Back Squat & Knee Pain Workshop

Thank you for joining us during our Back Squat and Knee Pain workshop! We dove into some of the science of deep squatting, why it is important, and how you can overcome knee pain regardless of what imaging may show.

Here are the mobility and stability drills that we covered during the workshop with recommended dosage. At the end there is also a video of squat technique with the proper cues.

Mobility Drills

Quad Rolling
1-2 minutes per quad. Hit this daily before working legs. Remember to make a full “scan” of the muscle with the roller, covering every angle.

Banded Dorsiflexion Stretch
3×30 second stretch. Hit this 1-2 times per day if your dorsiflexion is tight. Refer back to the dorsiflexion test (bare foot, 1 hand width from the wall/rig and see if you can touch your knee on the wall/rig while keeping your heel down). Check in with this test once per week to see how your progress is going. You should see changes if you stay consistent with this drill.

Full Squat Stretch
Accumulate 5 minutes per day in the bottom of the deep squat. Start the timer when you sink all the way down. Pause the timer if you need a rest. You can spend time here and there throughout the day to accumulate 5 minutes.

stability drills

Lateral Stepdown
2×15 reps each side as a supplement to your normal lower body routine 2-3x per week. This can also be used as a great hip primer before your workout. Make sure the the knee does not cave in during the movement. Think about driving your working knee outwards so your knee tracks down the middle of your foot or along the outer half of your foot.

Front Rack Lunges
3 sets of 10 reps as a supplement to your normal lower body training routine, 2-3x per week. This is a great addition if you find yourself in a posterior-chain dominant squat. This will strengthen the quads so that you can maintain an upright posture when coming out of the “hole.”

Copenhagen Plank
3×30 second hold as a supplement to your normal lower body training routine, 2-3x per week. This is another exercise that will improve your ability to get out of the “hole.” Adductors have the most activity in the bottom of a deep squat, so strength in this muscle group will make you very powerful in the bottom of the squat.

squat technique

During your squat reps, focus on one or two of these cues per set and really try to perfect them. It can be difficult to try and focus on 8 different cues at first. Once you have one or two dialed-in, include the next one or two on the list. Before you know it, they will all be coming together naturally. I would suggest always starting with “braced core, neutral spine” as a priority.

I’m your local movement expert! I help active people get back to the activities that they love, and I teach them how to take care of their bodies long term. If you have any pain or limitations, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I would love to help you crush your goals!

Tim Brown, PT, DPT, DN-2

Ascend Performance Therapy