Exercise Notes
The full squat is a seemingly simple exercise but it actually requires considerable ankle
dorsiflexion flexibility, hip flexion flexibility, and thoracic extension flexibility. This means
that your knees have to be able to travel forward pretty far at the bottom of the movement
without rising onto the toes, the hips need to be able to sink low with no rounding of the low
back or tucking of the pelvis, and the upper back needs to stay tight to prevent upper-back
rounding. For this reason, many people find that they cannot perform this movement until
they increase their mobility. The full squat also requires sufficient core stability and glute
activation, so be patient and focus on quality not quantity. As time goes on, full squats will
become easier, but take your time working into them and building the requisite flexibility
and stability to perform the movement correctly. The hips will sink between the knees,
which are forced outward during a proper full squat.