Edited by Dr. Francesca Fanolla
Squat
The other fundamental exercise that is often wrong is the SQUAT, together with the LEG PRESS.
The most frequent and dangerous mistake is that of bending the legs by moving the body weight and the center of gravity too far forward, overcoming the toes with the knees and considerably overloading the knee joint.
The correct execution requires that the pelvis is carried backwards during the descent phase, with the sensation of feeling the weight exclusively on the back foot (heels), while NEVER raising the forefoot.
All this, making sure that the knees do not exceed the tips of the feet, contracting the abdominals, thus stabilizing the spine and buttocks, often forgotten.
They should be, at least at the level of sensation, just the buttocks the main "motor" squat muscles, not the quadriceps!
Therefore, better a position of the feet wider than the pelvis, with tips always slightly divergent (the parallel feet cause in the descent a line of movement "forced" by the knees) and a sensation of thrust and contraction accentuated at the level of the buttocks, rather than of the quadriceps.
Absolutely AVOID the squat performed with the rise under the feet. If a customer fails to perform the squat test (maximum squatting without lifting his heels from the ground), it means that he is NOT YET AT THE MOMENT to offer him this exercise, he is not ready yet, as he does not have the right level of tibio mobility - tarsal and elasticity of the calves fundamental for the correct execution of this exercise.
The rise below the feet, in this case, does nothing but accentuate the body's unbalancing forward and the tension at the level of the knees.
So, let's forget the comfortable and hasty "tablet" under your feet, but let's commit ourselves to a period of stretching and stretching for the calves, and then quietly switch to the squat.
The same rules of posture also apply to the exercise of LEG PRESS.
After these brief explanations, perhaps obvious but useful for many, I remind you that body building, isotonic machines and barbells are extraordinarily effective and stimulating, but very dangerous if used without criteria and superficially.
Good training for everyone
