Don’t get squashed by big weights. Use these cues to turn your squashers into squats.

“Brace like I’m about to punch you”

One of the most common cues used to help people brace their abdominal region. Works well so it is one of the first cues I use when teaching tightness under the bar. It can be drilled very well with varying core exercises involving static holds such as planks.

“Flare your obliques”

This is usually a follow on to the above bracing cue to help reinforce bracing is not just done with the anterior core muscles. Bracing involves your whole midsection so you should feel tight in your obliques and lower back as well as your abdominals.

“Bottom Up” “Breathe into your brace”

When many people start with breathing for the squat, they tend to breathe into their chest. The problem with this, is your breath and brace is what creates your strong shelf that keeps your posture strong while squatting. If you take your breath into your chest and let some of your air out in any part of the lift, your chest will collapse putting you into a less advantageous position. So filling your air from the bottom of your midsection and up will allow you to get more air in as well as creating a more stable midsection. It is very important you never let go of your brace, you MUST breathe in and out of it which will be hard at first as it takes a strong core and time to learn the skill itself.

“Fill like a cylinder”

Breathing into your belly is only part of the process. Breath should fill your midsection like a cylinder in 360◦ so you should not only feel it in your belly, but also your obliques and lower back. This will create your stable trunk to maintain a strong posture that won’t crumble under heavy loads. A previous article of ours covers this well.

“Screw your feet” “Spread the floor”

Sometimes this isn’t needed as the brace and breathing tends to take care of it. However, very new squatters generally just “fall down” with the bar rather than keeping tight even through the lower body. Screwing your feet outwards (while they stay in the same place) or spreading the floor apart helps the knees to track nicely over the middle toe engaging more of the glutes and allowing space for you to sit your hips in between your legs.

“Jail Squeeze”

The same cue I use for all of the exercises that require strong hip extension. Squeeze your bum like you’re in the jail showers when you get to the top of the movement. Shout out to Jason Mcintosh-Kerr for this cue that has stuck with me since day one of lifting.