Starting Strength, 3rd Edition - Mark Rippetoe [36]
Figure 2-48. If the knee slides forward – note the partial squat and the inclination of the tibia – the increased pull from the knee develops high tension against the attachments on the pelvis. This can cause an interesting type of tendinitis.
The fact is that most people don’t like to maintain tension in the quads, the calves, and the posterior chain as they approach the bottom of the squat. It is indeed a lot of work to maintain tension in these components as the angles become more closed, the muscles reach the end of their ability to extend, and the tendons become stretched and tight. Tempting as it may be to relax forward, doing so is obviously inefficient because it eliminates the possibility of storing elastic energy in the extensible components as they stretch out and get nearer to the point of activating the stretch reflex as the direction of the movement reverses. Relaxing forward also increases the risk of injury because low-back relaxation often comes along for the ride.
Figure 2-49. The relationship of the quads, hamstrings, and gastrocs at the bottom of the squat. All work together to maintain the knee angle, and letting the knees slide forward indicates a failure in this relationship.
The answer is to learn to squat with the knees in the proper place and to move them correctly during the descent. If the knees are moving out as the femurs externally rotate, their forward travel will be limited to that which is normal for your anthropometry in a correct squat, where all of the forward knee travel occurs in the first third or half of the descent. After that, the knees just stay in place and the hips account for the rest of the movement. So, from the very top, shove the knees forward and out to the place where they will end up, just in front of the toes, and stop them there; the rest of the descent will consist of the hips moving back and down. Make two movements out of this for a couple of reps, and then reduce this sequence to a smooth single motion (Figure 2-50). A useful way to learn this is to place a block of wood in front of your knees, as illustrated in Figure 2-51.
Figure 2-50. Note that the knees, once they move forward to their position over the toes, do not move during the remainder of the squat until the ascent carries them back up to this point.
Figure 2-51. A terribly useful block of wood. Touch the block, but don’t knock it over.
In order for this knee-control technique to work, you’ll need to actually look down at your knees so that you’ll know what they are doing in response to your direction. In your squat stance, at the top with the bar in position on your back, look straight down at a point on the floor between your toes. You will see a picture of your knees relative to your feet, and the movement of your knees relative to your toes will be apparent as you descend. Look at your knees all the way down and back up a couple of times with the empty bar. You will need to practice this because it will seem awkward at first. But as you watch your knees change position through the movement and as the sets get heavier, you will see exactly what the problems are and you will have immediate feedback on what you need to do to correct them. If your concept of the squat is correct, this technique is the best way to fix your knee problems.
Feet and stance
As previously noted, the interaction with the feet against the floor is central to the entire concept of the squat. The middle of the feet is the point of balance against the floor, and the bar must remain directly above this point for the system to be in balance. Remember that