Bad knees keeping you from doing squats?
Well, squats are a basic movement in our lives - getting off of a chair, out of a car, getting down to pet your dog or play with your kids… it is a move that is required to function easier in life.
If you’ve been told that you shouldn’t squat because of your knee issues, I would challenge that advice because the less you attempt to squat, the less you will be able to do (in general) over time.
And if body squats are too tough, then might I suggest a TRX suspension trainer? They are less than $150 & can travel everywhere with you. I’ve been using TRX with my clients since 2008 because it helps my clients modify moves so they feel more doable and on the other side, it help to add intensity with some otherwise easy body weight exercises.
The reason a TRX is so helpful with squats is that it allows much of your body weight & pressure to be taken off your knee joints with the assistance of your foot positioning along with your arm & core strength.
It works like this:
- With the TRX mounted in either a door or wrapped around an anchor point, you’ll stand with your hands on each handle (pulling the straps tight) right at your armpits.
- Place your feet about shoulder-width apart.
- As you squat back, feel the weight in your heels as you extend the arms out fairly straight in front of you, reaching over your head.
- Using your grip & your upper body strength, press down through your heels & pull yourself back up to the starting position - posture upright, core muscles strong.
The best way to improve your squats and range of motion in your joints is to lift weights &/or TRX with me & the MissFits REALTIME! Rather than taking this tip & trying it without me, join in on the fun and I’ll coach you through the whole process. I promise you, home workouts legit get you strong!
Realfit Bonus: 6 Week TRX Core Training Program
TRX stands for Total Body Resistance Cross-Training & because it’s total body, you will learn how to activate your core muscles unlike any other training modality. Your core muscles include your abdominals, obliques & back muscles. Basically, your entire mid-section. Hence “core training” program. However, we are also using this series to build your body weight training foundation & confidence to use this particular tool. So, by the end you will have TRX mastered!
Intensity is a HUGE component of every one of your workouts (not just with the TRX!) and is part of the success formula in how you can get more out of your workouts in far less time. The difference is your intensity!
We tackle squats in Workout #1
