Not achieving depth in the back squat is addressed by which cue?

Not achieving depth in the back squat is addressed by which cue?

• A. Drive knees out and keep shins vertical
• B. Chest up and look forward
• C. Sit back into hips with weight through midfoot
• D. Look forward

Answer: (A)

Not reaching full depth often comes from how the knee and hip move together during the descent. Driving the knees outward helps prevent the knees from caving in, which opens up the hips and allows the femurs to move more freely into deep flexion. This outward knee tracking also promotes proper external rotation of the hips, enabling a deeper, more stable descent rather than getting stuck when the knees collapse inward. Keeping the shins vertical supports balance and places the weight over the midfoot, which helps you maintain a solid base as you lower. When the shins stay more vertical, you’re less likely to lose balance or misalign your torso, making it easier to drop into a deeper position without tipping forward. Chest up and looking forward are helpful for maintaining a neutral spine and bar path, but they don’t directly fix the mechanics of depth the way knee-out and shin position do. Sitting back into the hips with weight through the midfoot is another effective cue for depth, though if knee tracking isn’t addressed, depth can still be limited by knee valgus or excessive forward shank movement.

Not reaching full depth often comes from how the knee and hip move together during the descent. Driving the knees outward helps prevent the knees from caving in, which opens up the hips and allows the femurs to move more freely into deep flexion. This outward knee tracking also promotes proper external rotation of the hips, enabling a deeper, more stable descent rather than getting stuck when the knees collapse inward.

Keeping the shins vertical supports balance and places the weight over the midfoot, which helps you maintain a solid base as you lower. When the shins stay more vertical, you’re less likely to lose balance or misalign your torso, making it easier to drop into a deeper position without tipping forward.

Chest up and looking forward are helpful for maintaining a neutral spine and bar path, but they don’t directly fix the mechanics of depth the way knee-out and shin position do. Sitting back into the hips with weight through the midfoot is another effective cue for depth, though if knee tracking isn’t addressed, depth can still be limited by knee valgus or excessive forward shank movement.