whilst ensuring your chest stays up, achieve the appropriate depth (this will depend on your mobility and stability

  11. Make sure your weight is distributed though the mid-foot to heel

  12. Stand back up

  13. When your set has finished, ensure your walk into the pins/squat rack and place the bar safely onto them.

Safety Bar Squat technical points

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  1. Set up your squat stands or squat rack so the bar rests on the pins below your shoulder line

  2. Place your hands symmetrically on the bar

  3. Bring your head under the bar and in between the pads, so the back pad sits just below C7

  4. Grab the handles

  5. Squat the bar out of the rack and take 2 steps backward

  6. Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart

  7. Turn your feet out slightly

  8. Tighten your upper back and bring your elbows into your side

  9. Brace your abs

  10. Push your bum back slightly and then bend your knees (as thought you are sitting down)

  11. Whilst ensuring your chest stays up, achieve the appropriate depth (this will depend on your mobility and stability

  12. Make sure your weight is distributed though the mid-foot to heel

  13. Stand back up

  14. When your set has finished, ensure your walk into the pins/squat rack and place the bar safely onto them.

Belt Squat technical points

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  1. Place the belt around your waist and connect it to the machine

  2. Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart

  3. Stand up and un-rack the safety pins

  4. Ensure that the movement will pull you straight down (so adjust the machine if needed)

  5. Turn your feet out slightly

  6. Brace your abs

  7. Push your bum back slightly and then bend your knees (as thought you are sitting down)

  8. Whilst ensuring your chest stays up, achieve the appropriate depth (this will depend on your mobility and stability

  9. Make sure your weight is distributed though the mid-foot to heel

  10. Stand back up

Air Box Squat technical points

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If you are doing a weighted Box Squat - Combine these points with the Back Squat points above

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  1. Set up a box behind you that is high enough for you to achieve 90 degree knee flexion

  2. Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart

  3. Turn your feet out slightly

  4. Brace your abs

  5. Push your bum back slightly and then bend your knees (as thought you are sitting down)

  6. Make sure your weight is distributed though the mid-foot to heel

  7. Whilst ensuring your chest stays up, carefully sit on the box and stay tight (do not drop onto the box)

  8. Once you have settled on the box, drive out without using any momentum (do not lean back then lean forward)

  9. Stand back up

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Air Cyclist Squat technical points

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If you are doing a weighted Box Squat - Combine these points with the Back Squat points above

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  1. Set up a platform that raises your heels by approximately 1.5 inches

  2.  Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart

  3. Turn your feet out slightly

  4. Brace your abs

  5. Push your bum back slightly and then bend your knees (as thought you are sitting down)

  6. Make sure your weight is distributed though the heel

  7. Whilst ensuring your chest stays up, achieve greater amounts of knee flexion than you would in the other squat varients

  8. Once you have achieved a lower depth, drive back up to a standing position

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Jump Squat technical points

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If you are doing a weighted Box Squat - Combine these points with the Back Squat points above

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  1. Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart

  2. Turn your feet out slightly

  3. Brace your abs

  4. Push your bum back slightly and then bend your knees (as thought you are sitting down)

  5. Whilst ensuring your chest stays up, achieve the appropriate depth (this will depend on your mobility and stability

  6. You may use your arms to drive down, as as you drive up, drive them up with you

  7. Make sure your weight is distributed though the mid-foot to heel

  8. Drive up as fast as you can and jump vertically into the air

  9. In the air, stay extended

  10. When you land, ensure that your land softly by pushing your bum back and absorbing the weight in your legs (rather than your joints)

  11. Take a few seconds to reset, then repeat

Goblet Squat technical points

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  1. Bring a Kettlebell or Dumbbell up to your chin and hold it in place with your elbows beneath your wrists

  2. Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart

  3. Turn your feet out slightly

  4. Brace your abs

  5. Push your bum back slightly and then bend your knees (as thought you are sitting down)

  6. Whilst ensuring your chest stays up, achieve the appropriate depth (this will depend on your mobility and stability

  7. Make sure your weight is distributed though the mid-foot to heel

  8. Stand back up

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Split Squat Movements

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Split Squat technical points

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  1. Bring your feet to be hip width apart

  2. Lunge forward so that your front shin and back thigh are perpendicular to the floor

  3. Your back foot should be on its toes, whilst you should push through the heel of the front foot

  4. Brace your abs and keep your chest up as you extend both knees, raising the torso from the floor directly upwards

  5. Squeeze your Glutes and Quads of the front leg

  6. Without moving your feet, bring your back knee back down to the floor (stop just before touching the floor)

  7. Repeat by extending both knees again

  8. Complete all reps on one leg, then do the same on the other leg

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Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat technical points

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  1. Elevate your back foot by approximately 2 inches

  2. Bring your feet to be hip width apart

  3. Lunge forward so that your front shin and back thigh are perpendicular to the floor

  4. Your back foot should be on its toes, whilst you should push through the heel of the front foot

  5. Brace your abs and keep your chest up as you extend both knees, raising the torso from the floor directly upwards

  6. Squeeze your Glutes and Quads of the front leg

  7. Without moving your feet, bring your back knee back down to the floor (stop just before touching the floor)

  8. With the elevated back foot you will be able to produce greater amounts of knee flexion

  9. Repeat by extending both knees again

  10. Complete all reps on one leg, then do the same on the other leg

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Bulgarian Split Squat technical points

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  1. Elevate your back foot by putting it on a bench or high platform (at least 1.5 feet tall)

  2. Bring your feet to be hip width apart

  3. Lunge forward so that your front shin and back thigh are perpendicular to the floor

  4. Your back foot should either be supported by the seat of the bench (as shown) or on its toes, whilst you should push through the heel of the front foot

  5. Brace your abs and keep your chest up as you extend both knees, raising the torso from the floor directly upwards

  6. Squeeze your Glutes and Quads of the front leg

  7. Without moving your feet, bring your back knee back down to the floor (stop just before touching the floor)

  8. With the elevated back foot you will be able to produce greater amounts of knee flexion

  9. Repeat by extending both knees again

  10. Complete all reps on one leg, then do the same on the other leg

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Front Foot Elevated Split Squat technical points

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  1. Elevate your front foot by approximately 2 inches

  2. Bring your feet to be hip width apart

  3. Lunge forward so that your front shin and back thigh are perpendicular to the floor

  4. Your back foot should either be supported by the seat of the bench (as shown) or on its toes, whilst you should push through the heel of the front foot

  5. Brace your abs and keep your chest up as you extend both knees, raising the torso from the floor directly upwards

  6. Squeeze your Glutes and Quads of the front leg

  7. Without moving your feet, bring your back knee back down to the floor (stop just before touching the floor)

  8. With the elevated back foot you will be able to produce greater amounts of knee flexion

  9. Repeat by extending both knees again

  10. Complete all reps on one leg, then do the same on the other leg

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