Proper squatting forms the basis of any performance system and is essential to meaningful function as an athlete and human.  This includes all populations including the elderly (might need to scale though, bro).  As an athlete and as a practitioner who treats fellow CrossFitters frequently, one of the things I love is the emphasis on the squat pattern. But with high squatting volume in any performance system we need to ensure it’s reproducible and leading to potential injury.

I understand and share the pride that comes with the ability to squat deep while lifting some serious weight.  However, many athletes are unable to squat deep with load due to hip or low back pain.  Femoral-acetabular impingement is often the culprit here, where the neck of the femur is literally jamming into the acetabulum of the pelvis. Dan goes into much greater detail in one of his prior posts on FAI. These same biomechanics also cause butt winking where there is a reversal of the lumbar spine causing a loss of segmental control.  This spinal shear under load is dangerous and never okay – a butt wink is an immediate fault and nobody gets a pass.  Altering squat width is a strong start to fixing these train wrecks.

So how do we determine best squat width for depth and performance (and to help prevent hip pain and butt winking)?  “Shoulder width” is often used however that differs for each individual.  Many times we just start with a random width and that becomes the default.  However, factors such as motor control of the entire system (particularly the over-extended spine), hip and ankle mobility, and individual structural differences in acetabulum and femur alignment all influence squat width and depth.

The sooner the femur runs into the pelvis, the less depth you’ll achieve …read more

You may not be doing P90X, but plenty of your schmuck friends are. Let them read this and save them from mediocrity. …read more

Climb out of that training rut and challenge your muscles and mental fortitude with these old-school squat workouts. …read more

Build indestructable shoulders with landmine presses, unique overhead carry variations, and much more. …read more

Every generation of bodybuilders has its unfounded fear of certain foods. The current generation takes the cake. …read more

Endurance work makes you soft and weak. Steady state cardio, as a fat loss tool, should be buried. Metabolic interval training or HIIT is far superior. …read more

I’ve got some great news for you.  I’ve made some huge new changes with the fitness pain free crossfit programming.  Most importantly, the programming is now affiliate friendly.  I’ve received several emails from coaches out there wondering if this program was an appropriate fit for their gym.  I can now say that it certainly is.  I’ve gone through the process of making it easy to plug this programming directly into your box.  Now you don’t have to spend countless hours devising the perfect program for your gym and you can spend more time as a coach.

That’s not the only good news though.  Here’s a laundry list of new additions to the programming: 

• Crossfit programming for the general crossfit population.  The main target audience being between 25 and 45 years old with the primary goal of health and performance.
• Workouts with warm-up should last around 1 hour
• Workouts contain either a skill or lift of the day followed by a met-con
• Monthly assessment videos with corrective strategies
• Mobility, stability and technique drills incorporated right into the program
• Video exercise progressions for complex movements like the muscle-up
• Thorough warmups to prepare you for the workouts
• A competitor’s track for athletes wishing to be competitive in crossfit that layers right on top of the regular programming
• Joint health exercises to help keep you feeling good and reduce injury risk
• The same smart exercise prescription to boost performance and reduce injury risk

Click HERE for more information and to get started

I’ve had several affiliates sign up so far with promising results.  Keep in mind that this program is constantly evolving based on feedback from you.  So please keep the feedback coming and we’ll work to make this the best program possible.

I’m really excited for this,

Dan Pope DPT, CSCS

…read more

To bench more weight, bench more often, practice pauses, train the bottom part of the press, and have a smart plan. …read more

Meatheads say, “Just squat and deadlift, bro. That’s all the core training you’ll ever need.” Too bad they’re wrong. …read more

When just slapping extra weight on the bar fails, you need to look at effective ways to increase volume or density. …read more