Poliquin - Healthy. Lean. Strong.

Training Articles

Tweet Print

Very Dumb Training Recommendations

Squatting with a belt around the thighs

Since I have started the PICP, I am asked this question (in many forms) a lot:

My knees collapse when I squat. I heard of a trick where the lifter wraps a belt around his thighs and concentrates on pushing against it while squatting. It's supposed to cure the problem. What's your opinion on this technique? Also, when the knees fall in, is it a problem with strength or flexibility?

The creator(s) and proponents of this technique really screwed up on this one. Their interpretation of the knee-buckling problem is that it is caused by weak hip abductors.

In response, they suggest that you fire your hip abductors while doing an exercise that primarily recruits the hip extensors. This action sends confusing messages to the brain. Eventually, you'll be forced to use a dinky load that doesn't overload the hip extensor chain properly. You'll develop a brand new faulty recruitment pattern. In the end, you won't fix the real causes of the problem.

I find this technical approach idiotic, at best. It doesn't address the real potential sources of the problem. In over 98% of cases, the problem is rooted in having a weak vastus medialis and/or adhesions between the adductor magnus and the medial hamstrings. These symptoms are very common in hockey players and figure skaters because of over-recruitment of the vastus lateralis and the overuse of the hip adductor and hip extensors chains.

How do you correct this problem?

To learn how to effectively train the vastus medialis, make sure to attend one of Coach Poliquin's leg internships, and/or enlist the help of qualified soft tissue practitioner.