Let me clarify. If you're just starting out or getting older, practicing the basic movement of sitting down and standing up can be a useful exercise. But for most people training with intensity, it might be time to rethink the squat.
If you're loading up an Olympic bar on your back or clutching a dumbbell at your chest and going up and down, here’s the truth: you probably don’t need to. And for many of you, I think you shouldn’t.
In my 50,000 hours working one-on-one with clients, I have yet to see someone whose left and right legs are equally strong. Whether it’s due to neurological dominance, old injuries, or something like scoliosis, most of us have one side that takes over during a squat.
What happens when one leg is strong than the other, over time? The dominant leg gets even stronger, the joints on that side start to wear down, and this imbalance begins to affect how you walk and how you recruit other muscles and joints.
That’s why I recommend focusing on single-leg exercises instead. Like,
These all help build strength evenly and protect your body long-term.
If squats are your passion, that’s okay. Just be cognizant that you may not be strengthening both sides of your body equally. Or try those other exercises. :)
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